Селеста / Сelesta: Глава 1

Chapter 1

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 12:29

The mountains separating the lands of the former kingdom of Salvatia from the western steppe are geologically old. In practice, this means that they are not too high, minerals have long been extracted from them, and wide passes, convenient for riders, abound within them. The largest pass is the Gate of Fickle, securely locked from invasion by Lascaris but even without it, there are enough places where a detachment of a hundred horses can pass. Dangerous directions are covered by a system of fortresses that are part of the western army of modern Taleya and are considered quite well fortified.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 17:47

Sometimes small gangs of raiders slip past the fortresses. Sometimes tribes gather, with the help of gods or "mercenaries" from neighboring powers, successfully storm fortifications and frolic in the lands of the kingdom until the troops come up on red alert. Either way, life in the Frontier is not safe.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 17:52

"It is strange that there is not a strong sense of wickedness in the vicinity. Isn't there a monastery nearby?"

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 17:53

"No, Messena. It is simply that the commander of the local garrison carefully performs his duties and maintains good relations with the surrounding nobles."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 17:54

"I never would have believed it was possible to purge the earth of creatures to such an extent. Of course, I've heard reports, but this is a case where you have to see with your own eyes and see for yourself to understand. I'll take you up on your invitation, Medea."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 17:54

From the outside, the three could easily be mistaken for traveling nobles. Good clothes and weapons; numerous servants, who brought a table and chairs from a nearby inn at a moment's notice for the lords who wished to sit in this particular clearing; the night darkness did not prevent them from talking, which indicated either a spell of vision-in-the-dark or a drink of an expensive elixir for the same purpose.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 17:55

In some respects, the possible observers would be right - all three were true of high status. The one man, Latham, had long held the rank of captain of his mistress's guard and led risen units focused on comprehending the Warrior's Path. A striking beauty in gorgeous robes, incredibly graceful, mesmerizing at a single fleeting glance, Medea was a member of the Council of Elders and ruled the second largest community in Zonna. Well, that means... She drove her assistants to nervous breakdowns, despite the fact that they themselves were undead. Nevertheless, the community grew from age to age and successfully intrigued the court of the ruler of the Land of Blueness.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 17:58

The last of the gathered, a frail teenage girl in a simple hunting costume, wasn't supposed to be here. Everyone knows that Celesta, Mistress of the Night, does not leave Taleya.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:03

"That's wonderful!" When she heard her sister's last words, Medea fairly clapped her hands. "I will inform my people immediately to prepare for your arrival!"

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:03

"You don't have to tell anyone anything," Celesta flatly refused. "I remember your secrets well. I wouldn't want an army of monks with holy relics waiting for me when I arrived in Zonna."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:04

"It's not true!" Medea pouted. "It's not that bad."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:05

"Are you saying it's even worse?"

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:05

"You're kidding, right?!" The beauty waved her fan and narrowed her eyes in an exaggeratedly wicked way. "You're kidding! And anyway, the largest temple of the Lord of Hell in my city stands, and no one is going to tear it down!"

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:06

"Honor and praise to you," the older risen bowed her head slightly, despite her appearance. "I don't argue-our position in the Land of Blueness is more secure than anywhere else. But there are hunters there, too. Besides, I don't like the potential your community has built up being wasted. Why isn't the Sultanate ours yet?"

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:07

"It's hard work," Medea didn't flirt this time and spoke seriously. "The Sultan's court sees us as agents of their enemies, and in good conscience, they are right. Our servants have to act very carefully. Sooner or later the situation will change but do not count on quick results.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:08

"Too bad. I have big plans for Birat."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:09

No further explanation was needed. The Principality of Birat was situated on the eastern shores of the Good Sea, and, by the will of the gods and former Taleyan intelligence officers who had fled there from the civil war, the servants of the risens wielded considerable influence there. Elder Gardoman, in charge of the revenue sector, a kind of vampire Minister of Trade and Finance, had for centuries demanded that the number of communities in the Duchy be increased and that the existing ones be strengthened by specialists. Not that Celesta objected-not at all. She saw the potential of Birat. What confused her was the isolation of its structures from the metropolis and the separatism problem that had plagued her in the past. The Mistress didn't want to have a purge every twenty years, so it was better not to lead her subjects to the wrong ideas.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:22

"You don't have to go to Birat through the Azaras," Latham said. "There's the Archipelago."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:23

"Not the best option either. Deep Harbor's intelligence is currently the best in the world. There's no telling who's on the hook for who. Besides, I'm confused by the success of their College of the Nine Pillars. If the mages there have learned how to bypass our concealing veils, then there's no point in trying to reestablish the community. They'll find it anyway."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:24

"What does Hustin say?" Medea asked in an indifferent tone.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:24

Too indifferent. It looked like the currently quarreling couple was about to have a new round in their relationship.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:25

"Swearing."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:28

"Ha!"

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:28

"In any case, something has to be done about the Sultanate," Celesta didn't allow the "I knew he was a loser" theme to develop. "In the next three or four years, of course, we won't have free resources, everything will go to eliminate the effects of the current crisis, but then we'll take care of the Azaras. Zervan, Zervan... They have about an hour to go, Latham. Get your men ready."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:30

"Messena," the servant and bodyguard rose smoothly from his chair and made a farewell bow and headed in the direction of the inn.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:31

After seeing him off with a approving glance, Medea turned to her friend:

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:31

"Are you serious about visiting Zonna? Don't think anything of the sort, I'm just happy, but you said that your connection to the seal wasn't completely severed."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:32

"I suspect it won't go away for long," Celesta pursed her lips. "I knew there was a catch to that offer of the true priests. But I can leave the city now. If, halfway down, it turns out that the distance to the seal matters, I'll be right back."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:33

"Let's hope for the best," Medea agreed. She thought a little, tilted her pretty head to the side, and shrugged. "It's better this way than before, anyway."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:33

"I'm certainly not going to argue!"

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:34

Celesta has spent four hundred years in Taleya, not of her own free will. After an unfortunate (or too fortunate, as the case may be) ritual by the great wizard Tyran, the priests of the True Face of Morvan made her the kind of offer you can't refuse. They demanded a keeper, an operator of the seal that had been affixed to the rift in space that led to a dimension the human sources call Abyss. In return they were promised power, knowledge, and answers to a number of questions about the nature of the risen.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:44

In the main, the priests did not lie. Celeste received what she requested. The deal had allowed the vampires who served her not only to get through the civil war relatively unscathed but also to strengthen their kind's position considerably. Nevertheless, to sit for four centuries in one city, albeit the Capital...

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:46

When the seal finally stabilized, and the vampire leader was able to at least just step beyond the invisible but well-felt border, one of her closest, as she believed, associates forced her to go not where she wanted, but where she had to go. Not surprisingly, the Mistress had been in a quiet rage for the past month. The risens who knew her well were not deceived by the supposed calm; only the accustomed Medea dared to ignore her friend's condition.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:47

Not wanting to fill her pretty head with problems, the faithful confidante turned the conversation to the construction of the future shelter. Now the problem of headquarters did not exist - the intricate network of catacombs provided reliable protection, and in a pinch the vampires planned to escape through the dead land. The vast sphere of the Tyran Curse destroyed any life that entered its confines. Even the vampires themselves couldn't stay in it for more than a few hours, which, however, was usually enough. The only exception was Celesta, who was immune to the Curse, adding weight to the rumor mill about her near-divine essence. But as time passed, the curse weakened and became less aggressive. In addition, wizards in the royal service and monks of certain orders had long researched it and even obtained some practical results. For now, humans could not invade the sphere. While what?

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:53

The vampires wished to prepare in advance for the time when the Curse would disappear and with it the safe escape route and the opportunity for mortals to invade their fiefdom. That's why the construction was started. Of course, Medea couldn't help but participate in the discussion of the project, because who else than her?

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:55

"Okay," Celesta put her palm forward after half an hour of discussion. "Spare me the details. If you say it's black and white with flecks of red, then so be it."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 18:57

"But I explained!" Medea raised her hands to the sky, invoking higher powers as witnesses. Her friend's earthiness depressed her.

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 19:35

"I just don't understand why, after two years of discussion, we're back to where we started."

Camrad_RIP 16.07.22 в 19:56

"Well, what if something more appropriate had been found?"

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:45

"I doubt it. Well," the mistress jumped down from the chair in which she was sitting dangling her legs with pleasure. "I'm going for a walk, and you get the bodyguards closer. It's about to start."

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:46

"Latham will not be pleased," the beautiful elder remarked, as if in passing.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:47

"Let Latam have his way, and he'll cover me with pillows stuffed with the softest down."

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:47

Medea laughed softly after her friend's departure, then turned toward the inn, where two figures loomed vaguely, and whispered:

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:48

"Ral, Fango, keep me company."

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:51

She had no doubt she was heard.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:51

Vampires changed with age. Slowly, much more slowly than mortal humans, and in a completely different way. Their appearance remained the same, but their power grew, which, in turn, was reflected in the strength, dexterity, and endurance of their physical bodies. In addition, they had abilities that were often mistaken for magic, which were formed depending on the worldview and the Path the risen was following. To develop them or not, was up to each of them.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:52

It was believed that the older a vampire was, the stronger he was. It was not entirely true - those who didn't consider it necessary to learn and work on themselves stiffened at the same level or slipped into degradation altogether. At best, their growth was stunted to the point of being completely invisible. But when it came to the elite of undead society, the rule was ironclad.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:53

Celesta was at the top of the hierarchical pyramid. She was old, one of the oldest risens in the oikumene, and spent a great deal of her time dealing with reports, meeting with her subjects, parsing reports, and other activities that are inevitable in life (or after-life) of any ruler. At the same time, she had access to all the resources and developments of the Community, as well as a desire to learn and a firm understanding of the need for great personal power. Such is the time, such is the race. There was no other way. In addition, as a bonus, she had a seal on the Curse, crumbs of power which the Night Mistress of Taleya could operate at her own discretion. These crumbs were enough not only for her, but also for her closest associates.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:55

With each year, decade, and century, Celesta's abilities grew. She perceived the world far more entirely now than she had at the beginning of her journey, and possessed capabilities that would have seemed miraculous in her earlier life. She suspected that she could win the coming confrontation alone. However, her turbulent past had weaned her from taking unnecessary risks, and what else were servants for but to protect their mistress? At least that's what Latham thought, and she had no intention of arguing with him. But she wouldn't go along with his demands, either.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 05:57