Селеста / Сelesta: Прародитель

Progenitor

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 07:59

/A nervous Child did not add to the calm.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 07:59

"It's so quiet in here."

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:00

"The palace inhabitants are accustomed to moving about inaudibly," Loan was glad to be distracted from hin thoughts. "People aren't allowed in here, except as an exception, and the chimeras do the cleaning. By the way, don't lower your voice - our conversation could be overheard from the other wing if they wanted to."

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:02

"It's not a pleasant feeling."

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:04

"Master the inner speech," Loan shrugged slightly. "Etiquette permits the use of sound-distorting spells only at public events like balls, negotiations, Council meetings... We can't use our powers now."

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:04

"Why?"

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:03

"Because until we prove the title, we have no rights here."/

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:03

For both life and after-life, the need for money is a universal phenomenon. At least, that's what it seemed to Loan in those moments when he was in a philosophical mood, trying to remember who he was before his conversion. Non-dead people lost their memories in rebirth more often than they'd like, yeah... Guess he was a mercenary, or a guard, or otherwise sold the sword to those willing to buy it. At any rate, no relation to the merchant class - the master said he found the dying man on the battlefield, sensed the mark of the Dark One, and hurried to convert before the potential Child died of his wounds. A spontaneous decision, for which he had to pay the price of nearly a hundred years of stress.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:30

I guess the old prick threw a party after Loan left. At any rate, he shouted something like that, tossing the adult risen over the fence.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 08:33

By the standards of the undead, the young man knew nothing. He could not speak to a crowd of people until they lost all critical thinking, could not pretend to be an admiring listener, listening to all kinds of bullshit, carried by an important official or feudal lord, the money ran through his fingers ... But the second father taught him a good fight, and blood of his ancestor provided an understanding of the habits of beasts. Shy horses and independent cats at first were frightened by the undead, but soon got used to it and begged for affection from his cold hands. A good talent, useful, but not too useful.

Camrad_RIP 17.07.22 в 20:18

He had to sell his sword to all comers, and sell it cheaply. Masters of the cities were not particularly eager to give up one-time orders. They gave work more out of racial solidarity than real need and were in no hurry to take a newcomer into the entourage. He did not try to become a demon hunter - mercenaries are extremely tolerant of non-dead men, but not to the point where they would admit them into their ranks. From time to time he managed to feed the Guilds, especially those who were in constant need of power support. It's also an income. Even a certain reputation had developed.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 06:37

So Loan wasn't too surprised when he got the offer from the Guild of Phantoms to visit a merchant's house. They were always scheming, and if they didn't want to go, there must have been a reason. Only it was unclear why they had chosen him. The vampires in Lord of the Night Dwer's bloodline had never been known for their silent infiltration skills. Of course, they could do some things, on a decent level, but they were good at other things. They were good at knocking teeth out, snapping necks... That was the point, it turned out - to imitate a robbery by a not-so-experienced thief. Phantoms are interested in the documents from the safe merchant, and the rest of the loot, they are allowed to keep, honestly warned that the large amount is not worth it to count. The merchant doesn't keep gold at home, he takes it straight to the bank.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 06:42

The most difficult thing was to enter the house. The unknown magician, who put the protection, was clearly a creative person, though not a master. Loam would not have made it through the workshop. Chains of signs protected the house and its inhabitants from fire, hail, curses, and unpleasant visits from the undead, and did so in an unconventional way. Not that the novice thief was well versed in runology, but a favorite of the local school bundles knew and can bypass them. Unfortunately, now I had to use different skills. One of the ancestral talents of the Dwer lineage was the ability to take the form of animals, fully copying their energy. Well, Loan was still far away from such heights, but he could already do some things. So he took advantage of it.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 06:45

And now he was standing in the middle of the office - in the carefully chosen spot where the alarm lines formed an empty square - holding a bag full of papers from a safe torn from the wall and other things, and thinking what a fool he was. Because he can't take the painting off the wall, it's too carefully protected, but he really wants to.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 06:47

It wouldn't occur to Loan to call himself a sensitive person, but he didn't visit exhibitions of painters or sculptors just to talk over life with potential employers. He also looked at works, even if he judged them on the level of "I like it, I don't like it". Well, he liked this painting. A lot. Very much. In the literal sense of the word, it touched the soul, the existence of which had not been confirmed. For the sake of it was worth the risk and did a stupid thing from the category of those memories which later become embarrassing and joyful. It's kind of a faux pas, but it's catchy.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 06:50

So the vampire stood there, calculating his options.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 06:50

A few minutes later, the plan took shape and was deemed reasonable. Costly, though, but what could he do? Security is always expensive. With a disgruntled hiss, Loan dug into his belt bag, packed with all sorts of useful stuff, and pulled out a small vial of dark green liquid. Rare and useful stuff, and it was a pity he wouldn't be able to buy one soon. A stimulant that boosted the strange metabolism of the undead by an order of magnitude, it was made and sold in the few shops of the Guild of Darkness. Most of the goods were bought by the rulers of the cities and other bigwigs. The likes of Loan had measly leftovers, and at exorbitant prices.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 06:59

After a few minutes, the elixir took effect. The vampire exhaled sharply, putting himself in a trance and speeding up his personal time, and pushed himself gently off the floor... The gray shadow stuck to the wall for a moment, deftly avoiding contact with the signal threads, then darted just as swiftly through the narrow window. The signs reacted instantly, grew alarmingly red, and the air grew heavy and thick with crackling and worry. Too late! Human magic could not keep up with the undead, and the blurry silhouette swept through the courtyard and over the high fence in less than a second, leaving behind a house that was not yet alarmed, but already frightened.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:01

The wall on which the painting used to hang was empty.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:01

The next night, Argelius, of Medea's family, dropped in on Loan's temporary shelter - all his shelters were temporary, his way of life prevented him from having a permanent one. Like all artists, he was a bit careless, with a pack of mental cockroaches in his head and an unmistakable sense of the unusual.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:03

"Show me," he demanded as soon as he was allowed in. "I'm anxious to see her."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:03

"Who?" the host did not understand. And just in case, he put his hand on the short truncheon.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:05

"Steppe Horses" by the great Thalia! Don't tell me you don't have it! Didn't you rob that merchant's house?" Argelius snapped his fingers, trying to remember the name. "Never mind! The whole town is talking about the theft of a masterpiece!"

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:05

"How do you know this is my work?"

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:06

"Well, I have some connections," the guest smiled disarmingly. "By the way, you stole one of the most secure items in town, you know."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:15

Loan gritted his teeth faintly and pointed to the painting, neatly propped against the wall above the low table. The artist immediately sprang to the table, knelt, and froze, gazing intently at the lines of the painting, absorbing the furious movement that the artist had transferred to the canvas with ingenious precision. The master, far less impressed, was suffering in the meantime. For it appeared from Argelius' words that pretending to be an inexperienced thief had failed, which meant that he could not expect orders from the Guild of Phantoms for the foreseeable future. And he'd better get out of town.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:21

"Talent," the artist finally unfroze, reaching forward gingerly with his hand but stopped, don't dare to touch the drawing with his fingers. "It's a marvelous talent. Sell it to me."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:23

"No."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:23

"I understand... But isn't it sacrilegious to hide such beauty in the dark? And where do you intend to store it? Paintings, especially such ones, require special conditions."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:24

It is quite normal for a descendant of the Sweet Voice to shift a little on the collection of art objects, so Argelius behaved decently by the standards of his kin. In fact, one might even say, restrained. But it was clear that he was going to get his way, one way or another. Loan had communicated with him enough to understand such things.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:25

"What do you suggest?"

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:25

"My Guild could, shall we say, rent a painting from you. We would place it among other masterpieces, in a special vault, with the right temperature and humidity, and only a select few guests would have the right to admire it..."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:26

"As far as I know your ways, I won't be one of your guests," the overly fortunate robber sarcastically interjected. "I'm not good enough, and I'm not a member of the Guild.:

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:27

"I think our head will make an exception to the rule." The smug dandy finally broke away from his contemplation and looked at Loan. "Personal students or applicants are allowed access to part of the inner chambers. As a last resort, we'll make you an honorary member."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:28

The mercenary scratched the back of his head with a gesture from his human life, and his mood shot up. Prospects were gradually turning into pleasing colors. The Guild of Arts, for all the small-mindedness of some members, was considered one of the most influential, both among the living and the undead. It would have been tempting to stick to the big trough, but Loan resisted by inertia.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:30

"Look at me," he pointed to his face an apt description of the term "thug face". "What kind of creative person am I? I can't even draw, except on a fence with charcoal."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:31

"I'll teach you," Argelius promised.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:31

"Are you crazy?"

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:32

Frant turned his gaze to the painting, glanced again at his companion, as if assessing the front of the work, and confidently repeated.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:32

"I will definitely teach you!"

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:32

/"Master, why am I here?"

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:33

"I have to show them, my descendant, as proof," Loam grimaced. "You're the strongest because you're the only one. I have been pointed [censored] out that the number of blood-bearers is too low, and I've been advised to get another Child as soon as possible."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:35

"Didn't you swear that I was your first and last?"

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:36

"There are some advisors who are very hard to ignore."

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:36

A dozen paces away from the talking non-dead men, the shadows thickened, taking the shape of a man's figure. It took the guardsman a few moments to fully materialize. The Queen's acolyte, the executor of the queen's will, the herald or executioner, approached Loan and bowed politely, without servility.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:38

"Messen Loan, the Council is waiting for you. Please follow me."/

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 07:38

The reality is that you can't argue with it. You can invent any rules, formulate theories, invent laws by which society exists... Life will put everything in its place. The wolf will not eat the grass, the exhausted land will not give birth to a bountiful harvest, and people will not allow an outsider to rule them.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 09:55

The power of vampires has never been overt. Yes, there were times when the Master of the City stood openly behind the throne and actually determined the region's politics, it happened. But there was always a line that should not have been crossed, for when the threat of loss of independence came, the mortals would quickly and suddenly organize, create a kind of underground, and begin to screw things up. At first, it was small, then it was bigger and bigger.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 09:56

However, more often than not, the temples were the first to track the growing influence of the undead, and they were the first to strike. They declared a city or, in rare cases, a state invaded by the Darkness, and launched an all-out raid on cultists, vampires, mortal servants, and unregistered mages. Given the level of holy scouts, few were saved. The ruling class also suffered, albeit to a lesser extent, and in general, it is better to flee the city under the joint edict of at least three temples. Which, in fact, is what Loan was doing now.

Camrad_RIP 18.07.22 в 09:58