Селеста / Сelesta: Глава 12

Chapter 12

Camrad_RIP 06.09.22 в 17:25

The training of the chosen cultists, or of the few people who, for whatever reason, were not Morvanites and found themselves among trusted mortals (as far as vampires were capable of trusting the living), necessarily included the basics of warfare. Not everyone was taught how to fight and kill thoroughly, but everyone was given the basics.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 09:12

The requirements for close servants were much higher, and their education was taken seriously. Even the young Lesika knew how to carry out guard duty, knew how to choose the right place for an ambush, and, very importantly, could bring a vampire out of a daytime sleep if necessary with a high chance of staying alive. So it was the servants who were on duty during the day - their lords sleeping off, preparing for the night ahead. Though it could not be ruled out that some of the guardsmen were quietly awake, with or without their commander's approval.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 09:14

Waking up a few minutes after sunset, Caché was fed by Sobire and checked her pre-packed bag one last time. The unknown beckoned and stirred. The sorceress anticipated her encounter with the ancient mysteries and was a little wary of failure. She knew about her shortcoming, about the excessive enthusiasm, reaching mania of thirst for new knowledge, but she could not always control it. Methodical preparation helped to cool her head. So yesterday Caché sorted out the artifacts that could be useful and put them in a certain order, feeling at the same time contradictory feelings. What they will meet in the abandoned ancient temple, no one knows. To be exposed to unnecessary danger was not desirable, at the same time, the more artifacts they would need, the more difficult the task would be and the more information could be obtained.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 15:52

There were no problems with the first part - getting into the facility - just like yesterday. Only they had to spend an extra half an hour monitoring the humans. Fortunately, they had not been seen last night, and they had left no traces, so the guards did not seem alarmed. The priests were quiet, too. No new traps appeared, and the vampires, observing moderate caution, climbed into the excavated temple.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:05

It is more accurate to say that only one central passageway was free from the ground, the low walls were still hidden under a layer of soil. The complex itself did not look big on the outside - most likely, it did not make a majestic impression even at the best of times. But inside, the unknown builders managed to surprise their parishioners.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:09

"At least three underground floors," Reggie habitually determined. "What kind of walls are there to keep out our senses?"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:09

"It looks like regular marble," Caché looked closely. "Maybe there's something under the cladding."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:10

They approached the section of the wall with the outer slab that had fallen off and made sure it was plain stone. The power wasn't felt; it was most likely that something had been bricked inside during construction, something that interfered with the vampire's senses.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:11

"The mosaics are interesting," the magician said. "The frescoes, too, and it's a shame they've faded."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:12

"The fact that the Saints took much from Arcota is not news for a long time. The symbolism is almost the same."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:12

"Yes, but they have always claimed to have accepted the doctrine only from the light incarnations. But here, take a look for yourself."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:22

Reggie glanced at the long drawing, the centerpiece of which was a stylized symbol of Darkness, aka the letter "M" from the ancient Sylvian alphabet, and shook his head regretfully.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:25

"They'll probably talk their way out of it. They'll say it's a temple of a different confession or something else."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:26

"Оh! I hadn't thought of politics."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:26

Carefully choosing where to step, the vampires surveyed room after room. They didn't bother to clean the excavation, but they wiped the dust off many of the floors to get a closer look at the drawings. Caché stopped periodically, crouching down, sketching something in a notebook, trying to copy the signs as accurately as possible. A sense of pulsating energy drove her forward, to the lower floors, but for now she held back.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:27

The first underground floor was a common hall, where services had once been held. There was nothing of particular interest to the vampires there. There was a traditional altar, two massive statues of guards in the form of half-human half-beasts with traces of fire at their feet, and some well-preserved paintings on the walls. Obviously, there were many other things here before, in any case, the mounts on the columns were clearly intended for something massive, now stolen.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:34

The second floor consisted of six rooms, three of which were clearly of a domestic nature. Here Caché was stuck for an hour, painstakingly redrawing the sacred text carved on the wall. That is, she could not read it; the alphabet was unfamiliar, outwardly resembling the writings of Southern nations. Judging by the number of marks in front of the embedded slab, the priests had also paid special attention to the inscription, examining it not only by conventional methods. The vampiress did not risk using magic.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:35

But downstairs, on the third floor, which consisted of only two small rooms, there was something that amazed everyone.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:36

"Unthinkable..."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 17:36

"Lady Cache!" Reggie had to put his body behind the black flame that was blazing in the bowl, stepping forward in front of the bewildered wizardess. "Wake up!"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:22

"What? I'm fine! Do you see?! Can you see?!"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:24

"I see it, but I don't understand what it is."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:32

"Unbelievable..." The mage arched her head slyly and stared at the fire as she poked her sergeant under the armpit. "We thought they'd disappeared. Maitre will be delighted!"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:35

"Lady Caché. What. Is this?"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:36

"Part of an aspect. Or an elemental spirit, if you prefer," the vampiress straightened, stepping to the side to bypass the sergeant. The frantic expression was gone from her face, though the feverish glint in her eyes remained, so the man didn't interfere. "They disappeared shortly before the Plague, suspected to have perished by ceasing to receive nourishment from their native plan. How had he survived?"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:37

"Was there something supporting him here?" Reggie suggested.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:37

"Most likely..."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:38

A deep and wide brass bowl, over which a ball of flame the diameter of a human palm danced, was exactly in the middle of the room. At a distance of half a meter from it, enclosing the bowl in a hexagon, stood square columns of carved figures, made of material unknown to Cache. The magician stepped closer and looked closely at one of them. It was the same writing as the one on the slab on the floor above. Some kind of sacred language?

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:39

The whole room bore traces of humans, some of the artifacts the priests did not take away and they continued their work. The vampires tried to stay away from them. Nevertheless, Caché carefully pushed the couple aside, having previously memorized their location to establish her own. Lady's excited state was reflected in the wide smile on her lips and the quick, honed movements of her hands, which placed the instruments at their calculated points with surgical precision.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:40

Reggie watched her carefully, not interfering. Sojour was in the next room, redrawing the writing on the walls, while the rest of the guardsmen stayed upstairs for emergencies.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:43

"It looks like a prison," muttered Caché to herself after half an hour. "Or some kind of cage. It keeps the spirit asleep and prevents it from disintegrating. But how?"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:44

The magician put some of the artifacts aside, took others out of her bag, and began to arrange them around the columns, muttering quietly to herself. Then she moved her hand from top to bottom, wrote something in her notebook, moved on to another column, and repeated the procedure. She stayed a little longer at the third one, checking something of her own.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:46

Things were happening so fast that Reggie simply didn't have time to intervene. Caché herself didn't notice how her hand crossed the invisible boundary of the cage just a little, literally with her fingertips. Here she was, concentrating on the sensations, tracing the power currents within the supports, waving her palm in the air. And suddenly - the flame rushed forward, instantly pulling into the tiny piece of skin!

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:47

The mage was thrown backward; she twitched and wheezed, stretched out with her hand against her chest. Her eyes rolled back, and her mouth fell open, frozen in an ominous grin.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:48

"Sojour"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:48

The sergeant dropped to his knees beside Caché and piled on top of her, wrapping his arms around her back. Briefly, he threw to a subordinate who ran in:

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:55

"Stimulator!"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 18:55

He immediately pulled a wide-mouthed vial from his belt purse, pulled out the cork, bit his vein, and dripped blood. He shook it and poured the mixture into the vampire's mouth. She did not react to the elixir; after a few initial convulsions she froze in stony immobility, and now resembled more an elaborately carved statue than a conditionally living creature.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 19:04

"What happened?"

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 19:05

"She trespassed, the fire soaked into her," Reggie answered briefly. He thought quickly about what to do next. "Let's go. You carry the wizard. Tie her up, and I'll clean up."

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 19:07

Carrying a wounded vampire in a coma is dangerous. The undead instinctively reaches out to suck the life out of the nearest source, ignoring any interference. They might even claw at another vampire if they feel the blood in him. The vampire's body was always bound with special ropes, including a gag in its mouth, before dragging its wounded companion anywhere. The ropes did not guarantee that he would not break free, but they did buy him time.

Camrad_RIP 09.09.22 в 19:09

While Sojour bound the mage quickly and carefully, Reggie, pulling on his special gloves, quickly stowed the artifacts in his bag. His features sharpened, revealing a quiet rage. He wanted to curse Cache for ignoring safety precautions, the priests who had no idea why they were invading an abandoned temple, and himself for letting his guard down. As if for the first time works with magicians! After collecting the artifacts of Caché, he quickly and carefully put back the items of priests, restoring to the millimeter the former situation, then with the branches taken from the forest erased the traces of his knees and feet. If they were lucky, the wizards would not realize that someone had been down there, and would attribute the disappearance of the spirit to natural causes. Or their own actions.

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 06:17

"Let's go," he ordered as he left the room. "Did you clean this up?"

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 06:18

"Yes, it's all clear. All that's left is a sweep."

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 11:44

"Go upstairs, I'll do it."

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 13:37

Throwing the wrapped mage on his shoulder, Sojour silently ran upstairs. The sergeant neatly all traces, took one last look around the hallway, making sure that nothing more could be done, and began to climb the stairs as well.

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 13:38

He wanted to swear.

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 13:38

* * *
The Mistress of the Night Taleya paced the corridor, her gloomy visage causing those on her way to bow in hasty bows. It wasn't that Celesta had punished anyone in the past for no reason - it was just that the cloud of angry energy surrounding her was an indication of her irritation. No one wanted to cause her displeasure inadvertently.

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 13:40

As soon as she entered the laboratory, all present knelt on one knee. Only Hustin remained standing, scrutinizing the records made in the dungeon of the temple, and Caché was still lying motionless on the table.

Camrad_RIP 10.09.22 в 13:41