Селеста / Сelesta: Глава 19

Chapter 19

Camrad_RIP 26.10.22 в 20:17

Studying was hard. The new energy required new not yet existing, methods of working with it, and the lion's share of time was spent on monotonous semi-theoretical investigations. That is to make up an exercise, to do it, to fix the result, to change it a little, to do it again, to fix it again. I practiced it endlessly. The maitre, who had once gone through something similar, was a great help, and Caché was insanely grateful to him for his support.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 06:39

The few good fortunes inspired optimism and spurred the desire to work. All the more so, the prospects were encouraging - her obsession with the spirit endowed her with unique abilities. Which, by the way, have already found practical application.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:43

"The fifth and eighth meridians are overlapped by spirit-based structures, to a lesser extent water and earth," the magician dictated, sitting in the lotus position, folding her fingers into the "yag" mudra and closing her eyes for better concentration. "The structure around the upper node, on the right side, is very complex and incompletely formed."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:45

"No so far," murmured Vador, the recorder. "Good."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:46

Further work was interrupted by the door swinging open and Alat bursting in.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:47

"It's not a good time," the older mage said without taking his eyes off the task.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:48

"No matter how many times I come to you, it's always bad timing," the bandit wasn't embarrassed. "And I didn't come here in vain. Here, you owe me a tenner."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:49

Vador caught the skinny bag thrown in his direction, where he immediately checked.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:51

"Caché, break," the warlock looked up at the old supplier and, well, mate. "Where did you get it?"

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:52

"You have to know the places," smirked Alat. "The good people shared, you might say, voluntarily. Hello, Beauty. Are you still suffering?"

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:53

Without saying a bad word, Kashe exhaled a tongue of flame at him. He only smirked at that, shaking his mane of black hair. Alat was respectful of witchcraft, but not afraid. He was easy to talk to, though, of course, any older vampire wasn't easy, and Alat was no exception.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 15:59

"You're my godson, aren't you?" The bandit turned his attention to Arkhlan.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:02

"Don't scare the boy," Vador grumbled quietly under his breath. "Let him recover."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:03

His intonation was most casual, and he did not take his nose out of the bag. Nevertheless, Alat, who was on his way to the table where the newcomer was squirming timidly, turned aside and sat down in a chair. He'd known the warlock for a long time and had learned when it was better not to argue with him.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:25

"Why the godson?" Caché asked.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:26

"Oh! You don't know!"

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:26

The story Alat told was replete with gory details, berserk mage fights, the betrayal of honorable war workers, and the nobility of one particular patron of the weak and oppressed, known for his honesty and bravery as the boss of all Taleya bosses. Without waiting for the end, the mage turned her head toward Vador:

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:27

"What do you think, Senior? He lies a lot?"

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:28

"Almost everything," he said without thinking. "He must have learned the information from one of his men and told the Mistress, and that was the end of it."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:29

"That's not true," Alat said with his hands behind his head, his fangs gleaming. "It was a fight. It's a murky story, and it's not over yet. Do you know why I'm here? Because the guards upstairs have been raiding the place, shaking things up block by block. It's been a long time since they made such a mess. Look, kid, your freedom has cost us dearly."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:30

"T-thank you, sir."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:30

"Not us," she couldn't resist, "but you. Your bandits."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:41

"That's where you're wrong," the dark-haired man shook his finger. "Mine are in the bunkers, waiting for the storm to die down. It's mostly the poor, mere mortals who suffer. In a month or two, I bet you'll have a lot of people pouring into our cults. All right! I heard they found three. I see one, where are the other two?"

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:42

"Who did you hear it from?" Vador put the bag aside.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:42

"Tikka said. So?"

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:53

Tikka was the chief of health, in charge of all medicine, supervising the two hospitals and the pharmacy network owned by the capital's community. Most of her patients were mortals; vampires with injuries were either quickly cured or sent to Zonna. It was only natural that she and the Maitre would examine the trio of former prisoners. If they had been in better condition, they would have been under her care.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:55

"They were too badly hurt," Vador replied, reassured that no information had been leaked. "They took longer to process than the Arkhlan. Mater sedated them, now trying to figure out what to do and whether they can be helped in principle."

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:58

"It sucks," Alat sympathized peculiarly. "The boys suffered a lot. Where's the money?"

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 16:59

After the bandit left, the wizards finished examining the younger one. He was lucky, in fact - in the month he'd spent in the dungeons, they'd managed to put some of the restraining spells on him and get deep into his subconscious. It sounds scary, but it's fixable. Previously Arkhlan lived on the northern border, was a vassal of a minor nobleman, and died in a skirmish with bandits. He was reborn and caught by the priests, and the priests had him arrested, and he woke up in the clutches of the mages.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:09

Now he needed help not so much magical as psychological. Too much had fallen upon him in a short time. Vador, who sympathized with the boy, hoped that Mistress would be able to find a mentor who could restore Arkhlan's self-confidence. He would not dare take on such a responsibility.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:10

The fate of the other two was much more doubtful. Mentor and Messena Celesta are undoubtedly specialists of the highest qualification but the damage to the victims is very great. The disturbances in the mental sphere are especially alarming - consciousness is easy to break but it is difficult to heal. If it had been limited to ordinary energy, they would have sent a couple of them to Zonna, where medics have recently even been growing limbs. Although I guess the maitre will be going there soon anyway.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:44

Remembering Lady Medea, Vador grinned. How did Alat put it back in the day? "That thing between our legs is just for beauty now. But when I see Medea, something moves in my pants." Rude, of course, but it couldn't be more accurate.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:46

If the mentor leaves, he will have to take the burden again. Of course, Maitre will take Caché with him. Well, he'll be able to get away with leading the Dark Guild, which is largely formal. But on the subject of alchemy, they would still go to him, Vador. He'd have to give the Mistress the idea of training courses with a simultaneous reduction in the number of requests for potions - let each community have its alchemist, leaving the large centers of exceptionally complex orders. It's about time for decentralization.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:47

* * *
The state has a tremendous reserve of durability.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:48

History, tradition, legislation, and the recognition of oneself as a great nation - a direct heir to ancient Salvatia - have set the country apart from other modern states and at the same time united the people. The loyalty to the dynasty was not shaken even by Irrhan's hapless reign, and the title of Son of the Sea continued to be held in the highest esteem. However, even the greatest power must be replenished. The walls of the greatest of fortresses periodically need repair.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:58

Which is what the current ruler is doing. He does the right thing. He is not satisfied with the greatness of his ancestors, he does not consider himself infallible.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:59

Unlike him.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 17:59

Four hundred years ago, he'd been sitting here, in this very spot, choosing his way forward. That inn burned down, a new one was built in its place, then there was another owner, another, the furnishings were changed more than once... Finally, the risen bought it back and gave it to the Morvanite family, with the instruction never to sell or change the furnishings. An unforgivable weakness for a scout, but at the time he thought he could afford it.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:05

Was it the first of a series of mistakes that led him to his current position, or had he not noticed the earlier ones? No need to lie to himself - he had shat himself. He lost his touch. Acted like an amateur. He, was once one of the best pros.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:06

The very first decision he made here turned out to be the right one. He never regretted his decision to stay, his offer of service, and his loyalty to the local ruler. His position in the inner hierarchy grew, his status steadily rising until he was among the elders - there was no higher place to grow, and no reason to. The place the Mistress occupies is unique, no one else could... could do anything. It was something to be proud of. And he was.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:07

*Arrogance is a mortal sin. He wonder who she is quoting?

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:08

Then he chose for himself. Now it has been decided for him. Can you call it punishment? Hand on heart, it is a strange exile. He remains an Elder, only his sphere of responsibility is reduced, and he will be responsible not only and not so much for intelligence, but for the region. The Archipelago, Birat, the colony on the Stone Bones in the future. He wouldn't be offended if the Mistress made him a regular mid-town master. Not after all the failures. Not after Shaar, not after his unsuccessful attempts to infiltrate Deep Harbor, Zervan holds a special place in his memory and will do so for the rest of his life. Total failure, utter failure. Such a miscalculation!

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:11

When he hastily planned the little intrigue, all he was going to do was give the savage a little flick on the nose. It never occurred to him that it would end... then it did. They had lost an awful lot through the fault of a deranged beast Elder, and they would not be able to recover some of their losses for the foreseeable future. He acknowledged that he deserved to be executed. Shame ate away at his insides, and at times he considered going and confessing a mistake. Not in stupidity - a mistake, which made it even worse!

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:14

It is unclear why such strange conditions. Why infiltrate under the guise of a priest? In any other country - it is a logical, correct, tried-and-true move, but in Archipelago? With its restrictions on religious cults, and any but state cults? The other conditions, too, look anything but rational. The order not to engage in operational work for a year directly contradicted all his experience. The prohibition on any but mirror-like communication with his subordinates for the same period was more like a preparation for resignation.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:20

A chief always has to monitor the situation in his area of responsibility, that's obvious. But if Celesta had wanted to take him away, she would have acted differently. Her teachers were just as good, and she had more experience, and her style was completely different - he'd had time to learn it over time. Maybe that's the calculation. No, too complicated. There's something different here.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:22

Mistress's motives were at times confusing. Not just him - all of them. Her unexpected decisions and actions supported the legend of her divine origin. And sometimes even he wondered if the rumors were true. Medea clearly knows something, but she is and will remain silent. In any case, Celesta's thinking is unconventional; she evaluates victories and defeats based on her own scale of values. And she sets goals based on her priorities. The Sacred Crusade, why? Why spend so much effort and resources trying to destroy barbarians who are practically strangers and have little contact with each other? Yes, perhaps they will become enemies in the future. Or, to put it mildly, competitors. But right now there are more pressing problems that require urgent solutions, so wouldn't it be better to focus on them?

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:25

She cannot fail to see the other danger of the crusade. Taleya has always been more of a sea power, but it has stayed away from the steppe, limiting itself to controlling the mountain passes. What if the elite wants to change direction? Or is that what they hope for?

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:26

One cannot help but think that Mistress knows more than she is saying. It's quite possible - she has her own sources. But no matter what information she has, she can't argue with objective reality. The Seven Rivers is simply too far away, and it would be irrational to fight it now.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:29

He even tried to communicate with Chesta, though he could never understand him. The seer gave him two metal balls and advised him to think less. No, Celesta's idea of the Holy Campaign originated outside Thalia; her actions were not caused by prophecies.
T.N.

Camrad_RIP 27.10.22 в 18:30