Сломанные крылья Серебра / The Broken Wings of Silver: 7

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Shikuno, Ristol City -- Tessa Sublunar, Silver 4th Rank
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Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 17:58

The flash of the signal fire caught the winged maiden by surprise. The call came from the eastern outskirts of the city, from the side of the swamps, from where there are no roads or highways. That territory, two centuries ago, was transferred by her under a treaty to the Ginger Clan. The Foxes are certainly terrible fighters, but as guards and watchers they are priceless, and from the swamps sometimes crawled such things... It is better to meet with readiness and be prepared in advance. Many thousands of years ago, the ruins of ancient temples that sank underground sometimes gave rise to long-forgotten horrors.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 08:22

The Shadows of the Departed, the Pale, sometimes sane, sometimes mad, but never weak. A chilly ripple of foreboding ran through Silver's wings. The Mistress did not feel strong enough to fight, especially with such an unpredictable opponent. But she could not fail to react. To show such incompetence would mean trumpeting her weakness to all. Leaving her physical shell at home, under the watchful eye of her faithful Sire, the Maiden hurried to the alarming call.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 08:23

On the outskirts of the city, she had already been met by Ishibu, the Head of the Ginger House.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:08

"Mistress!" The fox's voice was full of respect and even servility, but on the cunning and impudent face of the Ginger One, something completely different was easily read.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:09

"I have a lot to do, Ishibu." She didn't even have to pretend to be tired and irritated. "What did you notice?"

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:09

"Oh, moon-faced one! We would never disturb you for such a trivial reason..."

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:10

"Get to the point!" Silver cut her vassal off abruptly. She knew that if Fox was given free rein, he could talk about literally nothing for years. Chatting with a mortal so that he dies of hunger or thirst is one of the Ginger Clan's favorite pastimes.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 08:32

"A few hours ago, the fruit of my sister's pleasures, the little one-tailed Torris, noticed a maple leaf floating along a forest stream, swirling in small eddies..."

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:33

Silver was ready to tear this impudent fellow to pieces for his empty talk, but she held back; the agreement with the Foxes was more important to her now than ever.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:57

"Ishibu..." Crouching down next to Ginger, the Silver maiden scratched Fox behind the ear. Her voice was deceptively kind and gentle. "You will certainly introduce me to your nephew and his story, but a little later." Stopping petting Fox, Tessa gently embraced the ginger spirit's neck and squeezed it, not too hard... "But I really have very little time now."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 08:34

"Mistress..." The Fox understood the situation perfectly well, but he couldn't go against his nature and put on a whole show as if he was suffocating, and in general, Silver's light squeezing broke his neck. "I am your faithful servant, for what!.."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 08:35

Tessa watched the show for about three minutes; at any other time, it would have even amused her. It was not for nothing that the Foxes were renowned as the best jesters in the spirit world. Of course, from the point of view of mortals, the Gingers' jokes were not funny at all, but rather terrible or at least dark. But who cares about humans' opinions?

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:00

"Ishibu... Call... Time..."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 08:35

For the first time in all the time of cooperation between her and the Red Clan, the Fox ignored her insistent warning, continuing to clown and pretend to be dying. This meant only one thing: he was not afraid of her. Could it be he sensed her weakness with his supernatural sense of smell? But the Fox could not help but understand that her weakness was temporary, and when her strength returned, she would come here again and remind him of his disrespect. So she would remind him that many trees in the forest would receive new decorations from ginger tails!

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:02

But it turned out to be much worse. Once again, turning over in a supposed death convulsion, Red showed his back, and Silver's hand involuntarily rested on the hilt of his sword. Ishibu's fourth tail was beginning to show through, which explained his insolence and irreverence. He had become her equal. In direct combat, the Fox certainly didn't stand a chance against her, but what Fox would fight fair? And his kind had a lot of speckled cards hidden in their fur. How could she miss her vassal growing up? It takes a fox nearly a hundred years to grow a fourth tail. And she overlooked the process. She should have visited the Clan more often and kept an eye on them, but she was so pissed off by the Foxes that she tried to visit this part of her domain as little as possible. And here was the result. In a couple of years, Ishibu's tail would grow fully, and he would challenge her, or rather, the Clan would claim the city. And she would have to leave, because Silver Four couldn't cope with a whole clan, led by a four-tailed leader.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:40

If Tessa were younger and more foolish, she would have tried to kill her would-be opponent before he was at full strength. But she knew whoever thought he could surprise Fox was already a loser. Because surprise, traps, setups, and ambushes are their forte. Perhaps Ishibu's insolence today was a provocation to force her to attack.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:11

"Congratulations are in order." The Silver Maiden rose to her full height and stroked the hilt of her Scourge defiantly. "But I'll refrain from premature congratulations for now. The rank of four-tailed does not apply for such a stump, and to a full tail, you, my little jester, you still need to live...."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:12

Fooling around, deceiving, and pretending a bad strategy when dealing with Gingers. But directness and pressure scare them. As strong as the Foxes are, they're too cowardly to get on the same level as Silver. Besides, it only seems like their Clan is united and monolithic. She's just accentuated her threat, and as her experience tells her, it won't be six months before she receives an unequivocal offer from one of the internal factions of the Gingers in opposition to Ishibu. And unless she could find a mage and rise in rank, she would have to accept the offer, getting involved in a feud of buffoonish spirits. On the other hand, it would be possible to give the city to the Clan and return to the Master, swearing the oath again. In favour of this decision was the fact that it was curious to see what the Foxes would turn Ristol into. But it was a fleeting weakness, and Tessa suppressed it easily.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:42

"The Clan wishes to break the Treaty?" Ishibu's eyes darted from the question, and the fur on the back of his neck stood on end.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:58

"No... Mistress..."

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:59

Just as she thought, Ginger proved too cowardly to challenge her now that his fourth tail was still too small.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:12

"What's the reason for the call?"

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:12

"Gazing out at the leaf of the maple tree, little Torrice..."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:13

She had strength left for one blow. It was foolish to waste it, especially if she didn't know what was coming from the swamps, but the Fox's insolence left her no choice. It was easier to negotiate with the Pale than with the Gingers, who had lost their fear.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:43

Perhaps the Foxes were preparing for a fight, perhaps the clearing where this conversation was taking place was full of traps. Only the Gingers didn't have time to do anything when their eyes saw the sword swing back into its scabbard. Watching the expression on his muzzle as the Clan leader looked at his own moustache falling into the grass, the maiden realised that he had broken down. Yes, he was angry, perhaps furious, but here and now, he was broken and humiliated. And, importantly, without the moustache, his influence in the clan would be considerably less, even with his fourth tail erupting.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:44

" My time is valuable. You paid for my attention." A brief nod to the fox whiskers lying in the grass left no doubt as to what kind of payment Silver had in mind. "You want to continue the game? And are you willing to pay extra for my participation?"

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:14

"Black Fifth. Walked through the swamps. Tried to wake up one of the Temples. Didn't have enough strength. Comes here."

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 21:59

"Here we go. You can be brief." Tessa crouched down beside Fox and put her palm on his scruff.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:14

Technically, the Clan had a reason to summon the Mistress. But only technically. Blacks who periodically broke into the cold swamps, hoping to awaken one of the temples, were not a threat to the city. If they were of the second rank, they could be feared, but such powerful Executioners would never expose themselves to such a risk. Rank five, that's not serious. Which means she was called in to test her, and the ‘extra’ tail was given to her, noticed on purpose, to gauge her reaction. Feeling Ginger's pelt trembling under her hand, Tessa realised that she had passed this unexpected exam, and she should expect no trouble from the Clan in the next six months, or even a year.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:47

"Bring Black under the grey oak tree next to the tram circle."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:15

"Half an hour, Mistress..."

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 22:00

"I'll wait."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:15

Tessa let go of the fox and straightened up majestically, turning gracefully without looking back, she strode towards the place she'd been told to go. It was almost physically pleasing to feel Ishibu's hateful and fearful gaze on her back.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:15

Leaning against the trunk of a mighty tree, Silver replayed the recent conversation in her head. She wondered if she'd done the right thing and should have struck the fatal blow after all. Ishibu had ignored her orders, which meant she had a formal reason to break the Treaty without fearing the consequences of breaking her oath. Except that the behaviour of the head of the Gingers was overly defiant and insolent. What would the cowardly Fox do to set himself up like that without a guaranteed safety net? No, she wasn't such a juvenile fool as to believe such absurdity. And the fact that her blow had severed the impudent man's moustache was probably only because it hadn't posed an immediate threat to life. Even with the very tips of her wings, she could feel the many chants swirling around Ishibu, and it was likely that the entire clearing was entangled in an intricate ligature of ancient runes. Of course, the Lunar Sword wasn't a simple weapon, but even it could be dealt with, especially if you had prepared the place and knew the time. So she was right to trust her intuition, as she always did. Her intuition was as important to her as her speed and agility.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:49

But what a cheeky bastard! No sooner had his fourth tail sprouted than he immediately raised his paw at her, at the Mistress! That's what the old legends say about these ‘cheeky, ginger muzzles’, that's right. It's their nature, the cheekiness that every Fox is born with, it's one of their fundamentals, it's what makes gingers ginger, along with cunning and black humour. And that insolence must be stopped instantly because if you forgive it, you're in trouble. How much had she taught Fox over the years? Tessa had lost count, but the only thing the Creator had deprived the Gingers of was memory. Two centuries ago, she'd had to almost completely wipe out all the Foxes not only in the city, but in the region as well. She had left only Ishiba and his family, and she would not regret that mercy now. To be more precise, there wasn't an ounce of kindness in that act, only cold calculation. She needed an outpost in the swamps near Her city, and she got it.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:52

However, thoughts of Foxes need to be put out of her mind. After her demonstration, the solution to this problem is ‘bearable’. But what about the Executioner who tried to awaken the Pale? On the one hand, the swamps are kind of out of town, and she's not responsible for them. But on the other hand, if she let anyone poke around in the temples, someone would wake them up, and the nearest town to the swamps was Ristol. Which in her memory happened three times, once ended in a fight, the second time she paid off, and the third, it's better not to even remember about it....

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 10:57

So, she has to punish Black, to punish him in an exemplary way, to discourage others from digging in the wrong places. But there's one thing: she doesn't have the strength to carry out the punishment. Apparently, she will have to take the manner of the Gingers as a basis and intimidate the Executioner, force him to punish himself, and she must do it on a pure bluff. You could summon the loyal Sire, though; he, too, is a Black Fifth, and there is no solidarity or mutual aid between Blacks. The maiden weighed the thought for a few minutes, but still decided, wait for the troublemaker alone. Executioners are quite reasonable, but think slowly; they are slow-witted, so the idea of bluffing had the right to be realised. It was as if she'd been given a boost of brazenness and recklessness from the descendant of the jesters of the Gone Ones.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 11:32

She noticed the shadow approaching her about five minutes before the unfamiliar Black approached her, but she didn't let it show. It was hard to admit, though, because she'd never seen such a shabby and even frightened member of the spirit species before. The visitor literally reeked of doom and resignation to fate.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:16

"Ryung." Having approached five steps, as politeness requires, the dark spirit stopped and bowed his head in greeting to the strongest. "Black. Fifth. Not bound by vows. Not burdened by oaths. Seeking service."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:17

"Why were you digging through the ruins, Ryung?"

Camrad_RIP 23.05.25 в 22:00

Without introducing herself, the maiden made it clear that she did not regard him as either a guest or an applicant for service. She needed new vassals more than ever, and had it not been for the conversation with Ishibo, she would have clutched at the offer with both wings, but.... But not now, for she felt, even with the remnants of her feathers, that there was a catch somewhere, the size of the biggest mountain.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 11:33

"I was looking for protection."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:17

He really isn't smart. Trying to wake up the Pale Ones to protect him is like putting out a fire by pouring lamp oil on it.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:17

"Do you need service or protection?" Having chosen a line of behavior corresponding to the unyielding Lord, Tessa felt herself getting used to the Role.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:18

"Protection. In exchange for service." The Black's head bowed lower, and his voice sounded more like the whisper of a hanged man than the speech of a proud Executioner.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:18

No matter how slow Black thinks, he's not an idiot, and since he made the request, he assumes she can protect him. Which means the threat is not as serious as it would be if she were at full strength, but not now. Right now, she won't be able to defeat even this petitioner, let alone whoever is coming after him and whom he fears. Most likely, this Ryoung has crossed the path of a similarly Black but a rank higher, and the latter is seeking revenge. Theoretically, Silver Four is more powerful than an Executioner of the same rank. But theoretically, even in the best of times, Tessa would be wary of challenging a Black of the same power level as her. She has speed, agility, and foresight on her side, but the former servants of the Lord of the Lower World have their own arsenal of abilities.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 11:35

Here, Tessa caught herself thinking that everything was going as well as possible. Yes, she would not get a vassal, but she would be able to punish the offender without spending any effort at all.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:19

"Denied!" And let his pursuer deal with this Ryung.

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 12:19

"I ask..."

Camrad_RIP 24.05.25 в 06:23