Готовый перевод История Королевы Эльфов / The story of the Elf Queen: 40. Не самая приятная сделка для королевы эльфов

Not the sweetest deal for the Elf Queen.

* * *

When she finished reading Luaval's report, Sivila carefully closed the artifact journal and put it aside. She leaned back in her comfortable chair and looked around the large conference table at the elves and elven women involved in the operation. Third, sitting in the chair across from her, said laconically:

"Impressive."

Mirael, who was sitting next to him, nodded in agreement:

"It's really impressive. I admit, I personally didn't expect that they would manage to not only find but also capture the demoness' puppet so quickly."

Turning to two elves in the grey robes of the Secret Guard, who were sitting at a separate table, the Elder Sorceress asked:

"Any matches?"

One of the agents broke away from a huge book in a heavy and powerful binding of wood and metal. It was thickly covered with protective runes and seals, designed both to protect the contents from intruders and to protect those around them from those very contents. The pages of the book were touched by both elves only with special gloves made of white, carefully enchanted, and dense cloth. It contained the countless pieces of knowledge the elves had accumulated over many thousands of years about the inhabitants of Inferno. As detailed as possible descriptions of all demons sighted and identified. Methods of summoning and exorcism. Favorite techniques and methods of resistance. But most importantly - the names of the inhabitants of Inferno, which managed to learn. For obvious reasons, access to this book was strictly limited, and work with it was strictly regulated.

For even just saying the true name of an Inferno inhabitant out loud can easily create a connection between him and the one who named him. Lay a thin guiding thread between mortal and demon. If the name of a really strong inhabitant of Inferno, then sometimes it is not necessary to open the way to him in the world of mortals. Of course, if we are talking about the true name of the demon, which the latter is in no hurry to disclose, hiding them behind nicknames, titles, and false names. But for many millennia of its existence, the Forest has accumulated a lot of information about the inhabitants of Inferno, paying for this knowledge quite a dear price.

"We are searching. With a sample of her power, it will take…"

"At that moment, his colleague, who had not looked up from the pages of the book, interrupted him:"

"Found it! There is a match!"

Those gathered at the table immediately perked up. Allowing himself a shadow of a smile, Third ordered:

"Report."

Our colleagues' information has been confirmed. This creature is indeed old and experienced. It was first reliably brought into our field of vision over two and a half thousand years ago. There is a high probability it has penetrated our world before but has not been recognized or observed. She was best known by her nicknames: Captivating Passion, Forbidden Attraction, Vicious Mistress. Her main specialty is Lust. Which of the Lords of Inferno she serves is unknown. Not once during her time in the mortal world has she been seen either creating cults to glorify herself or any of the Lords of Inferno, or actively seducing mortals. She has always acted in a targeted manner, choosing her victims carefully. There are several instances of confirmed contracts with mortals, including two rather lengthy ones. The last came to our attention three centuries ago. She has never been destroyed or captured, but has always been very cautious and escaped before we could get on her trail.

"Do we know the true name of this thing?" Sivila asked.

"Only a third is known."

Turning to the Elder Sorceress, the queen asked:

"Will this be enough to get her out here?"

After thinking for a few seconds, Mirael said slowly:

"If she doesn't resist, but on the contrary, rushes towards us... and if we calculate the ritual correctly... Then we have a chance to snatch her. But it will require quite a lot of force. Ideally, it would be good to know the demoness's full name, but a third will do..."

"I want to clarify," one of the Secret Guard agents, working with a book full of infernal knowledge, again submitted, "that this is supposedly a third of her name. Possibly a quarter."

"This means we will proceed from the worst-case scenario," Third concluded.

Turning to the assembled masters of magic, he continued:

"Prepare everything for the summoning ritual as soon as possible. We have very little time. And it will also need to be duplicated by our agents in Iyastar."

"The ritual is almost ready," Ziandar replied, "we just need to make some final adjustments. But it will require a lot of energy. It will be almost impossible to hide it from the sun worshipers."

"This has been taken into account, they are already preparing a cover and a retreat. Now we have to decide a more important question. How will we lure the demoness?"

There was silence in the office for a few moments. Everyone understood perfectly well what Third was getting at. And no one liked it at all. It was Sivila who broke the silence:

"I suggest playing on her greed and self-conceit."

Raising an eyebrow, Mirael asked with interest:

"How is this possible?"

"Offer her to talk directly to me," the Queen answered absolutely calmly, "Let's pretend that her information is so important to the Forest that I am personally ready to negotiate with her. As soon as we establish a reliable communication channel, we'll pull her to us through the puppet with a jerk."

Having assessed the Queen's proposal, Third said thoughtfully:

"It's risky, but it might work."

The Elder Enchantress, who was sitting next to him, asked:

"How much will it cost us?"

Inwardly, the Queen groaned. There was at least one more difficult conversation to be had with the Supreme Treasurer. Out loud, however, Sivila replied:

"Very expensive, especially considering the reagents. But I don't see any other way out. We need this infernal slut."

The Head of the Secret Forest Guard summed it up briefly:

"In that case, let's get to work."

* * *

In a square windowless room with a single massive door, a young and handsome woman sat in the very center of the room on a richly carved chair with armrests. She had thick, slightly curly brown hair that fell to the middle of her back in a luxurious waterfall. Smooth, milky white, and clear skin, without a wrinkle, scar, or any other blemish. Thick dark eyebrows, sensual luscious lips, dark red, and clear hazel eyes. She also had very large, high breasts, barely covered by a thin transverse band of dark cloth, through which her nipples were clearly visible. The woman was sitting quite comfortably with one slender and long leg over the other. She had no shoes on, and no clothes as such.

The woman's outfit was an enchanted dark cloth that flowed like liquid over her slender body, covering only her breasts and pussy at all times. The item was obviously very complicated and expensive, which caused anyone who saw it to legitimately ask: where did it come from? Especially if we take into account that until recently the owner of the enchanted cloth was thought to be a typical representative of one of the oldest professions. Skillful, knows her price, and knows how to please the client. A mistake that cost many lives. Now that the disguise was completely dropped, the woman's unnatural beauty was visible to the eye. Enticing. Attracting the eye and never letting it go. Making you want her. To possess her. Surrender to her. Completely and utterly.

It wasn't an obsession, but the result of a very real and quite powerful aura surrounding the woman. An aura that, now that she had shed her disguise, reeked of Inferno's power. A power that literally overwhelmed the woman, making her beauty even more mind-blowing and attractive. And it was because of this power that the woman was in this room, which was very well isolated from the rest of the world. The expensive carved chair with armrests, on which the woman was comfortably seated, was surrounded by two protective and insulating circles-barriers. One was drawn directly on the smooth floorboards, which were closely adjoining each other, leaving not the slightest gap. The other was dusted with white crystalline powder that sparkled in the light of a pair of magical lamps.

In addition to the woman, surrounded by a demonic aura, there were three people inside the circles. A young and sturdy man, athletic in build, with short, curly hair and dark, almost black skin, a native of the far south. He was completely naked, and his body glistened with scented oil in the magical light. With his eyes closed, the young man stood before the woman on all fours, biting his lips. His mind was captive to his wet fantasies, which made his not-insignificant cock stiffen and twitch noticeably when he tensed up. It was especially noticeable when the woman sitting on the chair playfully touched his scrotum with her fingertips or touched its tip.

On her left side stood a naked, short woman of rather lush form. She standing on that elusive line between “something to grab” and outright fatness. Wide hips and shoulders, powerful arms and legs, very large but not sagging breasts with large brown nipples, and somewhat rough facial features. It wasn't hard to guess that the woman was a half-breed. Most likely, given the patriarchal society of the underground dwellers, her father had been a dwarf. She had thick light red hair, gathered in two thick pigtails according to the tradition of the sub-mountain, and a completely absent expression on her face. Her gray eyes looked nowhere, and her mouth was ajar. A thin string of saliva dripped from it down her chin onto her chest. Periodically, surrounded by a demonic aura, the woman reached out her left hand and pinched the half-breed's nipples with two fingers, or tugged on them. Each time it made the redhead's eyes widen for a moment, and she took a deep breath, while another batch of love juices began to drip down her thighs. The expression on her face, however, remained blank. Like the young black man, the half-breed was in the grip of illusions.

To the right of the woman in the chair was a young lizard woman with a slender body and a long, flexible tail. Her scales were the dark green color typical of the southern jungle but noticeably lighter on her belly and chest. By the standards of most humans, her appearance was rather exotic, but not repulsive. By the standards of her kin, however, she was a very attractive young female, in the prime of her life. Just like the others, she was bewitched and stared into nothing with bright yellow eyes with vertical pupils. At the same time, she was sucking the tip of her tail, holding it with one hand. With the fingers of her other hand, or rather one of them, she slowly stroked herself between her legs, but not inside.

The four were watched by a pair of stout men dressed in tight-fitting garments of dark cloth that emphasized their well-trained bodies. They both wore tight-fitting white masks that concealed their faces like a second skin. Almost without moving, they stood on either side of the door. They each held a short battle magic wand, and protective amulets hung from their chests. Very good quality, and powered up to the brim with energy. But the main weapon of both silent guards was hidden beneath their robes, fused and sewn literally into their bodies. Both physical and subtle. But little did anyone know about it. Glancing at her guards with interest, the woman sitting in the chair took a small sip of ruby-red wine from a crystal glass. Covering her eyes, she licked her lips seductively with the tip of her tongue and said in a languid voice:

"Excellent taste. I have only tried elven wines once before."

Taking another sip, she ran her tongue over her lips again and with an elegant movement threw her legs over the black youth's back.

"I'll have to tell the lady to ask for a couple of bottles of this delicious stuff. Or maybe even a whole barrel..."

Taking another sip of wine, the woman assessed her bodyguards. Zero emotions. They did not react to her words or her body. And this even though she had stopped hiding and holding back. Which was somewhat surprising, and very irritating. Or rather, it irritated her much more than she would like to admit. It turns out that you very quickly get used to the fact that men ALWAYS pay attention to you. And such indifference was now very unusual and irritating. Complete indifference. She had long ago learned not only to feel someone else's attention or even desire but also to know exactly where it was directed. And thanks to this, to strengthen it, lure and direct it. Even if they did not look at her directly, or deliberately tried not to look, she could always feel the response of desire she evoked in those around her. But from these two there was not even a hint of emotion. No feelings at all. Which was unusual, and extremely unpleasant.

Pouting her lips in displeasure, the woman took another sip and slightly moved her leg to the side, touching the black youth's curly nape with her fingertips. He jerked, tensed all his muscles, and silently ejaculated in a white stream right onto the floorboards beneath him. There was already a small puddle there. It was a pity she couldn't really ride this boy. She hadn't had any Uss-Ual'ts yet, black people were rare north of the Middle Sea. Or was he from the Hatta tribes? Oh, what difference did it make! The main thing was that the lady forbade them to really "unpack" the gifts from their new friends without her. Just play a little.

The woman's sad musings were interrupted by the door opening noiselessly. A blurred figure stepped through the small doorway, and the two guards stepped forward, standing on a chair between her and the woman. As soon as the door closed behind the blurred figure, there was a low rumble as the defenses went to maximum power. And almost immediately the guest spoke, in a heavily distorted, sexless voice:

"Call your mistress. We need to talk."

Theatrically frowning, the woman crossed her legs again and asked in a languid voice:

"Am I not good enough for you?"

The figure hidden behind the powerful and quality camouflage amulet paid no attention to her words. Rolling her eyes, the woman wanted to add something else, but in that instant, her hazel eyes opened wide and then closed. For a moment, she was perfectly still then opened her eyes again. Which turned bright yellow, and her pupils began to glow with a red light. Smiling broadly, the woman stretched gracefully, making herself comfortable, and said in the same languid but different voice:

"I must admit, I am quite impressed. Not only to take Sisi away from the ship but also to give her such a send-off... And this right under Grandpa Mayer's nose... Not bad at all, I admit, I didn't expect this from lovers of cute eared boys."

The guest, hidden by a camouflage amulet, did not pay attention to the flattery of the demoness, speaking through the mouth of her puppet, and immediately got down to business:

"We've done our part, Vicious One."

The woman nodded contentedly and took a greedy sip of wine as if it were ordinary water:

"The first part, my dears. And I am very happy with it. Except that now, the second part will be very difficult to do. Grandpa Meyer will be very upset because of what Sisi did to his babies and now..."

The reaction of the guest hidden by the disguise was incomprehensible, but he answered sharply, without listening to the demoness:

"We made a deal, Vicious, and changing the terms..."

The woman rolled her eyes and raised her free hand, palm forward. And her left leg, too, sticking out her foot.

"My dears, I am not asking you for any CARDINAL changes, on the contrary, it will be easier for you. It just so happened that now it will be very difficult for you to get me out, Grandpa Mayer will now strengthen my security many times over. Even if you manage to carry out the call, I may suffer. Therefore, I offer another option. Much easier for you."

There was silence in the room for a few seconds, then a voice devoid of gender and emotion asked:

"Which one?"

Having finished the expensive elven wine in one gulp, the demoness wiped her lips like a tavern wench, licked them, ruining the whole image, and said:

"Take Sisi and these cuties out of town. Today. Provide them with everything they need for the long journey. And that's where our paths will diverge. I guarantee I won't say a word about you to Grandpa Mayer and the other lovers of too bright a light. You'll forget about Sisi and my new toys. That's enough. That's my condition."

The guest, covered by the camouflage, was silent for a few seconds, then said:

"The inhabitants of Inferno have a disgusting habit of changing the terms of deals and the texts of contracts on the fly..."

The woman sitting in the chair rolled her eyes again and threw up her hands:

"Like it's my fault? You caused all that mess on the ship instead of just disappearing quietly."

"Actually, it was your doll that made it."

"Couldn't you pull her back? Sisi is still a baby, it's clear she's inexperienced and easily carried away..."

"You expect me to believe you didn't control her while she was squeezing the crew and Mayer's bloodhounds dry?"

"Oh, believe what you want. I've said my piece. What's your decision?"

Again, for a few seconds, there was silence in the room. Then, the guest said:

"We agree. But on one condition."

"Oh... And which one?"

"Additional guarantee. To avoid other sudden changes in the terms of the deal."

"I give you my most honest word.” At these words, the smile on the woman’s face was ear to ear.

"It's a good start, but I'd like it backed up by something meaningful to you. Like a name. A real name."

Grimacing as if from a toothache, the woman grumbled:

"Don't you know how important anonymity and privacy can be? You..."

"A third of the name. This is our word."

"Quarter."

"Third."

"Then I want another toy!"

"You can choose any of the previously suggested ones. One."

"Agree!"

With a satisfied smile, the woman handed the empty glass to the motionless red-haired half-breed, rose to her feet, and stretched, showing off her near-perfect body. A few minutes later, the words of mutual vows, sealed by the Name, resounded through the room.

* * *

In the large dormitory house, belonging to one of the workshops in Iyastar, everyday life was in full swing. The men and their older children had gone to work, the younger children had been sent to the temple school, and the women were busy with household chores. Someone was doing laundry, someone was cleaning, someone was cooking, someone was babysitting the youngest children. No one was idle, everyone had a job.

What the residents of the dormitory didn't know was that there was also work going on in the basement of their house. To be exact, it was in the part of the basement that the locals didn't know about, and if they did, they would have made a big fuss. In a small windowless room, separated from the main part of the cellar by a wall and a carefully disguised door several Secret Guard agents were finishing preparations for a complex and dangerous ritual. On the perfectly smooth granite slab floor, Sunset was applying the last symbols of the ritual circle with a special brush, checking against a small scroll now and then. Several more elves were finishing checking the camouflage weaves that thickly covered the room. Twilight watching the work sighed wistfully:

"So much work and effort is wasted..."

Luaval standing next to him raised an eyebrow questioningly, to which the squad leader explained:

It took almost ten years of painstaking work to create this shelter. They had to act very carefully, constantly under camouflage. And what a hassle it was to get rid of the earth. And now, all this work will go to waste.

"What can you do," the dark elf shrugged philosophically, "we have no other options to get the demoness out of the Inquisitorium's dungeons. This is the closest point where we can perform the ritual."

"I know. It's just that now I'll have to deal with this hassle again. You can't send just anyone to do such a job."

Sighing softly, Darendil turned to the pair of subordinates who stood bent over the demoness' captured puppet. The healer, who turned out to be not quite a healer, lay motionless on a small folding table. Completely naked except for the magic-suppressing shackles, her arms stretched at the seams and her eyes closed. Her eyes were closed, tied shut with a strip of thin, dark cloth.

"How are things with the puppet?"

"Okay, it will be ready soon."

"Good. Sunset?"

"The final touches and we can begin."

"Okay. Camouflage?"

"Double-checked and ready to go full power. But even so, we'll have no more than three minutes before the sun worshipers figure out where the ritual is taking place."

"That should be enough. Escape routes?"

"That should be enough. Escape routes?"

"Okay. Then we can start as soon as everything is ready."

After a few minutes, the unconscious Liana was carefully seated on a simple chair, her hands tied behind her back and a simple shirt of coarse cloth put on her. After ensuring everything was completely ready, the elves brought the puppet back to consciousness by shoving a vial of special alchemy under her nose. The healer regained consciousness almost immediately and shook her head, not realizing where she was. She twitched, tried to use her powers, felt the shackles suppressing her magic, and froze. She sat motionless for a few seconds, then seemed to collapse in her chair, relaxing. But a few more seconds passed, and the captive's lips stretched into a charming smile:

"Well, well, well... Looks like little Lily got caught after all... Silly girl, but I warned her... Hmm..."

Taking a deep breath through her nostrils, the newly approaching captive suddenly smiled even wider, showing off her even and white teeth:

"Well, just think about it... And I was already afraid that Grandpa Mayer's little ones weren't so useless. Maybe you could take this blindfold off Lily's eyes, and we could discuss the fate of your dear emissary face to face?"

For a few seconds, there was complete silence in the room. Smiling crookedly, Liana, or rather her mistress speaking through her lips, crossed her legs, leaned back in her chair and sang cheerfully:

"Come on, don't be shy and pretend it's not you. I recognize the scent of the firstborn out of thousands of others, even through my baby."

Darendil exchanged glances with his subordinates and nodded slightly, then snapped his fingers and the enchanted cloth of the bandage literally flowed from the woman's face. Yellow eyes with red pupils narrowed in satisfaction, seeing those gathered in the secret room.

"You know, I was very curious to see how quickly the news of my proposal to Grandfather Archilictor and the Reverend Mother would reach your long ears. I suppose you want to discuss it?"

With his face hidden under a hooded mask, Darendil asked in an emotionless voice:

"Do you know the fate of Senior Emissary Arendal?"

The smile on the healer's face became downright sly:

"Let's just say I know who stole it. But the price of this knowledge is high. Very high. Especially since there are plenty of people who want to know this information..."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, I want so much, boys. The question is, what exactly can you offer me?"

Without taking his eyes off the demoness, Darendil pulled a communication amulet from his belt, clenched it in his fist, and stood silently for a few seconds. Then the squad leader put the amulet back and signaled to one of her subordinates. That one nodded briefly and stepped back to the wall where a small wooden box stood. Turning to the puppet that was watching them with interest, Twilight replied:

"They want to talk to you directly. And I really hope for your own good, you will have something to say."

"Ooh, I'm really intrigued!"

Meanwhile, Darendil's subordinate stood before the captive, holding a small round artifact mirror. In a moment, its surface began to ripple, and instead of a puppet, a beautiful elf with long platinum hair was reflected in it. Seeing her, the demoness theatrically opened her toy's eyes and said with a breath:

"Oh, my, Her Majesty the Queen of the Forest herself! I am flattered to the depths of my soul by such attention! I will not say whose exactly, but please take my word for it. I would perform my best curtsey, but alas, and ah, your boys, apparently, love games in the spirit of your dark brothers."

Reflected in the mirror, Sivila ignored the demoness's verbiage, answering in a cold and emotionless voice:

"I have neither the time nor the desire for your games, Vicious One. If you know the fate of the missing Arendal we have something to talk about. If you have nothing to say on the subject this is the end of our conversation."

Theatrically widening her eyes, the demoness made a deliberately frightened face and quickly said:

Oh, what are you saying, Your Majesty?! Of course, I have something to tell you. Would I dare to distract you from the most important state affairs for all sorts of trifles? Everyone knows that the Queen of the Forest has a lot of work, sometimes she can’t even breathe.

Having said the last phrase, the demoness formed an "o" with her lips and pressed her tongue against her cheek several times. Sivila did not react to this in any way, not even a single muscle twitched. Instead, she said in an icy voice:

"I'm losing my patience, Vicious One."

"Your Majesty, I have already told you I have something to offer you. Or do your long ears not hear it well? The only question is, what can you offer me?"

For a few seconds the queen and the puppet looked into each other's eyes, then Sivila said briefly:

"The Forest has a lot to offer. But for concrete information. We will not buy rumors or speculation. Only concrete facts."

The puppet's lips stretched into a predatory smile, and she leaned forward slightly:

"I can offer you this, Your Majesty. I guarantee it."

The queen was silent for a second, then nodded briefly in response:

"Then we have something to talk about."

"That's nice to heareeeeeeee!!!"

The puppet's phrase was cut off at half a word, replaced by a scream. It coincided with the activation of the ritual circle, most of which remained invisible, giving the impression of an ordinary protective barrier circle. Several symbols on Liana's body flashed at the same time. Standing behind her back under the cover of a masking amulet, Sunset whispered a summoning spell, reinforcing it with the known part of the demoness's name. A dozen small crystals, filled with energy to the brim, at once gave up everything they had accumulated, turning to ashes and burning. The masking amulets hanging on the walls flashed brightly, trying to hold the tattered weave together. The prisoner sitting in the chair was lifted into the air and arched, her smooth skin cracking like the dried earth, and red light burst from it.

When Liana's scream became deafening, everything stopped abruptly and she collapsed to the floor, breaking the chair. As she did so, the woman's body changed. Her hair turned coal-black, a pair of small horns appeared on her forehead, the fangs in her mouth lengthened, her fingernails were replaced by full-fledged claws, and a long, thin, and flexible tail, ending in a sharp arrow, emerged from her tailbone. The demoness hissed, pulled by force and not without loss from the former body prison into the new one, and then she put her hands on the floor and began to rise:

"You know, this is extremely rude, so unceremonious..."

The ritual circle flared up again, as did the symbols on Liana's body, cutting the demoness off mid-sentence. She jerked and tried to break free, but the weaving of the new ritual had already captured her, and she screamed in rage:

"Biiiiitch!!!"

Her angry scream was accompanied by Sunset's calm voice as he read out a very specific exorcism spell. The amulets supported the cloaking weave working in afterburner mode, some already destroyed. The second set of small storage crystals crumbled with a quiet crackle of burning sand and emptied in an instant. The alchemy infused into the unconscious puppet came into play, turning her body into a portal-transmitter. Liana was arched again, twisting almost into a wheel, so her head touched her tailbone, and her feet and elongated toes caught her lower ribs, piercing her skin. The palms of his hands clawed at the floorboards with such force that they left deep grooves in them.

The end was as sudden as the first but much messier. Liana's body was crushed into a shapeless lump that collapsed to the floor in a pile of charred bones and dried, smoking flesh. It was impossible to recognize the beautiful healer in him. Nor did the elves need to. Barely had the ritual's seared and scorched remains touched the floor, Darendil said sharply:

"Let's go! We have two minutes."

No one needed to repeat it twice. Within a minute, no one left in the room, and the alchemical negators were finishing destroying the traces of the ritual. In the corner, the remains of amulets and artifacts were burning out in a bright green flame.

* * *

The spacious, high-ceilinged room was crowded under the bright light of a mosaic depicting the figure of the Sun on a solar disk. In the center, five inquisitor-exorcists stood at attention, wearing only their shirts. They looked gloomy and depressed, but they tried to keep their faces impassive. They didn't do a very good job of it, though. Nagata, standing just ahead of the others, finished her report with a stony face:

"... and as soon as I came to, I immediately raised the alarm and called for backup. After the detachment led by Brother Yorick arrived, we handed over our weapons and protective amulets to them, according to protocol as possibly compromised. Brother Yorick's detachment conducted further searches."

After finishing her report, Nagata stood still, staring silently in front of her. There was a tense silence in the room. The Archilictor was sitting at the table across from the five inquisitor-exorcists, scrutinizing the offending subordinates. He hadn't spoken a word since the urgent meeting had begun, and that was especially painful for Nagata. If her mentor had hurled profanities and insults at them, it would have been much easier. But Mayer only looked at his subordinates in silence. His eyes glowed with soft sunlight, illuminating the whole five inquisitor-exorcists. Several long moments passed like that. Then, without averting his gaze, he only asked briefly:

"Brother Yorick?"

A strongly built, short-haired man in the robes of an inquisitor stepped forward and reported in a clear voice:

After receiving the alarm from Sister Nagata's squad, my squad and a reinforcement of the Brothers of the Bright Order immediately moved to the scene. We used the portal to save time. We found the battle site very quickly. Sister Nagata's squad reported the situation to us, surrendered all weapons and amulets without question, and were detained, according to the protocol for dealing with the possibly compromised. Initial inspection revealed no traces of Inferno magic. Examination of the battle scene confirmed Sister Nagata's version of events. But we found no trace of the possessed puppet or those who had attacked Sister Nagata's unit. After that, I decided to return. Upon arrival, the detainees were subjected to an in-depth inspection in the rays of the Eternal Sun by Senior Priest Leoric. Members of the Inquisitorium and the Bright Order assisted him. There were no traces of hostile influences beyond those they had received in battle, and the light of the Eternal Sun had cleansed them without a trace.

When he finished his report, he clicked the heels of his high boots and fell silent. The Archilictor still looking at Nagata and her companions in silence scratched his chin thoughtfully. The light pouring from his eyes grew a little brighter. The room fell silent once more. Mayer's two deputies and the personal assistant standing behind him were also silent. Brother Yorick and his subordinates were silent as well. A dozen brothers of the Lighted Order, who were providing force support in case of emergencies, were also silent. All were silent, waiting for the Archilctor's word. Finally, the Archilctor broke the silence with a single word:

"Weird."

Most looked at the head of the Inquisitorium in surprise. Only his first deputy, who had served with Meyer for many years, folded his arms across his chest looked intently at his failed colleagues, and nodded in agreement:

"It's really weird."

In response to the puzzled looks of those present, the Archilector explained, pointing at Nagata and her comrades:

"Why were they left alive and not undamaged?"

Those gathered in the room looked at each other. There were quiet whispers. Mayer's assistant coughed cautiously and suggested:

"Maybe they just didn't have time?"

"To kill five completely helpless people? No, that doesn't happen. And they weren't just not killed."

Mayer extended his hand and pointed at his subordinates, causing their bodies to be enveloped in soft sunlight. Around some places, it was slightly brighter and denser than around others.

"I can clearly see traces of healing magic. The wounds they received in battle have been treated."

"Did someone help them after stunning and stealing the demoness' puppet?" the commander of the Bright Paladins asked in confusion. "But why attack them then?"

That's a good question. If they were killed or defamed, it would be understandable. Tragic, unfortunate, but understandable. If the demoness' puppet had been killed as well, I might have thought we'd encountered a messenger from one of the demon-hunting orders or guilds. Some of them are characterized by very... specific hunting methods, as well as an extremely possessive attitude towards their hunted victims. But most of them wouldn't take the body of a puppet and leave her corpse there. At best, they'd take the head. Again, we are not at enmity with those who have dedicated themselves to exterminating the infernal scourge.

"Maybe it's one of the lone hunters?"

"Doesn't look like it..."

"I believe," one of the Archilector's deputies said slowly, "that the most obvious answer we should start from is this. Those who attacked Sister Nagata and her subordinates wanted the demoness' puppet. But they did not want to quarrel with us, so they did not touch our brothers and sisters."

"And the demoness' puppet could only be useful to someone..."

The Archilictor interrupted his assistant's next suggestion with a short gesture. Squinting, he peered even more closely at his silent subordinates, and then gave a short order:

"Take off your clothes."

Nagata and her companions froze for a moment, but then, without even flinching, immediately pulled their shirts over their heads, leaving them completely naked. Squinting even harder, Mayer moved his hand to dim the light from the ceiling mosaic, plunging the room into semi-darkness. Simultaneously, the light pouring from his eyes changed color. At the same moment, glowing palms and footprints became visible on the naked bodies of the five inquisitor-exorcists. The former was clearly visible on the breasts and buttocks of Nagata and her companion. The latter were evenly distributed on the men's bodies as if someone had walked on them barefoot. And letters glowed brightly on the bellies of each of the five. Squinting unkindly, the Archilictor gestured briefly for a pair of subordinates to switch places. As a result, the letters formed a phrase: //“We know about Grigor.

A stunned silence hung in the room. Looking at the prints of clearly male palms on her chest, thighs, and buttocks, Nagata, with a twisted face, silently opened her mouth, unable to say anything. The rest of her comrades were in a similar state. The silence of the semi-dark room was broken by the puzzled and wary question of the commander of the Bright Paladins:

"What does Brother Grigor have to do with it?"

He didn't have time to finish, for suddenly there was a loud howl from the alarm amulets installed in the Inquisitorium building. The Bright Paladins and Inquisitors immediately drew their weapons and battle amulets, and Archilctor jumped to his feet with an unexpected agility. At the same time, the elderly man was enveloped in dense sunlight, and it was as if he had become broader in the shoulders and taller. The ceiling mosaic flashed in full force, dispersing the slightest of shadows. A moment later, a loud shout from the alarm amulets sounded from the shift commander:

"General alert! Attempted escape from the Fourth Punishment Cell! I repeat, an attempt... Block it, block it, damn it, faster!!!"

The cry from the alarm amulets drowned out the roar of the Archilictor, amplified by the power that flowed into him:

"Everybody to the dungeon!!!"

But it was too late. When, two minutes later, the Inquisitors and the Bright Paladins, led by the Archilictor, literally glowing with sunlight, burst into the cell where the captured demoness was being held, the prisoner was gone. In the cage charred bones lay on the floor covered in the remnants of dried and burned flesh. The middle fingers on both palms were poked out, and the appearance of the skull was somehow reminiscent of a gloating grin.

* * *

A complex ritual circle burned bright scarlet in the center of the spacious circular room with only one door and no windows. It was made up of very dangerous symbols that would cause serious problems for almost anyone who was found to have them. Because they were all connected to Inferno and were used to summon demons. Which was a capital offense punishable by death almost everywhere, with very few exceptions. As deals with demons very rarely ended at least neutrally, when both sides did not manage to deceive and frame each other. The cases when the inhabitants of Inferno found themselves on the losing side were few and far between.

In the center of the ritual circle stood a large stone bowl filled with a thick dark red liquid that resembled blood. In fact, it was blood. Or rather, the alchemical version of it, which was the basis used by almost all chimerologists. At first, it was still, and its surface was perfectly smooth. But as the ritual circle shimmered brighter and brighter, the surface of the liquid rippled. Then it rushed upward in tight jets that seemed to weave together like threads. Deceptively slow, they rose higher and higher, gradually forming a cocoon in which the outline of a human figure was vaguely visible. A woman's figure.

When there was not a drop of liquid left in the bowl, the threads forming the cocoon merged into a unified layer. A second passed. Then another. And then, with a loud crack, the cocoon burst, falling down, evaporating into the air, and revealing its contents. Floating in the air above the bowl was a naked woman. Bright red skin without a single wrinkle or blemish. A slim and slender figure. Long dark hair that reached down to her tailbone. Long, curved horns growing from her forehead. A flexible, dark, wriggling tail. Sharp claws instead of fingernails. Big, high breasts with large black nipples. And an attractive face without permanent features. It constantly changed, depending on who was paying attention. Only one thing remained constant: bright yellow eyes with equally bright and red cross pupils.

As soon as the cocoon burst, the demoness stretched smoothly, arching her back and yawning sleepily. Curling her dark lips, she drawled in a languid voice:

"You know, it's very impolite to so unceremoniously pull a girl out while she's visiting. Even though almost all of them were disgusting to me to the depths of my soul, I won't say whose, but the challenge could have been conducted more gently. And it was not necessary to ruin my sweet little Lily..."

The demoness, who had time to get into a vertical split, simultaneously bent her head almost to the floor and was unable to finish. Or rather, she wasn't allowed to. Sivila made a brief gesture and activated the weave of the summoning ritual, and the guest was shackled by glowing chains that entangled her arms and legs. She twitched and wheezed helplessly. The queen's voice was cold:

"I have neither the time nor the slightest desire to play your games, Iurlad. If you wish to preserve your existence, tell me who kidnapped the Senior Emissary of Arendal. Now."

The demoness, bound by glowing chains, heard part of her true name and bared her teeth angrily, but almost immediately winced and hissed:

"So rude and harsh... I will tell you, Your Majesty, if you spare my life and what I own. It's not the most pleasant deal, but I agree to make it. But only with you!"

"This is what I expected."

The queen made a gesture and the demoness's chains disappeared. She grunted and looked around at the elves gathered in the room with yellow-red eyes. In addition to the queen, there was her bodyguard and several gifted agents of the Secret Guard, supporting and covering Sivila. The demoness's gaze returned to the queen, lingering for a moment on Sivila's chest.

"Well then, let's get started, Your Majesty..."

The words of the contract, verified by the masters of magic, sounded and were sealed with magic and the demoness's true name, forming a powerful magical contract. As soon as the last word sounded, the demoness sighed theatrically and sadly and said in a sad voice:

"When I was having fun in Iyastar, I happened to meet a cute guy. It was nothing special, just a nice little thing, and I wasn't even going to charge him anything. At first. But as it turned out, he literally reeked of the flavor of the firstborn. I didn't expect that, and I was curious, so I decided to try him out. It turned out that this kid was fucking your dear Emissary in all his holes. His cock was literally soaked in the flavor of the firstborn. Your diplomat had also fucked him, and in all his holes, too. Of course, the traces of it were carefully hidden, but to completely remove such a thing from me... Let's just say it would take more than magical cleaning methods. Even the good ones."

The demoness licked her lips and continued with a smile, looking at the elves, especially at Sivila:

"It was an incredibly pleasant surprise. To think that a highborn with such power has a secret human lover! And a man. It was so exciting and spicy! I started looking at them, and what did you think? I was surprised to find out that your long-eared friend had no idea he was tumbling around in bed with a human. And, as I later realized, not just one. He wasn't the only one. I recognized the taste of at least two other firstborns, a man and a woman, on that boy's cock. Unfortunately, at that point, Grandpa Mayer had already made up his mind to find me, and I didn't have time to pursue the story properly. But I can say with certainty that your big-eared boy was stolen by the men the kid served. And who fucked him in every two holes a man can have. Without much change, of course."

“Name,” Sivila said through gritted teeth.

"All this took place in the representation of the House of Le Faler. By the way, its current head, Dormian, has very warm relations with the hierarchs of the Theocracy. And he was due to arrive in Iyastar any day now with a batch of slaves he had bought back after the raiders from the Ice Islands."

Nodding in satisfaction, Sivila turned to the Secret Guard agents and said:

"We're done. Take care of her."

They nodded silently to the queen. Sivila turned around and was about to leave the room, but as soon as she took a step towards the door, the demoness asked in an unexpectedly cheerful voice:

"Your Majesty, let's make another deal! You'll finally let me go home, and I'll tell you something very interesting. Very, very interesting!"

Sivila froze in place. There was silence in the room. She stood still for several seconds. From the outside, it might have seemed as if the queen had just frozen in place. In fact, she was listening to the words of the magic masters outside the room, Third and Mirael. After listening to them, she slowly turned to the cheerfully smiling demoness and said in a cold voice:

"To earn your freedom you'll need to say something really important!"

The smile on the demoness's face grew even wider:

"Well, of course! I'm ready to swear that this is a matter of national importance for your beloved Forest. National! I give you my word of honor, heheh! So, your word?"

There was silence again for a few seconds, behind which there was a feverish discussion of possible options and assumptions. Folding her arms across her chest, the queen said slowly:

"If you know something that really matters to the Forest..."

"Of the utmost importance, Your Majesty, you can be sure of that! So, your word?"

For a few seconds, the emerald eyes of the queen looked into the yellow-red eyes of the demoness. Then, very slowly, Sivila nodded and said:

"We agree to make another deal with you, Iurlad."

The demoness clapped her hands contentedly and literally sang in a happy voice:

"Great! Then, let's not waste time!"

A few minutes later, the words of a slightly modified contract, laced with magic and part of the demoness's true name, resounded through the room. And again, as soon as the last word was uttered, a powerful weave-contract was formed. As soon as it happened, the queen folded her arms across her chest with a cold voice and impassive face said:

"We are listening to you."

Smiling at the corners of her lips, the demoness folded her hands on her bare chest, copying Sivila's pose, and spoke slowly:

"You have nice tits, Your Majesty. True, they are a bit small for my taste, and not only mine. Although, if to look at them more closely..."

The queen opened her mouth to shush the demoness but didn't have time to say anything. She moved her index finger with a sly smile, and Sivila cried out, involuntarily taking half a step forward. At the same time, the queen's breasts fell out, because today Sivila allowed herself a dress with a rather explicit neckline, disregarding the court fashion. And not just fell out, but rushed forward, the word someone grabbed the queen by the nipples and pulled on. Or rather, it was so, because suddenly in the light of magical lamps the thinnest thread, dividing into three directions, became visible. Two went to Sivila's nipples, another went through the fabric of the dress to the queen's crotch. And the end of this thread was wound around the demoness's finger.

In the next instant, many simultaneous events occurred. The queen's bodyguard was in one elusive movement in front of Sivila, raising her hand with a battle wand whose crystalline tip flashed with a cold blue light. At the same time, shackles of the same cold blue light formed around the throat, wrists, and ankles of the demoness. They were immediately joined by glowing chains. A translucent magical barrier appeared around Sivila. Several more Secret Guard agents with battle wands rushed into the room, immediately taking the demoness in their sights. Their colleagues already had her in their sights, while covering the queen. She stupidly fell on her butt on the floor, trying to cover her naked breasts with her hand, from which milk splashed. The thin thread stretching from the queen's nipples to the demoness's finger did not notice Sivila's hand. It passed through her without moving at all. For a second, the room was silent. Then, there was the quiet and satisfied laughter of the demoness, bound in arms, legs, and throat. The wand in Astra's hands intensified the glow, and the queen's bodyguard ice-coldly muttered:

"Let her go now."

The demoness made a frightened face and nodded hastily, moving her index finger to flick a thin thread from it. The thread instantly traveled toward Sivila, shortening rapidly until it became a point connecting three short threads. Two came from the queen's nipples, the third from the pussy hidden beneath her dress. In a moment, they were gone, and the demoness's satisfied laughter resounded in the room:

"Heh, and I was afraid until the very end that this was just your bedtime habits, your majesty. But, judging by what I see, for everyone here it has become a surprise..."

The glowing collar around the demoness's neck became a little brighter, but the queen rose to her feet and tidied herself up, stopped the bodyguard:

"Astra."

The elfess not taking her eyes off the shackled demoness, eased the pressure, and she smiled contentedly again, not taking her eyes off the queen. More precisely, off her chest. With a stone face, the queen said:

"You have a minute to explain."

Licking her lips with a long tongue that was forked at the end, the demoness said in a voice full of joy:

"I see the world a little differently than mortals and firstborn. And because of that, I can see things you can't normally see. For example, I can see that the nipples on your milk-filled tits are connected by a thin, invisible thread to the pearl at your pussy. It's invisible to you, but almost invisible to me. Fortunately, I looked very carefully and was able to see it. I must admit I was surprised, as it had been a long time since I had seen such a thing. There are few masters of such fine weaving in the world. At first, I thought it was Your Majesty's way of entertaining himself in bed. But remembering all the things I've heard about you, I strongly doubted that the imperious Queen of the Forest would let someone tug on her nipples and pearl. Especially since such threads can be quite dangerous and insidious. Then it's a matter of technique. If you know how, and where to look, such threads are quite easy to pick up. They reach out to the one who beckons them correctly."

Having finished speaking, the demoness bared her teeth and cooed in a contented voice:

"And now, please, boys and girls, free me from these shackles. I love such games, but not in the role of a prisoner. As far as I can judge, the knowledge that someone has entangled the Queen of the Forest herself is well worth my freedom."

In confirmation of her words, the demoness showed the palm of her right hand, on which a seal symbol that sealed the contract was displayed. The same symbol appeared on the queen's right hand. Still, with the same stone face, Sivila laconically said:

"Send her to Inferno."

Silently and with the same stony faces, the elves extinguished the shackles around the demoness and began the ritual of expulsion-teleportation. The satisfied demoness almost danced with happiness and clapped her hands. Her face was extremely pleased. Literally a moment before disappearing, she managed to throw:

"But your boobs are still too small!"

After that, the demoness was compressed into a thin bright red ray, which was drawn into the center of the ritual circle in an instant. A few seconds passed, and it was extinguished sealing the tiny gap between the worlds. There was silence in the room. A very tense silence. With a completely unperturbed face, the queen slowly began to undress. Everyone present tried desperately not to meet her eyes. Especially the masters of magic. When she was completely naked, Sivila said in a voice devoid of any emotion, minting every word:

"It seems. I. Was Given. Guarantees."

Almost all the magic masters' ears twitched. Some even hunched their heads. But instead of them, Third answered the queen:

"We have already summoned Ziltraen and both of his apprentices. He will be here shortly."

“I really hope so,” the queen muttered, and, slapping her bare feet on the floor, she headed, accompanied by her bodyguard and Secret Guard agents, to the neighboring laboratory.

Two lounge chairs have already been prepared there.

* * *

Author's Note:

19 pages. There were no lemons as such, well, that's just how it turned out. The story is rapidly moving/rolling towards the denouement. I'll try not to drag out the continuation. I apologize for possible typos, tomorrow I have a hard day at work, I'll get to the computer only in the evening, and today I don't have the strength to proofread.

Please understand and forgive (c)

As always, thanks to those who leave comments, ask questions, correct mistakes, and click the "Like" button. These are my best motivators. Thank you all.

As promised, I finally got to the computer and prepared new links to the results of my experiments with the neural network:

1. A relatively successful generation of Sivila, in my opinion. The ears are not the same, of course, but overall it's quite good as a concept:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15uUbUk-WTQndMNg7Gxa0bq3764xNfD7Q?usp=drive_link

2. An attempt to generate Sivila on the beach in a swimsuit turned out average, but maybe someone will like it:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16-ny23TQJrhVhleCXZT-NuNPCLVBCks2?usp=drive_link

3. Just like trying to generate her in a sauna. But here at least a little eroticism was squeezed out of the neural network:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IbN5BMieDRJOqZpeLwaJDWTz1HGpRA4K?usp=drive_link

4. This generation with gymnastics turned out quite well:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1IYYAD0J-HJpNU3jxK1rV_PFLz5Y_n-nM?usp=drive_link

5. An attempt to generate a slightly older Sivila... well:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JtSupi3TJ66Z28TTFD_XPB1ii3hvU2Eu?usp=drive_link

6. A very good generation of Alekhar de Castin, King of the Islands, who not long ago had a pretty blonde priestess of Gaia fall on his head (or rather on his face). However, he is not very upset about this:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1N3l2uItrmPiUw5P5vzcsrSh1Lq85ebCR?usp=sharing

7. Actually, that priestess. Amalia in two generations. In general, quite successful.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h9CYl4QyvMwfRsPbpzzf3p0JJ5x_G1ds?usp=drive_link

8. Not the luckiest witch Draga, after she was taken into custody by the granddaughter of one pointy-eared special agent. The 2nd generation, in my opinion, is more successful:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/12xzX2wLxrZBq-AoeDKOXEJKbeN72y9Bf?usp=sharing

9. A snake-loving druid, to whose heart and boobs Draga slowly but surely paves a path:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1swwpKOkjEreLYBGmLr_Ri0DEIGVB4F5I?usp=sharing

10. Gion de Faral, who paid dearly to save his ass from the Isles:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14HPnUoCZdB4FhG3Ud8Zr_8MAId23C8rT?usp=sharing

This generation is the most successful:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bxaphkcfPoxXcp9ifECozlMwL9rTXciT/view?usp=drive_link

Внимание! Этот перевод, возможно, ещё не готов.
Его статус: идёт перевод

Переведено на Нотабеноиде
http://notabenoid.org/book/86674/577304

Переводчики: Camrad_RIP