История Королевы Эльфов / The story of the Elf Queen: Интерлюдия вторая. Тяготы и заботы Архиврага Героя Королевы Эльфов.

“Mirror of Dreams” helped him so much, together with the “Memory Gatherer”, which had already become dear and trusted! The latter was switched by Master into the active mode of continuous absorption and destruction of memory about him in any object. This mode worked on a limited territory, in particular, now it worked only within his current home. But it worked so great! The walls and furniture of the mansion of the widowed Baroness de Kleban were now literally incapable of remembering the Master, no matter what he did here or what kind of magic he did. It would not hide the direct traces if he left them, but it would be possible to find him by them or to realize he was here. But for all sorts of clairvoyants and seers who can look into the past of an object, especially a magically saturated one, they are now completely useless. Similarly, they will not be able to become a support for those really powerful seers who are able to send their call-image of what they are looking for through the immaterial world. Such an image can overcome huge distances and it will be enough for it to hook the necessary object in order to receive the response of the sought one.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 10:15

Master didn't know such skillful artists personally, though. He only heard not the most reliable rumors and half-legends about their existence. But he did not doubt that if there really one of them, he would be involved in the search, promising anything. Therefore, the Memory Gatherer diligently recycles this very memory of his in a continuous mode. Thankfully, with his experience of working with him and increased strength, it was not too difficult. Unlike with the Mirror of Dreams. He had a really hard time with that one. Not only because the artifact was new to him and he had to master it before he could integrate it into his existing defenses. But also because so many people were looking for Master, and VERY diligently. In the days since the elves had uncovered it, he had counted at least a dozen and a half different divination practices using the mirror. of all sorts, directed in his direction from all over the world. There were sacrifices of varying degrees of bloodiness, including the slaughter of sentient beings under the knife. And traditional for the inhabitants of the far north divination with the help of incanted runic stones, not one decade being infused with special power and gaining affinity with Fate itself. There was even one rather exotic attempt to get an answer about his whereabouts with the help of a half-crazed but very powerful gifted Pythian from somewhere in the far south. “The Mirror of Dreams” displayed for a brief moment a half-naked, pitch-black, middle-aged woman with her hair braided into small pigtails and her eyes completely rolled back. Lying on the floor of some room, she was having a visionary seizure, blowing blue foam from her mouth and wheezing something in a language he didn't understand.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 10:19

More than once the mirror reflected the divine will that had been sent to find him, reeking with the heat of the midday sun. Who would have doubted that the Sun-Face would not leave him alone so easily. Fortunately, even the celestial had his own limitations, and even he could not scour the entire vast territory of the inhabited oikumene with a directed gaze. But even the celestial's occasional glances at the Free Cities did not make Master happy. Nor did a whole host of very strong spirit-seekers, mostly airborne, that swept across Normgrave in search of someone, occupying the bodies of steppe eagles and some other birds of prey. Which were themselves very sighted birds, and with the spirits occupying their bodies they saw even more. For almost an hour they circled over Normgrave, looking for someone. It wasn't hard to guess who, since the locals didn't react to them or interfere in any way. It took him a lot of effort to conceal his presence, and he only exhaled quietly as they flew farther west.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 10:26

And those were only the things he had been able to see and feel thanks to the Mirror of Dreams. How many such “looks” there were, which went nowhere, was even frightening to imagine. And as if psychics were not enough for him, he had to deal with a banal raid, in which Duke Darmond's secret guards took part, supported by his own guards. As well as the temple guards, especially the paladins of the Oath Keeper, the best stars of the Normgrave branch of the Adventurer's Guild, and the best fists of the major Trading Houses. Some of these fists, however, looked suspiciously like the blades of the local Night Guild. All this motley and very nervous fraternity was literally scouring the Free City of Normgrave with a fine sieve. Methodically and without exception. They were looking for him, or signs of his work. The elves, damn them, had told everyone in detail how to detect his reinforcing weave. The widowed Baroness de Kleban's dwelling located in the Golden City, as the people of Normgrave called the richest and most prestigious part of the city, did not escape inspection.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 16:11

They had made him nervous when a dozen and a half searchers led by the paladin of Damokar and the lurker of honorable Duke, had come to check on him! What's more, not just nervous, but in genuine fear for his life. Sitting in the shelter, in front of the mirror, he mentally did not stop cursing himself. For giving in to weakness and playing with the minds and bodies of the Baroness and her family so rashly. Only his newfound strength, multiplied by two magnificent artifacts, allowed him to avert his eyes from the inspectors. Or rather, prevented them from seeing any trace of Master's presence in the dwelling of the Baroness and her family. of the widowed Baroness, or in the minds of its inhabitants. And the fact the Baroness's nephew was now a niece. When the uninvited guests, having inspected the mansion with the full cooperation of its inhabitants, left without finding anything, the Master's dress shirt could be wrung out. And the bronze frame of the Mirror of Dreams could be used to light tinder for the fireplace because it was so hot. He had to urgently save the expensive artifact by injecting additional neutral energy into it and carefully deflating the negative energy. It was not an easy job, especially with an unfamiliar artifact, but Master managed. It was not enough to ruin such a useful masking artifact bought for a huge sum!

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 16:14

And it had some rather amusing additional properties. As he realized, the Mirror of Dreams was capable not only of reflecting the gazes directed at the owner but also of changing the reflections of those who looked into it at the owner's will. And together with the reflections, the people looking at it changed. It was possible to put in front of him some bad-looking girl, and simply order her to look at his reflection. And begin to change it gradually, with the help of an extremely convenient control weave. Gradually, the reflection of the wimp loses pimples, greasy skin, crooked teeth, brittle and thin hair, and excessive fullness. Instead, there is a perfect snow-white smile, tight silky curls, velvety and clean skin, thin waist, and perfect posture. Along with the reflection begins to gradually change the original acquiring new features. Not only the appearance could be changed. You could give the reflection a scatterbrained and silly expression, and the original gradually ceased to shine with intelligence. Of course, there were a lot of nuances and subtleties he hadn't quite figured out yet.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 16:18

For example, the stronger the object was, the more power it took to change it, and the more time it took. Especially if the changes were serious. To change a young girl's tits from a size four to a size five, for example, required considerably less effort than from a size one to a size four. And more time, especially if the change wasn't meant to be realized by the victim. In theory, the Mirror of Dreams could change the victim even from a single glance at his reflection. Changing gender, appearance, life priorities, and worldview in a matter of seconds. But such an impact would cause a very strong tension in the main weaves of the artifact and require a long recharge. Or even service from a specialized artifact master. Or better yet, a magister.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 16:20

The ideal conditions for these additional properties of the “Mirror of Dreams” were such that the victim herself would regularly, even if only for a short time, approach it in order to beautify herself, to admire herself, to evaluate a new outfit or her own beautiful naked body. Each new reflection would change her just a little bit. But frighteningly imperceptible and inevitable. The mirror even had a special disguise mode for this, turning it into a very expensive but relatively ordinary mirror for the outside observer. Yes, enchanted not to shatter by accident, but nothing more. In theory, it could be “gifted” to the intended victim, pre-injected with the desired image, under which the mirror would gradually begin to change either everyone who started to look into it, or only the chosen victim. A couple of months and the unsuspecting owner or the owner, without noticing it, would turn into a completely different person. In addition, it was possible to spy through it, seeing everything reflected in the mirror. And, if desired, also what was reflected from other mirrors or simply polished surfaces within the radius of action, although the latter required considerable effort and strained the artifact's weaving.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 16:23

A rather strange feature for an excellent camouflage artifact. Seriously, who would ever think of letting such a valuable item out of their hands just for the sake of treating some rich beauty? Or, on the contrary, ugly, which is not important. There are specialized specialists and specialized artifacts for that, as well as for espionage. Much more convenient. And to use a great masking artifact for the unnoticeable processing of the victim, by introducing this artifact into its environment... It's like stoking the fireplace with magic wands instead of wood. Who could think of such a thing, Master couldn't imagine. Nor did he intend to, for he had more important things to do. For example, to figure out how to save his life and his newfound power.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 10:33

Despite the wonderful artifact and the new possibilities, it was impossible to stay in Normgrave. The risk was too great. The Free Cities of the Confederacy are one of the first places they'll look for him. And a past test means nothing. It could happen again, and suddenly. So we have to leave. But where? No one's gonna leave him alone. And outside his safe haven, his enemies will only need a stroke of luck to find him, if not discover him then to get a rough idea of where he is. After that, this place will be sifted with a fine sieve by all comers. Adding to the problem was the fact that he'd left too many traces. The lab alone. If he had more time, he could have solved this problem with his newfound strength. But no one was going to give him time. Master thought about this question very intensely, calculating the most different variants of salvation. And one of them seemed to him unexpectedly promising. Risky, of course, but in case of success it would solve most of his problems.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 10:36

But two loyal puppets and his new powers weren't enough to accomplish what he'd planned. In theory, that might have been enough, given he still had some puppets left. But it was all too risky and, let's face it, too scary. He needed help. Preferably serious help. So, he could get out of the city unnoticed, and stay that way afterward. The resources he had at his disposal would not be enough to guarantee the realization of his plan. But it was possible today his luck would smile on him again. Oh yes, he was sought after by many and very diligently. But among the glances averted by Mirror of Dreams Master had found a few glances that were not quite glances. Or rather, they weren't just glances. It was not difficult to recognize in those rituals, outwardly designed to find his person, a veiled invitation to “talk”, if one knew where to look and what to pay attention to. Master knew.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 16:28

The first invitation came from the far south lying beyond the Great Desert and the equally Great Jungle. The Mirror of Dreams caught another attempt to find him through divination. It reflected a small circle of shamans, consisting of one elder and four of his apprentice assistants. All were black, dressed in leopard skins, and adorned with numerous claws, fangs, and feathers of wild beasts. They, seated around the smoldering embers of a lined stone hearth were monotonously calling, working their magic in the spacious tent. The purpose of their efforts, however, was not the summoning of spirits expected of shamans. They performed a divination ritual on a multitude of small bird bones saturated with magic. The purpose of the divination was to find out the location of Master. The divination was conducted competently and quite skillfully, with a high chance of success. However, success in such fortune-telling is a very elusive concept, as they could easily get an answer like “In the North” or “Cave of Manmade Stone”. Which could be considered a success, since they got the answer. But such an answer was of little use.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 20:06

The Master would not have paid any attention to these divinations, for the ritual, though conducted according to all the rules, was not strong enough to overcome the protection of his new artifact. But in the reflection on the surface of the Mirror of Dreams, he noticed with a trained eye that all the movements of the five shaman-guessers were absolutely synchronized. Impossibly synchronized. The beating of their palms on the drums clamped between their knees, the shaking of their heads, the inhalations and exhalations. Even the blinks and lip movements were completely in sync. And the faces. Completely blank faces and glazed eyes. It was enough for Master to realize that in front of him were not living people, but living puppets, which someone decided to use as a tool. We know, we can, we practice. It could be assumed the one who seeks him in this way is afraid of reciprocal attention from him and thus reinsures himself.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 20:08

But it didn't fit with the fact that the shaman-puppets, having once again thrown the dice, didn't even look at the result, and immediately started a new call. The picture was completed by the fact that on the chest of the eldest of the five hung an amulet that stood out from the background. It was an ordinary silver amulet, almost magic-free. An open human palm, fingers down. A very common sign. In the lands of the black tribes, it signified, among other things, good intentions and a proposal for peaceful dialog. Very interesting... And very alarming, because of which Master kept the image of shamans, but did not hurry to respond to the proposal. A fisherman sees a fisherman from afar, as they say.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 20:10

The second suggestion, also disguised as a divination practice, came from the Underworld. As expected, the practice was sacrificial and bloody, and therefore quite powerful, so the Mirror of Dreams had to reflect it, drawing attention away. In the process, its surface reflected a small cave, where on the leveled floor, in the center of the ritual circle were laid out several bodies of people with open bellies. Divination by entrails was an openly dark practice, with serious limitations on the possible results. But with the right victim and competent execution, this method of divination was disgustingly effective. However, in general, such divination allowed to get only “Yes or No” answers.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 20:11

There were more than one or two such divinations, not only from the Underworld but from the Great Jungle as well. The Lizards, too, had a taste for bloody rituals. But this particular divination attracted the Master's attention by the fact all the people sacrificed, including men, were dressed in revealing female robes, so beloved by the top of the dark elves. To avoid any doubts, they were also defiantly smeared with some dirt, which made their skin dirty gray, and their hair was dyed with something white. On the chest of each of the dead, above the open abdomen, the same white paint was painted with the schematic sign of one or another House of the Dark Elves. All of them, as far as Master could identify, were from the same city. Curious, he used the mirror to recognize the question the fortune-teller was trying to answer. And that question was “Does he want to talk?” Well, a rather transparent offer of cooperation, quite in the spirit of the underground sharp-eared ones. Also quite expected and potentially interesting.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 20:14

But with dark elves, as well as with their surface relatives, one should be extremely careful. There was no doubt they would try to cheat him by offering him a deal. So, before trying to enter into a dialog with potential partners, one should properly prepare and ensure himself. He has the opportunity to do this, but he does not have the time. Therefore, we will put this option aside for now. But it is worth remembering.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 20:15

There were a few more offers to “talk”, disguised as different variants of magic call-search, which he managed to catch with the help of his new mirror. But each of them sent a chill down his spine and gave him a bad feeling. Considering the acquired and doubly strengthened elite gift “Danger Sense III”, Master did not even direct the mirror's gaze in their direction. Attempts to find out his location under the guise of negotiation were also quite expected.

Camrad_RIP 22.11.24 в 20:16

But the most interesting offer came from a place where he was not expecting it. Checking once again the few things he had managed to salvage during his escape from the lab, he found a new entry in the artifact diary used to communicate with the puppets and accomplices.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 10:39

Greetings, Honorable Master!

Camrad_RIP 20.11.24 в 07:25

I sincerely hope you receive this message. I know you are not in the easiest of circumstances. And I also sincerely believe we can be of use to each other. If you are interested in this offer and are still within the Confederacy, please let me know.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 12:08

Well, well, well. For a few minutes, Master stared at the record that appeared. It was written in the language of the Free Cities. The handwriting was impeccable and impersonal. It was probably written with an enchanted quill. There was no signature, of course, nor was there any other hint as to who the author of the message was, other than the mention of the Confederacy and the language of the message. But that might have nothing to do with the author at all, it was the way it was written and spoken throughout almost the entire region of the Middle Seas. Judging by the pages on which the message originated, it was sent from the diary of the now-deceased Leonard de Ferran. Which was quite surprising, as this trail had been, in his opinion, quite securely cleaned up by the hands of the late lord's wife and domestic servants. The handled puppets were to destroy, among other things, Leonard's hiding places, to which they should have had access. And where the artifact diary should have been kept, among other things. How could it have survived? And who got their hands on it? Very interesting...

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 12:09

For a long time, Master pondered whether to answer. He wasn't afraid of being discovered through the diary. Not because it was impossible. Even though such artifacts were very reliable means of secret communication, there were ways to trace the addressee, albeit not easy ones. If one tried hard enough, while writing a message with one diary, one could determine where another diary was. Especially, if you search from several points in space. Difficult and troublesome, but the Master believed that for that many would go to almost any trouble. So he improved his diary so that what was written in it could appear in another diary with a delay. So once he had written a message, he could give it to Sae, and she would go away with it, and then send the message afterward. The question was, should he even reply? And who would get their hands on Leonard's diary? Hmm.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 12:12

After much deliberation, Master decided to give it a try, for if he failed, he had nothing to lose.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 20:00

Greetings!

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 08:29

I was rather surprised to receive your message in this way. I did not expect that the journal of the honorable Lord Leonard had somehow survived. I am even more surprised that you should venture to use it to address me, considering the circumstances in which I am now. I will not deny that I am interested in your proposal and I am ready to discuss it substantially. But for our further communication to be meaningful, I would like to know with whom exactly I have the pleasure to communicate. I understand perfectly well your possible desire to keep incognito and anonymity, but I also count on your understanding that in this case, it is impossible. In order for us to be useful to each other, I need to understand how you can help me and how I can thank you.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 11:46

I am prepared to discuss the details of the meeting with you either in person or through your trusted intermediary. I fully understand that, given my reputation, you will want to take every possible precaution, and I fully endorse this. But I also ask you to understand that I too will be forced to take the most serious precautions on my part. If you are satisfied with this, I reserve to you the right to appoint a place of meeting, but I warn you at once that I cannot guarantee the possibility of my arrival. Therefore, I recommend you prepare several options in advance.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 11:47

When he finished writing, the Master handed the diary to Saya and carefully instructed his slanted doll. She understood perfectly and immediately vanished into thin air. He had been on pins and needles all day, but in the end, everything went flawlessly. The experienced and well-trained assassin of the Unseen Clan had been able to sneak in where she wasn't invited before, and to go unnoticed where she wasn't supposed to. And with her new powers, those skills had increased even more. Saya was able to use the main inter-city portal of Normgrave, which stood in the central square of the Golden City when a procession of carts was passing through it.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 11:48

Traveling between cities through portals was not cheap, so the Trading Houses tried to transport goods through them in the largest possible batches and in the shortest possible time. Because of that, the process of passing several dozens, and sometimes even hundreds of carts, necessarily enchanted for strength and weight reduction in order to carry more cargo, was a process of nervousness to the extreme. Everyone yelled at each other, hurried each other, a wheel of some cart was bound to fall off, and sometimes the portalists managed to mix up the entrance and exit circuits, because of which two streams of moving people collided, and there was a monstrous crush. In such a situation an experienced assassin with excellent disguise skills could easily slip through with one of the carts.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 19:55

As a result, Saya changed several Free Cities in a day, literally going to every shore of the Middle Sea to send a message as far away from Normgrave as possible. It was late at night when she returned. The next morning, as soon as Master awoke, a new entry was found in the diary.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 19:52

I'm satisfied with your terms, honorable Master.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 19:51

I can meet your envoy in Normgrave. The meeting place is the Northern Siren Retreat House in the Golden City. The servants' entrance on the side of the alley between the Northern Siren and the Weavers' Guild trading rows. The time is after sundown. Password: “Wine doesn't grow in the north, but that makes it three times sweeter there.” My men will administer it after they've done their inspection. If these conditions do not suit you, I can offer you another Free City in the Confederacy.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 19:52

Seeing what he read, the Master felt his heart skip a beat with fear. “Northern Siren?! That's right next door! Could it be... No, no, no, no, it can't be! If they knew, the city would already be under lockdown. What if they're trying to tell him they know where he is?! No, no, then they wouldn't bother with the diary, they'd act from a position of strength and try to nail him to the wall... Okay, calm down! Calm down! Coincidences happen! But... No! It's a coincidence. After all, it's no problem for someone with power and money to use the Confederacy's network of portals, and arrive in literally any city in the Confederacy. It could very well be that for THEM, Normgrave is neutral territory.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.24 в 08:29

After calming down, Master pulled himself together and began to write back.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 12:16

Your offer is more than satisfactory. Expect my envoy tomorrow evening.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 12:17

And then he began to prepare himself for the upcoming meeting. He was not going to send Saya or any of the widowed Baroness de Kleban's servants. Therefore, his slanted doll had to catch two young boys in the local poor quarters, from among those who looked more decent, and drag them to the house of the Baroness. It took several hours of hard work to turn them into obedient puppets. No elegance, no creativity. The ultimate in functional craftsmanship. We had to turn both ragamuffins into, essentially, his own eyes and ears. Very keen eyes and very sensitive ears, able to detect the slightest attempt to get through them to him. And at the same time make his changes as unnoticeable as possible from the outside. One of the ragamuffins will go to the meeting. The other will be in a safe place within the city, and control him from a distance. The second, in turn, will be controlled by Saya. And she, of course, will be controlled by him. It's a triple precaution.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 19:47

It took the rest of the day to think over the details, to calculate all the possible variants of various troubles, and to prepare the puppets. Master went to bed exhausted, but satisfied with his work, having instructed Saya to escort the two ragamuffins to the right places. And his puppet had expectedly done a perfect job. The only thing left to do was to wait until evening.

Camrad_RIP 19.11.24 в 19:48

Author's Note:

Camrad_RIP 18.11.24 в 10:27

The chapter was supposed to be about Cyryusha's harsh labor life, but Master said his drastic NOT, and completely pulled the whole blanket over on himself.

Camrad_RIP 18.11.24 в 10:29

Alas, the chapter was without lemons, but Master is understandable - he doesn't have time for sex right now.

Camrad_RIP 18.11.24 в 10:29

But in the next chapter, there will definitely be fruits. For Cyryusha has been set on the right path!

Camrad_RIP 18.11.24 в 10:30

Once again, thank you to everyone who corrects slips, comments, asks questions, writes omaks, and of course clicks the like button :)

Camrad_RIP 18.11.24 в 10:31