Настучать в бубен / Hit the tambourine: Глава 11

Chapter 11 (ELEV(VD)EN)

Camrad_RIP 19.05.24 в 14:21

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Camrad_RIP 19.05.24 в 14:21

After the second session, the experience increased again, but to a lesser extent than during the first night of dense and passionate communication with the local priesthood, and there was still a little less than a quarter of a bar left before the increase. The help obligingly suggested that constant sex with the same partner would give a decreasing result, so it was better to alternate these partners, if not to change them like gloves, at least to reduce the coefficient of decreasing additions to the scale. Lazy thoughts were no less lazy move in the empty and completely satisfied head, the same lazy-satisfied Shera had already successfully run away on her business, and Stepan's mind was full of evil and insidious plans. But, come on, not evil, not even too insidious.

Camrad_RIP 19.05.24 в 14:22

They talked once more, having already finished and had time to catch their breath after active body movements, clearly stipulating the terms and wording of their bet. Even though the priestess did not believe in the young man's victory, she was not too lazy to get confirmation that in case of success, he would remove the spell after the “victory” and reap the fruits of that victory. The shaman agreed without even thinking about it, and Shera, who was reading it with her analog of polygraph, nodded satisfiedly and calmed down a bit, though she was not worried much. Stepan didn't intend to enslave her or do any other nefarious things, but he didn't forget to ask her to confirm that her prayer of repentance would come down with the new full moon, and also to confirm her intention to use only the specified effect in case of her victory, i.e. the prayer in question and only for one moon of the term. It was funny, but neither of them doubted their success or the other's defeat, each of them considered himself an almost guaranteed winner.

Camrad_RIP 19.05.24 в 14:27

After these negotiations, the priestess jumped on the young man for the last time, quickly reaching the peak herself and bringing him there, and then quickly bathed in the almost empty water barrel, leaving her lover to prepare for the “fight”. Stepan could not be sure, but it seemed to him that she did not even notice the action of the tantric hearth, or rather did not realize that it replenished her strength and reserve. She herself, judging by indirect signs, knew how to recharge both herself and her partner from sex, so she took her excellent condition for granted. If she were not a priestess, but a classical gifted, she wouldn't have missed it, and even now she could have guessed it, if she had decided to check herself intentionally. She didn't, and that was probably a good thing. Or she did, but she didn't find it surprising, which wasn't a bad thing either.

Camrad_RIP 19.05.24 в 14:28

And the mighty, albeit mostly in the long run, the shaman was left all alone thinking about the great and high. He was not in the mood to work and grind. He was tired of his working rhythm, having given himself over to the possibility of falling out of it at least for a while. He had fallen out, and now he couldn't bring himself to jump back into it. His mind was looking for new reasons to be lazy but still yielded to the will and spirit of the trainee. //“While you sleep, your enemy grind” - a truth old, long ago but now it's more relevant than ever. No, well, what if in this world, at the same time with the isekai, there was some raid-boss, and also with a System? He didn't doubt the Autogoddess, he even believed in her. With a sigh, he began to get ready, to get dressed, to wash his body with the remaining and heated by spirit water. Then he went to his favorite clearing, which even from here he felt not as an extension of his will but as a place where his will became visible and embodied power.
***Spoiler

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 15:40

He would work only a little this afternoon, and at night, as agreed, he would summon his pet Sleepwalker into Shera's dreams, so that in the morning he could try to get if not a level, then a free meta-skill. It was a doable task, and therefore he was calm, but he was more concerned with the spirits he was going to involve in the work outside of their bet with Shera, as well as the spent of that talent point. First of all, his thoughts went in the direction of improving “peaceful development”, which brings a lot of benefits and significantly accelerates the leveling even at the first rank. By all means, it would be worth it in the end of these quest games to the current maximum limited by the characteristics, that is, to three. But there were other options, which directly beckoned with their descriptions, annoying at the same time inaccessibility. In his life, he is too greedy, afraid to spend talent on meta-skills, which may well be a mistake, because these skills, even without strengthening directly, can give even more than properties and knowledge, if you evaluate their usefulness not in the moment, but over a long period of life.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:35

Or not.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 14:06

He called in a detached manner renewing some of the contracts, creating new homes for the spirits, but practically not exerting himself. The only serious summoning was an earth-oriented battle spirit, capable of covering a target with a thick layer of instantly petrifying dust. The enemy would be slowed and stiffened by such clothing, while the shaman or his ally would only be armored to the level of full-fledged armor, but weighing no more than paper of the same volume. The spirit was surprisingly phlegmatic, calmly and without bargaining, accepting the offering, a portion of the reserve, and agreeing to live a couple of years in a beautiful colored stone still from the reserves of the chest that Milf-Goddess gave him. Having squandered his reserves and having somehow reconciled himself to the fact that to some extent he was at the mercy of the Autogoddess, the young man prepared a circle, isolated it as much as possible, and cautiously called the one who had been given to him for faithful service within very narrow limits.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:41

The Sleepwalker felt different from the couple he'd sent after Truda and Lashka, but there was no one else he could use for the present purpose. It would have been dangerous to repeat the effect on the herbalist and her daughter, only applied to Shera, because those spirits left quite noticeable long-lasting effects on their victims, behavior, and future lives. Even if it wasn't demasking, he wouldn't have used such an approach against her, preferring to lose the bet rather than doom the priestess to an unpleasant fate. Shera, after all, had shown her best side and was as morally pure a person as it was possible for a priestess of a true goddess of fertility in the fantasy world, so Stepan did not wish her harm in any form. For the same reason he did not rely on the usual charms, in which he could already be considered a master. Yes, after the joint fun in bed, he was very well attuned to her subtle body and spiritual impression, but there was still a risk that his actions and attempts to break through her defenses would somehow damage a beautiful and really kind woman. He would study this defense, practice it, and maybe afterward try to bewitch her with his own powers, but for the moment Sleepwalker would do all the work.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:44

The immensely powerful spirit guaranteed not only the inevitability of the impact but also its safety for Shera herself, which was very soothing for the boy's tingling conscience. It seemed that she had agreed to it voluntarily, and they had stipulated everything. The priestess herself also wanted to use the handsome young man in lewd and rather humiliating games, but still, there was some awkwardness. Perhaps it was because Stepan, unlike Shera, felt himself a liar, knowing that he would win the bet, no matter what. Shera also thought so to herself, but saw nothing wrong in it, which paradoxically soothed her opponent, quenched the burning of conscience and not only conscience somewhere in the region of the batt.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:46

The spirit appeared without special effects, not actually manifesting, but merely letting out a shadow of its presence, using the central totem as a support. Here, is another side benefit of this venture. Once touched by such a powerful spirit, this central totem would rise in quality all at once, becoming an even better beacon and directional signal for spirits willing to cooperate. Such a thing was not in the young man's calculations, but it was a pleasant surprise..... It was frustrating that it was, well, a surprise, because in the life of a summoner of any kind, surprises during a summoning are what often cut that life short. Well, at least Stepan's not a demonologist. Because here is demonology surprises are really deadly and great happiness is considered, if only for the demonologist, his loved ones, and random passersby within a couple of hundred meters.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:49

The communication was about the same as with those two, the Shroud of Touch and the Creator of Decisions, but even simpler. Stepan had grown stronger since then, and Sleepwalker was much better able to perceive the images and desires of the summoner. The infinitely indifferent and very ancient something listened to the shaman's appeal without any indication of its attitude to the fact that an ancient and powerful spirit of the realm of dreams and minds was being used in such an untargeted capacity. Perhaps the Sleepwalker had long ago become so enriched in his knowledge that he simply did not care, especially if the costs of the contract were paid to him by the Autogoddess or the System, or even from both sources at once. Under such conditions, why not work, right? And the fact that he's working as a procurer for a meat bag who wants to get laid, who lives in the real world, doesn't matter.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:51

The spirit listened to him, disappearing as slowly and carefully as it had appeared, gradually extinguishing its presence in the central totem, as well as in the piece of reality surrounding the clearing that had been affected by its presence. The clearing, which had been just a clearing before, would gradually turn into a point of shamanic power, if not into a man-made source of magic - in the creation of such things Stepan understood only fragmentarily and superficially - then into a point of shamanic power for sure. To the place where the worlds of Spheres and Reality converged permanently, which could be both positive and negative factors, depending on the characteristics and properties of the displacement, what spheres are closer, and how their inhabitants will perceive this proximity. All sorts of malignant crawlies can start flowing like water from a hole in a ship's plating until you plug the hole or until it dissolves. But in general, he, due to the totem system and his rituals, due to the will of the shaman that permeated this place, will easily take control of such a situation (if the breakthrough is not too serious, and not too scary creatures are coming).

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:53

Many shamans, almost all of them, create a place like this for themselves in one way or another. As long as they could afford it, and not wander the world as a tumbleweed. Of course, he didn't want to tie himself to one place, literally growing into it, even if it would give him more power in the current moment, but he didn't need to go to the extreme. Between building a fortress and living in it, shooting from stationary turrets at all sorts of trash, and chaining yourself to that fortress, or even walling up your entire body, except for your face, in a cornerstone, there is a distinct difference and a boundary that someone with his erudition (albeit systematic) cannot cross by accident. With such thoughts, Stepan decided not to miss the chance, and, as soon as the shadow of the Sleepwalker's presence left the ritual glade, he began to saturate it with his own spirit. At that moment he felt as if a semi-transparent wave of something unclear was coming from his side, and his whole body was enveloped in the halo of a spiritual body, which temporarily grew beyond the physical shell, deliberately stretched and enlarged at the will of the shaman.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 17:57

It was as if he was linking himself to each of the main totems assisted by a third hand which took the form of an almost ordinary hand, only with very long and multi-jointed fingers. Each of the totems could now be called load-bearing, analogous to walls, and he was additionally linking these totems to the terrain, to the clearing soaked with multiple calls. What he had been doing lazily and leisurely since settling in the village came to its logical conclusion in a swift dash, while the young man was using the unwilling help of the mighty elder spirit that had made the leap possible. To say that the result didn't take long would be a brazen lie, because he had to wait and drain almost all the rest of the reserve, leaving only the minimum necessary for health, so as not to suffer from exhaustion. But he still liked the result, for the shaman had to take two steps backward, falling on the frozen ground with his ass, as the system gave birth to another confirmation of his professional and class growth.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 18:05

Received: “basic methods of territorial influences”; “Basics of working with totems”; increased affinity with spiritual realms; the effectiveness of certain methods of shamanic practice has been increased; increased likelihood of acquiring knowledge and properties of the witchcraft branch.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 15:18

Recived talents are added to the Player's overall status.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 15:17

The young man, panting like a horse, only let out something that sounded like self-congratulation and then grinned contentedly as he listened to his consciousness. Both promotions, to be frank, were long overdue, especially the second one. He'd been working with totems, in one form or another, almost from his first days, starting in the forest lodge and continuing afterward. Alas, but the base of this very totemic work available in call practice and other directions was very worthy, strong, and deep. Well, or not a pity, but good, that is how to look at it. In any case, the previous actions of the young man, though related to the totem theme, but not so much stand out in a separate knowledge. It took a small labor feat and a kind of help from Sleepwalker to cross the line, beyond which the System will mark the user's successes and award another line in the status.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 14:17

By the way, this trend raises a legitimate suspicion that the higher the pumping, the more difficult it will become to get new lines of knowledge without directly investing talent points. After all, it is difficult to get a recognition of mastering “the basics of something there”, if this something is already included in one or more other knowledge, and not at the level of basics, but much higher. You will have to make a lot of effort to get what you want—oh yes, desired! Because the synergy of knowledge does not go anywhere and even for the highest shaman or master of magic to get “basic techniques of some ruthless bullshit” will be a beneficial aid - because it knowledge will affect all the other knowledge he has, supplement them and make them a little stronger, if not a little. It is one thing if a gifted person does not know at all except for the starting basic techniques, but if this knowledge has accumulated a lot, the output is co-dependent on the available data. Thus, - so it seemed to Stepan, and he saw no reason to think otherwise - the system preserved the value of increasing levels and new talent points, making each upgrade useful both for a first-level novice and for an archmage of the twentieth level and with an ego the size of a skyscraper.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 14:56

These thoughts didn't stop the guy from sinking into a trance, assimilating new packets of information, reflexes, tricks, and everything else the system's gifts had brought him. All he could do was order a pair of fire spirits sitting in one of the small totems assigned to this sphere to warm the ground and air around him. He had the improved health property, of course, and it hadn't gone anywhere, but he didn't want to get pneumonia if not pneumonia, then cold kidneys. And then, he immersed in himself completely, absorbing every bit of what he could absorb, restoring the reserve in passing. Both knowledges could be considered classic for a shaman, but still on the very edge of the classics. Not in vain, not in vain the system noted the increasing probability of getting talents of the branch of witchcraft because working with the territory - this is one of those areas that witches and other public is famous for. Not only them, shamans and druids, and most of the different branches of Wild Magic are also almost native to this method, but the key word here is “almost”. No, no, Stepan was not too eager to go into witchcraft, shamanism was much closer to him anyway, but he noted a detail for himself.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 15:00

If we talk about the practical benefits of gaining knowledge of totem topics, it simply and uncomplicatedly improved all those areas of work with totems, which Stepan was already engaged in, adding an extra list of new, more advanced tricks. The essence of the totem, its difference from the direct call or use of the house of the spirit, is that the totem, first, is able to strengthen and nourish the spirit dwelling in it in passive or active form, and, secondly, firmly tied to the place, the point of the real world, to which the totem and binds. In fact, the differences are much more, but the essence is roughly the same: totems always spend time on the “installation” after the transfer to a new place, they are often too slow, cumbersome, designed to play from defense and position, but the effects in them are laid in much larger scale than a single summoned spirit. Yes, in the totem can be settled only one spirit, no matter whether it is strong or weak, but in essence, they are most often not a house of the spirit, they are a multi-story of spirits, that simultaneously exists and actively operates a whole bunch of all sorts of entities, co-dependently supporting each other, strengthening and entering into synergy. Or, as an option, the palace of the spirit - one, but strong, which will be cramped in the usual amulet, which is much more rational to settle “comfortably”, and then still and constantly strengthen, support, nourish, in every possible way to use its connection with the totem for the common good. A strong spirit summoned by itself, or the same spirit, but defending the house of the shaman sitting in the totem developed over centuries and constantly improved - it is, as they would say on Earth, two big differences.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 18:10

There are plenty of confirmations of such practice. Suffice it to recall a gift totem with a lone solar spirit, delivered from the bounty of the system, which can be supported through that totem in a dozen ways, to strengthen or more purposeful use. Any large totems often play the role of portable, suitable for transportation without unnecessary complications altar, only a little with reduced functionality. All kinds of nomadic tribes have a particularly vivid representation of this. They cannot bind themselves to a certain place, they are constantly in motion. Totem allows to combine of the best properties of ordinary houses of spirits and a full-fledged place of power, no matter whether artificially created by calls or arisen from a natural source. Stepan's problem was that until then he'd looked at totems as more like... ordinary spirit houses, but larger in size and allowing for more flexibility. A key mistake that had caused him to lose much of the benefit of totem practice, as he now realized.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 18:13

In his defense, it would be worth saying that the available knowledge in this direction was extensive but rather fragmentary. Even though he was able to reach the necessary conclusion much faster, exclusively on his own. And the correct use of totems required a much greater investment of time and effort than Stepan had. At first, when he was still a hermit in the forest, he had time, but he lacked the power and understanding of his own gift. Afterward, when his strength had grown, he had already begun to hurry and prepare for going out into the world, putting off ideas for later. Now he, who was going to winter in the Lower Lyadччy anyway, had both knowledge and time and even the desire to practice, to try out different directions of work.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 06:02

Totem in essence can be any - combat, healing, cursing, protecting, increasing the harvest, and even bewitching. It is quite possible to create a powerful totem with healing spirits and other blessings on the same clearing for the sake of fun and development. The cattle did not get sick, the fields were full of crops, the arable land was given easily, and there were few pests, that the disease bypassed and all that. He would be able to do his own assignment, if not a diploma project, then a term paper. Still, he was warmly welcomed in this village and Stepan wanted to leave something good as a memory before he left, most likely forever. But it would be better not to inform anyone about it, or there would be questions to “just an apprentice”, who by some miracle arranged something that only a senior shaman could do, and not everyone, especially if so quickly.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 06:06

The second block of knowledge, dedicated to territorial magic, was much deeper than working with totems. First, because it revealed a branch of influences hitherto practically unknown. Exactly the same ability to strengthen any direction of work, from healing to disguise, as it was with totems, but new directions no less. For example, the ability to reliably bind spirits to terrain, exactly to the terrain, not the totem that will stand on that terrain. Or the ability to summon, create, or even assign from the available options, entities of a preserving type, as he did with the now-forgotten grove during his travels, only better and stronger. Creating long-lasting effects on the same area, both with a bound spirit to support the effects and in other ways. The technique was obvious: working with the spiritual reflection of the world, when you change it in such a way that the real world is replaced by the spiritual one - the same wild and powerful witchcraft in one of its clearest manifestations, even though it is still firmly connected with shamanism.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 18:16

There were countless variants of reinforcing the available tricks, which was why only the sagging reserve stopped Stepan from plunging into the research process. The same plan with the farewell gift to the whole settlement thanks to this knowledge from a very difficult task, became only a difficult one, demanding more time than resources or personal strength. And why stop at a single idea, if one could conduct several large-scale territorial calls of a similar type as a training? Say, swamp some piece of terrain, drain it, spur plant growth, or create a small glade of dead earth - nothing dangerous for the locals, if they decide to take a walk in the woods, but an extremely effective way of pumping up for one humble isekai. Yes, he would pay attention to this direction during the winter, there would be nothing to do anyway. Although taking into account the already existing plans, this thought was doubtful. The young man liked to be engaged in new directions of self-development. No, no kidding, it was the presence of a gift and the opportunity to study what this gift opens up that became for Stepan the outlet that really reconciled him with the new reality, as well as the lack of Internet, hot water, convenient public transportation, and human rights institutions.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 18:34

"Oh, damn it, my back is stiff!" His own hoarse voice snapped another bout of lyrical mood, bringing him back to the real world, though it wasn't really his back that hurt, it was just that the shaman took the first opportunity to become alive and breathing again, instead of aloofly observing. "I'll have to make a bench here or something, won't I? Or at least a chair, even if it was made of stone-turned earth. And a heater for this chair, without frills like a massage mode and a built-in vibrator, ugh, fuck."

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 06:08

He made it home in the late afternoon, greeting Meld with genuine sympathy as he prepared a hot herbal brew from the available herbs. The boy, who had received several lectures on pharmacy and herbalism, had memorized a dozen recipes for all occasions and seemed to think he was a bit of a magician. Judging by the way he was so eager to talk, Stepan had no choice but to listen, otherwise, the child would have burst right in front of his eyes. Well, every dog knew about the fact that the new important and very kind priestess had made friends with the no less kind and respected magician Pann now, and it would have been hard to hide it, if they had gone to his house hugging, and Shera had left that house only closer to lunch the next day. Meld was genuinely resentful of Kirik for pulling the boy's ears when he went for a stroll in the village.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 08:07

“As if I'd choose to peep at you, honorable!” Still rubbing even now the slightly swollen ears, he looked and felt to the spirits sincere in his offense. “That is, yes, I have been, well, who is not without sin, hehehe, yes for the girls who go to the river to splash water, there, it. But a magician and a priestess of the Life Giver? I'm not like that! He's not that! Why is he looking at me like that?”

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 08:09

//“Because she takes care of you, you moron, in his way!” - Stepan thought, knowing perfectly well that for his attempt to peek the guarding spirits at his dwelling, and even those he had put on full alert in honor of such an important guest, could well have struck the poor fellow with a lightning bolt on reflex. The Earthling had heard enough about the revenge of Gaia's priestesses, even though he doubted that Shera would have used such heavy artillery on the young voyeur, instead of just chasing him away and scaring him to death. But as it was, it seemed that the boy had been dragged by his ear lobes only prophylactically, because either he wasn't lying at that moment, or, which was also likely, he believed in the purity of his thoughts.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 12:57

A short lecture on herbal remedies for chronic bone pain and how to brew them properly - if you don't want to suffer side effects like stomach cramps - ended with an equally short exam, which Meld, not without Stepan's help and guidance, coped with by preparing the brew. The old boatman, who had already passed on his business to his sons who had grown up and married, two of whom had left the village to seek a better life, was suffering from severe chronic arthritis and had already gotten used to it. He also liked the daughter of his eldest son, who was also Meld's peer, and, as the boy was sure, he liked her too. mutually, so the lad was looking for a reason to butter up to the old man, who drove him away from his favorite granddaughter at every opportunity and did not shoot after him with a shotgun only because of the absence of a shotgun or at least a crossbow. Characteristically, the granddaughter's father did not mind such company for his beloved daughter, though the groom from Meld, a complete orphan with no normal household, was not an enviable one, and that was putting it mildly. The fact that three springs ago this tomboy had pulled out of the warm and treacherous summer Dantra the almost drowned by foolishness Riska, which earned a lot of credit from her family. Only the old patriarch still grumbles and threatens to stick a pitchfork in Meld's ass if he ever sees him again closer than seven versts from his granddaughter.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 14:15

The sun was slowly setting. Meld had long ago left to suck up to the old boatman. The reserve of magical powers was a little replenished and Stepan, before going to bed, decided to look at the work of the Sleepwalker, so to speak, almost with his own eyes. One of the spirits, weak and practically useless in battle, was, firstly, really imperceptible for magic vision, being able to pass through primitive protection, and, secondly, it transmitted images qualitatively, allowing the shaman's eyes to look through itself. Not the shaman to look through the spirit's eyes, but the other way around - and the better the shaman could look, the more effective was his symbiosis with the spirit. Well, up to a certain limit, beyond which it would be easier and better for a strong shaman to look through himself.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 12:59

Shera ran all day through the village huts. looked at the filling of barns and stables, cured a couple of ailments in people and livestock, and some for free. Since Stepan did not offer his services and spent most of the day in the forest, he was not disturbed by such trifles, no other way than by Kirik's request and order, who remembered Pann's caveat about his love of solitude. She had a very useful prayer, which allowed her to find out the truth - at once one could see clearly whether he really had nothing to pay, or whether he was just being pretentious, or whether he really had a serious illness, or whether he wanted a free examination by a healer, or whether he was seriously going to pay off his debt by donating to the temple, as he was going to sell out at the market, or whether he just decided to lie? Unwillingly envy was breaking through because the young man did not have such a good lie detector. Okay, he has. There were, but on one-time contracts, and on permanent service he could not invite and get cool enough spirits, there were always more important things to do.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 13:11

Back to Shera. The priestess entered the hut, from which Kirik's distant relatives had been displaced for the time of her visit, already at night, having had a good drink. Kirik, clearly embarrassed by the lack of cash to pay for the cured illness of the best cow in the village, did his best to offer her some wine from his old stock. To be fair, a clay bottle of the same drink was also in the dinner Meld had brought, so he didn't offend the “honorable magician” either. The priestess didn't get drunk, not even particularly tipsy, but she fell asleep almost instantly, having only changed into her nightgown, washed her face, and said her bedtime prayers. While she was praying, Stepan ordered the spirit to leave the observation point and go up higher.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 13:13

Shera didn't enchant the walls of the hut against peeping, though she didn't go to bed carelessly, having covered the bed and the room with some kind of protective-signaling veil. Fortunately, her spirit could travel from below, first diving into the dimension of the spheres and then emerging inside the perimeter. The sleeping woman looked lovely, even erotic, for she slept on her back, and her shirt was thin and seemingly a little too big for her, which made it slip down a little. At the moment when she had fallen into the world of dreams, in that very world she was caught up by the mighty Sleepwalker sent by Stepan's will and the contract of the Autogoddess. At that moment, the shaman was looking at the victim with all his available strength, seeming to be preparing to exhaust himself or to drain the already not particularly full reserve, literally draining and adding his intensity and the same characteristic of the spirit-transmitter. And all this, all this effort, the precise knowledge of the moment of the spirit's attack, the knowledge of where and what to look at, what to expect, was still enough, enough to notice.... nothing.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 13:17

Even at the maximum level of attention, nothing suspicious could be seen, even when looking at it point-blank, even knowing exactly what was suspicious was happening right now, right this second. Yes, judging by the aura and the reflection of the priestess in the spiritual world, she is asleep and dreaming. Yes, it's a very vivid dream, but not too vivid, many people in the village have much more vivid and clear dreams right at this moment. Yes, the spiritual world in the hut occupied by Shera is a little more active and intense, a little shaky, but that's why she is gifted, even if she is a priestess. Her power, her gift, and the presence of her Goddess influence the surrounding reality, and reality on its reflection in the spheres. He didn't see anything unusual or out of the ordinary, even though he knew exactly what he was supposed to see.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 13:19

The system reference, of course, revealed quite a decent description of the Sleepwalker, so Stepan knew and understood with his mind that he would not be able to notice the influence of the spirit, but still hoped to show his coolness. But no, alas, to notice his spirit on the contract he can only on the condition that the entire room and hut Shera enclose tracking totems, appropriate the surrounding territory, create a full-fledged large totem with a team of highly specialized spirits, and much more to do. According to his estimates, he'll be done by the end of winter, if he doesn't get much stronger in the process. Doubly futile efforts also because the spirit, according to the same system reference, will not come in places where he is so actively waiting. And to notice this ancient chthonic inhabitant of the spheres, moonlighting as a witch doctor at leisure, so that he did not notice the observation ... Stepan couldn't even speculate here, he lacked the qualifications and understanding of the laws by which the world of high spheres worked.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 14:10

When he saw the priestess frowning in her sleep turn over on her other side, he withdrew from contact with the spirit, closed his eyes, and began to meditate, at least for a couple of hours, filling up his reserve. And only when the sucking emptiness of impending exhaustion stopped bothering him did the young man close his eyes. It wasn't Shera's tits he was dreaming about, as one might expect, but a giant sheep in a Superman costume floating in the clouds, resentful of humanity and burning him with lasers from its eyes. If this was some kind of omen or great prophecy, it remained incomprehensible to Stepan.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 14:07

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Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 18:06

When she agreed on the terms of the dispute, Shera promised to drop by Pann in the morning, just to have a few words with him and convincingly prove that he had no time to do anything to her. Primitive (and not only) bewitchments often required close contact between the victim and the recipient, so she was playing into his hands here, giving him a head start, you might say. However, as the Earthman suspected, she was doing it only to make fun of her lover, who was in a hurry and unable to penetrate her armor of divine protection, and who, in fact, could give her a huge head start in this bet even without the use of unbeatable arguments in the form of gift contracts. In any case, Shera had dropped by voluntarily that morning, bringing breakfast with her at the same time, apparently steering Meld away to his, Meld's, happiness. The woman was cheerful, satisfied with life, and blooming, not otherwise, having had a good night's sleep.

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 08:05

“You're calling now, I suppose, and trying to find a stronger spirit, aren't you?” The sly smile on her face was a little predatory as she tried to anticipate the next steps of a weak healer faced with an impossible task. “I don't understand your craft very well, they didn't talk much about shamans in the temple, so you correct me if I'm wrong. By the way, you're not going to do magic by the river, are you? I'm praying for a mild winter there tomorrow at the boat dock. The southernmost inch of the village land is the best place for this prayer, so that the cold northern winds don't disturb, but the warm southern winds ennoble Her will. If you're planning something, set aside at least a week so we don't disturb each other. Just by the river, not at all, of course, all right, Pann?”

Camrad_RIP 25.05.24 в 08:03

In response to her provocative remarks and attempts to throw him off balance, or even to make him hurry, the young man made an irritated face, but in reality, he suppressed a light and patronizing smile. She was just in time to tell him about the ritual: he would have a place to call without Dantra, but he had some plans for the river and its banks, and they could be postponed without any problems on his part. Stepan was going to go upstream, to a wild bank, where people did not often go to summon one rather specific and rare river spirit, which without precise instructions and a recipe for offerings would be a hell of a lot to find. The matter is important but bearable, the main thing is to get there before the ice takes the river completely, which is already quite close. Every now and then frost appears in the morning, but snow is not coming yet, and the river, though blackened with water, is not in a hurry to get into the fetters of ice. Shera was just in time because the spirit planned to be summoned could react aggressively to the power of the deity too close to the place of the kamlana. If he hadn't dragged it into the water, it would have splashed all of them, and the water was very cold nowadays.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 18:19

"It's not a problem, I'll do the call these days in the forest." Shrugging, the shaman agreed, receiving a grateful and chaste kiss on the cheek, and then continued, carefully choosing words to avoid outright lies. "And our bet will not go anywhere. Yes, I won't hide it, and it's silly with you and your erudition, Shera: a weak healer, who has been learning to summon healing entities all his life, the spirits of feelings and passions will be reluctant to listen. In such cases, it would be smarter to spend more time preparing the call and strike for sure, so that there would be at least some chances. This will be smarter than many weak and worthless attempts."

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 19:45

Judging by her reaction, the priestess didn't suspect anything, though she didn't seem to keep her lie detector constantly active. She was obviously glad that the river had been ceded without any arguments, but not too much, because the villagers had told her that the shaman only went to the forest to call, almost every day, and only came near the river a couple of times, for a short time. Their pleasant conversation and a short lecture about what religious rituals of Gaia's service were connected with rivers and water, which were ordered by typical villagers. Shera wasn't lying about the fact that even underwater mermaids offered prayers to her goddess, but as a land dweller, she didn't know much about the subject. Nevertheless, she knew more about the subject than a simple priestess from somewhere where neither the Dantra nor the Mlatra carried its waters - river and river-related prayers were understandably popular in that region.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 19:48

“Well, thanks for the company, you and Kirik for not skimping on the bread and feast.” Wiping her hands and face of the remnants of fresh pie, the woman got ready to go about her business. “I'll see you later, dear, but I won't wish you luck in your endeavor.”

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 13:43

“I can't figure out how I'm not going to lose this bet, dear Shera, so I won't ask the spirits for your luck either.” He replied, scrutinizing the priestess's face as she said the key phrase that had been inspired to her by a powerful spirit. He answered, scrutinizing the face of the priestess, who at the moment of uttering the key phrase, inspired to her through dreams by a powerful spirit, slightly squinted her eyes, for a moment becoming as if somewhat sleepy. “Well, good luck with your prayer, we'll meet again.”

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 13:46

The priestess didn't show any sign of being unwell, except for a brief moment of drowsiness, but nodded looking at the young man thoughtfully as she rose from the table. Unhurriedly, and clearly showing off, she headed for the door, but instead of stepping through it, she closed the deadbolt, resting her hands on the barrier, bending at the waist, and jutting out her buttocks. With an enticing left-right movement of her ass, Shera half-turned around, looking at the young man still sitting at the table with a conspiratorial and teary gaze.

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 13:48

“Well, Pann, don't pull the donkey by the nostrils, or shall I give you another hint? Come on, hurry up and stick it in, my dear, I've got things to do.” And, slightly squinting her eyes, she threatened sternly. “Or I'll help myself with my fingers right here in front of your eyes, and you sit there like a fool with a bone in your pants. Come on, come on, move quickly, pull up the dress, and go, go, go!”

Camrad_RIP 23.05.24 в 13:51

The Sleepwalker does not put in any scripts or special wishes, although he can, but the contract does not stipulate it in any way. So now Shera behaves as her consciousness and subconsciousness tell her to, only trying to have sex with a familiar shaman, and if he suddenly refuses, to masturbate herself, as long as it is in front of his eyes. In such a state she has no questions about the reasons for her desires and why they suddenly appeared, but her consciousness does not fade, and therefore she remembers her usual plans, affairs, and schemes, which is why she hurries and orders him to hurry. Biting her lip, flaming with excitement, she stares at him eagerly, almost hurrying him with enticing movements of her buttocks.

Camrad_RIP 20.05.24 в 19:52