Настучать в бубен / Hit the tambourine: Глава 4.3

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Camrad_RIP 27.07.26 в 19:52

The shaman woke up with a slight buzz in his head, but overall, he felt quite energetic. Only vague images remained of the strange dreams in his mind—the same images that his dreamcatchers had captured. To be honest, he’s been increasingly tempted to buy some truly powerful relic related to dreams and sleep magic, just so he can properly capture those fleeting visions. But where else could he get the system currency for that—or where could he obtain such an item on his own, without the system’s help?

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 06:14

A copper wind-up swan, as if from some kind of clockpunk, and a handkerchief—a woman’s silk one, made of very expensive fabric—which he presented as a gift to a certain very strong spirit. There was also a general sensation of intense heat, as if he had walked into a heated sauna fully clothed, though no visual image accompanied this sensation. With some caution and obvious delight, he tumbled off the bed, washing the sweat from his body first with magic and then with several dozen liters of warm water materialized into reality.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:26

While setting up his refuge and expanding it to cover two cities, Stepan still made sure to provide even the most basic living conditions. And while the classic outhouse in the far recesses of the cave was genuinely necessary—especially in such situations—he built the solid-stone bath as the foundation for some very specific ritual circles. A bath, a cauldron, a cage, and whatever else one might want—multifunctionality, you see. After thoroughly soaking and cleansing his body of the potions he’d taken, Stepan felt hungry. But instead of heading over to Dantmark and bothering Sylvia’s cooks again, he looked at the communication amulet hanging from a special hook.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:28

It’s a good amulet. He bought the base from the system himself, and then performed a ritual on it, dividing the single spirit among several vessels. Or rather, he arranged it so that in the real world the vessels would be different, but in the higher realms they would share a single reflection—the one in which the spirit resided. Now, a fleeting touch with his spiritual body and aura revealed a message that had been hanging there for nine hours, accompanied by a set of images. The Earthling’s sensitivity was more than enough to discern the aural-spiritual imprint of the colleague who had sent this message, even though that imprint was in many ways similar to that of her daughter. Similar, yet still too different—both spiritually, emotionally, and personally—such nuances were very clearly distinguishable to him.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:30

Judging by the time that had passed, Maega had recovered from the system’s gifts that had overwhelmed her nearly half a day earlier. Or perhaps her gifts were simply easier to assimilate. Maybe just minor knowledge, meta-skills, property tags… or tokens. He saw as many as two of them in her status—which was unusual in itself, since he hadn’t been able to see tokens before, or, more logically, hadn’t been able to see auto-divine tokens, not just any tokens at all—as he briefly scanned through the group leader’s interface. Stepan already possessed the “standard charging update for a shaman’s contract book” for ten charges, as well as the five-charge “invisible presence.” A very interesting token, and a cunning one too—though not in an Automilf-like way—allowing one to become invisible and eavesdrop on others’ conversations unnoticed, as if one weren’t even there.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:35

Or rather, no one will simply pay any attention to the person using it. As if he were a piece of furniture. But only if he remains completely still and arrives there in advance. And specifically, he must arrive—not sneak in. Roughly speaking, a person will be able to overhear everything said by those who would have let him into that office where the conversation was taking place anyway. Let’s say a random city dweller or, say, a poor kid named Stae, who’s suffered a magical-aural equivalent of anaphylactic shock, wouldn’t be allowed into Duke August’s private conference room. But Maega or Urvag—they’d definitely be let in!

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:37

All in all, not bad tokens... but the ones that really get to Stepan—the ones that don’t show up in his interface—are far more powerful. People said all sorts of things about him, sometimes deservedly so, but he knew how to learn from his mistakes, and he wasn’t exactly an idiot either. And he also remembered Singha’s words about how she didn’t want to test the nobility and gratitude of her beloved mother. Just as he remembered her feet on his face, he remembered the utter helplessness that washed over him afterward—a helplessness that not even an incarnate deity could resist. In short, he suddenly realized that he was in for a very difficult conversation with Maega—now that she’d learned about the concept of tokens or, God forbid, received something from Great Milf.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:41

He’ll have this conversation after he’s already removed the senior shaman from the system group. First, it’ll put his mind at ease. He still needs to explain the situation with the tokens—and he’ll have to do so together with Singha, whom he barely trusted but still trusted enough to let her have them. Second, if he does grant her access to the system—simply “for free,” to save Ullis, rather than as payment for her services—she might even attack him. Simply because she wouldn’t believe in such generosity and good nature. At least, that’s what Singha had said when she discussed the upcoming negotiations with her relatives with him. And how he now regrets not having cut her off immediately after the ritual ended—but he was too tired and didn’t think of it!

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:45

One thing he certainly won’t do is give the wind-charm a chance to betray him. Later, perhaps, she’ll feel ashamed, but that’s hardly likely to make things any easier for Stepan. The realization that he did nothing of the sort and had no such plans won’t change the presence of Mark of Destiny, nor the simple impossibility of turning back. Having betrayed him from the start, Maega simply won’t dare admit it. She’s too pragmatic and too seasoned by magical and political life, unlike Singha, who still retains a slight veneer of decency.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:48

So he’ll go to the meeting after Maega leaves the group. Come to think of it, she hasn’t come out empty-handed—even if we set aside the matter of saving Ullis—the rewards and knowledge she earned for the deed she was also credited with will remain with her. Without access to the system, she’ll lose only her meta-skills—nothing more. All the other gifts of the Soul Tablet are hers forever, even if Stepan gets yanked back to Earth tomorrow to wrap up his coursework.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:49

Personally to Rodislav Gastoldovich Yanin.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 04:51

Shuddering at this thought—truly terrifying in its chthonic nature—he banished the primal fear that was creeping into the very depths of his soul by finally touching the connecting amulet with his spiritual body. The expected images from Urvag, which had arrived earlier, reported that the situation was under control and no longer quite critical. Ullis came to his senses and was once again plunged into a medically induced coma, while the de Lomer family, with the full weight of their noble House, is now determining who is to blame and what to do with the relatives and assets of the traitor. Urwag clearly wanted blood and intended not to kill but to milk the situation dry, while Furval, as the competent head of the entire House—not just the Morgrave branch—played the role of the good cop, at the same time hinting to everyone that retribution would come anyway.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 10:54

And it depends only on their compliance what kind it is.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 10:55

There was only one message from Maega, the last one, and far more precise: as a gifted being and a shaman at that, she was far more flexible and comfortable using this type of amulet. The message itself, however, was brief and extremely laconic—two phrases and one visual image, with the image leading the way and the phrases concealed behind it. Stepan could easily read such a structure in free order, but reflexively accepted the image first, since Maega had gone to such lengths to send it first.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:51

“Ass...” was all he said with some surprise, feeling the blood rushing to his groin.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:24

It really was an ass—or a butt, or a rear end, or a backside, or a whole bunch of other epithets—as seen from the perspective of the observing spirit that was watching and perceiving Maega. The shamaness demonstrated her superb physical condition by bending at the waist without bending her knees. Her colorful robe—a dress in shades of scarlet, blue, and black with golden highlights—was pushed to one side, and she wasn’t wearing any underwear at all, so the view of her buttocks, her completely exposed pussy with its well-groomed triangle, and the neat little ring of her anus was nothing short of exemplary and perfect. She also brought her hands behind her back, bringing them together along her gorgeous long legs, as if forming a “heart” in this way.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 10:56

The spectacle was a thirty out of ten. My envy of Urvag boosted the rating at least threefold! The brief phrase that followed the visual image was taken almost in passing: //“Look at my mesmerizing, mind-numbing behind and forget that you can deny me access to the Tablet of the Soul without my consent.” Right after that came a second phrase, a very short one: “We need to talk.” As if he didn’t understand that, as if even without those words he didn’t dread this conversation more than a sociophobe at a store checkout.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 11:00

The orgasm hits him fast. Shamefully fast, even. He barely has time to pull down his pants and, with a couple of jerky movements, spill his seed right onto the floor. Standing up. Without even squatting down for comfort. His knees buckled immediately, and the spirits helped him keep from falling by simply catching the shaman’s buttocks—which had just ejaculated onto the image, mesmerized by ecstasy—while he forgot about something unimportant, breathing heavily and smiling foolishly. Who would have known that Maega would decide to send him such an image—whether as a gift, by mistake, or with some kind of hint? It was unlikely she’d invite him to a threesome, and Stepan himself had no desire to meddle in the sincere and mutual feelings of two people in love.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 11:01

His smile faded immediately when he started thinking things through. He needed to talk to him, yes. But he didn’t want to go into that conversation. The risk was too high. He really didn’t want to put someone else’s gratitude and nobility to the test. Yes, he wanted to believe in people—and non-people—but this world had been diligently teaching Stepan not to trust just anyone, except for brainwashed individuals like Sylvia. If it weren’t for Singha and her actions, he would surely have become a full-blown sociopath long ago.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 11:05

Of all the people he knew personally, the only one he was truly willing to entrust with the tokens was a younger, feisty steppe mare; and, with somewhat less confidence, Yulia—and perhaps Tahira as well. Having thoroughly read the latter’s mind and memories, he could judge with reasonable certainty how she would act in any given situation. Having gained such power over him, this brazen, feisty, bitchy, yet noble-in-her-own-way girl might even show her better side. No, he was almost certain that she would definitely sit on his face, just to “get even” for how he’d defeated her in the art of love—and to get even for her fake boobs, too. But would she actually submit and betray him? No, she wouldn’t do that—not to someone who’d done her a favor.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 22:35

Well, that was his opinion, which he didn’t want to test.

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:24

And he couldn’t test it. The river smuggler turned out to be the only one who had turned down the chance to become a super-powerful bearer of the Tablet of the Soul. Which only added to the pathos of the whole situation. He would have liked—really, really liked—to have someone like that by his side, and not just because of her boobs or memory of the nights they’d once spent together in that village hut. But he couldn’t very well force her, could he? That could have ended very badly indeed.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 22:38

What’s happening now could also end badly. Maega was definitely not—at least not right now—the kind of person he would trust with the auto-divine tokens. Perhaps her mental and emotional personality matrix has changed after what she’s been through, but is it worth risking his freedom on that? Thanks, but he’s already licked the feet of those passionate steppe girls enough. He doesn’t need any more, and he has no desire to repeat the experience.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 22:43

Logically, he has exactly one course of action right now. He simply needs to use—if not the vulgar tokens, then the plans he’s prepared to undermine their oath—the token for rolling back meta-skills and the meta-skill to slow down time, in order to prepare. And then, using the Mark of Fate on both mares, he’ll get inside Maega’s head and make her either consciously choose to leave the group or undergo something like a very mild form of brainwashing, similar to what happened to Sylvia. So that the very thought of using the token physically couldn’t even occur to her. No oaths or contracts to protect him will work: the tokens simply aren’t perceived by them at all, no matter how you twist those contracts. This is exactly what Stepan should do, logically speaking—he should, but he can’t bring himself to decide.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 05:15

Even if he removes that influence the very moment Maega loses access to the system, trust won’t just be undermined—it’ll be completely destroyed! And without a Token or a Mark, it won’t work—a quick sensor scan of de Lomer’s estate showed that the defenses there were cranked up to full power. It’s totally understandable why, since after an attempt like that, not cranking up all available defenses to full power would be downright stupid. But the Earthling still notices other details. These defenses have also been reconfigured specifically to counter him. Not exactly perfect, but it’s still clear that he’s no longer viewed there as the ideal ally he once was.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 05:20

It's a shame, especially since he put himself on the line just for that little kid.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 05:20

Before, the protection felt different—like something hovering over him, but not yet activated, as long as he himself remained a welcome guest. Now the estate’s defenses—all those spirits, magical fields, and enchanted distortions in the subtle realms—have turned into open palms serving as talismans, protecting those inside. Protecting them from him, Stepan. Without consciously using the “Mark of Destiny”—the ones that grant absurd success in any attempt to brainwash the mother and daughter—such a defense cannot be breached by force, no matter what, not at all. And to activate the Mark, one would have to do more than just influence them; one would have to actually brainwash them, and with a vulgar, auto-milf-like undertone at that.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:22

Basically, the alliance is screwed as soon as he decides to end his influence on Maega.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:24

And he's screwed if he decides to keep that influence, because he'll be disgusted to look in the mirror.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:25

And what?

Camrad_RIP 28.07.26 в 12:25

Run?

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:25

Just don't show up for the meeting; send a letter saying, “I don’t trust you anymore, esteemed Maega—go fuck yourself”? And while you’re at it, switch to the formal “you” and show some respect! All to influence her, force her to cut ties with the group, and then walk away with your head held high? Like, “I saved your son and in doing so buried a potential alliance”? Yeah, right—they’ll totally buy that, especially after they learned about the token system and realized that the alliance contract only protected Stepan, not them. They’ll believe it with all their hearts, the whole family, especially Maega!

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:28

For about half an hour, he wanders in circles through the cave, at times almost deciding to flee, at others already preparing the necessary spirits to attack the shaman’s mind, but he hesitates. And then he recalls Maega’s face, contorted by anguish, grief, despair, and mad hope—her willingness to do anything just to avoid the inevitable, and her infinitely powerful plea to do something, anything at all. He remembers Singha, who had refrained from betraying him; the scent and taste of mint on his lips; her face, flushed crimson with embarrassment and slightly askew; and the braids that had brushed against Stepan’s face. He remembers, sighs heavily, and raises his eyes to the heavens, invisible behind the stone embrace of such a cozy and safe refuge.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:29

"Holy System, what an idiot I am!" And there’s no way to even argue against this idiocy.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:27

A moment later, a brief message—“I’ll be there in ten minutes”—is sent via the same amulet, and in response comes an equally brief image of the conference room in the right wing, calm and stripped of any emotional undertones. Yet within it, one can still sense the shadow of a shadow of fear—carefully concealed—as well as satisfaction and determination, just as carefully hidden. Hidden from someone who is not him, who does not possess his set of knowledge and traits tied to mind control. The fact that Maega is now afraid of him makes it particularly repulsive. In a different situation, everything would be different; he would have handled it, revealing his secrets little by little, convincing her of his reliability and fostering hers, and managing to achieve mutual trust.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 11:30

In a different situation, alas.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:36

\\“No, that's not right; none of it is right”...—A single thought keeps racing through his head.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:37

The entrance to the right room opens almost instinctively. He’s had to pop in here more than once—sometimes to discuss plans, sometimes just to take a break from playing the role of a lackey in love with Singha and relax a little. He steps into the passageway with only minimal protection, the same as always: hold out for the first second, and then the evacuation squad of spirits will snatch him away even from a stranger’s house, from walls that aren’t bound or enchanted by him. He didn’t put on a mask or a combat set of amulets; he didn’t even try to snag a mannequin of himself and show up in it. First of all, he wouldn’t be able to do it unnoticed. Secondly, he’d already made up his mind and wasn’t about to change it at the last minute.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:39

Still, Singha is the daughter of Maega, the daughter of Maedra, the daughter of Siddkhana—and she inherited both the good and the bad from her mother.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:40

Surely a mother must still have at least a shred of that faith in people that her daughter hasn't yet lost?

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:40

Maega was the only one waiting for him in the room—no one else—but they couldn’t get a conversation started, though it wasn’t Stepan’s fault. Maega was simply waiting for him, still wearing the same robe, but now it was wide open and slung down to her waist. The empty sleeves brushed the floor as Maega sat in the armchair, tense as a string. She sat bare to the waist, exposing her very large breasts—which seemed to have grown by a size and a half in volume—her plump melons that weighed heavily on Stepan’s mind. The shaman’s eyes were glued to her nipples—small, neat, dark pink, verging on brown, and much darker than her daughter’s.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:44

They were shamans. Due to the nature of their call practices, they had seen each other naked on more than one occasion, but there was nothing erotic about it. Or perhaps Stepan, through sound self-control, had managed to keep himself from even entertaining such thoughts. Be that as it may, they weren’t performing a call right now. Right now, Maega was simply letting him look at her breasts, at her ++pressing melons, which made his groin feel incredibly hot and tight again, and his gaze was simply glued to her nipples. Stepan realized that he simply couldn’t look away—not at all; at most, he could blink, and even then only briefly. He just froze there, not knowing what to do next, until she moved those full breasts away from him. Until that strange, helpless weight in his groin subsided.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:46

“You’re going to answer now, aren’t you?” Maega asks tensely, very tensely, but he can’t see her face or the sweat beading on her forehead; he can only see her nipples—dark pink, taut from the cool air of the conference room and the adrenaline surging through her blood—so neat and beautiful. “To my questions? To all of them?”

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:47

Somewhere nearby, yet infinitely far away, her spirits stood at the ready—not to attack, but to defend, to carry her away from the attack, to pull Maega out of harm’s way. A part of him noted that she hadn’t broken her vows and hadn’t struck first—and it wasn’t even certain she could have. Their pact, sealed by the highest spirit, was simply too strong.

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:48

"Yeah, I'd be happy to," he answered without even thinking. "You can interrogate me with ++squashed melons."

Camrad_RIP 04.08.26 в 13:49

"Then sit down." Her nipples moved slightly, as if she were pointing to the chair directly across from her. "I'll ask. You talk."

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 22:45

And he sat down, and she asked.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 22:45

And he began to answer.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 22:45

Because he couldn’t stay silent, because he couldn’t think about what to say while he was staring at the nipples of her breasts, her ++oppressive melons, which weighed so heavily on his mind that they squeezed out the whole truth. Without any attempt at deception or concealment, as complete and as clear as possible in both spirit and letter. Maega’s ++overwhelming melons, which seemed to eclipse the entire world, pressed down on him, and he swooned with pleasure under their imagined weight.

Camrad_RIP 02.08.26 в 22:46