The camp was gradually waking up. Sitting in my chair, I held out my hand, allowing Eirin to suck blood from my palm little by little. It was even amusing—the phoenix wouldn't let her drink much, and despite her best efforts, barely more than a drop of blood trickled out. It was both amusing and highly erotic—Eirin, like a cat chasing valerian, sat on my lap, clinging to my hand with considerable force, sinking her snow-white fangs into my wrist. At times, she became so carried away that she literally began gnawing at my bones, clenching her jaws. Despite the rather large wound, I felt no pain, for many reasons: from the powerful narcotic in the higher vampire's saliva to the elemental's efforts and my spells. I noticed that after merging with the phoenix, I had greatly increased my strength. Yes, yes. Without building up my muscles with the Life Force or any other magical technique, I was able to easily physically restrain the overly enthusiastic vampire.
Generally, greater vampires differ from ordinary vampires as much as an athar differs from an ordinary atretas priest. They possess far greater strength, speed, and, to boot, awakened magic. Indeed, greater vampires are something special among the zoo of all Force-based creatures. Compared to ordinary liches, they have almost identical control over the Death Force, but at the next levels, there are profound differences. A lich cannot experience carnal feelings, nor can they have children born after physical death. A vampire, however, can. True, liches lack bloodlust, but this advantage pales in comparison to their virtual lack of desire for sex. Furthermore, a lich, frankly, has a slight, if not "reeky," smell of decay. This odor will never disappear, even upon reaching the legendary fourth stage of lich development—the demilich. However, the embodiment of the Death Force doesn't care about this detail.
A vampire, one might say, even smells pleasant, and with age, gains the ability to manipulate the moods of others with pheromones. However, in terms of magical power, all forms of vampire development are significantly inferior to liches. This is because, as their rank increases, they begin to expend significantly less mana on Death Force spells than a typical necromancer. This percentage is approximately a quarter for each rank.
A Demilich practically doesn't spend a single erg of mana on spells based on its native Power. This means it doesn't need all those crutches like gestures, words, stars, or rituals... Fantastic power. With a single effort of will, it can create Dead Giants, Death Knights, vampires, summon souls, entities, and immediately throw them all into battle... Endlessly... Yes, liches are physically weak and would easily be defeated even by a human in hand-to-hand combat, but in a real fight, it's practically impossible to defeat a lich using physical strength alone.
The Death adepts' ladder of development consists of roughly five rungs. The first is the necromancer—a living individual who comprehends the secrets of the Death Force spells. The second is the lich. When a necromancer dies or realizes they've reached their limit, they are reborn as a lich. In the first case, the lich either gains knowledge to halt the decay of their body, or else they die completely or go mad. In the second case, there's no time limit—liches are essentially immortal. The third rung is the archlich. They spend half their mana on spells; highly complex ath systems no longer require rituals. The fourth rung is the ashetlich. In the entire history of Heiresh, there have only been a couple of ashetliches. One of them still exists. No one knows his name, not even he himself. He is the ruler of the White Kingdom. I think he was long mocking the beings of the Light Forces, naming it that. This kingdom is called White for a reason. His capital, Heth, is built on a massive burial ground, and the land around it is strewn with countless bones. Where did they come from? Heth has been buying corpses since its inception. Just corpses. For one gold piece apiece. Yes, aristocrats would never sell the bodies of their ancestors, but even in neighboring kingdoms, it's considered normal for peasants to take the body of a relative to the White Kingdom. For the same reason, none of his neighbors would even think of attacking him. The chronicles record that about five thousand years ago, there was one attempt. The first and last. Ten thousand human mages and soldiers entered the lands of the White Kingdom. Not a single one returned. After the peace was concluded, Ashetlic, when asked what had happened to the army, replied something along the lines of their bones bleaching in the sun not far from Heth. In the last millennium, the White Kingdom slightly opened its doors to merchants, and they were surprised to discover that many ordinary people lived there. Only there were no taxes. Almost. There are only two taxes: blood (for vampires) and the bodies of the dead. Because of this, the White Kingdom has recently been experiencing all the joys of an economic boom.
Very little is known about the Demilichs - only magical indicators, retold by demons of the Infernal Universe and entities from other planes.
Vampires have only three stages of development: vampire, higher vampire, and Scarlet Prince. What makes vampires special is the purpose for which they were created: detecting and killing mages, sabotage, terrorist attacks, security, and counter-sabotage. With each stage, all key attributes increase—speed, strength, reflexes, survivability, and even intelligence. A normal vampire can be killed by a human—they are weak, tormented by a constant thirst for blood, and have numerous vulnerabilities, including complete blindness to bright light. They possess little intelligence; they are practically animals, capable only of killing. After killing enough mages and draining their gift and mana, vampires are reborn, advancing to the next stage, becoming higher vampires.
Here, everything is different. A Higher can be chopped into pieces—it will regenerate. A Higher won't die of thirst—it will only lose its mind until it quenches its thirst. Great strength—it can bend and break ordinary steel swords with its bare hands, like putty. Great speed. Magic—a Higher vampire can withstand even a short fight with an Atretas high priestess, but not defeat her. A Higher can only be killed by completely destroying its body, for example, by burning it. Resistance to light. Sometimes, remembering Bram Stoker, I think Dracula came very close to becoming a Higher, but simply didn't know what to do next.
The last known rank is the Prince or Princess. Eight of these creatures currently exist on Heiresh. They are said to be impossible to kill. The last time, five thousand soldiers and a hundred mages were arrayed against a single Prince. The mages all perished. He killed half of the soldiers and mercifully let the rest go. One of the Light Eldar Houses also had a dispute with another Prince. Both sides, after losing half their supporters, concluded a cautious peace. Only the Princes know their full capabilities, but they are in no hurry to share their secrets with the rest of the world. And guessing is a thankless task. Rumor has it that they can turn into mist. Anyone who enters it instantly desiccates into a mummy. They are said to have an affinity for Order and Chaos. They are said to have wings...
Something had gotten to me—the vampire's saliva was working incredibly well. And what a pleasant heaviness was going on throughout my body... I could have slept forever. Stop! I opened my eyes and cried out:
- Enough! Enough! Eirin, come to your senses!
No effect. I pressed her jaw muscles with my right hand and began to press with all my might. In response, Eirin only growled softly and bit my hand even harder. Her stern gaze was like that of a war dog whose favorite bone is being taken away. Two Golden Athar peered into my room. I gave the "All is well" sign with my right hand. Despite this, the priestesses continued to watch. Smiling, I said to the vampire:
- Well, you wanted it yourself.
Looking into the gift, I was surprised to find it more than half empty. Just in time, I caught myself. Splashing mana into the teras and activating my magical vision, I saw her aura and was stunned: the vampire's teras had pierced my gift, pumping mana directly like hoses. If my recovery rate hadn't been so high, I would have already passed out. Phoenix! Stop it! The elemental grunted cheerfully, and the next moment, the vampire's energy channels burst, throwing her away from me. "Everything was under control. At worst, we could have killed her instantly." A chunk of my flesh remained in her... mouth, there's no other way to put it, which she swallowed without chewing like a crocodile and growled deeply again. I sighed, looking at my gnawed hand, and wrapped my teras around the vampire, immobilizing her. Then I cast a full set of restorative spells on myself. The skin immediately tightened, closing the wound. I tried to move my fingers, but they barely twitched, and a flash of pain shot through my arm. I glanced at Eirin, hanging above the floor in a mummy pose. From her shifting eyes, I could tell she'd regained consciousness. Releasing her, I watched with interest as she twisted in midair and rose to her feet.
- Are you awake?
"Yes, my lord," she fell to her knees. "Forgive me, but your blood is unlike anything else." She trembled and added breathlessly, "It is pure power... The blood of the Atretas and the Light Eldar is like piss and wine compared to yours..."
I chuckled.
"Don't worry, I've already forgiven you." I approached her and placed my right hand on her hair. "If you behave well, I'll give you more. Now bring me some food and wake up my personal guard."
- Yes, lord.
She rose from her knees, and for a moment I saw her eyes. What was there astonished me: usually bright red, they now glowed crimson, and within them, blinding white sparks danced.
- Wait!
Eirin turned around questioningly. I stood close, staring into her eyes. Phoenix was stunned into silence. The spectacle of dancing energy was mesmerizing.
– Is everything okay? Do you feel anything unusual?
The vampire shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head to the side, obviously listening to herself, and said hesitantly:
"Well, other than the fact that I'm full of energy, it seems like nothing, lord. Why?"
- Look at your reflection.
Eirin touched the plain ring on her pinky with her thumb, and a small mirror, slightly larger than her palm, appeared in her hand. Looking into it, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
- Well?
- A-a-a-a-a-a... I don't know. I feel fine...
"I haven't read about that. Call Aerisnitari too. Maybe she knows. Go."
When the vampiress left, I began massaging my gnawed left hand with my right hand, regaining control of my fingers. A golden-haired priest appeared in the doorway, carrying a tray of deliciously steaming food. In response to the silent question, the atar said:
"We've discovered a virtually intact food supply. And no, sir, it's not sentient meat."
- Well, that's great.
For cutlery, I had to use a set of multifunctional torture devices, including a thin steel knitting needle and a fork that was almost ordinary, but very sharp. I hadn't yet been taught torture, so I didn't know what these objects were used for, and I didn't want to ask for fear of ruining my appetite. I enjoyed the meat with strange plants that looked like seaweed. For dessert, there was bhatell again. But I really liked this strange fruit, and most importantly, I never got tired of it.
Just as I was finishing my meal, my personal athar appeared, escorting the vampiress and Aerisnitari. Eirin stayed two steps behind the ancient one. Was she afraid of her? She even lowered her head...
"I greet you, great priestess," I said, bowing my head slightly.
- I'm glad to see you too, Asheras.
"How's Eltrun?"
The Ancient One walked to the empty chair next to my unmade bed and sat down, crossing her legs. For a brief moment, the image of Aerisnitari, naked and reclining on the rumpled sheets, appeared before me. To focus on anything other than her long legs, clad in laced pants like a second skin, I had to close my eyes and forcefully move the fingers of my left hand. The sharp pain from the still-healing wound cleared my mind and allowed me to remember why I'd called my grandmother.
"Her body is recovering quickly thanks to the direct transfusion. Plus, she's already eating on her own. So, I think she'll be able to walk tomorrow, albeit with support."
- Well, I'm glad. Is the squad gathering already?
"The Atretases have just woken up. I expect they'll be fully prepared in half an hour, and we can set out."
- Will you come with us?
"I... can't leave my sister now." The ancient woman's voice wavered. "So she's your weak spot?" "Although I would give anything to come with you. Did you want something, Asheras?"
- Yes. Did you see Eirin's eyes?
- Your pet vampire? No, why?
Looking at the embarrassed vampire, I ordered:
- Show her.
She emerged from behind the ancient woman and knelt before her, her eyes wide. Atar took her chin and began to look into them, turning her head slightly left and right.
"I've never heard of anything like this. However, there's nothing surprising about this—the Ithrirs weren't designed and created by us, but by the Sath. They know everything about them... or almost everything. Perhaps this is due to your actions?"
- I gave her my blood to drink.
"That clears things up. It's a known fact that the first Scarlet Prince was a higher vampire named Alaherai. His ascension occurred after he killed two athars from our House. So, if you continue in this vein, she too may very well be ascending in the near future."
"Then why aren't there hundreds of princes? With the help of other Houses, even the Great Ones, we could have assembled a veritable army of these creatures."
"Oh, they tried, but it turns out only our House bears the seal of our goddess. We have a special connection with her and her energy. And there were always only a few of us. And we were cautious and killed without thinking." Aerisnitari smiled cruelly, tearing herself away from contemplating the sparks of energy in Eirin's eyes, and turned to me: "Can you imagine, one of the higher... um... I forgot his name—either Hert or Hrix—dried out fifteen athars from other Houses, but never ascended. And he was subsequently hunted down and killed by his own kind.
- So, Eirin is facing a quick rise?
"Yes, but be careful, Asheras. I wouldn't want to trade you for a weak-willed, guilt-ridden Scarlet Princess." Looking into the vampire's eyes once more, the ancient one suddenly smiled and said curtly, toward the exit: "Bring me a cup!"
I wondered what she was planning. I glanced sideways at my guards, who were trying hard to look like motionless statues. Almost immediately, one of the high priestesses peered into the room, holding a golden cup. Apparently, it was one of the trophies. A curious little thing. Aerisnitari took it and slashed her wrist with a small throwing knife drawn from its sheath on her sleeve. Clenching her fist, she half-filled the cup with her blood and, handing it to me, said:
– Fill up your cup.
I noticed that her rather deep cut was healing right before my eyes. Hm. At least I don't need a dagger. Phoenix! "Showing off?" Yes, showing off. "Well then, watch! Hold your hand over the goblet—it will be unpleasant. I'll show you a trick." And the phoenix laughed loudly. "Your vampire liked your energy, didn't she? Then I'll let her feel my strength and mana." The skin on my palm split into long cuts, like a star. The cuts spread all the way to the tips of my fingers. From them, my blood began to rise in tiny droplets, defying gravity, collecting into a scarlet, constantly swaying sphere. When the ball of my blood became the size of a fist, the cuts healed on their own, leaving behind thin, whitish scars. While everyone stared in fascination at the sphere of my blood, I noticed a small, inconspicuous scarlet drop fall into the bowl. A second later, Aerisnitari cried out and dropped it to the floor, but the blood filling the bowl didn't follow her, instead hovering in the air, taking the form of another sphere. Switching to my magical vision, I saw one of my teras connect with the upper sphere and pump orange Fire Elemental mana into it, effectively draining that portion of my gift. Someone else's will removed my hand from the space between the two blood spheres, and they merged into one. Looking at the blood again with my normal vision, I saw the sphere begin to glow bright red. "It worked out even better than I planned," the elemental's thought was very clear. "I will maintain my energy until the vampire has fully absorbed our blood." "And you'll have to hold her – the pain could be so intense that she might start tearing her body to pieces, and we don't need that, right?" Looking at Aerisnitari, I demanded:
- Don't disturb me.
The Ancient One released the vampiress, who, terrified, couldn't tear her gaze away from the dimly glowing bloody orb hanging before her. I rose from my chair and, pouring mana from my teras, wrapped them around Eirin in a veritable cocoon, completely depriving her of any ability to move. The next instant, the bloody sphere, like a steel cannonball, slammed hard into her chest, breaking her ribs. Half-buried in the torn flesh, the sphere began to lose its perfect shape, flattening. Eirin's entire body trembled. I took a step closer and saw that the clot of blood and energy had sent forth numerous pulsating roots into her body. Suddenly, violent spasms began. "Hold her tighter!" the phoenix roared. I poured almost half of my Darkness mana into the teras. The teras became clearly visible to normal vision, and I pulled them even tighter around Eirin's body.
As the blood soaked into her, the spasms grew stronger—I could feel her body resisting the influence of the alien force. Suddenly, there was a crunching sound, then another and another—bones breaking and teeth shattering. Perhaps, if not for my teras, wrapped around Eirin like bandages on a mummy, her eyes would have bulged. But the blood had practically soaked into her body. The spasms stopped, and Eirin stared lifelessly past me. Had she really given up and died? "Dead vampires crumble to dust." And then a loud click broke the silence—one of the bones in her broken body snapped back into place. For a second, nothing happened, then a wave of complete healing swept through Eirin's body. Even the wound on her chest closed with an almost watery sob, leaving not so much as a scar on her skin. The unseeing eyes closed and a second later opened again, revealing a new image - absolute darkness, within which a flame burned.
"Everything went perfectly!" the elemental rumbled contentedly. "She was able to take a step up the ladder of power."
Having removed my teras and drawn them into my gift, I watched as Eirin's boots softly touched the floor. She flexed her arms and said with a surprised, questioning voice:
"Lord?" She fell to her knees, bowing her head.
I took her by the chin and, lifting it, looked into her eyes.
"You've managed to reach the next level—from now on, you're the living embodiment of what every vampire dreams of becoming—the Scarlet Princess. Therefore, I believe Elviaran will not object to you receiving the status of an Athar in our House. And now I ask you: don't call me by that stupid title—Lord. Yes! From now on, you're our equal, so don't kneel before other Athar..."
I let go of Eirin's chin, keeping my expectant gaze on her. She rose from her knees, and I saw that the vampire had grown slightly taller, becoming incredibly beautiful and strong. Phoenix sensed a strong opponent and growled contentedly. I saw a strange, timid hope in Eirin's eyes:
– Vla… Asheras, I am grateful to you.
- Don't worry, girl, I'll be glad if you become part of my retinue.
- I agree!
Usually everyone thinks before they answer. But why would you serve me like this, without thinking?
- Well, I'm glad.
Turning around, I saw Aerisnitari completely stunned. Realizing I was looking at her, she tried to control her emotions and say something, but while she more or less succeeded in the first task, she failed in the second.
– Wh… w… g?
I couldn't help but laugh.
"Don't worry so much, Aeris." I even allowed myself to shorten her pretentious name. "Everything is more or less fine. At least one problem has been solved, and our House has become even stronger."
The Ancient One shook her head, and when she looked at me the next time, I saw in her eyes not only determination and willpower, but also faith. I wondered if it was faith in me or the will of the dark gods? And could my will be distinguished from Elos's? And did it even matter? I don't care! As long as I'm doing what I love, I don't care! I'm a warrior of my ancestry, and I enjoy fighting enemies. That's the purpose of my existence. Who are my enemies? Whoever they point to, whoever stands between me and my goal—I will do everything in my power to destroy them. These are my enemies, the obstacles on my path...
Seeing something deep in my eyes, the ancient one quickly stood up and headed for the exit. Remembering something, she turned and said, looking at the newly converted princess:
- Good luck in storming the palace, Asheras.
Looking at her tense figure, I realized she was frightened. What did the thousand-year-old Atar see in the depths of my eyes? I nodded slowly in response and added:
"You too, be careful – our house does not need losses when the enemy has already been defeated and we are trampling on his lifeless body.
Aerisnitari left. I turned my gaze to the princess:
"We're heading out to assault the central hive in ten minutes. I think you should come with us. We'll need your strength."
- Of course, Asheras.
- Then go and get ready.
She left, and I looked at my guards, frozen along the wall. Now, looking at them from the front, I couldn't tell which of them was which—the dyed tips of their hair were hidden behind their lithe backs. They had identical masks, clothes, weapons, armor, not to mention heights.
- Get ready, you are coming with me too.
"We are ready," the closest one answered for everyone.
The senior priestess entered the room with a platter of bhatells. Placing it on the nightstand inherited from the apartment's previous owner, she backed out. It seemed the general adoration was growing exponentially. What next—will they just crawl up? We need to somehow ban that. Respect or recognition would be fine, but serious worship is already being observed... What if Elos is the owner? And the appearance of another person on this local Olympus would be met with hostility, or, as the locals say, with a spear? And I won't reach the level of a god by any measure—I'm not strong enough, anyway.
"You underestimate not only yourself, but me as well. Any elemental is a god in their Element. Do you know how gods battle? I'll tell you: exactly the same as elemental battles! It's a duel of will, reason, and instinct. No one exchanges spells! No atov! Well, maybe at long range. In close combat, everything is decided by mental agility, the ability to stretch perception… Why do you think one can't become a god without mastering Order – Chaos? Because working with one's mind, consciousness, and soul is the very essence of Order!" But why aren't elementals gods then? "You're either a fool or obtuse! What are gods by definition? Intelligent embodiments of Forces! And who are elementals? It would seem the difference is small. Forces, Elements… You know the difference yourself. The difference between Force and Element is the same as between the Creator and the gods. Yes, the gods have certain limitations related to their manifestation in reality, but in a direct confrontation, an elemental has no chance against a God." Mmm-hmm. But didn't you just answer your own speech? And which of us is the dumb one? "I'm surprised, I always thought you were smarter. I have no chance against a god. We can try... I have absolute power over Fire, and you have the mana of all the other Elements and Forces. And protopower shouldn't be discounted. But still, if you can avoid a fight with Elos, do your best."
A demanding voice pulled me out of my conversation with the phoenix. Looking up, I focused on the figure of the priestess standing before me.
"...ras. Asheras!" It was Eirin. Glad that I had noticed her, she straightened up: "The Atretases and Athar are ready! Everyone is waiting just for you."
Well then. I tightened the laces on my pants and jacket, slicked my hair back, and left the room. The four priestesses and the princess followed. Two of them quickly overtook me by two steps, leaving the other pair behind.
Eltruun was waiting for me at the squad's assembly point. As I approached, I realized she was deeply worried, but as I approached, she skillfully hid her emotions behind a calm expression and greeted me:
- Glad to see you, Asheras.
"Me too… I'm glad too," I said, after a moment's hesitation. "Did something happen? Are you coming with us?"
- Yes. But a couple of coincidences give me a bad feeling.
I became wary:
– Does this concern our company?
"I don't know. I came to tell you that I'll devote all my available resources to capturing the prisoners. I think we need to build the portal as quickly as possible."
I shrugged:
– I just ask you not to forget about prudence.
She nodded and walked quickly towards her troops' location.
I watched her go, baffled. What could have alarmed a millennium-and-a-half-year-old Atretas priestess so much that she'd decided to change her plan and redirect the marauding parties to capturing illithid slaves? Why hadn't she told me of her worries? A premonition of trouble was building inside me, just like Eltruun's. I glanced at the crowd of groaning and wheezing corpses. Oh, by the way, why haven't they been completely killed yet? Is Eltruun afraid of something? But not me or my athar, that's for sure. They pose no threat to the altered ones. Hell, if I put just a couple of Golden Guard priestesses against all those thousands of corpses, they wouldn't even take a wound! They'll get exhausted and tired—that's for sure... Then what? An external threat? I twitched my mandibles, and the phoenix hissed venomously. Why not tell me directly? It's a shame there's no time now—we're already delayed, otherwise I'd pin Eltruun to the wall and squeeze a few answers out of her. Even in front of her entire army...
My mood was rapidly deteriorating. I needed to build up my strength. There would definitely be corpses when I stormed the hive palace, and I would raise them as Higher Vampires. Then we'd see whether I should make princes of them on the spot or first ensure their loyalty to me, not the House. My gaze slid over the rows of captured purebloods. A pair of senior priestesses were trying to spoon-feed some Dark Eldar, who was trying hard to look like a vegetable. Damn it! Someone find a storage device!
Someone moved slightly behind me, tearing me away from my gloomy thoughts. Turning my head, I deigned to notice our squad, ready to move out, strenuously pretending they weren't there and could wait another couple of hours. However, this was facilitated by the Atar of my guards and the Arirs from Atere's squad, who were dispassionately eyeing the priestesses and priests entering the tatrett of rapid strike.
Miss stood next to me, a huge mass of darkness, but I decided not to rush into climbing on him. Taking advantage of the fact that Atere was looking at me, I asked him:
– Have you explained the tasks to everyone?
He nodded:
– Yes, Asheras.
Having poured Dark Mana into the teres, I leaned on them like props, raising my body a good five meters above the floor. Yes, the mana expenditure was colossal, but I, of all people, shouldn't worry about that. But at least I can see everyone, and everyone can see me. Quickly scanning each Tatrett soldier, I identified the high priestess—the commander. Looking through the narrow slits of the black mask concealing her face, I said:
"Your task changes slightly. In addition to monitoring the cleared area, I'm adding the collection of lightly damaged Atretas corpses, both alien and our own. If there are any, of course." The Tatretta commander made a sign with her fingers, indicating a question. She had to pause. "Yes?"
"The extent of the damage to the bodies?" Her voice wavered slightly. "Nervous or afraid?"
"If the head or half of the torso is missing, they're no longer needed, but if it's just arms or legs, that's perfect. I'll tell you why right away: I'm planning to create higher vampires. I won't be particularly concerned with the beauty of the corpses—we'll get whatever we can get. Eirin will be in charge of them." I gestured at her. "Half an hour ago, she successfully ascended from the rank of higher vampire to the rank of Scarlet Prince. As a result, she'll obviously receive the status of an athar in our House. Besides, another task has come up: Aerisnitari believes we'll encounter illithids in the hive, meaning we're expecting serious resistance. Furthermore, we need intelligence from the illithids themselves, so we'll try to capture one or two alive." After a pause, I added, "If we can, of course." "I again went over in my mind everything I knew about the illithids. "If a fight breaks out between me and the illithids, and it's possible—you know where we're going—do not, under any circumstances, get between us. And if anyone wants a quick death, do it here, not on the battlefield, when every priest or priestess will be worth their weight in gold." After waiting a moment for them to process what I'd said, I continued. "Overall command is exercised by your immediate commanders, and only on the battlefield will my commands have higher priority. The approximate number of enemy soldiers is unknown, but it's unlikely to be large—most of the enemy forces have left the city. Now about us: who is the commander of the Swift Strike Tatrett?" I looked questioningly at the high priestess.
"Tialin, lord." She bowed her head.
"Next up: a reconnaissance and sabotage detachment—Commander Atere, ten converted Atari from the Golden Guardians group, and four Atari of my personal guard—the Scarlet Princess. Well, you all know our missions and our forces. Any questions?"
Tialin, plucking up her courage, asked:
- How do you plan to move towards your goal?
I shrugged and replied:
- Your suggestions?
"Your travel by air will attract too much attention to us. I would prefer you travel with us, riding on a hisna."
"In principle, I agree, but I don't think we'll be able to catch them off guard. Although..." I turned to my guards: "What kind of camouflage spell can we pull off?"
"Anything," came the reply. "Concealment," "Curtain of Darkness"—what do you want?"
– Will it have a significant impact on your combat effectiveness?
- We have a high level of Darkness restoration, so - no way.
"Create 'Concealment,' I want the illithids to learn of our assault when their slaves start dying. It will hide us from their notice, won't it?"
"If they concentrate, nothing will hide us. They see, they sense minds, and any cloaking spells are a weak defense against them. Even the most powerful and skillful."
The corner of my mouth twitched:
- And nevertheless, go ahead and begin.
Golden nodded.
Having softly lowered myself to the floor, I pulled the teras back in and easily climbed onto Miss and, switching to magical vision, began to watch the actions of the priestesses with interest.
The Golden Ones, dismounting from their panthers, stood in a circle and linked arms. Closing their eyes, they froze, barely breathing. A few seconds later, a black sphere, enveloping them in Darkness, appeared before each of them. They were roughly the size of two fists. The Darkness, flowing from the spheres, wove into pitch-black tendrils that reached toward the center of the priestesses' circle and, touching each other, began to stretch something distortedly transparent in all directions. It was alive and disobedient, unwilling to stretch, trying to retract its tendrils, but the Darkness was stronger. The transparent tendrils, having stretched to a certain size, stopped twitching and drooped limply, like the leaves of a dehydrated plant. Abandoning them in this state, the black tentacles immediately began to extend new ones. And all this—one at of Order? A single whole... It's like a single and indivisible car... It's beyond my comprehension...
Meanwhile, the Atar finished extending the transparent tendrils, stretching the at of Order so much that it was over half a meter in diameter. Immediately afterward, they quickly erected a translucent dark sphere around it, resembling a typical offensive Darkness spell in structure. I clearly saw the Darkness sphere suddenly contract, literally covering the at of Order with a second layer. For a moment, nothing happened, and then the black sphere began to expand again. Looking closely, I realized it was stretching the tendrils in all directions, as if suspending the center of the Order spell within itself. It was simultaneously eerie and incredibly beautiful. And only when the circle of priestesses broke apart and the participants once again mounted the hisn did I realize the spell was complete. A pair of Atar grasped the sphere of the spell in their ters, probably intending to trawl it.
I heard Tialin instructing his tatrett's soldiers:
"Stay as close to the spell as possible—its area of effect is about a hundred meters. The farther you are from the center, the easier it will be to see you. Within this radius, the spell completely masks your presence and any magical disturbances caused by your auras and spells up to the third circle of Elements and the seventh level of Powers. Is everything clear to everyone?"
Wow, at least I heard it – there weren't any such subtleties in the book... And anyway, learning spells without practice is like correspondence boxing...
Keeping in a tight group, we advanced, focusing on the distant building. The Ari were scouting, with Sea and Lea providing support. It sounds ridiculous. With these sisters, the scouting force instantly transformed into a shock vanguard, capable of sweeping away the enemy before the main forces arrived. The mere fact that they, together, covered all the Ari with "Concealment," leaving them as mere shadows, speaks volumes of their power. "Concealment" is a far more effective spell than "Black Shadow." It almost completely concealed the Ari and their hisn from view. Even magical vision showed only disturbances in the surrounding space caused by the high concentration of Darkness, but not the energy auras themselves. After hovering before us for a moment, the Ari broke away: reconnaissance is reconnaissance.
We moved rather slowly, sometimes pausing for a long time, waiting for a signal that meant there was no ambush and we could move on.
The ruined city was a terrifying sight. The smell of decay and rot mingled with the stench of burning. Corpses were frozen in hideous positions: some curled up like fetuses, others, scorched, had crawled for a long time before dying. Several figures were encased in hot ash, their bodies cremated alive within seconds—they lay frozen there, standing or running. The skeletal remains of buildings were often interrupted by spaces of complete destruction—from the Crimson Flame explosions. Even now, two days after my raid, thin wisps of smoke rose here and there. Occasionally, we came across surviving slaves, splattered with soot, wandering off with vacant expressions in their eyes.
But after a couple of hours of cautious advance, we approached the hive. The Arirs were waiting for us here. A block before the square where my battle with Erruu had taken place, we joined up with them and dismounted from the hisn. Tatrett Tialin retreated to the end of our detachment. The first thing that caught my eye was that the houses surrounding the square weren't abandoned or burned out. Solitary creatures could be seen on the roofs of the buildings—obviously sentries. They didn't even have time to realize they were dead—the soldiers were making full use of their spring-loaded crossbows. I knew the small arrows were lubricated with a fast-acting poison. In case of injury to themselves or an ally, each soldier carried an antidote in a special pouch on their belt. But this was, one might say, a precaution, to prevent an enemy struck by a less-than-accurate shot from delivering the finishing blow or signaling their allies. Steel arrowheads were crafted to shatter upon impact with an obstacle, but they were extremely sharp and hard. As a result, a well-aimed shot would cause the bolt head to explode inside the target, often piercing the target and then flying off. The effect was extremely unpleasant—a large internal cavity formed, filled with small, poisoned pieces of steel. Such wounds could be treated without an antidote, but a healing mage had to be powerful enough to cast "Healing" immediately. Incidentally, the Dark Eldar were not without a sense of beauty, and arrowheads were decorated with carvings and special grooves that actually housed the poison, which had the appearance of a thick, translucent, greenish slime. Fortunately, dozens of protective spells had been developed against such weapons, and good armor provided almost complete immunity to projectile weapons. This was demonstrated to great effect by the Dwarves and Zwergs in their legendary armor. Although, if you hit the joints and viewing slots...
We didn't even think of crossing the square with Erruu's enormous, charred corpse lying there. Instead, we carefully moved along the perimeter beneath the walls of the houses and approached the palace. Its monstrous bulk loomed directly over the abyss. The vast entrance was completely blocked by a barricade—a jumble of stone debris, furniture, and... corpses? How vile: using one's own corpses as building material... It was precisely because of this obsession that the other Great Houses treated the Sath with a certain disdain.
Several Eldar stood on the ridge, wearing full priestly garb and simple black masks. They were looking at one of the buildings, which was no longer manned by observers. I didn't even hear, but felt, the Tialin Atretases raise their crossbows. For a second, nothing happened, and then a clattering sound—and more than twenty arrows were launched. The effect was terrifying: the enemy Eldar were torn to pieces. And then there was a cry of alarm, but that was no longer important. We were close. The cloaking spells were dispelled, no longer needed.
I cast one of the most powerful Darkness-based active defenses. Then the phoenix emerged from my gift, and the wings that emerged from behind me abruptly threw me upwards, some twenty meters. Beyond the barricade, I saw over forty different creatures. Without giving them time to react, I concentrated the flames into a monstrously powerful "Dragon's Breath" and drenched the entire bridge in a matter of seconds. The fire howled and roared, instantly drowning out the screams of those burning alive. A pair of figures engulfed in flames, screaming horribly, leaped into the abyss. Clenching my fingers, I interrupted the spell, gathering Fire mana into powerful fireballs; in just a few seconds, they contained over a hundred ergs. Despite the fact that there were no more enemies, I released them through the front door – a bright orange flash of flames answered me as they spilled out. They reluctantly faded into the air. Grinning, I look down, and just in time – the Atar have already smashed the barricade with something like "Dust" and are dashing across the bridge. Too bad the passage is narrow – no flight. Phoenix, realizing the problem, almost completely retracts its aura. The wings disappear, and I land softly on the granite slabs of the bridge. What interesting architecture. Not as refined, of course, as in "Border of Darkness," but still – quite beautiful. In an instant, I'm among the first to burst into the hive.
The complete darkness was initially stunning—the explosion of fireballs had destroyed all the lamps in the wide hall and the corridor that began there, for quite a long time. Only about thirty meters away, the first of the surviving ones emitted a pale blue light. In their light, a motley crowd of slaves was visible hurrying toward us. The Atretases raised their crossbows, loud, multi-vocal clicks resounded—and one by one, the enemy soldiers fell to the floor. Dwarves, fully armored, ran out from a side passage, and Rea's Ariri leaped to meet them. Hand-to-hand combat immediately erupted. The Ariri calmly and efficiently, using one or two blows at most on each enemy soldier (armor is no protection against their weapons and cuts like paper), blocking the passage with enemy corpses. Before my eyes, one Arir runs up them and, with a spin, throws her weapon into the passage. It returns right through the makeshift barricade.
Glancing at Eirin, I notice her sadly gazing at the crescent moons of the Arir. It occurs to me that the newly crowned princess was also an Arir of Rea and obviously deeply misses her weapon, which she even slept with in her arms. Oddly enough, the vampiress hasn't yet joined the fray, preferring to remain by my side. Meanwhile, the stream of guards has dried up, leaving behind only piles of corpses.
Behind them, a hundred Tialin soldiers began pouring into the hall. Her soldiers immediately began dragging the corpses aside, beginning to sort them. Three corridors led out of the hall: those to the left and right were filled with corpses and drenched in blood, while a large, wide central one, grimy and with broken lamps, sixty to seventy meters long, led into some large room. Turning to Atera, I asked him in signs in the Language of Death:
"Where did you find Elviaran?"
Confidently pointing to the left passage, he replied, "You pinpointed its spatial location quite accurately, and we simply walked to the designated point—it's not far from here. It was pure chaos here—slaves were running like insects in a fire. No one paid us any attention. Using our disguises, we quickly passed through, slaughtered the guards, removed Elviaran from the rack, and left..."
After some thought, I decided to move down the central corridor, deeper into the hive palace. After walking about sixty steps, we found ourselves in front of a large, well-lit chamber. Judging by the echoing sounds of footsteps and the clanking of weapons, it was very large. My guards and I cautiously approached the end of the corridor. But here came a surprise: the hive was hollow! The interior was very large, apparently occupying almost the entire building. A round opening in the ceiling allowed light to fall vertically from the distant vault of the communal cavern. In addition, there were numerous bright lamps located on the building's many tiers. Enemy soldiers were constantly running along the passages and various staircases. Their movements resembled the commotion in an anthill—just as senseless from the outside. For a second, I even had the impression that the slaves were blind. By the most conservative estimates, their number was around two thousand. It's no problem: I can kill any number of non-magic creatures on my own – a million, even two. As I recently proved…
"Everyone, put on Fire protection. And make it stronger. Tell Tialin not to come here."
To prevent the hive from collapsing, we won't use any strong explosive or corrosive spells. So what's left? Very little—weak fireballs and no proto-forces. Death? "The stone will crack!" the phoenix cried. Otherwise, it won't crack under Firestorm! And yet, the latter is preferable.
Suddenly, something flashed blue below. Carefully approaching the edge of the balcony, I looked down. A large stone platform met my gaze. Its diameter was over fifty meters. It was essentially the center of the hive's interior. In its center, six illithids, standing in a circle, were creating a portal. The rift in space had just begun to grow upward and outward. They were protected by two separate groups of slaves with well-developed auras. They were dressed in beautiful, gold-embroidered robes. Mages. The group on the right contained eleven ters, and the left, fourteen. They stood with their backs to the illithids, watching the scurrying slaves. Suddenly, the chaotic movement ceased—the slaves stopped and began to turn their heads. Looking for us? Beside me, the princess froze, also looking down. Well, waiting for the door to another world to open is foolish. It's time to attack.
Turning to the squad frozen along the corridor walls, I began to make signs: "Atere, stay here with the Ariri. Weave 'Firestorm.' Direction: the opposite wall. Eirin, jump down after me and deal with the mages. Remember: don't damage the bodies too much. All Athar, break through to us. I'll need your help capturing the illithids. Is that clear?"
I waited for the affirmative sign. Turning away, I saw that the illithids had broken their formation. The portal seemed to have stabilized. Only two of the six who had created it remained opposite it. Inside the hole between worlds, it was very dark this time. From the passage below us, accompanied by several Dark Eldar, a illithid with snow-white skin emerged. This was an illithid—one of the illithid rulers. Were they fleeing? So this was the portal to their home? I commanded loudly:
- Let's start!
In a single movement, I vaulted over the parapet. The phoenix enveloped me in its fire as it flew, so I landed very softly. Looking up, I saw genuine confusion and fear—the illithids were backing toward the portal. One of them turned his head toward the mages, obviously trying to give the order to attack, and I saw his eyes widen even further. I looked there too: the mages lay like broken dolls on the ground. Slaves screamed in the passageways, but their cries were immediately drowned out by the roar of the Firestorm. The spreading wave of flame didn't reach our level, but the illithid shielded itself from the heat with a tentacled hand. I took a step toward the illithids and, pushing off from the floor and gaining speed with a flap of my wings, flew over them and stood in front of the portal. They wouldn't escape now. The illithids turned and stared at me. A strange presence filled my head, and a clear, deep voice rang out, not belonging to the phoenix. The sounds formed words:
"Let us go… To our home world…"
Grinning, I answered out loud:
- No.
Looking around for the vampire, I spotted her hungrily tearing into a mage—judging by the pile of bodies near her, another one. The Athar were stuck on the stairs, blocked by slaves constantly running out of the passage next to them. The high priestesses hacked and minced them, but the slaves literally threw themselves under swords and spells, just to delay their opponents. Too bad, I'd have to work alone. Without waiting for the illithids to figure out how to deal with me, I leaped toward them myself.
In flight, I pumped my teras full of mana, depleting my gift. I was very close to the illithids, and their usual tricks didn't work. I didn't even use any spells—I simply grabbed them all and hurled them at each other. My teras were instantly dispelled, but they did their job: with a dull thud, the illithids collided in midair and, in a heap, fell to the floor. Without giving them time to recover, I pulled them back into the phoenix gift and jumped on top of them. My first impression of their bodies? They seemed to have few bones, or they were very flexible. Resilient limbs, elastic torsos. With a satisfied chuckle, I simply began to beat them. Physically, it was easy—athar are naturally quite strong and fast, and their agility was simply beyond praise. I was unfamiliar with illithid physiology, so I focused on delivering swift, precise strikes to the head and center of the body. When it stopped struggling, I tossed its body aside and moved on to the next one. Reaching the pale illithid and giving it a hearty punch in its hideous face, I looked back and discovered that it wasn't I, but my guards and an Atar from the Golden Guard, who had sorted the illithids into two groups. In one, they were simply piled together, and only two were currently being swaddled in Golden.
"What about these?" I nodded towards the "rejected" ones.
"Dead, lord. You got carried away beating them. They're fragile—if they're strong in the water, then on land..." The voice from behind belonged to Atera.
I glanced sideways at the whitish illith, which I was still holding with my left hand – it was still alive:
"Swad this one." A Kriata's ariir emerged from behind Atere with a skein of silk. Handing him the vile pinnacle of octopus evolution, I added, "Tell Aerisnitari we've captured three—one of them an illithii."
Allowing himself a cruel grin, Atere said:
– Yes, Asheras.
"Tell Tialin to come to us. What about the illithid slaves?"
– As soon as the last of their masters lost consciousness, the slaves immediately fell into prostration.
- Hm. Contact Eltruun and tell her that if she needs slaves for sacrifices, she will find them here in abundance.
- Okay, Asheras.
"As soon as Tialin arrives, take one of her two yashi and begin clearing the hive with your arirs. Herd the slaves into the square—separate the Eldar from the half-breeds. If you encounter an illithid, call me. And don't stand on ceremony with them... We've already fulfilled our quota for the prisoners..."
- Everything is clear to me.
He turned away and, holding the communication bracelet to his face, whispered into it.
Well, that's where we end. I glanced around at the numerous floors and balconies. The "Firestorm" had left behind numerous small fires and the charred corpses of slaves. Smoke was billowing out of a hole in the ceiling. My eyes fell on Eirin. Her face had changed: her cheeks had receded almost to her ears, revealing a terrifying maw studded with straight, needle-like fangs. Interestingly, while her clothes were splattered with blood, her skin was clear. Had it absorbed the blood? Suddenly, there was a ripping sound, and enormous leathery wings unfurled behind the vampiress. Each wing was very large—approximately six or seven meters from tip to tip—and strongly resembled the wings of terrestrial bats. Well, now Eirin could certainly be called a princess—all the attributes were present. She closed her mouth and, surprised, began examining and feeling her left wing. Her right wing was just moving slightly in time with her breathing. She glanced at me and, delighted, walked toward me. Her movement with her wings spread was a little comical: when one foot was about to touch the floor and the other was about to lift off, her wings flapped slightly, causing her stride to become very long. She covered the twenty-meter distance in two steps. The wind gently brushed my face.
"You've grown wings," was all I could say.
As Eirin began to speak, the cheeks, drawn back like a dog's, retracted into place, transforming the terrible maw back into the beautiful face of a Dark Eldar priestess.
"Yes, Asheras. It's just really uncomfortable. And my back hurts."
- Well, I think it's temporary. The main thing here is a matter of habit.
She smiled back with a hint of hidden hope. I looked from her face to the corpses of the mages: "Well, shall we begin raising the creatures?"
"Mmm... Asheras..." She hesitated. "Those I've bitten will soon rise as normal vampires, obedient to me. But perhaps we shouldn't bother with the raising?"
I frowned:
"And what will it take to elevate them to the next level? Don't get me wrong: perhaps it would be faster and more cost-effective to create them as Higher Vampires right away?"
Eirin gracefully ran her left hand over her chin.
"I think the blood of the Athar, pre-charged with mana, will do."
"Let's first see how the blood will affect them, how much of it will be needed and how controllable they are, and then we'll decide."
- Agree.
We quickly dragged the bitten bodies into a row. The priestesses even considered at least pulling off their cassocks, but just as they began shaking their first victim out by the feet, she came to life and began to stir. Atar, without waiting to be grabbed and bitten, immediately released her. And I again witnessed the wonders of vampire agility he'd demonstrated to me: despite the fact that the crown of his head was only a few dozen centimeters from the floor, the revived vampire managed to twist so that not only his head but also his hands didn't touch the stone surface, effectively squatting softly. Eirin, raising her left eyebrow in interest, tilted her head. Her wings folded behind her, their tips just missing the floor. The newly turned vampire smoothly straightened up and turned his face, hidden within the depths of his hood, toward her.
"The higher the level of the convert, the stronger the connection and obedience to their master." Eirin's voice rang out in the absolute silence.
As if in response, the other converts also stirred and stood up, freezing and staring at her.
"Get on your knees!" The ice in her voice could freeze everything around.
For a moment, it seemed the vampires would disobey. But then the first of the converted moved slightly, and almost immediately, everyone's legs gave way, and, as if a single organism, they fell to their knees before her. I approached the vampires and began yanking their hoods off. Strangely enough, all the mages turned out to be Eldar. Light, Dark, or half-breeds of both. I was certain the other corpses were Eldar too. Apparently, the illithids preferred Eternals to other races. However, this is hardly surprising—we live long lives and are greatly gifted magically, and with age we only grow stronger.
Stopping near the light eldar, I shouted:
- Don't resist!
And I grabbed her by the neck with my left hand, pressed my thumb against her chin, and lifted her face upward. She tried to thrash about, but I barely helped myself with my teras—and all her attempts resulted in nothing more than a pitiful scraping of her feet along the floor. Yes, compared to Higher Ones, ordinary vampires are like children, and compared to Special Forces soldiers... When Eirin was a Higher One, I wouldn't have been able to lift her head against her will with just one finger. Not to mention—I recently managed to tear it from my hand only with the help of a phoenix.
I looked into the Eldar's eyes - practically normal, with white whites and green irises - and commanded:
- Open your mouth.
For a few seconds, I thought she'd disobey. But then she tilted her head back even further and opened her mouth. And the fangs had already formed. Though they weren't like a Greater Vampire's, and certainly not like Eirin's needles, they were still there. I stretched my hand over her head. Under the influence of the phoenix's will, my flesh parted, releasing a thin stream of my uncharged blood. It hung like a large drop above the vampire's face and, expanding in volume, fell into her mouth. The wound on my hand immediately healed. For long seconds, nothing happened, and then the vampire began breathing rapidly and deeply, her skin began to lighten, her fangs curved and thinned. A wave of blood began to radiate from her pupils, literally erasing the green irises and turning the white limbus scarlet. The vampire swallowed and suddenly tilted her head back, despite my resistance. I let go of her, but before I could take a single step back, a violent wave of pain wracked the High One. Clutching her head in her hands, she let out a thin, pitiful scream. The scream broke into sobs—the High One, curled into a fetal position on the floor, covered her face with her hands.
"What's wrong with her?" I asked the princess.
"All the memories of her previous life and the years spent here returned to her." Eirin sighed deeply. "These memories were very difficult even for Aerisnitari, and for these delicate light ones, they were a completely unbearable burden... And yet, the ancient one only spent eighty years here, while the light one, perhaps, many, many more." Approaching the crying light one, she mercilessly kicked her in the back, forcing her to abruptly shut up. "Come to your senses, weakling! You are now part of my nest, and that means part of the Great House Y'si'tor! Rise! You can cry later. And think about your revenge later."
Svetlaya stood up, and I saw that, although she was holding back, her lips were trembling. Hmm... If it's the same with everyone else... I can only be glad that the Athar receive a completely new personality imprint upon conversion.
Looking at the light one again, I asked:
- Shall we continue?
Looking thoughtfully at the light, Eirin nodded:
– Yes.
Sighing, I looked at the fourteen kneeling vampires, and they looked at me.
– You know, among them there may be those who were already born here.
The princess frowned and turned to me:
"Hardly. If they didn't even want to train Aerisnitari's purebred daughter and gave her over to the mercy of this Hetros..."
"Well, I don't think it's all that clear-cut—I see a cross between dark and light here. And they're quite rare, and in everyday life you only encounter them in the Great Houses. I doubt the illithids would be able to buy them or otherwise obtain them in such quantities. One or two, perhaps, but not five. Besides, before their transformation, they were trained mages and were part of a sort of illithid personal retinue, meaning their training with the illithids was extensive. So it's not all that clear-cut. It's entirely possible that the case of the ancient one is an exception to the rule."
Eirin merely shrugged in response. I sighed and continued:
"Get ready, I don't know all the intricacies of the connection between creator and creation. You might have to hammer simple truths into them again, only these will be higher ones."
The princess snorted contemptuously:
"Asheras, you simply cannot imagine the difference between the ranks of beings. And it's enormous. Practically tenfold in almost everything, except for the gift and everything associated with it. Compared to ordinary vampires, the Scarlet Princes are gods incarnate. The difference between me and the higher ones is almost as great. Tell me, is there much difference between a common Raised Skeleton and a Bone Lord? Exactly. If anything happens, I'll finish them all off so quickly they won't even have time to squeak."
"Oh, how overconfident we are!" I shook my head disapprovingly. "Get ready," I said to the frozen Atar, just in case. Although, in my opinion, they are always ready...
Fourteen identical balls of my blood formed above my palm. Their shape began to change, transforming into sharp arrows. I infused them with mana and fired an arrow at each vampire, aiming for their stomachs. Their lethal force was so great that they knocked the vampires back a couple of meters. The vampires tried to pull them out, but the bloody arrows retracted into their bodies with a sob.
Approaching the nearest writhing body, we began to look at its changes.
"What are we going to do with the rest?" Eirin asked.
– I was thinking: if I turn them, they will be attached to me, if you do, then to you.
Eirin blinked indignantly.
- And what?
"You don't want to share me with anyone. Am I right? Vampires are so terribly possessive... And especially vampires who came from Eldar..." I laughed.
"So what if I want to be the only one, not 'one of'!" she growled, instantly enraged.
Frowning, I said:
- Just for now. You don't know yet how lonely it can be at the top.
- But the enemies...
"Where there are enemies, there are also allies. After all, you are part of the Great House. And rivalry has always benefited those living in Alveristas, and elsewhere."
Eirin looked at the other corpses:
- There are ten of them. Will you create more princes?
"If we can repeat what we did to you, yes! By the way, if you can control your own, the same fate awaits them." Passing the morphing vampires, I added without turning around: "Take care of your 'chicks' for now."
Having filled my teras with mana, I began to press a "Force Retention" star into the stone floor. Having laid down the first body, I quickly began to create a complex structure of Death ats. Once finished, I critically examined the structure and, finding no flaws, activated it, filling it with mana. Back then, on the streets of Ishaksha, I had been distracted, and I hadn't seen the spell work. Now, however, I could observe it in all its glory.
It was like needles. The Death Ats, following an order unknown to me, pierced various points of the prone body. Having pierced it completely, the Ats froze and suddenly opened like flowers, releasing the mana with which they were charged into the air. A little frightened, I took a step back – any Power is dangerous, but for the living, especially the Death Power. The mana showed no sign of dissipating. Instead, it began to gather at a single point, roughly above the solar plexus of the body sprawled within the star. Gathering into a dense gray ball the size of a fingernail, it fell upon it easily and effortlessly. The opened Ats quickly retracted into the body. A moment later, the body shuddered and howled. The howl stopped as suddenly as it had begun. The revived higher vampire pushed off the floor with his hands and stood up, looking at me from under his hood.
"Are you obeying me?" My voice sounds a little muffled. I think I'm nervous...
- Yes. - That's who I could borrow confidence from.
– Do you remember who you were?
"Yes," the newly converted answered just as coldly.
- And despite this, you will still serve me?
– Yes.
- Take off the hood.
Another half-breed. Right now, it could only be determined by the different eye shape and facial structure. I wondered where the implanted control block was in this spell? And would it wear off when I reached the princely rank? I glanced sideways at the princess, who was vigorously instilling something into some light being. Most likely, it wouldn't, but how could I tell?
I pointed to the pile of bodies for the new convert and ordered:
- Drag the next body into the star and lay it down the way you were lying.
My vampire nodded and, grabbing the first corpse he came across by the leg, pulled it into the star. Behind me, I heard the sound of resounding slaps and Eirin's exasperated cries. Looks like she'll have a hard time with her brood... Hmm, vampires are light-hearted, aware of what's happened to them. I'm sure any Dark Eldar would be laughing their heads off at this miracle. My lips naturally stretched into a smile as I thought about it.
The following rituals were rather monotonous. I thought about further elevation of the higher vampires to princes and decided to hold off. If Eirin, a loyal Arir of my House, was showing his unruly nature, who knows what lurks in the minds of the former illithid slaves. The princess would control her "fledglings," and I would control mine... We'll see.
Lost in thought, I approached a pile of illithid bodies. One of them lay with its muzzle pressed to the floor. I poked its head with my toe. Hmm. A bone.
"Give me the dagger," I throw over my shoulder, extending my hand.
The hilt immediately fell into my hand. I don't carry weapons. Ordinary metal burns or melts. To withstand the elements, expensive alloys with solar silver—mithril—or lunar gold—adamant—are needed. My House, naturally, couldn't afford them. Mithril is worth the weight of pure gold, and adamantine is worth the weight of uncut diamonds... I overheard that yesterday, one of the marauding Tatretts found two kilogram ingots, each the size of a chocolate bar. So the high priestess who commanded that unit personally brought the loot to Eltruun. And this morning, Aeris practically danced around them...
Having plunged an unusually sharp dagger into the illithid's head, I began to cut away at its facial bone, wielding it like a can opener. For some reason, these oversized octopuses seemed to have an abnormal affinity for gold. Not platinum, or, say, gems or diamonds, but gold itself. Although, it seems, this is only abnormal for me. The Eldar simply lose their minds, looking at the enormous pile of gold items being dragged into our camp from half the city. When the carving of the faceplate was complete, a grin spread across my lips, as I remembered Arichitos, festooned with golden trinkets. I examined my creation for a long time, finally deciding that it would be quite good.
I was distracted by the touch of someone's fingers on my shoulder. Reluctantly tearing myself away from my needlework, I turned around and saw Tialin. She bowed her head respectfully.
- Master, we have discovered a large storage facility on the lower level.
I felt a huge relief.
- Capacity?
- About twenty million ergs.
I laughed quietly.
- Drag all the Eldar slaves you find to him...