Chapter 3

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It's hard to get a Child.

To begin with, a vampire must find a person whose energy and, judging by the accumulated statistics, psyche are ready to accept the changes imposed. And a candidate who is perfect for one elder would not suit the other one at all. Then there is a period of preparation, during which the mortal is persuaded to accept the Dark Kiss. Celesta searched unsuccessfully for the romantic idiot who gave the name to the conversion process. She suspected her sister, but she stubbornly denied

authorship.

Is it possible to convert forcibly? Yes, absolutely. But the danger of getting a mad ghoul who hates his master is multiplied.

After rebirth, memory loses its depth and clarity, and memories begin to seem alien. The least fortunate have no past at all, they even forget their name. For the first three months, the Child needs the constant presence of the master - not necessarily close by, just enough to feel him close by and be able to run up and touch him if desired. The vampire larva sleeps a lot, often drinks blood, and ineptly tries to get into the mind of the converter and look at the world through his eyes. The Child is not able to separate itself from the master until he is thirty years old and thinks in terms of his categories, so it cannot be called a full-fledged personality. After thirty, there comes a peculiar period of adolescent rebellion, when the vampire rediscovers the world for himself and tests his ideas, forming his system of values.

A vampire finally becomes independent, passing from the category of children to the junior category, at about the age of fifty. He cannot yet withstand the rays of the sun, but he ceases to feel the depressing desire to be near the convertor and is able to leave him for an indefinite period of time. It's a long time to grow up, a very long time. Of course, vampires don't measure time the way mortals do, but for them, too, spending nearly half a century raising a chick is an ordeal.

Nevertheless, many agree to it. Maybe it's the instincts that drive even the undead to reproduce. Or maybe it is vanity, the desire to increase status - because only an older vampire is strong enough to bring a nestling to adulthood. I was not able to reject the banal desire to have a child of their own, to leave a descendant in case of death, or simply to find a faithful companion in eternity. In any case, the conversions happen often and do not cause a sensation.

What guided Medea to give Birth-to-the-Darkness (another term that infuriated Celesta) to the first of her chicks, she could not tell for herself. Perhaps it was "I want it"! She had Devlin in front of her, converted by Celesta, and the technique had been proven and free of growth ailments, so when she met a beggar with a delightful voice on the way to Zonna, the impetuous beauty saw a sign of fate and did not hesitate to do so. Then somewhat regretted and repented - the child was not a toy but caused a lot of problems to the creator. Her friend laughed, listening to her complaints, and claimed that now Medea understands what it was like for her. When the grown-up Valerie left her second mother for her travels, the relieved Mistress of Zonna swore never to create another chick again.

She had kept her oath for nearly three hundred years.

Of course, the city's vampires learned of the return of the Head of the Community the same day. The arrival of a dozen guardsmen, led by Messen Latham, a well-known figure in the inner hierarchy of society, gave more cause for gossip. What he was doing here, since he had never left the Mistress of the Night before, no one understood, so everyone was worried in advance.

Medea sensed her younger daughter's longing and joy, but the naughty girl showed resentment, and independence, and did not show up until the third night. It was when Celesta, having rested and thought over the events of the past two months, gathered herself to state the outcome of her reflections. So far only two, her sister and the captain of the guard. She would meet with the other Elders later. The will of the Mistress would be conveyed to the rank and file later, after discussions.

"M-mistress!"

The young vampiress's stupor looked amusing, though it was somewhat out of place.

"Hello, Fetista," Celesta smiled slightly as she sat in the chair by the fireplace. "Wait a moment. I'll finish talking to your mother, and then you can talk."

"Yes, Mistress!"

Nodding like a wooden dummy, the girl bowed and, at Medea's sign, walked out the door. To the very door, she had stormed through a dozen seconds before. Celesta shifted her mocking gaze to her friend:

"Do I seem to be avenged?"

"She's not always like that!" The singer lifted her chin. "She's just a little excited today."

"Oh, I don't insist that little Fetista change her line of behavior at all!" Mistress laughed. "Latham, stop frowning! You know very well that children can't control their impulses, especially when they haven't seen their parents for a long time. It's already good that Fetista listened to Egard and generally behaved decently. I am surprised at all, Medea, how you dared to leave her alone."

"I didn't see any other choice," her friend grimaced. "Zervan and his pack had to be dealt with as quickly as possible and taking her with us... It was safer in Zonna."

"Well, with Zervan your help wasn't needed, but then who knew?" Celesta shrugged philosophically. "We haven't learned how to read the future yet, though Vador is trying. Well, it's for the best, after all, given Chesta's experience. In any case, it will be a long time before you two are parted."

"Is it going to be a lot of work again?" Medea rolled her eyes dolefully. She didn't seem particularly displeased, though.

"Exactly."

"As I said before, the existence of the Seven Rivers in its current form does not suit me. Now, after requesting more detailed information from Lascaris, I will formulate it differently - it is unacceptable for us. Every century the number of rebels coming to our territory from the steppe increases. Sattar has managed so far, but the night is not far off when they will find a way to cross the border. And then what? We've been building relationships with humans for centuries. No matter how arrogant some young idiots may be, mortals are capable of destroying us - and they will if they get the chance. They don't touch us because they consider us a familiar and, most importantly, treaty-compliant evil."

"The emergence of bloodthirsty maniacs will destroy the established picture."

"Thus, the risens of the Seven Rivers must be destroyed. The problem is that it is impossible to destroy them. They are quite far away, and they have no unified leadership, but there is a passive but effective defense in the form of the steppe and subordinate barbarian tribes. Even if we manage to find a way to bring the expeditionary corps, the Guard and its assistants, into the Seven Rivers, the locals know the territory better and outnumber them. Much more! The mages cannot explain why there are still as many dead there as in the early years after the Plague, though in the rest of the world the number has dropped by hundreds of times."

"High casualties are inevitable, so we cannot fight. And we must fight."

"Ergo, it is up to the humans to fight. The mortals have the resources, and all that remains is to convince them that they, too, have the desire to destroy the nest of the servants of Evil."

"In what way?" Medea, who was listening attentively, asked with sincere interest. She adored everything unusual and therefore always actively participated in her sister's projects. "Being poorly versed in military affairs, I would hazard to assume that sending a thousand, even five thousand people is not enough here."

She threw a questioning glance at Latham. The aristocrat had successfully mastered the skill of very expressive silence, managing to convey his opinions to the petite sovereign without words. Now he sat there, his whole body radiating skepticism.

"With all due respect, Messena. Ventures of this kind are very difficult to carry out. An ordinary campaign to a neighboring country, against a familiar enemy, along long-established roads, requires a long organization and does not always succeed. Here we are talking about a long journey in a foreign land, surrounded by hostile steppe warriors, with an unclear goal with no tangible obvious benefit."

"It's beautifully phrased," Celesta saluted the cup. "I couldn't have done better."

"Yes, indeed, at first approximation the task seems impossible. However, if you look closely, it turns out that there is still a possibility. Only three things are needed for a successful campaign: money, people, and diplomatic cover."

"The first is the easiest to deal with. Gardoman complained more than once that trade through Lascaris had become considerably less profitable since the Seven Rivers gained strength. The steppe tribes still sell leather, horses, felt, buy wood, and blacksmiths - in short, nothing has changed in this segment. There are far fewer wagons coming from the other side of the continent, from the remnants of the great Zirhab empire. Attempts to reach the islands of civilization there by sea have repeatedly failed, so the overland route remains the only way for furs and tin to reach us. I remind you - we have no tin deposits, we have exhausted them! Previously, merchants bought spices and other goods from us, took the Great Route westwards, returned in two years, and made a good profit. A hundred years ago the route was cut. Now merchants either have to make a long detour, too, passing through not the nicest places, or hire guards who demand a lot of money."

"I am sure that the big trading houses will finance the campaign if they get guarantees of its success. We need to give them a clear justification, to convince them that the chances of a successful outcome of the venture are high."

"Now about the people. Sending an army against the monsters - any monsters - is pointless and guaranteed to result in heavy casualties. Certainly, soldiers can slaughter the mortal population of Seven Rivers, depriving the risens of their "foraging base," but that only means that they will become a new one themselves. And capturing slaves for breeding would not be difficult. The terrain there is very difficult, hilly, with lots of ravines and other hiding places, and the risens can play cat-and-mouse with the army to no end. No, the Holy Crusade should consist of priests, monks, and professional monster hunters. Or should we go with the Light Crusade? Well, we'll figure it out later."

"Hence, one must convince cults, orders, monasteries, and societies to send followers to war. Far away, without much sense. In a normal situation, I would say that it is a futile exercise, but in this case, several factors are at play on our side."

"First, we are talking about fanatics. In Taleya alone there is a large number of irreconcilable fighters against the Darkness, ready to go anywhere at the first call of the hierarchs. They will consider the Crusade as a form of service and will not be embarrassed by the hardships and difficulties, on the contrary, they will be pleased! And besides Taleya, there are also Lanaka, Blueness, and other countries that have enough active populations to trouble us. It would be nice to get rid of our enemies with other people's hands. Second, about "getting rid of". Far from always and everywhere, secular power is not happy with the strengthening of religious power. On the contrary, a confrontation between the two is inevitable. From the point of view of part of the bureaucracy and nobility, the removal of the Order's fighters or the monastic "holy warriors" can only be welcomed."

"It is necessary to act through the court parties, not associated with religious structures. It is necessary to interest them in the project of the Holy Crusade, and then they will take care of the direct organization. It will not be possible to ignore the aristocrats. First of all, I'm talking about the feudal prince of Lash, his city will be the main beneficiary in case of success."

"And finally, diplomatic support. We do not need the project to be derailed by another war between Taleya and Lanaka or Taleya and Blueness. The countries participating in the campaign should concentrate on one task, or at least feel confident that there is no threat of attack from their comrades-in-arms. Ideally, Taleya is the main driving force, while Blueness has troops on the border with the Azar Sultanate and Lanaka is at war with the Archipelago of Dragons. In other words, everyone is busy minding their own business and not thinking about breaking peace treaties."

"What else... Latham, you mentioned the Steppe people. I do not foresee difficulties with them - it is enough to explain to the chiefs that it will be about the restoration of the Great Path. Old men still remember how much the tribes earned on escorting the wagons, the grandchildren they will convince themselves."

Celesta was silent. The two risens waited, not daring to interrupt the leader's thoughts. Finally, deciding that this was enough reasoning for now, she stepped back from watching the flames in the fireplace and looked at the two... Who? Friends? Companions? Vassals?

"What is said now is nothing more than a preliminary outline. I want you to think about it, evaluate it, find the weaknesses, and tell me if it's worth continuing the discussion or if it makes sense to come up with something else. A better one."

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