Chapter 2

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Everyone in power does not like fanatics, and at the same time uses them. It persecutes them in its own country, executes or imprisons them on various pretexts, allocates funds for ideological propaganda, and directs some of its intelligence services to counter them. Exactly the opposite is the case with hostile states. It provides money, arms, literature to the self-appointed prophets and their adherents, helps them to establish ties with the top of the opposition, warns them about possible raids by the guards or fellow-security agents. At the same time, the danger posed by extremists should not be forgotten. Fanatics were, are, and will be a disposable weapon, and they must be disposed of as soon as they are no longer needed.

Irhaem the Unholy, or, according to supporters, Irhaem the Blessed, was not like most of the other "teachers" who called for the worship of the darker aspects of Morvan the Destroyer to achieve earthly goods. He was intelligent, came from a noble family, was well educated, had studied magic under experienced mentors at the Academy, and could have made a good career in public service regardless of his chosen path - whether military or civilian. But he ignored the prospect of becoming a naval commander or a high-ranking official, and chose to fall into mysticism, consorted with the city's Morvan worshippers, and in time gained a reputation as one of their most insidious and cruel leaders. Of course, he knew Celesta. The Night Mistress of Taleya regarded the cultists as something of personal property, used them as needed, and certainly kept a close eye on the leaders' actions. She supported the obedient ones, got rid of the recalcitrant ones in various ways.

Irhaim seemed at first to be a very valuable asset. In addition to his personal qualities, courage, and charisma, he had a wide circle of acquaintances among the "golden youth," and his high background provided him with open doors in the houses of the nobility. With his help, free or accidental, the risen created several convenient channels through which they obtained a variety of valuable information about both the enemies and the plans of their immediate superiors. Unfortunately, the idyll did not last long. The proud servant of darkness lost his sense of proportion, committed a number of improper acts, and, eventually, drew too much attention of the Security Service by his actions. It was one thing for bored youths to tickle the nerves with a little forbidden sorcery or soft drugs, but the reaction was quite different when that same group of young fools robbed a noblewoman of her innocence on Morvan's altar and killed her inadvertently as well. The scandal broke out big and it could not be hushed up completely.

As a result, gray heads went flying, fathers paid for their children's antics with their careers and high positions. Few were arrested, but a wave of accidents swept through the families involved, some were assigned to remote places and went to distant borders with their relatives. Irhaim, however, managed to escape. He was indeed clever and had a good grasp of the political realities of life. In Bardi, a neighboring principality to Taleya, the feudal lords were fighting each other to the death, tearing apart not the weakest country, and a man with a cruel and cynical view of the world could easily find a patron here. Especially if he brought to the attention of the right people in advance that he understood, realized, repented, and was ready to prove his loyalty by any available means.

The "spiders" that received the message did not pin much hope on the fugitive, but they called off the hunt - what if he really brought something valuable? As a result, Irhaim found himself in foreign territory, without money, with few loyal associates, and pursued by the mercenaries of noble clans, who were still eager to see his head in the mud in the cattle yard. The fact that in a short time he was able to gain the trust of several powerful men is evidence of real talent. Shamelessly flattering and using his knowledge of magic, the servant of Morvan skillfully maneuvered between the warring factions, building up his sect and gaining influence in the process.

It is not known to what extent he would have been able to subdue the local worshippers of the Darkness had it not been for Celesta's intervention. An intervention coming in a few minutes, to be more definite. Not very pleasant, but necessary.

A leader shouldn't do anything with his hands at all. He should analyze the situation, make decisions and give orders, not wave his sword. He has servants for that. And the fact that I have to personally carry out some of the operations shows my weakness. Being involved in demonstration actions means that I have few strong and faithful servants, for one. And it also means that I have to constantly demonstrate my strength to all sorts of rats, who otherwise would certainly try to get rid of my tutelage and throw off my power. That is, to destroy everything I have built up over three hundred years. Never. Should I write a Code of Laws? Like a Constitution and a penal code under one cover?

The leader of the Risen wanted to finish off the over-active preacher for several reasons. First, he had betrayed her. Before he fled, he gave up some very valuable contacts to the "spiders" and told them about a couple of stocks that people weren't supposed to know about. Because of this scoundrel's initiative, she endured extremely unpleasant minutes in the office of the current head of the Security Service and was forced to give up the bounty she had received. Great fortune, Celesta thought again, that the Spiders are now headed by a wretch Laar. No one else would be paid off with the money. The deceased Kardeh would have taken the whole network, and punished the undead who disobeyed his orders in an atrocious way. Still, some valuable agents were lost, some operations had to be shut down, and the risen themselves were under the close supervision of security for six months.

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The second reason the priest had to die was ideological. Celesta worked hard to make sure that fanatics of all stripes knew for sure: the vampires were the first of Morvan's earthly servants. The undead makes the final decision on any matter relating to the performance of rituals, the admission of newcomers to the sect, the timing and type of sacrifice, and in general everything related to the worship of a dark deity. Irhaim considered himself sufficiently privy to the mysteries of Darkness to attempt to break the vampires' monopoly on spiritual power. Since he was indeed an extraordinary individual, his attempt might succeed as his authority grew. Celesta could not allow that to happen.

She was aware that sooner or later the risen and the Morvan worshippers would part ways. Keeping the willful fanatics in check required a lot of effort, and one day most of their sects would have to be let go to "free sailing". So if Irhaim had escaped not to the northern principalities, but the opposite shore of the sea, for example, she would not have pursued him. Why? She had no personal hatred for him, and the fugitive could not interfere with her plans from afar. However, for a new place of residence, he chose the principality, twenty years ago, in the orbit of the interests of the Night Mistress of Taleya, and that decided his fate.

The local risen did not yet accept Celesta's authority, but in the near future, she planned to change the situation she was dissatisfied with. The emergence of an intelligent, ambitious, and independent player was not what she needed. Bardi was not the largest state of the conglomerate of mountain principalities, but it was considered key due to its strategic position and the presence of iron mines. The others - Desio, Gondi, Kiji, and others - were either economically or geographically dependent on this natural center of the region. If the undead Bardi were to submit to Celesta, the surrounding communities would also have to recognize her authority sooner or later.

And the last reason was the desire to impress the local undead. It was for that reason that the mistress now stood in the center of the small crowd, wrapped in her cloak, preparing to intervene in the smoothly unfolding worship service. Sneaking into the gathering was quite easy. Latham and Hatsu, the most authoritative of the Bardi risen, stood motionless beside her. The former was here in case of possible excesses, Hatsu she had invited out of a desire to demonstrate her power and abilities. The Bardi vampires had almost no magic or connections in high places, which had already set their teeth on the new Morvanite leader. If Celeste could destroy the sorcerer - of which she did not doubt at all - and bring the sect into submission, her plans for increasing her holdings would be greatly simplified. In addition, the resources of the Security Service would allow her to put pressure on the aristocrats who patronized Irheim and soften their reaction. Also a weighty argument for the locals...

It's time, she decided.

"Oh, Lord!" cried Irhaim, lifting the dark cross. "Hear your servant! We bring you..."

Like a gust of cold wind whipped through the crowd, the living recoiled from the hooded undead. Celesta smiled grimly and promisingly at the pale sorcerer: "I don't think our Lord needs your gifts, Irhaim."

Smoothly and swiftly she ascended the altar, cast a brief glance at the people. Perfect. They're still reeling from the induced fear, they're confused and frightened. It's about time for a small spectacle.

"You have greatly disappointed him with what you have done." Celesta caught the mortal's gaze and mentally pressed. "He doesn't like to see his servants betrayed. He doesn't like to see them in the cellars of the "spiders" or on the executioner's scaffold. Our father is very, very unhappy with you..."

She had almost literally just been fed by two people at once and was not lacking in power. Besides, she was older, had been perfecting her skills for longer, and felt no fear or confusion, unlike her enemy. Therefore, she won the duel of will without much difficulty. Irhaim was a talented mage... But not talented enough to deal with the old undead.

"But you can still undo the mistakes you've made, Irhaim," Celesta continued in a tender, mesmerizing voice, without taking her eyes off the trance-laden mortal. "You can regain Morvan's favor. Isn't that what you want?"

The crowd below listened intently, afraid to miss the slightest detail of what was happening. Though the risen concentrated on suppressing the mage, those around her suffered as well, both from the mental echoes and simply from the enchanting, properly modulated sounds. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the fanatics' mouths open and their eyes no longer blinking.

"Yes..."

The crowd exhaled in unison and moved closer, close to the dais.

"Are you willing to make a great sacrifice to him?"

"Yes..."

"Take the knife, Irhaim. You have been bestowed a great honor!"

The main thing now is not to lose contact. Everything was going fine until that moment, but it is extremely difficult to fight the instinct of self-preservation. You cannot, for example, suggest that a person kill himself, there are a thousand other little things that must also be taken into account. Even with preparation, timing, pre-selected keys to the enemy's amulets, and the support of the subordinate crowd, dealing with a wizard is no easy matter.

"Take hold of the handle with both hands and point it away from you, Irhaim. That's good. Now pull it toward you, hard." The fanatics made a sound that sounded a lot like a moan of ecstasy, but Celesta wasn't finished. "Take the heart out of the incision... Take the great gift to our Lord! That's it, well done..."

The mortal stood with his heart in his outstretched hand. Stupefied men raged below, eagerly placing their hands, and the lucky few, their mouths, under the drips of blood that flowed from the dais. The risen retreated slightly, trying to distance herself from the tantalizing scent. The brief confrontation had exhausted her more than the hours-long battle with an armed adversary. Unfortunately, she needed to consolidate her success.

"Behold, servants of the great Lord!" She snatched the heart and threw it down; there was an immediate crush in the crowd. Irhaim fell, but she was no longer interested in him. "The faithful servant had redeemed himself! Blessed are you henceforth by Morvan, and enveloped in his affection!"

That's it. All she had to do was introduce Hatsu as the new leader of the sect, and she could leave quietly. Her recent feeling of power was gone, her hunger growing stronger and stronger by the second. She needed blood urgently, and if she didn't feed... She had to hold on.

She must!

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