POV Main

Diana had quarrel with this stoneless guy. He really looked bad. Seemed as he was on his edge. We all felt as Diana used magic. It was some kind of mix of [Will resonance] and [Flow bending]. It was powerful effect, but clearly she couldn’t control it well enough. People needed to move away from this guy, Matthew, or they felt part of the pressure, part of the blow. Dee was telling me, that it was flaw of the merge. Power was higher but control was lacking. He didn’t know if magic was mixed or if it was some special ability after merge.

After poor guy left, there was a moment of silence.

-= I’m sorry you needed to watch this. – Said Diana. – But our group is very special and we couldn’t help him anyway. Now, let’s sit and I will tell you, what can you do to free yourself.

-= What about this guy? – Someone said pointing Paladin.

-= Oh, he said that he will act as paladin to the end. If there will be some violence or conflict, you can ask him for help. But he will not help with curing you.

We sat at the big table. There were few people not from our group who were observing us, because of earlier quarrel, but nobody tried to say something. At the table talks was way more quiet.

-= To tell you truth, - Started Diana. – we know one way to help you with sleep deprivation problem. You must fully awaken your connection with stone. It’s that easy.

-= If it was that easy, you should write it down online. There must be catch, isn’t that truth? – Asked some guy.

Diana was silent. She was devotee, so she was not good at discussing things. She easily commanded others, but couldn’t truly talk with people. If she said anything about demons and possessions, we would have big problems. Luckily Diana didn’t say anything. It was Mirror voice to be heard.

-= There are some catches. We wanted to divide you into four groups of three and talk with you personally. There are some problems with telling you everything just now, because that story feels as some dark fairy tale. – She was nice talker. – I can tell you, that we all went through it. Even them, - She pointed on three level one guys. – already went through it. You can see, that very lately they were as you, living without proper sleep. Now they are all right, but it will take some time for signs of tiredness and lifelessness to disappear.

There were people nodding they heads. They wanted to sleep again.

-= But why didn’t anyone of you write it down? Why we are here? There is no sense in complicating it that much?

There was more of that kind of questions. Mirror looked as nice person, so people weren’t stopping themselves from telling without thinking.

-= We have our own interest. – I said to cut it short. – By helping you, we will get some advantages in our dark fairy tale quest. I can see some of you smiling. I assure you this is no smiling matter. There is ritual involved with few drops of blood and stone and it works.

I thought that I used very unpopular word – ritual. I could see that some wanted to ask more, but I didn’t want to discuss things.

-= I know that you have more questions. We can talk more later. It’s just that we really can help you with sleep deprivation. All of you can already feel that you are linked to your stones, otherwise you wouldn’t take them. Afterward, when we heal you, we can be each for himself. And I can tell you, that it won’t be all good and shiny, but it will be yours to decide, what to do. – I was always guy seeing bad sides of things. It meant, I was more honest that others usually. – Now you have no life because you have no sleep and you can’t decide anything.

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I stopped there. Vivaldi needed to have last word.

-= We were as you. We know, you will take this deal as this kind of living is unbearable. And it costs you nothing. I, for example, won’t answer your questions or take you by the hand. You want it, you get it, but as you pay me nothing personally, I’m not interested in your problems. My weaker colleagues want to be nice, I don’t care either. Let’s get over with this. Diana?

-= Ok people. Decide, if you want to do next step. You have quarter. You want no part, just leave.

People started talking between themselves. Each of us, higher levels, was trying to give them some space or just wasn’t interested.

POV Diana

This one guy wanted something from me. He came to me and waited for me to look at him.

-= Accidentally I saw this earlier guy, who you chased away, spying around pub. – He said.

I waited for him to speak more. He didn’t come here to just say that.

-= I can take care of him, but please don’t start grouping before I come back.

-= You must be quick and no violence is allowed against unpossessed. I will wait but not for long.

-= Thank you.

-= One more thing. Why did you care to ask me?

-= You’re the strongest. You organized this meeting. You chased him out.

I thought about his answers. That guy, I chased out was really there, I could feel him as I marked everybody here. Only Vivaldi’s marker was little indistinct. Vivaldi’s marking was weaker than mine.

-= Ok, go.

POV Main

It took little more than quarter to settle things. Nobody left in that time. We started to organize things. Each of us, higher levels, sat at a distance from each other. Diana was sitting with two level one, Vivaldi with one level one guy, Mirror with sister, and I alone. Level zero could choose to which group they wanted to go. If there was more than three to one patron, patron decided who stayed. Leftover would go to other patrons.

Quite fast Vivaldi and Mirror had one over quota. All four girls went to Mirror and her sister. Diana was ready few moments after them. There was little drama with choosing leftovers. That way I had one guy who chose me and two leftovers in set, one guy and one girl.

All were informed to take some sharp objects. After, according to plan, each group needed to find so peaceful, undisturbed place in park area and then do rituals. I promised to answer some questions.

We went to the benches near volleyball court. There was nobody there. I used light on my phone to look around.

-= You can ask me anything now. – I said after we sat comfortably. – I use alias Nameless. I know that I talked with some of you and you told me your names, but let’s present ourselves again.

There was Mike, Lynx and Anna. They were asking many questions.

-= How this ritual looks?

-= You use some of your blood on your stone. Enough to fill symbol, but don’t use it on symbols. – I answered.

-= Why not?

-= One symbol is adequate one. Second can hurt you. If you didn’t have dream, which one to choose, you better let it to the stone.

-= Do you know how it would hurt to choose wrong one.

-= Yes. It would shorten your lifespan. But don’t ask me how exactly. It’s some kind of curse I suppose.

-= Now that you told us, we can do ritual without you?

-= You can. It would make me angry. Besides it’s better to have some help around and option to see how it looks.

-= Are there any problems after?

-= Immediately or at all?

-= Immediately?

-= No problems. You will be cured from sleep deprivation.

-= And on longer run?

-= There are two kinds of problems. Firstly, you will strengthen your connection to stone, so you will have contact in dreams with consciousness hidden in stone, what can be little mind blowing. Probably it will make connection permanent. Secondly, your stone is similar to animal, predator. To feed it, you use meat.

-= It does not sound like a problem.

-= This entity in your stone have some knowledge, you would be tempted to get. But price is quite disturbing. You will see.

-= How to hold back temptation?

-= I don’t know. I didn’t held it back.

That one touched them.

-= You didn’t? You look fine and talk normally. Can’t see this disturbing price on you.

-= I found ways to pay it in a way, that didn’t hurt me much.

-= Are there some benefits then?

-= At some point of stone development you can get lot of money.

-= Really?

-= Yes.

-= You are not really sweet talking, but it seems that you are giving us lot of answers. You are nice to us, and we are random people. Why are you acting like that? – Asked Anna.

-= Well. I’m not the strongest. Diana and Vivaldi are the strongest. Diana is a menace. For now they can’t act against us. It seems, that there are some ancient stone rules. But people are smart and when they have advantage, they are able to find a way to use it in the end. I’m afraid that sooner or later there will be that kind of occurrence. Hopefully we can build strength through numbers to defend ourselves till then.

-= It sounded grim.

-= If you decide to be in my alliance, I prepared some welcoming gifts for you. But first you should awaken.