POV Main

I come back home and took double shower. It helped with the most of the stench. Then I went to sleep. In the morning I had two news. First, that Dee finished absorbing one snippet. Second, Diana send me private massage on communicator to call her on mobile phone.

Dee explained, that snippet was about effects his meals could provide. With each level of growth he would better digest his ritual food. Not digest in normal meaning, but Dee would be able to understand bio-machinery that created biological effects.

Different living beings use different solutions to be stronger, leaner, immune or resistant. Somehow Dee could feel biological factors, that was used and slowly mapped them. When some protein pathways was recorded and understood, Dee could implant them partly by mixtures or direct manipulation of host.

We are what we eat, there is a saying. Dee was closer to that, that any of us.

We discussed implications. Probably Dee could extract some biological abilities from his food. We started guessing, that it influenced, what kind of mixture or ability we would get after next growth period.

And there was info from Dee, that use of anti-stone liquid got rid of lot of Diana influence, but also hurt Dee’s growth. Earlier he was on the verge of leveling, now it seemed, there was quarter to go. We initially established plan for eating lot of octopuses and squids. That plan had little weak point, we were far from sea, so getting alive sea creatures had to manifest as hard to accomplish. Why we decided that? It was about regeneration ability.

Psychically I felt little tired and unwilling to call Diana. But I knew that, the faster I could resolve what was going on, the faster I could calmly do my things.

-= Hello. – I said when I heard that she picked up. – Here’s Nameless.

-= Listen Nameless or whatever you are really called, - She wasn’t one to calmly explain things. – I’m very disappointed.

-= Something’s happened?

-= You happened to get rid of my marking almost completely!

-= Yes?

-= And some of your group participants weakened markings too. It won’t be long before I lose track of them too! It’s your responsibility now, you shithead.

-= What responsibility?

-= If anyone of them tries to hurt Ahriman’s work, spreads info about us, I will make you responsible and make sure you will pay. Because you destroyed my monitoring system. And I know more or less, where you live.

-= Ok, ok, let’s be reasonable. I won’t be avoiding responsibility, if they act against us. We’re on the same page, riding on the same cart. I will help, if any of them would misbehave. Even if you wouldn’t track them, there would be many methods to get to them. But there needs to be limit to my responsibility.

-= What do you mean?

-= Well, we all have needs that can lead us to prison. I alone won’t take responsibility, if someone becomes public enemy number one due to being dumb.

-= All Ahriman’s Order will work in that situation, I assure you. – She said with fanatic fire among words.

-= Your markings would dissipate after week, so don’t make me sole responsible after that time passes. I will be glad to help even after week, if there would be troublesome situation, but I can’t be responsible alone.

-= Let it be known, - She said with strange intonation. – your first quest for Ahriman’s Order is to guard three of freshly possessed and punish them, if they misstep from our ways. Do you accept request?

What the fuck, I thought. Then I heard some noises. Our conversation since some point was on speaker. Perhaps Ahriman’s Order was in the making.

-= Yes, I accept.

-= So it’s arranged. – And she disconnected.

Cult was being made. I was starting to get allies, but she was stronger, faster and probably had more cultist in making. She even probably knew my neighborhood, as my living place.

She bended me to her will. I felt ugly with it. I meditated on sin of the weak. It’s their weakness. She knew I was weaker and was directing me in her play. Then I meditated on the sin of the strong. It’s their arrogance. She knew she was stronger and thought that I couldn’t do much.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Good thing, I already wanted to be in touch with these three. Bad thing, I felt that Diana was becoming pain in the ass. Oh and I needed to take note to memory, to change my living place.

POV Mike

After Anna recovered we had serious conversation with Lynx. He used anti-stone liquid before going to sleep. He drank it. It seemed that it helped a lot. He had longer and more detailed dream. His stone wanted more blood to strengthen connection and he didn’t hesitate. After he woke up in the middle of the night, he drained himself. He wasn’t shy in his explanations.

-= I can see it now. – He said. – I felt that them, the people with groups and Paladin were different, more real, more consistent. And now I feel more real too. Not on that level, but still it’s progress.

We didn’t understood him.

Still, we drank onion juice and went to sleep again.

In the morning we got massages, that Nameless could meet with us today, if we wanted to talk confidentially. He wrote, that Sunday should be better than other week days, and that he had some info.

We made an appointment in the afternoon at Domino’s Pizza.

POV Anna

After I recovered and we had talk with Lynx, I made decision. Before sleep I cut myself and pour some blood on my stone. I was shorter and weighted less than Lynx, so I couldn’t bleed much. I decided, that I will go that way, because I felt something too. Was it promise of power, longing, higher aim? I didn’t know, but I wanted to have it.

In the morning I knew that blood of others could be of use for my aim. It was very good, otherwise process of draining liter of blood would be very long for me. When I saw Lynx again we had that immediate, common understanding. Mike didn’t seem to notice. We were tempted, but waited to talk with Nameless.

POV Lynx

Mike was lagging behind us when we came to Domino’s. Nameless was at the table drinking tomato juice.

-= I ordered four pizzas. – He said when we were sitting. – My treat. You should enjoy yourself. How it was to sleep soundly for the first time since?

We looked at ourselves.

-= It was mystical feeling. – Someone said.

We were sitting at the table on the long corner. There was no people close to us and there was some music from radio.

-= Good, good. And you Mike?

-= I took it slow. It was extraordinary, but also disturbing. – Said Mike.

-= Right. So what’s your plans? Will you stay in War-Saw any longer?

We all wanted to go back to our parts of Poland. We would go in the evening or next morning, it depended also on this talk we had with Nameless in this moment. Nameless was dragging on talk about less important topics till pizzas were served. That was some fat, meaty pizzas.

-= Eat. – He said. – You need a lot to properly recover.

-= Thank you.

-= Let’s have ugly stuff done. – Said Nameless to himself rather than us. – Diana is organizing cult. Don’t smile, it’s serious matter. She was very angry in the morning, that I helped you weaken markers she put on you. Stop, stop, don’t ask, just eat.

We silenced ourself.

-= You won’t be recruited. Maybe she will try later. You shouldn’t join them. No, I won’t explain why. You will know naturally, when your stones will grow enough. – He paused. – She blackmailed me with her cultists as witnesses, that if you do something bad and get caught or act against them, I will be responsible too. Just for a week, then you can do anything.

-= We wouldn’t do anything against them. Why get involved with them, when we have our own mysteries? – I said. – Right? – Asking Mike and Anna. They nodded.

-= Good, just don’t kill anybody in War-Saw.

Mike laughed nervously.

-= You know Mike, - Nameless said. – I don’t know, if I should talk with this two or let you stay. If you want to stay steel your nerves and listen. – He looked at me and Anna. – You’re step ahead of Mike. I know it. Blood you need, you should know that you can use animal blood too. Stone would need more of it, than in normal case.

Mike was becoming pale.

-= There are two roads before you, if you want to develop. And Mike, if he chooses to not develop, is a third road.

-= We want do develop. – I said.

-= That I can see. – He nodded. – You can go by hand or by brain. By hand means you will become criminals sooner or later, but it’s easy road, till it will become hard. By brain means you will stay low and work hard to get things you need. It will be not easy, but with time you will create connections and blend into society. At the end economical system should even help you.

-= What do you mean?

-= You can see me. I’m not looking rich, but I have money thanks to stone ability. Seems like in no time you will be on level two, then we should talk again on this matter.

-= When you talk about brain road, could you tell us examples? – I asked.

-= Sure. There is a saying: You can’t have real love paid by money. Counter argument. How about you buy a dog? – Nobody laughed. – Or bunny? If you think about it, money, request with good reasons, smart combination, can help you. Blood is regrowing resource, don’t spill it needlessly.

Mike asked for time and went to the bathroom. We waited for few minutes and eat mostly in silence.

-= What about me? What will happen, if I won’t develop my stone? – Mike was back.

-= For now, your safe. But if there will be ritual to take over underdeveloped stone, they will come and kill you.

-= Why?

-= Because they’re cultists and on other hand nature abhors a vacuum.

-= I should defend by announcing them then.

-= I will show you something. Try NOT to kneel, even if I tell you to.

-= Ok.

-= KnEeL. – Nameless whispered strangely.

We observed as Mike kneeled, then even bowed with his forehead to the ground. I could feel something between them. I got goosebumps. Mike knelt for the minute then shook himself and sat.

-= What was that? – He asked weakly.

-= Magic that you get with your stone levels. – He thought for a moment. – I think, I should leave you and let you decide on your own. Your stones should become your primary source of information. When you’ll be on level two, I can talk again. If you will get in troubles contact me. Next time, I would like to have some interesting info from you too.

He gave us packages with money and notes and left paying the bill.

-= This Diana is stronger than him, isn’t she? – Asked Mike after some time.

-= Yeah, she bullied him.

-= Fuck.

There was some pizza on the table.