POV retired policeman
When I got to Suvalkai, I contacted more important policemen there. They found ones, that were part of local hunters club. We strategized, that unofficial investigation with help of local authorities would be best way to catch criminals, if suspects were guilty. I would play retired cop, that wanted to move to Suvalkai and they would be showing me around.
Perhaps you are shocked, that they went with that plan. It’s part of specifics of Poland. Poland is one of safest countries, when you look at serious crimes statistics. We have here serial killers very, very rarely, and if we have them, they are kind of stupid and deranged, that they never became heroes of mass media. So, police forces usually have boring cases. They crave for thrilling medial case. I talk about officers. Normal policeman is more mental stable, as he or she goes through psychological tests regularly.
So, that evening I was on meeting in local hunter club. It wasn’t big meeting. It wasn’t season for big hunt yet and Suvalkai is called national pole of coldness, as this region have cold microclimate. Usually big meetings in hunters club take whole day or two, as there is hunt, and big feast after. Even if there is no much game hunted, some wild game is provided and baked. It differs from grill celebration, because roasting part if over live fire and beer isn’t traditional alcohol of hunters. Also people like to wear hunters suits, so it’s green there.
Smaller meetings, especially, when it’s cold, are organized indoors, by fireplace with chimney. I was patient one for all of my live. I was able to endure story telling time. I was new face, so seasoned hunters were boasting or just recalling interesting stories. Our suspect wasn’t present. I organized my own hunting tour into the forest. I took care to plan that tour in a way, that I would go through district, where suspect was usually hunting. It almost guaranteed, that I would meet him.
That was all important stuff, that happened that evening. They also had perfect range of meads. I almost didn’t have hangover following day.
POV Arthur
I got info, that candidate on my place was found. It had to be someone close to Unlimited Devas, as they wanted to go through some strange procedure during linking that person. I wasn’t happy with those preparations, but I complied.
I gave them my cursed stone, transported it to War-Saw. They would put it into cryogenic chamber during procedure. I needed to go to Boat city (Łódź), where neurologist was waiting for me in hospital. When I would be placed there, they would start procedure. They paid me fifty thousand after I sign document, that bio-stone rights were transferred. Another fifty thousand I would get after we would be done. It was very important for them to have documents, that I resigned or sold ownership and, that I wouldn’t sue them or publicly tell people about my story. I didn’t understand point of all of that, as I was the one wanting stone to vanish. I did, what I was told.
Neurologist even ask me to put on my head net with sensors, before we started. They were recording my brain reaction. There was reaction. I was losing consciousness and recovering in waves. I felt like I had concussion. I didn’t remembered everything. They said, it took two hours, before I was back. I remembered about ten minutes of struggles. I had monster headache after. Neurologist ordered me to stay for day in hospital for observation. I smelled of onion and was drenched in some nasty smelling liquid. Perhaps it was sign of curse living my body. I shook, when I had thought, how deeply curse penetrated my body to make that kind of effect.
That night, when I stayed in hospital, I didn’t wake up and cry. I woke up and laughed hysterically. I knew, that that meant, that some mental harm was done to me. Perhaps it was just lingering, maybe it was permanent. It was lot better than crying, I told myself.
In the following day some tests and examinations were done on me. Neurologist wanted me to stay longer. I sign out, went out at my own request. I got fifty thousand. I was feeling hazy, but also strong enough to live my own life. Neurologist left me his phone number.
I felt free. I felt grateful. I went to church to thank god for this grace. I sat down on bench inside cathedra. I looked on altar and pictures around. I felt presence of cursed stone there. Not my cursed stone. It was, as church was sacred place owned by stone and built for stone. I started to shaking. Some priest asked me, if I was ok, when I was leaving. I didn’t need his help. I felt better outside.
I was afraid to go back to my home. I was convinced somehow, that I would feel stone presence there. I decided to go on a trip to the sea, as I had money. I was afraid to go alone, so I bought some team trip.
At following night I wasn’t crying or smiling. I was feeling anxious. I was feeling alone, as I lost something important. But I couldn’t cry.
POV Diana
I was recruited to Church of Ashen Moon. It wasn’t organization started in Poland. There was no church started in Poland, that grew and became known, ever. Even pagan celebrations described in book Ancestors by Mickiewicz wasn’t enough to call them sect doing. It was best I could get in this country of prosaic people.
It was church of eastern origin. They believed, that in old times civilization on Earth was created by survivors from catastrophe, that ended life on the moon. Somehow it meant, that women were more important in church than men.
I knew from moment I went there, that this peace loving, goofy, doing nothing lifestyle were getting on my nerves. I calmed myself down, because I knew, that all things had it own ugly side. This church surely had it too. I just needed to find it.
POV Adam
Uncle was getting back to his old self. He started to talk with me more and with more friendly tone. Somehow he got all his problems resolved. I asked him few times, how he did it. He didn’t answer, till after some good day, in Sunday afternoon, when one could feel, that spring pushed out winter, he told me his secret. He made pact with Unlimited Devas.
-= I didn’t want to tell you, - He said. – as you liked Diana very much.
I was very angry. Unlimited Devas were second, after Vivaldi, topic that made me very angry.
-= You benefited from it too. They provided some bodies lately. – He continued.
-= Don’t you ever dare to give me bodies they provide! – I said with thread in my voice.
-= Beggars can’t choose. You didn’t work for yourself lately.
-= I will. – I needed time to recover after Diana left. I couldn’t tell him that.
-= They also provided me with their protection.
-= And you are paying them for that. Do you?
-= Yes. We need protection.
-= They’re scamming you, you know.
-= No, they’re not. They even left me with special artifact, that can defeat and chain after Vivaldi or Diana. Unlimited Devas worked hard together to make it. There are only three available.
-= It’s impossible to defeat Vivaldi or Diana just like that. They are milking you for your money.
-= No, no. You said it to me, that when they were fighting in group, they were able to stun and throw away Diana.
-= Yes, but Diana didn’t lost.
-= But if they added chaining part to their magic, she would be trapped after being stunned. Isn’t it possible?
-= Diana would never lose to them. – I almost screamed.
Uncle, seeing that I was reacting hard, changed topic. We talked about lighter topics. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about that artifact.
-= You know uncle, - I said after some pause in conversation. – can I see this artifact? If there is enchanted magic, maybe we could learn it.
-= Yeah, I too thought about it. I couldn’t do much with it. You can’t learn magic from it.
-= Maybe I will be able to spot something.
-= I don’t know. They told me, to hold it in secret.
-= They didn’t want you to learn magic, it’s obvious.
-= I can show you, but then you have to do some things for me, things you don’t like.
-= Ok, ok, as long as it won’t involve Devas or Vivaldi, I’ll do it.
He thought for a minute.
-= Wait for me here. I don’t want you to know, where I hid it.
I waited half an hour. Uncle came back with big book made of steel. Covers were smithed in complicated patterns. Book was closed by strange lock. Patterns were done from black, steel and silvery metal. It was big for a book, long from wrist to elbow and almost same wide. Also thick.
-= Can you open it? – I asked.
-= Opening it will release magic. I can’t do it, because then they need to recharge it. Sorry.
I tried to feel magic inside. I even asked Tree, if he felt anything. It couldn’t. Uncle took back magic book after some time. I couldn’t sleep calmly that night.
I wrote to Diana. She didn’t respond. I wrote many times. Then, I described situation and artifact to Diana. I was afraid to do that, because someone could intercept data and blackmail me against uncle then, but I was desperate. In the meantime, I was doing odd jobs to uncle, as I promised him.
Diana responded. She wanted artifact. I denied her, as it would hurt my uncle. She pressed and pressed, then I agreed to help her.
I stole book. I left Tree, my seed, with my uncle. I went to meeting point. She wanted to meet at Green Mountain city. I got there in eight hours. My uncle phone me many times, but I didn’t answer.
Diana ordered me to go with complicated route, as she was checking, if somebody followed me. I told her, that I didn’t tell anybody, but she was suspicious. After another two hours of mainly me walking around, we met.
She was wearing some strange costume. She didn’t waste time on talking with me. I wanted to tell her so many things. She took book from me. She looked at it with awareness. Check it with different ways. She tried to open it. I started to complain, tried to stop her. She pushed me hard.
-= Sit there dog and don’t move. – She stated coldly.
I couldn’t stay silent.
-= Why Diana, why? I would do everything for you and Ahriman’s Order. Why?
-= Shut up.
She started destroying lock with her strength.
-= Watch out, it can hurt you!
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
She stopped. She came to me and punched me hard in the face.
-= You say one more word and I will break your legs. – She threatened.
I stayed silent. I had plan to jump and safe her, when book would open. It didn’t went that way. Metal book broke, but not at lock, but at part where Diana was using counter force. We saw lot of electronics there. Book was bugged.
Diana howled.
-= You failed me! – It was, as she sentenced me then and there.
-= I wanted to help! – Tears were falling from my face.
-= I brainwashed you completely and still I have more troubles with you than benefits.
Then she broke my legs and left. I was asking why during that painful process. She told me, that she just done, what she promised. She kicked me in the stomach as a bonus.
I was lying in bushes, where we met. I felt, that I should die. So I did nothing, just lie there. I felt some pain in my legs, but psychical pain numbed physical pain. I could stay there to the end of time.
Then they came. Three from Unlimited Devas, two girls, one man, and uncle.
-= I’m sorry uncle. – I said.
-= Yeah, you should be. You disappointed me. Where’s Diana?
-= She left. – I showed direction with my hand.
-= What should we done with him? – Asked man, Sith, as I was not there.
-= He’s good boy, just lost. – Said uncle.
-= You should punish him, as he hurt you. – Said one of girls.
-= We won’t take him, if you don’t punish him. – Said another girl.
-= Is there other way? – Asked uncle.
-= If you’re too weak, I can do it for you. – Said Sith.
-= No, if he should be punished, I must do it.
He came closer to me. He had tears in his eyes. He shot me with lightning from his hand. My muscles contracted. I couldn’t take breath for a minute or more. Pain, physical pain overcome psychical numbness. I squeaked as pig.
-= Now we can take him. – Said one of girls.
And they took me. They had some van. We went back toward War-Saw. They talked as I was not there. I gathered myself together and asked.
-= You used me, didn’t you?
-= Did we? How? – Man answer with question against my question.
-= You set me up.
-= Did we? I think, that you just accused me, that I made you betray your uncle.
-= No, you talk about different matter.
-= Shut up, you piece of shit! I’m not your uncle and I wouldn’t pretend that you are mentally disabled! You betrayed your own uncle, who tried to help you, isn’t that right?
-= You set me up!
-= What was first?
-= You made setup first.
-= We did. But it shouldn’t work. Answer me this one question or I will throw you out of this car. Who asked you to betray your uncle?
There was this kind of seriousness in the air. Even uncle was silent. Perhaps they would throw him out, if he said something at that moment.
-= Diana. – I said weakly.
Something changed. Sith asked next question with lot less aggression.
-= Who broke your legs?
-= Diana.
-= Did she accused you of betrayal?
-= No. She was just angry, that book was hoax.
I felt tired. There was some river in me, that broke dam. Feeling of tiredness submerged me.
-= Maybe he can be people again. – I heard before I fell asleep.
POV Paladin
There were other attempts to kill me. I heard that people got hundred thousand for each shot that even grazed me. Some of them were shooting almost blindly and were running immediately after. It was very hard to get them.
In retaliation I raided squares that belonged to them. I injured some of their friends. Hopefully it would deter them.
My boss provided me with some safe places. They were not so safe, as criminals were selling each other on daily basis. I was sold too. I got that feeling, that soil was burning under my feet. I tried to run from Poland by sailing Baltic sea, but they were already waiting at my ship. I knew since then, that we had mole in our mafia.
I became desperate. There were lot of time till tourist season would start at Baltic sea. I rented house by the sea. It was too cold and humid there, but I buried myself there. I spent my time there. I was hardly going outside. If not for Curse, my stone, I would be able to stay there in complete hiding. I only talked with Boss by phone. I was waiting, till storm would end.
POV Coal
I always wanted to travel. For starters I was traveling around Poland. Poland, in my opinion, have every possible places except of tropical beaches. But with help of Asian economy, we will have those places too. I’m joking about warming of climate. Probably.
I became person with money, but without direction. Before times of Unlimited Devas I was kind of poor. I worked hard to be able to start studying. I was already relegated. I kind of supported my family from distance, but didn’t want to involve them in altar or bio-stone madness. I could feel, that there was lot of darkness in my altar. I saw, that few people from our company could go around it, rest were following them. I appreciated them. That was the reason, I stayed and worked with them. I just didn’t like what our bio-stones could do. How they already influenced us. I chose to slow down growth of my bio-stone with freezing sessions. En told me arguments against it, but I took risk. To tell you the truth, most of the risk came from bullies like Diana or Vivaldi. I was already trying to localize them.
It was personal before, as Diana humiliated me and her Order was doing things in worst possible way. But when we stopped Diana and Order fell, I lost that personal vengeance. Still, I helped as we didn’t win completely. Just I felt, that there won’t be complete victory, like ever. Some people just were on road without return. They would die by accident or destroy themselves, when they would loose control completely. We couldn’t change them. Some, maybe, could be changed. It just wasn’t personal anymore. I had that thought, that if we were model, ideals, by which entities in altars were building personalities, then some bio-stones would become fucked up. What could we do with wicked ones. We could only build cordon around them. If we even could do that. My adrenaline was jumping high, when I thought about such topics.
I knew that En and probably others had their own theories, what would become from all of that, but I wanted to wait. Probably life would show us some surprises, probably bitter ones.
I had lot of time to think. I mainly gathered bodies from morgues or was searching for stray hosts. I liked to travel by car or in a train, when there was no time pressure. It was somehow fulfilling in itself.
Then, one day, when I was watching beautiful views of north east Poland I felt presence of altar. I did some riding around and I felt second. It was Diana and someone or Vivaldi with Kirk. Bio-stones were too close to each other, so their hosts cooperated. Any other scenario would be big scandal in my eyes.
I was in land of lakes and I would gladly spend more time here. I contacted Devas and we agreed, that I should identify, who lived there. They had second thoughts due to safety reasons as I was alone, but I didn’t want to wait for another. I felt adventure in the air.
But first I went for sightseeing. It wasn’t season, so many tourist attraction were closed. Still, many people were able to sail in cold water, so city of Suvalkai wasn’t empty of wanderers. I got some tour friends as it was more cheerful to walk together. I got some aura, that repelled people, but we didn’t stay close for long, so they managed. I even thought, that all hosts had that aura. Maybe not all. I even was invited to play bridge in the evening, which I did. They taught me, how to play. It was more about talk, than cards.
POV Beria
I got my own squat. There was rule to cooperate with other squats, so I did. But people that stayed in my squat, went through mine selection. They needed to be leftist, socialists or communists. Anarchists, which were popular in Poland at that time, weren’t welcome. People were ashamed of things communists and socialists done, so they identify themselves as anarchists. I wanted to have there people like me. We knew, that communism always in history became, in each of its separate case, menace for people it was build upon, but we believed, that we could do it better.
I went for politics. I wouldn’t go for elections, but wanted to be recognizable in radical left society. So, I even organized some meetings, events, where we discussed, how to change Poland for the better. I avoided any talks that were about war on Ukraine. There were many other socialist topics, as money for poor and oppression of rich people. We discussed, how we would oppress rich people, when we would win political power. Discussing how rich people oppressed us at the moment generated much of negativity. Socialist movement at its beginnings, were mainly about that negativity. But at that moment people in Poland lived statistically good lives. We couldn’t convince them for revolution. We were showing ourselves as big victims of system to remember, to feel in guts, what old, big revolutions were about.
In fact, I knew that at that time most of leftists were failures of human being. At least in Poland, as we had traditions of helping each other due to our history. I wanted to get more people like me, who had resentment in their veins.
I wasn’t from poor family, nor did my life was destroyed by shady actions of capitalists. I was bane for myself. I had brutal and unforgiving character. There was time, when my parents used best psychologists, they could hire, to change that. All they achieved was, that they knew after years, that character people get was part of statistical normal distribution. Main numbers of people are ordinary. Some, like me, had extraordinary traits. It was always bad for those extraordinary individuals. Some had it little better, as neurosis could made artist great or often pushed him to suicide. Problem solved anyway. I had it rough, as my dream path of career was captain of crusade in middle ages. But you can’t change, what you can’t change. In the end I joined available crusade.
Some talkers I invited weren’t good. I thought they would see world as I saw it, but they didn’t. It was Ukrainian war fault. We were avoiding calling it Russian war, because we were Russian socks in our souls. Still, some told people, that violence and destruction wasn’t good way. I was boiling inside, when I heard those talkers. At first I used [Will resonance] during talks, but it just disoriented them at best. They really believed in what they were telling. Then I found another way.
My squat wasn’t best decorated place. Diana took money with herself and before she left, we didn’t do much. I thought that around hundred thousand would let me redecorate those rooms, that were in good shape and also fix main problems. For example illumination was lacking. There was lot of shadows in the evening.
When talker was irritating to me, I tried to send him impression of threat through [Will resonance]. As if someone was standing behind him waiting for a moment of inattention to decapitate him. Sometimes it was assassin marking where was heart in the back of talker. I even imagined personas from horror movies. It helped me pass those fuckers talks.
Then it worked. Some girl panicked, because she felt, that shadows were jumping on her. She couldn’t calm down and left immediately. Then it didn’t work for some time. Until I understood, that shadows were main factor and vanished additional lamp people were using. Few more neuter talkers later I got ability. It was [Will resonance] minor offensive illusions of shadows. It told me a lot. Some people didn’t panicked after my use of that ability. They had problem with attention after use, as it was in human nature, to react with additional attention to shady places. Most of people was afraid of darkness during their childhood, but for many fear disappeared with age. Others vanished darkness from theirs surroundings.
I wondered, if I could use that ability in a way that shadows would grow bigger in other places, than someone back, corner of eye. It worked. Each shadow I chose seemed to spill over in vision of person I use ability on. It wasn’t big spill over, but when I was in shadow it helped me to hide there. Still, I was clearly visible on cameras. It only worked on that person, brain of that person.
It helped me a lot with another task I was doing. I was killing successful people I could get to. Success meant different things for different people. For me it was better car or better house or obvious prosperity for money. Even better look was enough to act for me in special cases. Normally better look was linked to better clothes and better romantic relationship. It was enough to get to my list of possible victims.
But it’s lot harder to kill successful person, than ordinary person. For starters I didn’t look as successful person, so they were staying clear of me in nearby area. Really. I noticed, that they were evading people, that looked less than normal. I should get some prize for that. They disdained people two levels below them. Of course if they needed something, some help, they would talk to me.
For example there was that action, when I scratched some rich guy’s auto. I stayed nearby. He went out and saw destroyed side of car. He came quickly to ask, if I saw who did it and could I be witness. I killed him on the spot.
But some? Sometimes I pretended to be hurt. Only one came to help, but he was with his wife, so I even didn’t know, if it was honest or because of wife presence.
Since I got ability, I stood in twilight and waited for rich victim. If victim was alone, it had no chances. I attacked when person was passing by arm distance unable to see me. I mainly killed rich, rather older man. There wasn’t so many of them, as I hunt only, when Sy became hungry. I changed places, so missing people couldn’t be linked in some way. It was still risky business. Oh, they almost always had lot of money in wallets. It was very strange in times of credit cards.
POV Tom, pharmacy industry
There was lot of pressure to buy me out. I started to think, that I should take those millions and retire. But then I felt, that there would be more money in that industry as long as those guys would provide products. Few millions at the moment or hundreds thousand of thousands later. I chose later.
I really needed to meet with Nameless and talk over some stuff. When I would refuse their offer officially, they would hit directly to him. They would find him. He was rather poor guy by my standards, so I needed to convinced him, that few millions at the moment is worth less, than multum millions later.
How should I convinced him? Maybe I should invite him to Suntago at War-Saw and take care about some nice women company. It should work for him, as it worked for doctors. Water amusement park as Santago had enough attractions to loose his guard. I needed to ask son, what kind of women he liked. I always could take Eva and Violet from sales division of company, as they liked that kind of attractions and younger men too.
Then we should go for a dinner to befriended manor house restaurant with beautiful rooms for guests. It wasn’t cheap, but worth it. I thought, who I should take for myself. Problem was, that my woman shouldn’t be visually too good in comparison to girls I would got for him. Maybe if he would get two, he wouldn’t mind it. No. no. no, it was wrong way of thinking. What if he would choose only one or start to hit to mine? Two girls would be prepared for him and one for me. I would take some of my more modest female friends. I could meet with crop of the cream at another date. Maybe I should take three for him? But that is not normal to have strength for three in bad. He could felt humiliated after.
I stopped thinking about it, as my mind was coming back to cream of the cream, great rocket and her unparalleled skills in bad. I felt urge. I had problem, because I wouldn’t share her so I couldn’t take her. Her breast was messing in my head. Memory of her breast. Her movements. Oh.
My phone ringed. I was in the middle of work. I got myself together. Selling division had some problem with last product. Salesman and saleswoman complained, that it was too difficult and would prevent them from getting bonuses for high sales. I knew it would. They didn’t know it good enough yet. I was needed to tell them, that I cared about them, as important person in company. I would even let them do some minor changes in plans. They would feel better then. I would have them out of my head then.
I could get back to my beauty then. Still, I should note, that I need to call Tony. What if Nameless didn’t like woman or had some kinks there? Better to be sure than sorry.