Бесплатный фрагмент - Siberian Light Mages: Chupacabra died on the Oka River (Story two).

STORY TWO

«CHUPACABRA DIED ON THE OCA»

P r e f e r e w o r d

Here is what I write in my diary again:

There is a river called Oka in the Irkutsk region. There are many villages and towns near it. There are many wonders in these parts, but there are also some that locals can’t tell everyone about.

In the distant past, Siberia was a place of exile, and now it is a «gold mine for those coming from big cities,» as the older generations gossip. The gold turns out to be counterfeit — sometimes you can’t even buy bread for it. Those who are disappointed in life and career live here, so they go to the wilderness — beyond the Urals, leaving everything for money.They especially strive to get to the Irkutsk region, where winters are truly terrible frosts. Summers are rainy or dry. The reason for this is not the fact that they built a lot of dams, but something completely different.

The Oka River… It is about one thousand five hundred kilometers long. This river can tell us a lot. Which I will do in this diary.

Irkutsk Region… Here, unbelief, ignorance, violence and cruelty rule. It is enough to open the history of this place — take at least Bratsk. There, love is replaced by debauchery, even worse — at the so-called «parties» entertainment is valued first and foremost bad type, yes friends, and only then the future and the beloved girl. If she begs her beloved to go out with her too — and not just with friends — the guy immediately goes to his friends, dumps her. When I heard about this in January 2005, my blood ran cold. Here it is, a terrible example of heartlessness — falling in love here is very dangerous. If you like someone, you better bite the bullet, don’t go to punks or flats. Anywhere where dubious characters gather. The punks here aren’t punks at all: they’re people posing as them. These are mostly Dark Ones. Here’s an insert about Bratsk and its suburbs. Aren’t you scared yet? Then read on.

This time I want to tell you about a small village. But first, I need to delve into its past. SO, NOW SIT DOWN AND STUDY MY NOTES.

PROLOGUE

YEAR 1978 one thousand nine hundred and seventy eight

SUMMER

July. The mother of two children sat on the porch, washing clothes. If she managed to tear herself away from work and raise her head, a wonderful landscape spread out before her eyes. The huge Oka River quietly babbled. Somewhere near Tulun, the Iya River flows. Life there is almost as wonderful. It is very nice to live outside the city, or even far away from cities where there is no stench and odor, because there BRAZ (Bratsk Aluminum Plant) constantly spews smoke from its scandalously famous chimneys.

Two children were frolicking next to the woman — a boy and a girl. They were almost the same age: the girl was ten years old, and the boy was not even seven. They laughed and giggled, running near a large two-story hut. If you look at these little ones from the outside, it seems: there is no one in the world happier than anyone except her brother and sister. The housewife hung the washed laundry on the line and wiped the sweat from her forehead. It’s hot… She still has to go to the garden to weed the beds: there are a lot of weeds there. I wonder where her husband is walking now? In the morning, he’s always somewhere He drags himself along: sometimes with fishing rods, sometimes with a backpack, a bucket, knives, he hangs a gun on his shoulder. He doesn’t help his wife with the housework! He doesn’t show up at home until nightfall. He always comes back from hunting angry — there has never been a case where he came back happy. Now fishing is a different matter! He says — there are some very strange game in the woods.

After such conversations in the village «X» (I’ll call it that) strange things began to happen — people disappeared for no reason. No matter how much they looked for them — not a trace was found. He left and disappeared. They combed the entire forest — no trace! Only clothes were found on trees or bushes. This happened during hunting season opened. Not only the woman’s husband faced paradoxes, but all of them. Also, in the Oka River near the village there was an unnaturally huge fish. Everything was very similar to the following: nuclear tests were once carried out in these places, and that is where such discrepancies with reality arose. No one had heard of radiation in these parts: everyone believed — unpolluted places in such a form should exist. The ecology is wonderful: clean products, plants, air, offspring are healthy in every sense, do not degrade. Unlike Bratsk, Ust-Kut and Taishet. They live in the village «X» for a long time, never get sick. For example — in winter, cities and neighboring villages are mowed down by an epidemic of colds, flu, and the villagers don’t give a damn! They live their lives: you can sneeze on them with viruses, or not!

Another phenomenon was observed in the village among the people: if Russian people really like to drink on holidays, then the X-types can’t stand vodka, they don’t smoke. Not only men of different ages, but also women. There is nothing to say about children at all — angels…

In the winter in December — January, huge wolves roamed the yards and forests, no one knew where they came from. They disappeared at the beginning of February. Where the wolf packs were heading — no one was able to follow. Because everyone was afraid: what if they were killed? When these animals howled — it seemed that someone among them was trying to say words, but he can’t: his jaw and muzzle don’t allow it. Nights turned into mass madness. Residents locked themselves in their houses and kept silent. Not going outside even to relieve themselves. It could well have been like that — animals were walking around the village, tracking down their prey. Once, on New Year’s Eve, the husband of a woman neighbor (who was mentioned above) went into the forest to chop wood -and disappeared without a trace. And then those animals showed up. The state farm and local authorities were running off their feet, but all in vain. They combed the entire area — NO ONE.

The neighbor was very young — twenty-two years old, three months pregnant. The poor thing grieved greatly: she had found a good guy, she had just gotten married. And then her happiness disappeared! The husband did not cheat, did not offend. But he had one serious flaw: very dubious friends. After partying with them, he would show up home well after midnight. Fortunately, such antics continued once a month. But it was quite nerve-racking.

Winter passed, spring, summer came, time to give birth. One bad thing: a boy or a girl will grow up without a father. This brings harm. Harm — in the sense of fatherlessness. Nobody needs other people’s children. But the young woman is stupid — she hoped for his honesty. They walked and played, further — friends are more important. Apparently he had enough fun with them. They poured into his ears about his wife — and then it was gone. And to hell with him!

Now — about the good stuff.

In the village «X», about which there were many bad rumors instead of good, lived a young handsome man — a guy. His face resembled characters from medieval paintings by Leonardo, Raphael and other great artists. A slender, enviable groom with long golden hair, beautifully laid on his shoulders. For understanding I’ll add — he looks like Lel from the movie «Snegurochka». Where he came from in the wilderness is a big question. Everyone envied the young man: he’s playing the hero, you have to spite him! But: he didn’t look at women and girls. At all. Apparently, they got so fed up with him in his city — you don’t want to look at him!

But liked another quality of his: he loved to help. If needed help digging a garden — please! If you needed help fetching water — please! Of course, someone fell in love with OLEG ARENSKY — but the hard worker answered all the ladies simply and clearly: «I don’t like you as a woman, I don’t have feelings of love for anyone. That’s why I won’t drag you to the hayloft, girl! Do you agree with this? You shouldn’t bewitch and achieve mutual feelings in other ways: you will make it worse for yourself. I don’t want to depend on anyone, leave me alone! I will help with the garden, repair the house, chop wood, and nothing more, look for the rest among your own people.» With these words, he turned and left, leaving the women in tears and snot for a long time. VERY many dreamed of getting pregnant from Oleg. But alas. It is impossible.

In his free time, the golden-haired man loved to play the flute, wandered through the forest, swam in the river, and the young guy’s favorite decoration was an amulet — a giant curved claw on his neck. The size of a palm and white, with cracks. It seemed like there was nothing strange about Arensky, but one thing confused the suspicious people village «X», where the anomalies were raging — the light was on in Oleg’s house all night. What he was doing there, no one knew for sure. Only the ancient old women, who for some reason walked around without headscarves, looked angrily at the stranger. The wolves never came near his hut! They came into everyone’s yard at night, but they never climbed into Arensky’s! Strange.

Sometimes a city or rural guy, who knows, was called out to the huts in the middle of the night for a showdown: either someone was fighting there, or they were celebrating a fight… There was even a case when the host, drunk, splashed vodka in the guest’s face (he was probably in town) — and the guy’s skin peeled off in layers! Oleg remembered this story. But he couldn’t help but recall how he heard heart-rending screams from there:

— I told you! I can’t have alcohol!

— A purely Russian way to solve a problem with a glass of vodka. — The young man grumbled, standing under the ill-fated window. Then he went home to sleep again.

— Mom, Mom! Uncle Oleg is coming to us! — The boy cried out, smiling with joy. The woman, weeding the beds in the heat — when the sun was at its zenith — raised her head and smiled warmly.

— Hello, Oleg. How are you? — She asked the golden-haired handsome man.

— Not bad, Elena Dmitrievna. I heard — your husband disappeared in the winter too…

— Disappeared. Then came back — two months later. As always: they disappear, then have a good time, and come back. Well, you understand…

The blond narrowed his eyes — no, he didn’t understand.

— Can he tolerate vodka?

— What are you talking about?! Absolutely not! Even when I was steeping cedar nut tincture, he found it and poured it out. Sometimes he yelled at me, but he treats children well.

— I see.

— You’re from out of town, as I noticed.

— Yes and no: I’ve been living here for a year now. I came to get some treatment and take a break from the bustle of the city. Everything grows wildly and luxuriantly here, the silence is sometimes dead, and people sometimes do illogical things that are embarrassing to talk about later. I wonder what your men are doing in the forest, if someone is always finding torn clothes in the bushes?

Elena Dmitrievna swayed:

— Oleg! How can you say that!? You’ve become a young woman: green! Your stupid head won’t give your legs any rest…

And she thought to herself:

«You should get out of here as quickly as possible, Arensky: I’m afraid for you! There’s evil swarming in every corner here, I know that, but you don’t notice! Wake up and run away!»

Here the son butted into the conversation:

— Mom! Ira, my little sister, — is sitting on the porch and waiting for you to finish weeding. She is asking for help for our neighbor — she is having contractions! More precisely, labor. Very difficult, Aunt Anya could die! She is screaming loudly!

Elena looked around. She can’t come — her hands are covered in dirt, it will take a long time to wash, and time is running out! Why did Anna give birth in the eighth month?

— What are you saying there, my girl? — Oleg asked warily, approaching the boy’s sister. — Who’s giving birth there?

— Aunt Anya! — the girl shouted.

— Where is her house?

— Follow me, Oleg Arensky: I’ll show you everything.

The stranger rushed after a girl of about ten years old, the mother managed to shout:

— Arensky! Don’t go there! This sight is not for the likes of you! Better call a midwife — a fortune teller!

But he seemed not to hear anything.

A woman in labor was writhing on a rumpled bed. Her hair was tangled like tow, her face was distorted with unbearable pain. Sweat glistened on her forehead. It was clear: the baby did not want to come out. And Anna would certainly die if the situation did not change. A fortune teller was nearby: she had arrived first. It seemed that things were really bad.

— Push! Push!!!

— I can’t…

There was a knock at the door — Oleg and Ira arrived.

— Who’s there?

— I came to help. Open up!

Oleg asked the girl to stay outside and wait, and he opened the door and entered. The fortune teller immediately winced: she felt the Power. And the guy went up to the bed, looked into the girl’s eyes, and gently stroked her head. The magician is a woman. YES. LIGHT — ALMOST ALL THE MAGES HERE. There are only a few people. And they are dying out. Despite the Witch belonged to the Light, the room became uncomfortable to be in. As if it was not the Lights that had gathered, but the Dark Magicians. It was necessary to act quickly and skillfully — the child did not come out. At all.

— You’ll have to do a Caesarean! — The guy sighed, removing the claw from his neck. He took out a lighter and disinfected the instrument. — Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you! I’ll freeze you with magic. You won’t feel a thing.

He made the cut very carefully. At first there was no blood. Then his graceful, thin hand penetrated the womb, his fingers very carefully picked up the baby. He handed it to the woman. She began to cut the umbilical cord and wash the child, without even looking at its gender. The fortune teller’s eyes widened in amazement. He wasn’t scared!

— Look me in the eyes! In the eyes! Do you hear? Well?

Anya gasped and fell silent. Oleg stroked her head with his left hand, calming her down, stopping the bleeding. He blew on her forehead, kissed her cheek as a consolation. Like a lover, he ran his fingers along the girl’s neck.

— Who was born to us? — The midwife asked the boy.

— It’s a boy. A beautiful boy!

Having said this, Oleg winced. It immediately became clear why the room, where the three Light Ones were, was completely pitch black, why the woman in labor had almost died. No one except him understood what had happened. Arensky looked at the child too sternly. Yeah.

«That’s all I need here! What a shame, what a joyful thing: I just became the godfather of the Dark One! What a shame… The entire Dark Headquarters, when I return to Bratsk, will laugh out loud!»

— Another non-human — a magician. — The handsome man whispered, wiping the blood from his claw with a handkerchief and putting it on his neck. — Dark one. Sew up the wound! Why are you staring at me?! I don’t need anyone here, especially since the child is not mine! Wherever I go — EVERYWHERE they stare like I’m an exhibit!

Oleg could initiate even newborns, but extremely rarely.

«It’s still good,» he added, handing the screaming child over to his mother. The husband must have been a werewolf, because he walked away. Well, that’s it! That’s why we didn’t get along! He put his hands in warm, clean water, washed them, and dried them. «I’ll get out of here. Good luck.»

He left and went home, visibly upset. A week later, Enerik packed his things, locked the house and climbed to the top of the hill. He looked at the Oka. The great river beckoned to itself, small ripples ran across the water. And the Archmage, forever young, adjusted his hair, looked back once more and walked toward the road.

TWENTY-SIX YEARS LATER

SETTING: SIBERIA, BRATSK. TIME OF DAY: THREE O’CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON. DAY: TWENTY-FOURTH OF AUGUST

YEAR: TWO THOUSAND AND FOUR

A. M.

— Listen, Enerik, stop laughing — finally! — Valyuk couldn’t stand it.

— Ha — ha — ha!!!

There was a terrible, wild laughter in the Light office. Everyone was having fun — from the tame vampire Thror to Andrey. No one seemed to give a reason to laugh. But it is known to be contagious. Five minutes later, everyone slid under the table.

And the boss — a Celt, a Viking and someone else all rolled into one with two thousand years of experience, with the face of a twenty-year-old guy — was bawling, throwing his head back. His light hair, like a waterfall, flowed down to his waist.

Having laughed until he cried, the Light One seemed to calm down.

«Light One, what was the problem?» Thror asked.

The Chief looked at the vampire:

«What the… did you come… hic… to Headquarters, Light Ones, if I sent everyone… on vacation?!»

He turned away and blew his nose. I poured myself some water from the carafe and drank:

— What’s wrong with that? We were also planning to go somewhere today. So we decided to ask you where. Mrak went to Moscow, his sister Valya is there too. The rest are sitting it out in the city.

— Why did I schedule a vacation so early, despite the applications, and September is indicated there? There are very few people in August. Everyone has scattered, crawled to their dachas, garden beds, resorts. Ours have also mostly left. And the Dark Ones too. Let the people think of something to surprise us with. At the end of September we will start working perfectly. — Enerik, After delivering the speech, I wasn’t going to stop laughing today. — Do you want to know where exactly I’m going? It’s a long story.

— Go ahead! — I waved my hand in agreement, closing my eyes. I knew: there would be chaos.

— I recently received a letter. In one village, not far from here by the Oka, something terrible has appeared and is giving no one any peace. Chupacabra, most likely.

— Chebura… — Thror asked again.

— CHUPACABRA! — the chief cut him off sharply, his cheerfulness vanished as if by magic. He opened the closet and took out a magnificent Chinese robe made of natural silk. This thing was probably three hundred years old. No less. Our Celt himself was sitting in shorts and a black T-shirt. This did not suit his ancient appearance and the beauty that was on his face The land disappeared a long time ago. Not the one that is being restored now, but another one. And here you go — shorts! Anyway, it’s clear. Our blond guy is pretty well preserved!

The robe is cream-colored, painted with special care and attention to detail. Every millimeter is drawn in the drawings! On the back there is an embroidery with a dragon spewing fire from its mouth. Cool!

Now in the cozy office all that was left was to unfold the sofa standing by the wall, bring Indian incense sticks, fruit and other food, a case of Tinkoff light beer, and put up a TV. That’s it! We could live. His Serene Highness took a watering can and began to water the flowers on the window that had managed to wither: they were standing in the blazing sun! The entire office was filled with them! Some were blooming…

— What other Poke… oh, Chupacabra?

— A monster, small and dangerous. But there are bigger ones. Also: in the Irkutsk region there is a place where there are a lot of ours. The village is called Ix, it is not on the map. The magicians living there — be it Dark or Light — UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE WILL THEY GIVE A PERSON THEIR SETTLEMENT PLACE!

Aha! That’s why «X».

For some reason, at that moment I remembered how I came across a tape of «The X-Files», and it told a similar story: agent Mulder flies to Krasnoyarsk, where he falls into the clutches of terrorists. Who, just like him, are studying an anomalous zone. The UFO crashed, and that’s how it all started. It’s always like that here.The story ended like this: the FBI agent went to prison and got out of our country thanks to a strange old man who was convicted of crimes and experiments on people.

What the chief said is more drastic than the TV series itself: VILLAGE OF OURS! More drastic than the genealogy of hereditary Mages! When a person turns into one of us, he disappears from the world of people forever. And if he tries to live his old life, he suffers greatly: becomes a stranger in an unfamiliar land. The ability of non-humans lies in their dissimilarity: they can thrive where a mortal cannot live. And where he thrives, non-humans howl. There is nothing in their nature that could satisfy a person’s need for affection, sympathy. If life brought together a non-human with a homo sapiens, the creature has to constantly supplement itself — with those needs and abilities that it is unable to master, much less get used to. And the result is disastrous (maybe that’s why people are evil, like animals — they are allowed too much?).

The magician begins to get sick, although the Dark suffers much less than the Light. This is compensated by great charm. Vampires and werewolves take advantage of this — at the same time, people, and even the Light, cannot help but be afraid of them, since the Dark constantly suffer. People themselves create this vicious circle, and therefore it is impossible to love only for appearance. Even our Headquarters Light Forces cannot constantly love the dying. They can only pity them, nothing else. I wonder if our Energizer has gotten tired of pitying humanity for twenty centuries, which constantly gets into trouble? NO, he even likes it, and Siberia too.

But the Dark Headquarters cannot endlessly despise and hate — there is not enough evil for everyone. There is enough strength to laugh, to catch the too trusting, impressionable and to pour into the ranks. There is a lot of such good in Bratsk. Thirty years ago, the Chiefs of Headquarters met in a mortal duel They challenged each other to a duel. On the question: who will get the city? The Light won: the Celt killed his rival, then prudently sent the body to the forefathers. The Inquisition did not even bat an eyelid: it itself allowed everything! Both authorities from the towers gave their consent to the duel. Before this, a tribunal session was held on the case of debauchery, permissiveness in the city of the Dark, the Dark lost the trial. It was 1974.

After some time, the winner (in order to rest from such a significant event) took a four-year leave, appointed someone as the chief, and disappeared. No one knew where the chief of Svetlykh was all this time. The fake «Oleg» began to travel around the villages, helping with good deeds and advice, restoring the spent forces. I drove like that until I completely accidentally came across the village «X», and it began.

The few people who lived there among our people unanimously told the newbie to get out of here while he could. It’s dangerous — UFOs fly over the Oka, people disappear and all that. They often told about the glowing balls over the clearing in the forest. Instead of leaving, Arensky began to carefully study the village and very soon discovered that this was the real habitat of the Magi. At first he was happy, but soon there was no time for laughter… He quickly realized HOW lucky he was: there are only a few places in Russia where only their own live.Maybe they even reproduce in batches. Contrary to the statement that said — they cannot reproduce naturally. They live like ordinary people. It is interesting to watch! Almost no one comes here, to the wilderness, there are few birds. Only huge trees rustle, people are almost never encountered — with the exception of those who live in «X».

They live, rarely communicating with anyone. It is understandable — it is scary here. Sometimes rumors circulated among the villagers about strange little animals — with a fox’s face and a dinosaur’s body. Like Pushkin’s lines from «Lukomorye»: «There, on unknown paths, are traces of unseen animals. There is a hut on chicken legs without windows, without doors.» Enerik, having barely heard the news, immediately understood — they were talking about werewolves.It soon became clear that stories do not come out of thin air. In the spring, while digging up the garden, he noticed a strange creature near the compost pit. He thought that the dog was digging up old seeds, but he threw a stone, and the creature ran away. It whined resentfully, jumping on its powerful hind legs. Its body was like that of a lizard, but covered in long, black fur. On its fingers were curved claws of such a size that they could rip open the belly of a cow or a horse. A forked tongue flashes between its sharp, long teeth.

The man looked fearlessly into the werewolf’s eyes and was amazed — HUMAN! Well, well. «Now a dozen of them will show up in the garden and ruin everything,» thought the Most Serene, throwing another stone at the creature. This time the creature squealed something, and although the words were unintelligible, several were outlined:

— R — r… rzaraplar — tissya za e — it! — And he jumped over the flimsy fence.

— There are so many evil spirits here…

After that, they hissed at Oleg — especially the old people. The dogs growled, the fortune tellers looked askance at Svetly with suspicion — but he endured and tolerated everything. He studied all the paranormal phenomena in the Oka River area. He was amazed at how everything was distorted. For days, weeks puzzled over what had happened in this village, which had become a refuge for thousands of its own — outcasts. Thought and thought, but could not decide.

— Fire ignites feelings, water quenches desires. When they meet, two elements become one. I still wonder who came up with this heresy. These are illusions. Such things can only be seen in our imagination. In real life — two opposites. — Enerik said quietly, smiling sadly. Now he looked very much like Legolas from the movie «The Lord of the Rings». There was no sparkle or joy in his eyes. He was remembering something that was gone forever. As if our boss had not had any fun that day. His eyes showed weariness — endless.

An archmage with a human soul… An immortal beauty — externally and internally. Tormented by mortal passions. The one who pushed you into the invisible World must have cried? He made such a guy Light! Taking away all the joys of human life, giving him eternal youth. Condemned him to an eternal existence in the world of evil people. That’s exactly what I thought, pouring myself a glass of beer. I wonder, who made it that way, right? And we were amazed when the Celt, sipping Czech beer, told a story that happened twenty centuries ago. It was strikingly different from the archived one. Why? Apparently, not everyone is interested in a real biography. And what if both were made up?

HISTORY OF ENERICA

«Despite the fact that I sometimes call myself a Viking, I am a Celt. I remember how our tribe celebrated the victory over the Roman invaders, I sat at the table at the feast, having fun just like a boy. I was at least eighteen years old then. I was hopelessly spoiled. A young rake, who loved to swing a sword, without stopping to have fun. I lived as a complete egoist, so I never paid attention to other people’s troubles and requests. And girls ran after me in crowds, hearing only insolent laughter in response to my declarations of love.

My mother is an ordinary Celtic girl, my father is a wandering minstrel. A beggar, at that. Ah! These two turned out to be made for each other! The father, having learned about his daughter’s love, locked the girl at home, but the beauty Elindra still met with her lover. Climbing out of the window when her parents were asleep. Then she would disappear for a whole day — they were very good together. The young man took my mother to the most picturesque places, gave in to her every desire. But their embraces were pure, innocent. Their kisses were pure and sweet, their words were sincere.

When my father was getting ready to get married, he turned to the druids. They said he would have a son, but with a terrible character, the boy was destined to become Great. The rest of the prediction was rather vague. No one could fully understand it. In the end, my mother became pregnant. My father got married, then I was born. The birth was very hard, the contractions lasted for two days. Elindra almost died, but she was saved.

At thirteen, I tried wine for the first time. I started to have fun, because I liked it. At fifteen, I lost my virginity to my first love, and off it went. At eighteen, I was seriously wounded in battle. Now I understand — this is the price for selfishness. Maybe it was the wound that determined what would happen next.

Soon, Elindra fell seriously ill and died. My father lived a little and hanged himself from grief. Only then, at nineteen and a half, did my brain finally begin to fall into place. After that, how my parents left for the other world forever. Left alone, I bitterly regretted what I had done before. Friends turned away, relatives too, and it was decided to live differently. It was time! I left the tribe for Byzantium, became a monk, renounced all earthly joys. I led such an existence for five months. Then I discovered the gift of foresight in myself, and began to develop it.

It was then that a certain Ekiestes came to our monastery, whom many people didn’t like right away. And he behaved strangely. But despite this, we became friends. After such an acquaintance, my eyes began to open and I began to look at the world in a completely different way. This guy from Byzantium put a lot of pressure on my psyche, condemning my negative actions. This went on for quite a long time. In the end, I couldn’t stand it and broke away. into the world of people, but I could no longer live among them. It seemed that I had calmed down — the harmful person was not around, but no! In order to avoid his persecution, I began to look with sincere kindness at the people, running away from the intrusive man. But this did not give anything. The more I communicated with him, the stranger and more absurd my dreams and visions became. Sometimes I looked at my shadow for a long time. It seemed to me — it absorbed me, falling into it. I raised my head — and instead of the blue sky I saw only black and white colors, scared out of my wits. Time in this strange space flowed very slowly. I saw the thoughts of those around me, and, making appropriate conclusions on this basis, changed for the better. I became so ashamed and hurt for the past!

So I became a Light Mage. And then an Archmage. Having entered an unknown World through the fault of the Dark One — a vampire. And as a reward I received a very long life, eternal youth. Before the initiation I used to think how I could so calmly endure the suffering of people, come out alive from the hottest battles, and only then it dawned on me — these are the abilities of a non-human helped out. Almost got into court with the churches. My life schedule hasn’t changed for centuries.»

The Svetlykh chief drank the last drops of beer, took a coin from the table and threw it up. Then he pressed it with his palm. And I thought about it. There are too many inconsistencies in the story. A pagan and a Christian at the same time?! Impossible! Or he’s lying to minors — the beer has gone to his head. I DON’T BELIEVE IT!

— Enerik, so you were made what you are by a vampire!? By persecution, and not by natural means!?

— Exactly. — Kelt nodded gloomily. — He drove me to the brink. Now listen. See the coin? I want to organize a small expedition to Oka, to rest there. There are many villages… — and then what I was afraid of came out of his mouth:

— We’ll go to village «X» at least!

— We heard about it once. A terrible place. In some of our groups they tell stories that send shivers down your spine. In winter, Komsomolskaya Pravda wrote an article — Chupacabra appeared, or died — they found a skeleton, a small one: all dog, but a fox’s head.

— I’ve seen such! A real werewolf!

— No, boss! After death, the body is immersed in the invisible World. And here is a skeleton. — Valyuk said, frowning.

— You are mistaken, Valera. Village «X», where we are going, is a zone where everything is different. Most likely, the article was written by the Dark, or the Light, tormented by curiosity. He made up things, distorted the facts. Most likely, the writer is a villager from «X». He went crazy from isolation, decided to hand over. I also have a godson living in this wilderness. The boy is probably not happy about this situation at all.

My face stretched out in amazement:

— HOW?! WHY?! To have a godfather, and the Most Serene One at that, is something you can only dream of! It’s rare that you get to have a guy looked after by…

— I don’t look after him! I haven’t seen him for twenty-six years! He delivered the baby, that’s all.

— I hope it was from the Light. — Andrey said. — What’s wrong with that?

— I don’t argue. But…

— What «but»?

— HE TURNED OUT TO BE A DARK MAGICIAN OF TERRIBLE POWER FROM BIRTH! I SAW THE ESSENCE RIGHT IN MY HANDS!

There was silence. Cool.

I LOOK AT THE WATCH: 17 — 20

THOUGHTS AND POEMS ARE SPINNING IN MY HEAD

«Rain brought or leaf fall this name, but I can’t turn away your gaze with my eyes.» It sounds like an incomprehensible Call. I didn’t like the first one. Despite the fact that it was full of romance. What kind of romance do we have now? Ugh! And the voice, oddly enough, is female. I wonder who exactly it was intended for? Me? Hardly… I wonder if the boss heard? He probably pressed his lips together strangely, as if he remembered something he couldn’t say.

Beautiful verses. They are sung by someone’s heart, which was broken after experiencing unhappy love… Love that is gone forever and will never happen again. A song about a heart that is aching, frozen for a very long time in an evil human world that has long forgot about many things. For example, I have this opinion: external beauty is always deceptive…

Even the Chameleon, who appeared out of nowhere, was the most real embodiment of all our virtues and shortcomings. So he rushed here and there until he brought down all the darkness on himself, despairing of going over either to the side of Good or to the side of Evil. Yes… The boy couldn’t take it anymore. He broke. And this strange genealogy… Maybe this is someone’s empty and stupid joke? A stupid mistake, not caring about oneself. A joke that Illyo threw at us, downloaded from a website on the Internet. Making us understand: we, non-humans, are too confused, have strayed far from the original plan of life. By putting pressure on the innocent Alexander, we almost committed a crime. We should have stayed out of this man’s life altogether the boy, take your time, wait until he makes up his mind… But they couldn’t stand it, they started catching the unfortunate teenager — instead of letting him go in peace. No — they were so scared — they couldn’t control themselves! Both Headquarters were made fools.

Alexander was strange by nature. Later, when I talked to his parents, I learned that this guy suffered from an inferiority complex, and hereditary predisposition played a fatal role. They say it’s true: you can’t crush genes with your finger!

Thus, the greatest discovery was made. An event that happens once in a hundred years: a Chameleon is born — very dangerous for others: magicians, werewolves, vampires, warlocks, witches… The best weapon against him is to touch nothing and leave him alone. Then he himself will decide what to choose — Light or Darkness. Even in the capital, this was not known before! What surprised me was something else: the creature cannot be turned, abilities do not show until a certain time, and then the real nightmare begins. The division into Light and Dark principles begins, and if at this stage something jams, you get an albino — Chameleon. Fortunately, everything happens very rarely. But it looks very beautiful.

For all of us, this was a kind of lesson. How late we realized this!

It’s raining outside, I’m sitting in the kitchen. Little droplets hit the glass, knock-knock. It’s nice, fresh, the freshness has flooded the entire park, the air is mixed with ozone and the scent of flowers… Nature, washed by the rain, seems to be happy. Despite the fact that yesterday there was heavy smoke hanging over Bratsk — smog from BRAZA. I look out the window and I remember my childhood — a distant childhood, when I saw the world completely differently and was happy: I ran along a sunlit path, caught butterflies, loving everyone in the world…

August twenty-eighth. Six in the morning. I don’t want to sleep. I read poetry, writing the text in my notebook

I look at the white ceiling and think. Different thoughts come into my head. I think about how to find a common language, a normal language with those around me — people, Mages. Some are physically lonely, and some are morally lonely. I am lonely in the second sense. The Light Headquarters of Bratsk received me rather coolly, and for a while everyone ignored me… except for the boss. He became my best friend and assistant, almost a brother. We talked for hours, touching on extremely serious topics. Sometimes, however, Enerik swore a lot.

And now he laughed at the fact that the entire team showed up for work at the beginning of the vacation. In a good way, we managed to drink beer right in his office! A rare occurrence! We drank, having learned about how our Celt became who he is now… But I still DID NOT BELIEVE this story. The details are TOO far-fetched. And he is unlikely to tell his real biography. That’s a fact. The first story has already happened, now there is a second one. What’s next?

Personally, beer sometimes helps me relax, forget about the bad, in a good way. Despite the fact that I am an Inquisitor. I don’t drink much, and I can only get drunk on rare occasions. Now I enjoy my rest — if I want, I wander around the city, even greeting the Dark Ones. They, by the way, too. What else… I am not married, I don’t have a lover. And I don’t want this: women are actually such creatures who are always demanding something from us, -constantly, giving nothing in return. I also can’t stand them for their overly chatty language, their antics. FOOLS! They consider us goats with big horns. Let them: I don’t care.

I got up, shaved, washed myself, and at breakfast I think: is it worth going or not. Probably, it is necessary, since the Inquisition is practically absent here. Enerik has a godson living in a village where there are only monsters… DARK! Another rare case. Such thoughts made him choke on his coffee. Twenty-six years have passed since our Celt left the village «X». At that time, as he says, the village was not on the map. Maybe someone found it and demolished it, just as they have been wanting to demolish the village of Chekanovsky for a long time?

Maybe. The Most Serene One just wants to make sure. He noticed back then: there is no church in the village — the first sign. People remained in «X» — those who were lucky. If this is really so, then they have learned to get along with other creatures. No other way. After all, the blond lived with a human woman at first, until he built a hut! I wonder if she is still alive?

I get up, wash the dishes, clean the room and open the closet.

I wonder what’s going on there at the moment? So… I have a jacket with a warm lining, I need to sew up my socks, I put all my underwear in the suitcase first, wrapped in a bag. I’m clearly not going to swim in the river — the water is already cold. All the summer clothes stay at home. Except clothes, I need to take something to read. Anne Rice, «The X-Files» — a widely published book series, very similar to the life of magicians and werewolves with vampires in Siberia. Maybe that’s why I like these books.

I am partially deprived of the Force — when I left Moscow, I «discharged»: so that here, in completely different conditions, it would not press on the soul and psyche. It still presses! The one that remains. It resembles the torment of a prisoner — his legs are shackled, his arms are twisted behind his back, there is a wall behind him, a window in front, from which light barely breaks through. The prisoner tries to free himself, he strains, writhes, He tries to get out, but these attempts bring him only pain and even greater suffering. He cries for help — but there is not a soul around, NO ONE HEARS ANYTHING. And if pitiful cries are heard — the guards will laugh and go to the end of the corridor.

When the exhausted, maimed, tortured boy is found and freed, he will not be able to take a step, he will fall at the feet of his saviors. They will give him water, food, and carry him out of the fortress in their arms. It will take a long time for the wounds on his soul and body to heal. The freed man will first shy away from the outside world, will be afraid of people. They will look at him like a cornered animal, poke him with their fingers. When all the negativity is erased from memory and health improves, life will become bright and happy.

Maybe it will take several years to heal…

JUST IF HE CAN STAY THROUGH IT!

And now I’m packing. Maybe it will be easier in «X»? And the hell, there are Dark Ones there! The hell, the boss has a godson!

It took me about forty minutes to get ready. Then I went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and got out some lard.

«Hmm…» I think to myself out loud. «In vain… In vain you, Inquisitor, were drawn into work in Siberia — to study the behavior and nature of the creatures of these places! To catch vampires, to look into the swollen mugs of cops, bandits and oligarchs, to laugh at the impostors — punks. It may well be that these are not the same ones who are with you at Headquarters work. And creatures tired of life? Eh — no! You can safely cross out Enerik from this list! He is a very strong Mage! I love him like a brother, and respect him.»

He went to the mirror, picked up a glass of beer, clinked glasses with himself:

«Really, Max?»

And he answered himself:

«True. But you shouldn’t trust it too much. Remember, Maxim, the notes on the history of the city: all sorts of bastards built it! It was a zone! So many scum, outcasts of society and bandits came to the taiga from all over Russia that there was an impossibly large amount of Darkness. The first generation of builders from different cities are now having their day lives out. Their children repeat the fates of their parents, so sometimes you don’t understand the behavior of this or that person.»

It seems that I’m starting to go crazy little by little… I go to the tape recorder, turn it on, press the «play» button. I came across a very clever song on the cassette.

The same day

Five o’clock in the evening

An old car is driving through a forest somewhere near the sea outside the city

A Volga-type car is heading towards the forest — or rather, we are already in the forest. There are five of us: Beregond, myself, the driver — Enerik, Valyuk, Yegor — Psycho. We joke, we have fun. Unlike everyone else, the Archmage sits silently behind the wheel, watching the road. Every now and then he glances into the invisible World — are there any obstacles. So far so good. There is a lot of gasoline in the tank — it should be enough for about a hundred kilometers, we stocked up on it to the brim: more poured into canisters, having spent a lot of money. Then the Light Ones will have to do a little mischief at the gas stations: put a false memory on a person, get fuel for free. Not good.

The forest rushed past, merging into a multi-colored strip of scarlet, yellow, green, black flowers. Headphones stick out of their ears, from which great classics flow: Prokofiev («Montagues and Capulets»), Liszt («Dreams of Love», «The Elixir of Love»), Pallo («Morning») … Somehow incomprehensibly divine melodies suit the September landscapes and even the weather outside the window.

The car slowed down: we climbed a hill, from where the sea was clearly visible — blue, like a cornflower field. And in the distance on the opposite shore a mountain range was visible, then another one, dissolving into the horizon… In the water, several tiny islands overgrown with grass were visible. There were dead trees on them, which looked like sticks. A rare haze, the smell of mushrooms, colored leaves are already visible on the forest paths — still few in number, but still you can feel the atmosphere of some strange peace — peace that can only be found where there is no man at all. As if the Irkutsk region is a unique place where people do not live at all, but there are only birches, straight as an arrow, pines. Very tall — about twenty meters. I don’t recommend looking up for a long time: you can faint from dizziness.

Birches with yellow leaves are bent, bending their branches to the ground, and their cracked bark says something else: the trees are very old, so each leaf is beautiful in its own way. A mountain overgrown with forest, — which we are currently driving along, admiring the unearthly landscapes, descends to the sea, and, in my opinion, we need to slow down: otherwise we will fall down. From the cliff. To my left, the shore drops off, so the mountain resembles a pie from which a piece has been torn off the edge.

Small, thin, young trees and bushes resemble children and teenagers. And taller and thicker trees resemble men and women. Pines resemble young men, birches and aspens resemble girls with chestnut, golden hair, wreaths on their heads. They are in white, greenish dresses made of embroidered linen. They resemble women, in whose eyes wisdom appears. Beautiful, very… and the Light Force is all around. Silence. Dead. Above us and the forest is a clear, blue sky, reflected in the sea, on the surface of which there is not even a ripple! I can’t, I can’t tear my eyes away from this beauty!!!

But we still drive on, and the landscape changes.

A solid golden glow of millions of leaves flared before our eyes, and at high speed we literally instantly «crash», fly in and dissolve in the birch grove. Violating the innocence of this giant yellow sea. Quietly rustling. If you look from a crop duster plane, it might seem that waves are running across the surface of this ocean — the wind is stirring the beauty birches, so tender, so alive… I don’t understand how you can chop down such beauties for firewood! I don’t understand! It seemed like the sea had swallowed us, we drowned in it. Birds and animals live in it, and tons of boletus mushrooms grow on the bottom… Mushrooms here… You’re collecting! It’s probably time for people to open a real business on mushrooms in Siberia, all at once cleared up… I mean ecology. Only no one will ever collect anything — and that’s a pity.

A jolt brought me back from my dreams to reality: we stopped. We got out. Enerik shook his head, throwing off his beret — and his golden hair ran down his back in waves. Another gold was added to the landscape. The difference is this: soon the leaves will fall from the trees dead, turning into black soil over time, and the locks of His Serene Highness are alive. I always wanted to touch them with my hand. I don’t know if the boss guessed it or not. Just to touch them, nothing personal! Don’t think anything bad! NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD HAS SUCH CURLS. The Celt’s long eyelashes trembled. He was happy and grinned from ear to ear.

— Do you know why I love Siberia? For the beauty of nature! — He exclaimed. So, the rest doesn’t count. As if on wings, the Archmage ran to the old birch and hugged it, stroking the bark. We smiled.

— We need to sit here for an hour. We’ll have a bite to eat and decide where to go next.

— A…

— Don’t use the portal: you’ll end up in the wrong place anyway. There’s not enough magic to create it. You can only drive for two days, maybe less: at night I’ll be driving at full speed, like a madman. There are almost no people here, cars are completely unheard of on the roads covered with asphalt. Or we’ll be stuck in a car for three days: if we stop overnight. We’ll put a vehicle around the vehicle magic barrier: it can be dangerous in the forests these days: despite the fact that there are almost no people here — only rapists from prisons and all sorts of unafraid animals walk around. It’s very, very good that there are no girls in our company. And we won’t make a fire.

Evening — about nine.

Fields of wheat, which are only meant for cattle feed, rush past. It’s a good thing I brought a journal with me, but the pen is running out of ink.

Clouds are crawling across the sky. And on the horizon it has turned into a bloody sea — the sunset has flared up. The colors are unusual, provocative, they are of different shades: crimson is predominant there, and complex, beautiful, ecologically clean, webs of wires cross the horizon, adding black to the landscape. Nearby, the tops of trees turn black. Power lines appear before your eyes, like giant stick insects. They rise above a lonely field. A perfect combination of past and present. It’s both scary and interesting: what is this really? They are installed everywhere — all over the field, this is actually the case. They are installed everywhere — all over the field, tiny, pretty fir trees grow nearby. Iron structures even in the forest: sticking out of the forest like a station, the wind humming in the wires… And the radio is playing in the car. Finally, my head fell on the seat, and I fell into a pleasant sleep. We stopped again… And it was wonderful: why wear yourself out?

August twenty-ninth. One o’clock in the afternoon — probably just because my watch stopped for no apparent reason, and not just mine!

Egor is sitting on a stump near the car, playing the guitar. Enerik is singing — finally! Otherwise he’s driving and keeping quiet, like a partisan being interrogated. Let him sing about everything… Especially about women. Oh yes, he loved them! In every sense of the word. Closing his eyes, the Most Serene Magician of Bratsk sang quietly, beautifully, heartfelt. Aren’t you tired of reading poetry on almost every sheet of paper, huh? By the way, if you’ve read this far, then no. I’m saying this to those who dare to stick their noses into my notebook without asking.

Egor put his musical instrument aside, reached out and took the skewer with shashlik off the fire, and began to eat with the chef, burning his lips and washing down the meat with low-alcohol beer. Having finished his portion, the golden-haired man threw his head back, inhaled the fresh air with pleasure, picked up the guitar and looked at us again.

— And now I will play. This is a story about a girl who lived five hundred years ago. I loved her, beautiful and smart. It hurts to love and see how people dear to me sooner or later grow old, are sent to another world. Okay, I’ve opened up a bit. Probably because it’s cold…

«Play, Enerik!» Valyuk asked.

«You’re standing there, naked…» the young man said tenderly, but sternly and quietly. He unzipped his bag and took out a warm white sweater. Then he raised his head, and his big eyes suddenly, for no apparent reason, opened wide.

— This is… This is… — he couldn’t speak from amazement.

— What did you see there? An airplane?

The guy waved his hand, pointed his finger somewhere up. The boss looked at the sky with his inner vision, smiled. But there was no joy in that smile.

— It’s okay, friends. A flying saucer, a UFO. A saucer, a small one, that accidentally got into our world through energy holes. Therefore, we are approaching the village «X».

After these words, something seemed to snap inside me. If Nature is so raging here, — or whatever (or not?), then what will begin going on in the village where Enerik is rushing to, as if possessed? All these poems are nothing other than the Call… The Call that is impossible to resist. The melody from The X-Files immediately came to mind… And the title sequence, depicting a photograph of a man pointing his hand at a UFO. An hour passed. The plate by — still hung in the air, blinking its white lights. What next?

— Enerik… And in «X» there is more than enough of such stuff? — Yegor asked very carefully, looking with bulging eyes at the unidentified flying object.

— Yes. There is an anomalous zone there. Every winter, huge wolves roam the roads. These werewolves of people and Mages — Light ones in general They don’t touch you, but you should take some vodka with you just in case: they can’t stand alcohol. Throw it in their face if they attack — that’s enough for them. The population will not agree to drink at the celebration under any pretext. The good news is that not all of Russia drinks.

Another hour passed: the UFO managed to fly away towards the field, and began to descend. The saucer first flew above the ground, and then disappeared. It has begun. It seems that we will see more than this. And let no one say that the valiant Headquarters of the Light is not like the others! Let’s move on. Someone was finishing his shashlik, singing, and was silent. But the Celt became more and more joyful. Without thinking at all WHAT awaits us in the village of creatures and magicians! The Call has really grabbed him! Probably, his godson missed him. It became scary.

At five o’clock in the evening, the gas station sign flashed. It’s time to fill up again. No matter how much our conscience gnaws at us, the workers will have to brainwashing… And this is bad, very bad. And the Call still does not lag behind the boss. The Call of the Dark Mage. I wonder WHAT happened in this wilderness, if the Archmage rushed there, as if possessed?! Sorry, I repeat, — emotions.

The night from the twenty-ninth to the thirtieth of August

Two o’clock — the clock finally turned on

…Rays of light from headlights pierce the darkness. They look like a starry sky: There is more than enough darkness around, but the white on black in the form of dots looks amazing. But there are brighter luminaries — in the city: spotlights, street lamps, three-color traffic lights. There is, unfortunately, an unwritten truth: for fun, you can break a lamp. Or unscrew a light bulb in the entrance. A nasty rule is always fulfilled. Freezing rain is pouring down. No one is sleeping. It is impossible to drive: the road is so slushy that the wheels cannot turn. Drops are knocking on the roof and glass, there are so many of them that the windshield wipers are no longer able to clean the window. And the knocking on the roof gives rise to suspicion: the water is about to bore a hole. Whether you give the power engineer a clean window or a dirty one, his it doesn’t bother me at all: it looks through the invisible World to the sides. And in front of us are walls of water.

It’s warm — the stove has been working for an hour already. Sleep disappeared as if by magic in the evening, when the clouds covered the sky — everything somehow gathered internally, feeling a threat from outside. It was born in the subconscious, grew with every minute. It felt like there was something above my head something is flying. Big and dangerous, hanging overhead…

The radio is also on, «Nashe Radio» is playing.

Suddenly it crackles and stops playing. The machine is acting up at first, then there is a pretty powerful jolt — that’s it…

They finally stopped.

We’re almost there. The boss looked at the gas gauge in amazement: full! He sat silently for two minutes, and then… only then… Then he started swearing so much that we were all scared out of our wits. I won’t write down all the swearing in the diary.

— …M… Mother! Start up! Start up! Darkness… so… Start up! -He starts the car, turns the key — no use. He looked at the map from the forties — just a little bit left.

— Enerik, calm down! Why react so sharply — maybe the engine overheated? You turned on the heater so much — we got boiled! You were driving the car at an inadmissible speed even before the storm!

— Maybe… — The boss calmed down a bit. — Although…

— We arrived, since the car suddenly stopped for no reason. Huh? «X»? — Yegor asked in a whisper, without moving.

— There are about ten kilometers left to the village. If, of course, you believe the map. Let’s wait a bit — maybe we’re crossing the anomaly zone. When that happens, all the equipment comes to an end. Here some kind of strange radiation comes from the ground. But not always, but in short pulses. I cursed, not out of malice, but out of amazement — we drove, drove, then that’s it. As if there was an invisible wall ahead of us. And… Ugh! My watch stopped! Everything turned off! Just like twenty-six years ago! As soon as I entered the village «X» — my watch brand new, gold, stopped working immediately! Returned to Bratsk — let’s go!

— The equipment is very sensitive to anomalies. We will wait until the nature of the unknown radiation stabilizes. This will take two or three hours.

— And we did not end up in a time hole?

— No. This also stops the equipment. Only with one difference: it breaks down later.

The rain continued to fall, dying down. Sometimes lightning flashed in the clouds, and in its instantaneous flash, small houses were visible in the distance, of which there were probably only twenty thousand. It is hard to believe that such a large village, which once flourished, became something incomprehensible. Where the invisible World claims its rights and supports life. Or not life. But still, hostility emanated from the village called «X». Mysticism! And the lightning is strange: it flashes scarlet, then green. Flying saucers: they want to land, but they can’t yet — it’s dangerous. Well, that doesn’t concern us.

Three hours later

I stared at the road, not understanding anything. The car still wouldn’t start. It was drizzling. After thinking for a moment, the boss opened the door, got out and started walking on the wet grass nearby.

«Here I am, village „X“…» he exhaled. He looked at the sky. The clouds weren’t parting. The green and scarlet lights stopped blinking, a warm wind blew, and there was a smell of ozone.

Suddenly, over the field, almost at the very ground, far, far away, luminous dots appeared. Enerik was happy, thinking that cars were coming towards him, but there was dead silence. Five minutes later, it turned out that these were simply spherical clots of energy unknown to man. Five balls of regular shape were flying, as if playing with each other. with a friend in tag. Apparently, they appeared during a thunderstorm, and now they have descended. But no.

«What the invisible World will not give birth to…» Valyuk sighed.

Or maybe there is a special point there that attracts them and feeds this UFO. In addition, the Archmage noticed huge circles and patterns on the field in the glow of the five objects. Now it is clear why The car wouldn’t budge: cosmic radiation had put it out of order. And our heads were aching. Oh! We’ll have something to tell in Moscow! Twenty-five minutes later the balloons rose into the air and disappeared behind the clouds. Far away on the horizon, where there were no clouds, a new day was being born as a scarlet stripe. My watch with its hands showed the time: two hours, thirty-five minutes and seven seconds of the night. Cold, damp, grey.

I put the pen aside and fall into a deep sleep. And I hear, almost asleep, the engine starts, the car moves on…

What should we do now?

August 30

Nothing like that happened. We discussed what happened, slept after an interesting night, having driven into the thicket.

THIRTY-FIRST OF AUGUST

We pondered over what the boss had seen at five in the morning the day before. We hadn’t managed to get anywhere, but the vacation had been extended until mid-October. Summer had passed.

First of September: Knowledge Day

For some it is, for others it is not. For all of us it is a simple day. We finally got out of the forest — hungry and sleepy. Kelt drove onto the road, we walked side by side. The state is as if someone hit me on the head with a bag.

The village is located almost on the very bank of the Oka River, the most beautiful, calm, wide. Blue and mystical: only ours live on its banks — of all stripes. At least here. What I don’t know what’s going on in the area that’s far from «X». And why should I know? The autumn forest was turning crimson on both banks. Sometimes there was a green tint: pines, cedars. The sound of an axe was heard, then a crackle — someone was preparing firewood. It smelled of fish and mushrooms. But in the fresh air there was something heavy, incomprehensible — it’s always like that where non-humans live. Where there is no man… But here’s what what was incomprehensible was — he couldn’t understand. I was so tired after three days — my head was a complete mess. At first glance, the huts were nothing. An ordinary village.

The boss parked the car by the river in an abandoned barn, cast a spell on the lock. He ran up a small hill near the cliff, from where the vastness of nature was visible, pulled off his shirt… What is it him!? We have come to this… The wind played with his golden hair, caressed and kissed his young, elastic body. His hair reciprocated the wind, swaying like waves. At first it seemed to me that Enerik was about to jump, transforming into a seagull in mid-flight and flying away. But His Serene Highness sat cross-legged, and, resting, began to meditate. Now the reason for the strange behavior — he adapts to the aura of these places, gets used to it. So that various kinds of Force do not press on the soul. I also sat in the Lotus position, froze. The Invisible World hesitated at first, then calmed down and became quiet: two different energies accepted each other. So now you can communicate with everyone — both with the Dark and the Light.

Deuter’s lovely melodies, painfully similar to The Call, were playing in my head. When I hear them in my head or in real time, for some reason I imagine a field — a summer endless field, with one single birch tree, overgrown with grass or clover. A warm breeze is blowing and a white butterfly is flying. The body flies up, plays with clouds… Plays until you open your eyes and feel that several hours have passed. That all the negativity has evaporated and it has become light.

We will not stay long in the village.

The same day. Seven o’clock in the evening

We are sitting on a small veranda. There is also a playground for children — abandoned, flooded with sunlight. The children have long since grown up and now, probably, fondly remember their childhood. When Enerik last saw the son and daughter of the owner — they were very small. Now the grown-up guy has probably long ago got married, and the girl is married. I wonder how they will react when they see the Celt again — after almost three decades?

The owner decided that the playground could still be used, and made a flower corner out of it, only a few places remained untouched. On the table in the house there is a huge bouquet of asters and saffron, on the window — white curtains. They are hanging like that — all twenty-six years. Here time does not move forward at all: the same huts, the same people, the same interior in the house as during the Soviet Union in the post-war years… Just like a real museum!

The dacha was a beautiful hut made of round logs, two-story. True — as the boss told me — it has changed a little. The roof is different, the stairs too. The garden has expanded — therefore, we need to help harvest the crop.

The energy balance has also changed: the atmosphere is no longer felt as before — probably because the children have grown up. You can’t hear children’s laughter, and their mother — Elena Dmitrievna — has grown old. A kind person, very good, you can’t turn her into a Sorceress. Too bad! The last time the Celt saw her was when she was very young girl. Now she is a mature woman, who has white threads in her hair. She also has a thick, long braid — four centimeters wide! Thickness — two centimeters. Maybe that is why we, Magi, do not like to depend on anyone — to marry or get married.

Elena greeted us all very warmly, hugged our boss for ten minutes on the threshold, shook hands with the others. A very kind woman…