The Black Book of Souls - Danny Osipenko


The Black Book of Souls


Danny Osipenko

© Danny Osipenko, 2022


Created with Ridero smart publishing system

CHAPTER 01

 I write, I read, I make letters!  a solid hour I tore a throat on the market square without the slightest result.

In three days I managed to get only the small, wrinkled apple, and painful spasms in a stomach gave to a voice drama feeling.

But not only hunger forced to look for earnings convulsively. Midday when the city guards begin a round came to collect a daily payment from foreigners for stay in the city.

Who will be able to pay  will receive the press on the palm back special paint. Till next day the tag will descend and it is again necessary to pay or hide. You will get and will not be able to pay  will sell on galleys. Destiny which and to the enemy you will not wish.

And money is necessary very little: a copper penny, but where to take it?

I tried to steal and once even it turned out. But local thieves attacked me, beat, selected production and warned that they will kill next time. Only liverymen have the right to drag others supposedly in the city. In which for the introduction it is necessary to treat government of binge, to pay a contribution five silver and to deduct every month two silver in a common fund.

I tried to find a job, but also here waited for complexity. It appeared that on the nice island of Lush only liverymen of podmetalshchik can sweep, wash the dishes  liverymen of dishwashers, to cut firewood  liverymen of woodcutters. Even chamber-pots have the right to take out only liverymen of goldsmiths. Monitor observance of these regulations of the power strictly, and punishment one  galleys. For the accession to guild it is necessary to bring a fair contribution and to arrange to the management a wine party.

It was necessary only to be engaged in the craft. Glory to gods, the guild of clerks did not exist. Alas, almost everyone on the island was more or less competent, and on services the calligrapher of demand was not.

I swallowed saliva and stared at richly dressed up girl with the silly person and a muddy look.

She defiled, extending a smell of the reek of alcohol and haughty bending the swelled lips. The burse which, judging by thickness, could solve all my problems for many days hung on the belt decorated with pearls.

The hand itself stretched to it, but I felt as language a loose tooth, remembered prevention of local thieves and constrained an internal rush. Unworthy to the person of my craft and qualification to trade in theft. Instead I whispered to the girl directly in an ear:

 I make love messages, congratulations in verses. Absolutely cheap!

The stranger only hiccupped fumes of wine and disappeared in crowd. And midday, meanwhile, came. Shadows became shorter, my situation is more and more dangerous.

I wiped wet palms about a loincloth and started turning the head.

The glory to gods not to see guards yet. However there is no time less, money and even me have nothing to sell. From all property at me only a dirty rag on loins yes a silver feather on a neck. This sign of craft indicated my highest qualification and to leave it it seemed as inconceivable how to say goodbye with themselves.

I pressed a medallion to heart and swore that I will better die of hunger, but I will not sell it. Other business threat of slavery by galleys. To avoid a similar fate any will be ready to do anything.

So far I managed to disappear. I hid on roofs of houses and in cesspools, under boards of port moorings and in crowns. The damned guards knew all places where illegal immigrants can be concealed, and checked there especially carefully, using volunteer assistants from local beggars. Paid ragamuffins for everyone caught and they tried on conscience. Still I was more cunning, but whether good luck will long last?

Money was urgently necessary, but how to get them?

Never thought that with a profession of the calligrapher it is possible to appear without work. Also brought me hard on the island where every second is able to write!

The bearded fat man who, taking the rap, pressed two shabby volumes to a breast overtook me. The stranger was obviously not from the poor, and I became constant visitor, looking to him in eyes:

 I rewrite books, I restore the damaged text, I make tables of contents eighteen various fonts.

Tolstobryukhy twisted a nose as if from me insufferably stank, and asked:

 And in how many languages you can write?

 On seven, mister!  with hope I exclaimed and began to list, for descriptive reasons bending fingers:  On kashtunsky, ulishsky, brotherly

 And my dogs bark on eight!  he interrupted, spat to me under legs, laughed and passed by.

I hardly constrained desire to strangle the bastard.

Yes, strangers do not favor here. The island of Lush was the unpleasant place, and lashita very inhospitable people. The travel on the Archipelago Thousands of Islands did not seem to me more successful idea. And as everything well began!

Hardly university historian Kimraz invited me to set off with him as the copyist, I grasped with both hands at this offer. You bet: to escape for university walls, to travel all over the world, to spend the night under stars at a fire, to float under sails! And who could refuse here?

And the wandering purpose to write a research about mysterious chasteners of the Archipelago, could immortalize our names. Nobody authentically knew anything about mysterious attendants of the goddess Cara. Commoners frightened by chasteners of disobedient children, library volumes were full of the most contradictory data, and scientists to blue in the face argued, putting forward own, times absolutely fantastic, the assumptions.

Some claimed that chasteners are the demons called by the goddess from other measurements and is devoted to her employees in gratitude for an opportunity to live in our world. Others said that it is demigods who were born from mixed marriages of gods and people. The third proved that it is ordinary people who in infancy were sold to Caras priests and since childhood studied fighting and magical arts in underground temples of a mysterious cult.

Not less cock-and-bull stories were also about abilities of mysterious beings. They supposedly can pass through walls, breathe under water, turn into birds and animals, to become invisible, do not burn on fire, are not vulnerable for magic and weapon.

In one all story-tellers agreed: that against whom the goddess directed the servants could be considered as the dead person since that moment as chasteners received the order. Neither strong walls and locks, nor thousands of bodyguards and policemen, sorcery and protection of deities saved the victim. Only continuous flight could on kokoye time to delay inevitable, but not on long.

How to me was to resist from temptation to learn the truth?

And it was possible to receive it firsthand only on the Archipelago where Caras cult forgotten on the Northern continent hundreds years ago still prospered. Collecting was not long, and in a week we set off.

The travel to the Southern Port was inexpressibly fascinating and full of new impressions. I even could not present before as far as life out of walls of the monastery differs from habitual to me since childhood.

There was, appear, no firm schedule. People ate, slept, wandered there  vessels when to them takes in head. And any hourly prayers, any vigils.

Instead of the identical gray chlamyses put to priests and altar boys, laymen put on each in his own way, and the most unimaginable coloring. Men preferred the ridiculous wide trousers which are tied up by a rope or a bright belt and free shirts, is frequent without sleeves. Women wore the dresses which are usually embroidered by bright patterns and intricate hats. Over it in rainy weather jackets, vests, raincoats were put on. In the majority leather woolen sometimes.

From discordant noise in the cities and villages I who got used to silence of the monastic university turned the head.

And women.

Most of them did not resemble at all those crooked old women who were sometimes allowed in monastyar. For all the nineteen years I did not see any whose hair were not sets, and faces are wrinkled and dark as dried fruits.

Now I saw hundreds of young beautiful faces with the shining eyes, charming noses and the concerning lips. From one view of shapes of female bodies which from time to time were frankly emphasized with the fitting dresses at me intercepted breath and went hot. I could not look away and so stared that young seductresses laughed over me, put out the tongue, sometimes waved a hand or did gesture which as I learned later, is called an air-kiss.

Kimraz with laughter straightened out me, saying that so it is indecent to stare at women and I can have troubles from their admirers or parents. But in general it encouraged my interest in surrounding, advising to remember all what was seen that then to use in our book.

Spending the night under the open sky on a roadside was also full of new impressions, and cooking on a fire  fascinating business. And though porridge slightly burned, and compote turned out too sweet, we fell asleep absolutely happy under a chirr of cicadas and shouts of night birds.

In the morning we have hastily a bite and went further, and by a lunch already were in the Southern Porto.

Before I could not even imagine that there are such huge cities where houses rise on several floors over the crowded people streets, and noise and a stench are simply unimaginable. I absolutely became puzzled and stared around having opened from surprise of companies.

Fortunately, Kimraz not the first time traveled and well knew the Southern Port. He only clapped me it can do, strong grabbed by a hand and surely dragged bustling streets.

We were pushed, called, tried to be robbed, but we without special incidents reached the harbor.

The type of the huge ships and a boundless water smooth surface blew my mind.

I grew up at water and even perfectly swam, the University costs on the bank of Lake Beloye. But unless it was possible to compare it to sea open spaces?

And dark sea vessels surpassed by the sizes ten times those boats which priests used.

Out of a stupor I was brought by Kimraz, having pulled a hand so that nearly pulled out it from a shoulder. He pointed to the stocky building and told that there we will be able to learn what vessels go to the Archipelago.

The gray-haired fat man chewed lips examining a silver coin which was handed to him by the scientist, and with a sigh reported that «the Sea Shepherd» just floats to Got with ebony cargo. It goes with an evening outflow and if we hurry, then we will manage to agree with the captain.

Soon Kimraz already hazardously bargained with the high big guy in a red sleeveless jacket. As a result for twenty silver we received the place on the deck under a canopy and two times food.

 Low robbery! Remember it Lance. We will write about it in the book,  Kimraz muttered settling on a lean mattress.

I only nodded and began to examine the ship and sailors who quickly scurried about, preparing for departure.

The beginning of swimming was awful. I was exhausted by seasickness and the whole world was not lovely. Only for the fourth day it became better for me and I ate a little, and then began to write down the collected impressions.

In the evening after dinner I felt absolutely healthy and went to admire a sea sunset to a board. Similar before I saw nothing and the fantastic show so bewitched me that I ceased to notice surrounding.

 You admire the handsome man,  was distributed at the ear and I nearly jumped overboard.

Gasping for air, I turned back and caught a quizzical glance from under fluffy eyelashes. The answer got stuck in a throat.

Regular features showed natural irony and sharp mind, and still some reckless impudence. The mens shirt and trousers so emphasized all cambers of a slim figure that at me palms sweated, and knees began to shiver.

 Mute, perhaps?  anxiously the beautiful stranger asked and suddenly put out the tongue at me.

In several moments I managed to squeeze out from myself silent:

 Hello.

The girl sniffed, was called Garda and asked how I like swimming. Gradually my awkwardness weakened, I was presented, and the conversation was struck up. Having heard about the purpose of a trip, our with Kimraz, to the Archipelago of Thousands of Islands, the beauty inconsiderately slapped me it can do and told that I was largely lucky, it is an adventurer, it is possible to tell the adventurer in the second generation visited many places and something can tell about mysterious chasteners.

Left her words that it is cruel, ruthless murderers, one mention of whom causes a panic in inhabitants of the Archipelago. For Caras servants would be commonplace to finish off one hundred innocent Lish to reach the planned victim. However, recently on east islands and in the center the chasteners appeared not often.

These murderers are reserved and ruthless. Very few people could brag that saw them and survived, but all survived eyewitnesses claimed: servants Cara ordinary people. Though some continued to insist as if those demons and sorcerers who sold soul.

All inhabitants of the Archipelago knew how to address the goddess that that punished offenders if there is no different way to restore the trampled justice.

It is enough to come to Caras temple, to pray, having mentioned the one who avoided fair punishment, and then to cut to itself a throat over an altar. It is necessary to do it without assistance, and so that blood gathered in a sacrificial bowl. Hardly soul of the applicant will go to the world of shadows the goddess will consider a request and if considers it fair, will call the servants. Since this moment the victim can be considered the dead man.

The terrible ritual suggested me an idea that ask for the similar help not often.

Garda told that in the east all quite so and is, but in the West chasteners are ferocious with might and main. Whether you will not wait for justice at the authorities there, whether it became fashionable to cut to itself drinks.

About chasteners my new acquaintance could not add anything else and the conversation went about her travel. I enthusiastically listened, and probably it was pleasant to the girl so we left long after midnight. At parting the beauty presented me the first in life kiss and I all night long experienced delightful feelings of contact of gentle lips.

To evening of the next day the storm, and everything burst, including sailors gathered in a hold. On the main deck remained only steering.

We with Garda sat down near and continued a yesterdays conversation. Proximity of the girl I was incredibly concerned also by her, obviously, at once noted it. The conversation passed to subjects of the relations of men and women what I did not understand at all, the yesterdays kiss was my one and only experience.

Having learned that I am a virgin, the adventurer lit up the idea to immediately turn me into the real man. And to make it, according to her, followed on the deck in the rain and wind, during a storm that both of us remembered these moments forever.

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