Climbing back into the hall, where the distinguished guests who had gathered for today's celebration awaited the triumphant return of a new star to the heavens—Severus Prince—I maintained a mental dialogue with Alfonso, through which we had arrived at the idea that it would be worth lending a bit more assistance to the young heir Prince, specifically to his circle, who in the not-too-distant future would find themselves at Hogwarts alongside him.
"Severus. The moment we enter the ballroom, you'll have a conversation with Alfonso in which he'll give you a light dressing-down in front of everyone. All that's required of you is to agree with everything while maintaining composure and acting as if such situations, like duels, are perfectly ordinary for you."
Once I received his confirming nod, the three of us finally entered the hall, and immediately all attention focused on us. It was obvious that many of those present would have liked to draw us into their company and detain us to discuss the duel that had recently taken place, and most importantly to meet the heir Prince who had unexpectedly appeared from nowhere. But we made our way deliberately toward the Head of House Greengrass, Henry, who at the moment was in the company of his wife, their daughter, her fiancé Alfonso, Nigellus, and also Sygnus, Druella, Narcissa Black, and my Bellatrix. Like the other guests, they had been waiting with anticipation for our arrival and our imminent joining of their circle. Save for Narcissa, who was an exception, her emotional state a more complex cocktail of feelings. There was everything: a marked trace of her recent anxiety over the fate of her defender, relief that everything had ended well, a touch of anger at Severus for taking such risks, but alongside that, an aching joy because he had rushed to her defense without hesitation! In short, the girl was smitten, and in her little heart a place had already been reserved for our knight. Heh.... And he truly would be one, as soon as he turned fifteen and joined the Order of the Dragon, with his rank confirmed and certified by a charter from the secretariat of the Vatican, which verifies such appointments. So she had truly met her knight! Speaking of this procedure and the process of interaction between the Vatican and my order—the security and protection of this specific subdivision of the Pope's secretariat, which handles correspondence and dealings between the Vatican and the Order of the Creator, the Dragon, and the Inquisition at such a high level that it is comparable only to the security organization of the Pope himself.
Why so? Well, so that no one would know about the true state of the military potential of the Catholic Church!
The moment we drew near those waiting for us, I felt as if I had found myself in the center of a Roman tercio of legionaries. The other Blacks present in the hall formed a tight circle around us, thereby warning the other guests that we were about to have a "private" conversation. Why in quotes? Because none of the wizards in our present company had bothered with privacy charms, and I could easily sense numerous activations of various forms of eavesdropping spells.
"Severus. I don't even know whether to praise you or scold you for your recklessness. You began your duel brilliantly but ended it shamefully. Were you not taught never to leave a living enemy at your back? And you surely harbor no illusions that Lucius will henceforth be one?" "Indignant" at the heir Prince's foolishness, Alfonso began to dress him down.
"No, Professor. But in this case, I was guided by the belief that it would be unforgivable for me to be the cause of mourning on such a festive day for you and Sylvia." As I had mentioned before, Severus was far from a stupid boy and quickly understood part of what was happening and why this conversation was necessary.
"Pff..... What are you even talking about, student? How exactly would the death of some jay affect my mood? I hope you won't allow such a blunder again. As my brother Salazar says: 'I strike twice: once on the head, and again on the coffin lid!' So take this undoubtedly wise maxim to heart. And don't think this conversation is over. I'll tell your grandfather all the particulars of today's mistake."
Damn it.... A couple of centuries ago, during one of our chats over a glass of brandy, this quote from my favorite game slipped out of me just once, and look, he remembered it! But still, well done, because the main thing in his words is that he slipped the English some information that Slytherin is still alive. Maria had already done something similar before. And he also mentioned that Severus has living relatives with whom he's on good terms, and Alfonso blessed the young heir Prince not to leave his opponents alive after duels. This should cool many hot heads when the canon characters and Severus's peers go to study at Hogwarts.
"Thank you for the wisdom, teacher." And there was some truth in Severus's words, because Alfonso was the head of all the demonologists of the order and accordingly the dean of this department at the Citadel, where he periodically gave lectures and conducted practical sessions for masters and magisters who had chosen this direction of magical art as their specialization. Continuing education courses, so to speak. Severus, due to his age, was not yet permitted to attend the Citadel's classes and studied at the Rocky Refuge among his peers, but even there Alfonso had conducted a couple of sessions to identify the most promising and talented children in his science, who had great prospects of achieving outstanding results in this field. And at the same time, he showed what they should strive for and what dangers exist in the magical world, when he summoned one of the Princes of Goetia in the rank of an archdevil. The young generation of witches and warlocks gathered quite an impression from that lesson! None of them soiled themselves, but everyone was terrified when they were covered by Alfonso's slightly restrained power, manifested in the presence of the otherworldly creature summoned by the master. In short, Severus had every right to address Brans as his teacher, and his professor was a perfectly real position in the scientific institute for the study of witches' magic.
"But if you ask me, you're being a bit unfair to the boy, Alfonso. He distinguished himself very creditably, and on that account I'll even give him my blessing and permission to court Narcissa. If she doesn't object, of course." The sly fox Nigellus came to Severus's defense, and at this proposal of a future union of families through a possible marriage from the mouth of the Head of House Black, all our company's gazes turned to little Cissy.
"I don't object," little Cissy answered very quietly and indistinctly—but not to my keen hearing. Besides, Druella standing near her, as well as Alfonso and Nigellus, heard perfectly well. And just as the answer reached everyone present and the senior Blacks in the persons of Narcissa's parents seemed about to make a jest about it, when the blonde angel looked so charmingly sweet with his face flushed crimson, into our cozy circle burst—and there's no other way to describe it than a storming of the Black defensive line—two very well-known and respected persons in English society, who even found their place in Rowling's books.
These were two venerable ladies and highly respected witches—Bathilda Bagshot, the renowned historian with extensive connections throughout Europe and considerable authority despite her kinship with Gellert Grindelwald, to whom she was a great-aunt; and the second person, who passed through the Blacks' encirclement like an icebreaker, was none other than Griselda Marchbanks, Head of the Wizarding Examination Commission of the English Ministry of Magic. These two persons were the two oldest people present at today's reception, aside from myself, Nigellus, and Alfonso.
"Oh..... Is this little Zee?" Alfonso broke into a sly smile and wonder of wonders! Griselda's cheeks flushed and this astonished everyone to their very core, because at this time the title of Iron Lady belonged to her and no one else, certainly not Augusta Longbottom.
"Well, Uncle Alfie, how can you undermine with just a few words the authority and reputation I've built over the years?" Griselda answered my foster brother as if she were a child, all but pouting, with reproach and childish hurt.
"Pffff... I recall that you used to not give a damn about propriety, and the moment you got the chance, you'd try to climb onto my lap, and then you'd whine for me to tell you awful stories about demons and other creatures that you loved so much." To be honest, I was surprised and didn't even know about this chapter of my foster brother's life or how he came to know this family.
"Well, Grandfather Donald was always making excuses and wouldn't tell me anything interesting about that side of the magical world. But you always made time for me and were willing to spend hours telling me about your experiments and the amusing incidents that arose in the course of your work." You could feel how happy Griselda was at this meeting and how nostalgic she felt about her childhood memories. Hmm..... How old was she anyway? Glancing at her aura, I concluded she was around one hundred forty and accordingly had been born somewhere in the middle of the last century. Well, now it all makes sense. I was in the drow city at that time, dealing with spiders.
"Allow me to introduce you..." and as an old acquaintance, Alfonso introduced us to those who hadn't yet met Griselda and her companion. It turned out that Donald Marchbanks, the grandfather of the current head of the Wizarding Examination Commission, had been a member of the Numerology Guild and a good friend of Alfonso's, who was its head. They had even conducted scientific experiments together for some time, which was why Donald often spent time at Brans Manor and had taken his granddaughter there numerous times. Hmm..... Another one not of this world! Who in their right mind would think to drag their young offspring, and at such a tender age, into the home of an arch-mage of demonology? Once again I'm convinced that most powerful mages always have a screw loose.
As for Bathilda, she had been Griselda's longtime friend and her Hogwarts classmate. Coming from a respected old family and possessing a passionate love of ancient history, but lacking great magical prowess or success in other disciplines, she had leveraged her family name to gain access to the memoirs of wizards from numerous noble houses, who were only too happy at the prospect of seeing their ancestors mentioned in the historical publications of the day. Griselda, on the other hand, was not only an excellent theoretician of magical science but also a highly skilled practitioner with considerable talent in charms and dark magic. She had achieved impressive heights and was currently a master of blood magic, dark magic, and charms. The rings on her hands, hidden from curious eyes by magic, testified to this—though it was no trouble for me to make them out and sense them. After all, these rings were part of an artifact-library that I had once used to pay the guilds for confirmation of my mastery, and through them all bearers of these rings had access to a virtual library of their guild. For the past century or so, my rings—the ones the artifact-library creates to grant access to its contents—became the insignia of master rank in the highest tier of guild governance, its Council, whose decisions determined most matters and whose votes elected the head.
Of course, as a person she warranted attention, but she presented no particular global interest to me, and I wouldn't have given her a second glance if not for the emotions directed at me that overwhelmed her. She maintained a flawless mask and not a single facial muscle or movement betrayed her outwardly, yet this could hardly deceive me. So I decided to get the answer straight from her mind. What had so agitated her and what could have drawn her attention to me? Though I already suspected the possible answer.
Hmm.... As I thought, this lover and great connoisseur of history had recognized in me both Slytherin and Holystar. Half a century ago she had been a guest of the Borgia family, where she was granted access to certain preserved memories, and through the memory pool she had been able to familiarize herself with episodes from the lives of the ancestors of the Roman patriarcian family in which both Salazar and Holystar were present.
Although, if I'm being honest, it remains a great mystery to me how it came to pass that throughout my entire life, masked as Holystar, only Antonio Borgia managed to see Salazar in me. After all, all my personas were practically one face—I merely made my appearance somewhat handsomer in the guise of Holystar compared to Salazar's features, nothing more. Thinking about this now, I felt almost like Clark Kent, who only needed to swap his suit for a costume and put on glasses, and as if by a magic wand, he became a completely different person to everyone around him, one in whom no one could expose Superman. Absurd, yet here I am, practically in the same situation.
"Severus and you, Ronald," I drew the boys' attention to myself. "You see that small company of students over there, in the corner near the entrance?" After they spotted whom I was speaking of and turned their attention back to me, I continued, "These are Hogwarts students whom I deemed worthy of my invested time and who in the not-too-distant future will become the flower of the English magical nation. Therefore, you should make time to meet them, and Cissy and Bella will introduce you to one another."
Upon hearing my wish, Bellatrix led the children toward the students who, in my classes, served as student leaders and who thus had gained entry to a small closed club within the school, through which I provided, via the Black sisters and Sylvia, curious and useful literature.
I had already selected a dozen of the most promising among them, those I wished to help along the path to becoming powerful and gifted, and for this purpose I had arranged invitations for them to this celebration today, which had already drawn attention to them and would certainly help them in the future. But now, having sent the boys off and with the others in our separate group occupied with praising Severus, I decided it was time to devote attention to Bathilda.
"Esteemed Bathilda, I must ask your forgiveness for my curiosity, but I am a great admirer of history and would consider it a crime not to avail myself of the opportunity to discuss matters of interest to me with a recognized specialist in this field. And I very much hope that the masters of this house and the occasion's celebrants will permit me to steal the esteemed Miss Bagshot away for some time, if of course she has no objection to sparing me a measure of her attention?" And I produced my most engaging smile—compared to which the serpent of Eden was but a pitiful worm in matters of seduction and temptation!
Naturally, neither the Greengrass couple nor the Blacks objected, and Alfonso and Griselda were too preoccupied with each other and their own memories, so I managed to slip away from the group, whom roughly sixty percent of the hall's guests were eavesdropping on with great pleasure. A delicate conversation awaited me, and I had no wish to spoil the mood of the public with privacy charms, thereby depriving them of the chance to listen to Alfonso and the others in our party. At this very moment my foster brother was divulging to Griselda a great deal of information useful to me, the disclosure of which to the English aristocrats at this time was most opportune. For precisely this reason I had to distance myself from them, and standing by the wall opposite a window that offered a magnificent view of a stately garden that even Louis XV himself would have envied—he who was renowned for his great love of art, a celebrated connoisseur of beauty, and in whose reign the Versailles garden could be counted among the wonders of the world.
The moment Bathilda and I found ourselves apart from the "outstanding" personages and stars of the evening, to whom the lion's share of the guests' attention was fixed at the celebration, I raised privacy charms around us both to ensure we were truly alone.
"Now we can speak frankly and openly." She attempted to feign misunderstanding, surprise, and confusion, but... "Enough, Bathilda. Do you truly think you can hide anything from me? The moment you correlated the information about the personas of Salazar and Holystar, then recognized the striking resemblance in me and came to the conclusion that Ormand Drake is merely yet another mask of one and the same person, I learned of it at once. Who would have thought that I would meet you here today," I shook my head with mild vexation, "you, the most qualified and knowledgeable specialist in history on English territory. You possess all the accurate information that has ever been mentioned about me in written sources. And that's not even accounting for the fact that you managed to peruse preserved memories with my involvement under my former names. How unfortunate that you are not part of my inner circle and for that reason ought not to be the keeper of my identity's secret."
"I..... I ..... Please....." Oh, damn. That really shook her! I needed to bring her under control immediately, or within a minute she'd have a heart attack. I came to this conclusion when I saw that her emotional spirit literally began to tremble, causing her physical body to shake uncontrollably from a massive release of fear hormones.
"Oh, girl. Calm down. I have no intention of eliminating you or harming you in any way. On the contrary, I wish only for your good health. Come on, compose yourself," and besides my words, I also cast charms meant to help her manage her emotions and calm her body. "I wish to propose to you an interesting line of work, but can we have a serious conversation while you're in such an inadequate state?" And now she was truly bewildered, for she well understood her value as a witch—which amounted to very little.
After waiting a minute for her to collect herself somewhat, I got down to business.
"I wish to have a complete and truthful history textbook from ancient times to the present day. If you agree to head this project of its creation, you will receive full access to the archives of the Vatican, the Russian Empire, Japan, and China, as well as to numerous libraries of the most ancient and noble families of Europe (among those who managed to acquire my artifact-libraries back in the day). There is an unprecedented amount of work there, and I believe that even if you were to labor on this project for a century without sleep or rest, you still wouldn't manage to complete it. And for that reason, part of the payment for this work will be immortality. What do you say?"
This question had been brewing for a long time. The witches and warlocks—the Dragons' Knights—have for several centuries been a self-sufficient society consisting of a single race, and I needed to create a historical chronicle of their formation and development. Since they are an integral part of human civilization with which they now live in close symbiosis and of which they are the protectors, it was necessary to illuminate not only the history of their race but also that of their progenitors from which they sprang—that is, humanity. Of course, I could have undertaken this myself, but why should I? It's simpler to find a responsible, sensible person for whom this would be the work of their life and a true passion. And who would have thought that I would find one so soon, and under such circumstances.
"But how could I.....," the poor thing was dumbfounded, for throughout her life she had devoted herself to the science of history, dreaming of gaining access to the Vatican's closed archives, but had realistically assessed her chances and never thought that such a dream could one day come true. And here I was, offering her immortality besides.
Vencentius, who is now Conan II, is my vassal, and it was I who resurrected him so that he would lead the Catholic Church and bring order to it. So there will be no obstacles for you in carrying out the task set before you in the Vatican. However, in order to achieve immortality, you will need to become my vassal and accordingly enter the Order of the Dragon. After that, you will be able to bring your work to its final conclusion yourself and see the result of your labors with your own eyes and hold it in your hands, regardless of how long it may take. Just imagine a book with the title "History of the World: From Time Immemorial to Our Days," author: Bathilda Bagshot, where will be gathered in their entirety only authentic and verified facts that living manuscripts remember, but which all this time have remained unsystematized and scattered, fragmented across the entire world. You will be the only intelligent being on Earth for whom there will be no closed doors on the path to obtaining historical information, and one who will be able to gather them together, creating a complete picture of the history of our world!
"I agree!!!" Huh.... She seemed to have become a dozen years younger from the inspiration that overwhelmed her and the flood of positive emotions.
"Well then, plan nothing for tomorrow. At midday, a package with a portkey will arrive from me that will transport you to the Citadel of witches and warlocks, where you will do me homage, and only after that you will undergo the procedure of acquiring immortality." Hmm... I had already even thought of a new position for her in the hierarchy of the order. Keeper of History! Doesn't it sound right?
After I had received agreement to my proposal, I returned her companion back to Griselda and was immediately taken captive and found myself in the clutches of Bellatrix.
"My dear Bella, release your unnecessary worries. I have already given you my word that as soon as you reach the rank of arch-mage, you and I will hold an engagement, and only upon your reaching full adulthood will you become my wife. So there is no need for you to envy your cousin. Ehhhh." All I could do was sigh sadly at the emotional turmoil now tormenting the soul of my fifth chosen one predestined by fate. "Her beloved will likewise be inaccessible to her in this respect, about which you have begun to think far too much and right up until she reaches twenty-one years, she, like you, will remain innocent."
Whoa.... How red we got!
"Is it really that even after all these efforts and labors, my shields mean nothing to you, teacher?" She lacked the strength to ask her question while looking me in the eyes. So to my view there was only the edge of her blazing cheek and her red ear.
"Bella. I am a god! The most powerful being in this reality, at least I consider myself as such, and I know of no one more powerful in this reality. Naturally, it is no problem for me to know and sense everything that thinking beings near me are thinking and feeling. On the contrary, I have to exert effort so as not to do this in the background, deliberately limiting my strength. Why do I do this? Because power intoxicates, and great power makes life bland and uninteresting. Imagine how it would be for you if you could predict the course of a conversation hundreds of words in advance, when cause-and-effect relationships are so obvious to you, and thanks to acute sensitivity, reality is so transparent that beside you there is nothing unknown or incomprehensible. Life becomes dull. Only my wives and a very limited number of intelligent beings remain terra incognita for me in this regard. Of course, if I wished I could circumvent all their tricks and decipher and learn all their thoughts, dreams, and desires, but if I did so I would cease to respect myself. And it so happened that you are predestined for me by fate, and in order to create at least an appearance of equality in our relationship, you must draw near to me in strength and power. Alas, but I am very vain. Such is my nature—a narcissist and egocentric. And in order to feel genuine love for you, I must understand with my reason that you deserve it."
"I myself would find it repugnant to feel helpless and useless. So you can have no doubt in my resolve. I will certainly achieve the necessary heights so that neither I nor you will be ashamed that you have such a wife! I will not back down."
"Alas, dear, but you simply have no other choice. One way or another, you would have become what I need beside me."
I did not consider it necessary to hide the truth about myself and my attitude toward reality from her. And I do not consider my behavior and actions toward my wives to be wrong. It is in the natural order of things for everyone and anyone. Only some have the courage to admit to themselves and those close to them that they are willing to exert effort, even to the point of manipulation, for their own selfish desires, while others do not. But all my actions, hidden and imperceptible in regard to Maria, Coneko, or Fess, when they were still children, even though they were aimed at making them worthy of my conception of the ideal wife and intelligent being, this did not run counter to their own happiness. After all, they are happy to be my wives, to receive my affection and care, and along with it the assurance of their own future, so I harbor no pangs of conscience on this account.
"And I am absolutely not opposed to being led by you and following your explicit and not-so-explicit directives, the fate that you have chosen for me, for the sake of always being near you. I am no longer that stupid girl who lives only by feelings and floats in her own dreams. At least now I know exactly what and how I need to do in order for my fantasies to become reality."
We were now standing outside the walls of Greengrass Manor, in their luxurious garden, and Bella said all this to me, brimming with determination and looking straight into my eyes. And do not judge me harshly, but I could not restrain myself and kissed this charming in her seriousness little darling.
At first she was taken aback, but very quickly her emotions, radiating sadness, sorrow, a certain hopelessness, and along with that unwavering confidence in her own choice, shifted, and now happiness and joy predominated in her, which is why she fully surrendered to sensations new to her, for this was our first kiss.
*******
The reception was coming to its end and gradually guests began to leave Greengrass Manor, and I finally decided it was time to deal with the last remnant of Earth's bygone past in the persons of Koschei and Valisa.
Perhaps I did not consider them enemies, but in anticipation of a future conflict with the Burning Legion, to leave an unknown factor behind my back, one that under no circumstances would agree to come under my hand, thereby calming my paranoia, was inadmissible.
And therefore:
"Isao."
I addressed my "legacy" from Nurarihyon, which I had managed to replicate, thereby now possessing all the abilities of the ancient and powerful ekaiyo. And one of them, which Nura was so renowned for, was the ability to summon any of his vassals who had entered his parade of demons through his own shadow, wherever they might be at that moment. Naturally, before I pulled my samurai to me, I learned what he was doing, and at that moment Isao had just finished a katana lesson with young witches and warlocks, and was now meditating on a small clearing near the Rocky Refuge.
I continue to marvel at my own fortune, specifically at how lucky I was with this uncut diamond. To think, not even two years had passed since he acquired a material body of flesh and blood, thereby gaining access to life energy, and already he had achieved astounding results in working with and manipulating it. His discipline of mind, worldview, and striving for his own knowledge had made this demon an incredible genius in working with any of the types of energy at his disposal. He could already be confidently awarded the rank of master of Yoga, and in a couple more years I am sure he will be a magister in this direction of the art! And he still finds time to study and master magic.
And he senses the world and his place in it so subtly that he can catch, feel the moment when he needs only the slightest movement of his hand with a katana in it to unleash an actual slash of air currents, capable of leaving a deep notch in a tree trunk or cutting down young bamboo! And this, mind you, without using any mystical energy whatsoever. He is like a surfer who can easily catch a wave, hear the world and its currents, thanks to which only through remarkable control over his own body can he direct them and change the "melody" of the world or alter the course of the wave. Whoever understands it best. That damned sage in sennin mode! That's what came to mind first when I figured out the situation and his explanations of how he managed such things.
I too am capable of repeating such "tricks," only for this I have to use ba-hion, and it is for me in this case like a hearing aid, thanks to which I can hear the melody, the music that the world produces with its soul, and only thus am I capable of matching its rhythm and frequency so as to influence it through only movements of the body.
Well, let's not dwell on sad thoughts. I have still an eternity ahead to learn such things and attain the necessary level of enlightenment, but now I need to pay attention to the pressing problems at hand.
Turning my gaze to the motionless Isao, who stood like a stone statue, humbly waiting for me to cease my musings and finally give him instructions on further action, I began to provide him with information about the personality we were to meet today.
"Isao, today you will play the role of my bodyguard, and we are now setting out to meet the second most powerful being in this world after me. If a conflict should happen between us, your task will be to oppose any other opponents who may be in Koschei's service. Koschei himself will be only my opponent—do not even think of engaging him in battle or interfering in our confrontation, if one should occur. Alas, but you are only one strike away from him."
But still, I hoped, practically was certain of this, that the matter would not come to blows.
And after imparting clarifications about the forthcoming meeting and his role in it, I immersed Isao in my shadow and relocated to the shore of Lake Baikal. Literally to the very place where I had once before encountered Koschei and met his rose-haired wife Valisa on that day.
"It took you long enough to finally come back here."
"Hm?" I did not consider it necessary to greet this pompous and pretentious remnant of the past. And I put both my question and my displeasure at his behavior toward me into a single grunt. This time I easily managed to catch the moment of his displacement from his domain to Earth, and though his skills no longer seemed unattainable to me, still his reaction speed was impressive. I had barely stepped onto the rocky shore of Lake Baikal when he appeared before me that very instant. One might have thought he was already waiting for me at this very spot, as if he foreknew of my arrival. But after becoming the supreme god of this world, even while undergoing a displacement process, seemingly being in another plane of existence at that moment, I do not lose my connection to Earth and the Magical World. That is why I could see perfectly well that the moment a spatial distortion arose in Koschei's domain, which was to become my endpoint of displacement, his signal charms of divine origin activated, notifying Koschei of my approach. And since his domain was literally anchored to Lake Baikal, the time it took for him to displace to the point where his signal charms activated was many times less than it took me to complete my transition from England here.
"And what made you think that we would meet again, and also prompted you to await this moment?" Something about the development of our conversation was not sitting right with me. If he was so eager for our meeting, then it was quite logical that he could have prepared unpleasant surprises for me. But either I am a complete fool and incompetent if I cannot detect any alarming signatures with my perception, or my paranoia is acting up once again. And the bitch of intuition remains silent.
"Boy, I am older than this universe itself. Do you really think it is difficult for me to predict your subsequent steps? Naturally, my wife and I understood that someday you would decide to deal with us. No single ruler would tolerate in his domain a force that he is unable to control." What a damned undead creature! And you cannot read his true intentions until he himself begins to act. What is in his soul and mind, unfortunately, will not be discoverable through my sensitivity. His mind is protected in such a way that it would be easier to make a stone speak than to learn this ancient god's thoughts. The same applies to his emotional spirit. The only time it came alive and stopped resembling the contents of a morgue, or rather a crypt, was when Valisa stood beside him. Ha..... Well, I can understand him there—his wife is something else entirely, and even a dead man would start to stir for such a one.
"And how are we to resolve this matter?" I had no desire to fight him, yet neither could I leave everything as it was.
"It is very simple. Your ward will take my place, and I will depart to follow my native pantheon."
"Seriously?"
Like a bucket of cold water poured over my head—that was how I felt after grasping what Koschei had said.