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[Criperum]

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

One day I'll be unlucky enough to go my teacher's steps: to go outside my shelter and attack some settlement. His dramatic experience tells me that violence and greed won't lead to anything good. Standing against the whole world is a complete madness. It was too risky not like catching lonely travalers, lots of them are disappearing each year, noone ever paying attention on that.

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I wanted to send him away ASAP but he asked for shelter for the night. He said he was wearied by pursuit and he don't have time to gather all provisions scattered on the snow desert and he is risking to freese to death in the very first night making the whole agreement meaningless.
Well, I gave him another favor and let him stay. But I wasn't so stupid and naive to leave him without supervision. Of couse the secret knowledge were too tempting for him. Servants sent to watch over him reported he sneaked into library.

[Criperum]

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I've found him randomly leafing through tome by tome. He saw me and turned pale with the open book in his hands.
- What would you say now bounder before I turn you into dust?! - in fact it were just words. I was barely hesitating this moment, the chance to solve all my problems with a single move was so tempting. Yes this dwarf was trying to deceive me but my ego was flattered that I could expose him. And this reckless action proved he could fulfill his promises. Even he is unreliable I had a way to make him do what I need.
- Well, I wanted to learn a couple of your tricks - he started - I did it only to fulfill my promise better. To make sure, you know... - he stammered - I probably should have asked you to be my teacher...
- I'm no longer willing to hear this drivel! - I shouted and hit the stone plate with my staff for persuasiveness(I should have done it from the beginning ). The pale dwarf turned chalk white after that. A small pause after that fit the best way for - I'll give you the oportunity to save your life if you prove me your loyalty. Officially I need your sincere agreement but now you are not in the position to decline me.

[Criperum]

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Cornered he was ready to do anything. I carried out the ritual making him my servant, my property. He kept free will but could not harm me, lie to me, disobey me. Even his soul could be put to rest only by me. Now this rouge was harmless: he couldn't tell anyone about me, this place or our agreement. I was fully sure 'cause I knew how this bond works from my own experience. Master was carrying this ritual out an all his students. Only this let his survive that snakes tangle he gathered around him. None of his students filled with hatred or envy could find a loophole.

[Criperum]

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Surprisingly dwarf's words weren't far from truth, not counting some important details he hid. But even now, when he couldn't lie to me, it was hard to get information from him. First I ensured he actually stumbled my tower by accident just to calm myself down. Next I managed to know was that he dreamed to throne Assarotung for a long time and he could succeed it already but some troubles emerged. Troubles were so serious that his allies in the moutain home were not enough and he have to make a deal with goblins. However I did not care about it while my interests are not intersected with those of greenskinned.
Also dwarf mentioned his most visious rival many times: sorcerer and alchecmist, cunning liar and manipulator with unquenchable lust for power. It's funny but he considered him self a paragon of good and honor in comparison to that fellow. That's how ritual works, you are saying what you consider the truth, it does not force you to search it.

I thought it would be better to post once a week. That would shorten the time between them even in case of some pauses in russian threads.

[onciblu]

Do as you wish.

Great story, finally got to the (current) end of it.

...

and now my wait begins.

[Criperum]

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Next morning when the sun rose up from the horizon I sent him away. I was pleased with myself that I made a big step towards the safe and careless future. At least the previous day gave me a new pair of working hands, literally.
Now I just need to keep patience and I have plenty of it. I was back to my daily routine: day after day, month after month.

[onciblu]

I was wondering why was sedils so interested in likot. Especially now that we know her origins. Is it the necropolis that lies in the fortress?

[Criperum]

I was wondering why was sedils so interested in likot. Especially now that we know her origins. Is it the necropolis that lies in the fortress?

Who knows? May be it is, may be it is not. Only OPs know the truth.

[Criperum]

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You came close to the King to bite him as a greeting or in revenge that he left you for so long but suddenly he grabbed you and started to vociferate. Other dwarfes joined him.

[CountAlex]

I got some time on my vacation to come back to translations and make some.
But first of all, thanks a lot to you, Criperum. Making wonderful job here!
Now to few more updates on Likpt's story.
Also, once again some viewer discreation is adviced, yikes!
____________________________________

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

You woke up SUDDENLY in your room not in the caves behind cave-in with Ivety by your side. Events of few last days seemed to be faded dreams while what happened last night you hope to be a fruit of your autistic imagination.

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You carefully crawled from under Libash without disturbing her light sleep. Took some clothes from the floor and headed to the door when...

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You considered granting some titles to animals when you remembered that Libash is alredy Champion of the fortress while goose falunted on the coat of arms of the fortress thus being official symbol™ of Akrulaban.

Then you decided some tantrum is always pertinent and fell into it, tossing some furniture pieces across the room. No animal was harmed during performance.

When finished, you silently dressed and headed for the exit. At the door you turned around and sent air kiss to Libash. After that.. King has left the room.

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You stumbled to the well to wash your mug, Tok was already waiting there. Not to call overly brisk, he clearly felt better then you.
- So? How did it go? - Buketotil asked smiling.
You splashed some water from the bucket to your face and quenched your thirst then looked up.
- What did go?
- Welp... You left with Nasod... To her room... First taking llama to stalls en route... So?

[Criperum]

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- What are you trying to say! - you flared up - I'm married and completely happy with it!
Bucketotil gestured he'd never say it again and gave you a big mug of beer. You cooled your coppers and became much nicer.

[Criperum]

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A year and a half passed since that meeting. I wasn't nourishing any hopes on that bounder. No, it would be great to get stable source of zombies but my business wasn't that bad to worry about some venture. Despite my resources were constrainted as they never were before my reseaches progressed rapidly. During passed years I've tried all methods to keep my servants operability that I learned from magister and from the books I got. Of course magister won't bother doing such researches. For him a single zombi was nothing more than just a drop in the wave swamped two human kingdoms, an elven grove and forced craven dwarves to lock themselves in a mountain home leaving their hill brothers at the mercy of fate.
Now I stepped into the terra incognita and I was proud of it. I wanted to be able to replace wornout parts of my zombies and then may be even construct servants to fit certain needs. But that goal was far to go and right now I was working on combining two pieces of undead flesh into one.
I was sitting in my study room and thinking about the last experiment results when I felt someone's looking at me.

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After the dog had it's hair you both decided to go and check the stables.
- I can't remember what we were talking about during the feast - you laughed
Bucketotil lighted up:
- You told your story, then I told mine. Next about fortress and rulership, about problems. About everyday routine, who is responsible of what and about punishment to whose who works bad. About local conflicts and mean words.
- Oh, I'm starting to remember - you nodded.
- Mr. Fernokzam as it was ordered wasn't attending the feast. He was keeping order and caring about queen Ivety's comfort.
- Mr. Fernokzam?..Ok, later... Listen, you were bringing the letter from Kisat, right?
- Well, actually the words only. I've lost the letter itself.
- And what was in it?
- Emmm.. she was happy you are a king now and happy for you. Happy that you keep your word and about some deal. Emm... something about tonnels. About alliance or truce...
- Rapprochement of homes?
- I guess. She asked to specify what do you mean by that. And that she is thumbs up about your minecart into her tonnels...something like that.
- Oh man!
- I guess that's it. Than she said her trusted person to bring your answer to Arol-Iton back. But that trusted person, my escort, died during the journey. Pretty graphically.
- How is that?
- Blew himself on a trap. He was trown around in small smoking pieces. It was where Shorast was leading us to from Accarutong.
- Ruins on the surface? Sealed entrance?
- Yeah. And also mountains and sky on the sunset. And the bridge was blown up by the way.
- Hmm.. I was there. We didn't mine the entrance. I wonder who did it?
- Ohh, I don't know. Heard something about Shorast?
- I've seen him last time there. He found himself a wife and they settled down in some other place. I was smoking a lot of elven weed that days so don't remember exactly. Know nothing about the others.
Approaching the stables you saw pretty expectable afterparty scene. There were Nasod and Slagavarot. The latter was without his pants.

[Criperum]

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The ghost entered my room throught the wall. The ghost of that dwarf.
- I looked better last time we met - I noticed imagining I won't hear any good news - you came without fulfilling the promise and also lost your body somewhere!
- Don't be angry, listen me up! - the ghost prayed. I started to think that making excuses was the only thing he can do well - I've almost succeeded getting the crown. Everything was according to the plan until the jerk killed me. You remember, that rival I told you about. But listen it can be fixed - he pressed out a fake smile.
- Be fixed - I grinned - Even if you think that it doesn't mean it is true. All right, tell me what have happened.
- I - the ghost stumbled. It looked like an emotional overwhelming but I'd bet on the seal preventing him liing to me - I was too selfconfident. I thought I was safe when my plan started to come to life. The most I was waiting for was a poisoning attempt. But he just threw his potion into me - he stumbled again - threw and burned me into ashes. But he miscalculated, that son of a bitch didn't know that the gears have already started to move, a goblin ambush came a couple of days later and my allies uprised. But I wasn't in my mind by this time and things started to run too rashly without my guidance and the mountain home fell into ruins and that bastard ran away.
- If we wait for some time until goblins leave the battlefield I could reanimate the corpses - I interrupted him - How long ago the battle has finished?
- I was right after we first met.
- What were you waiting for?! You waited until wolves and crows eat all fallen?! - I was furious. How can anyone be so stupid - And you were waiting for year and a half to fly here and cry about your failure.

[Criperum]

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- N-n-n - the ghost splashed his hands angrily - No, I wasn't. Let me just say. That time the only thing I was thinking of was revenge. The only thing I wanted was to avenge him before you know about my failure. But I was lucky. Oh, I was so damn lucky! I followed him and found dwarven diaspora. I managed to wriggle into favor of their leader. Yes, my insulter could escape but I got a chance, a second try to fulfill my promise - I started to loose the thread of the story. I wasn't interested in excuses even if they are true. I was just trying to understand how could he screw everything up this much. Meanwhile the ghost started to be more excited - I was even going to send you a message that the first batch of bodies will be sent to you.
- But - I said slowly. If the story had good ending he won't need all theese frills.
- That sick imbecile with his chick screwed everything up! They found a magical wand somewhere, enchanted the king into will-less puppet. And then his bitch became the queen of Arol-Iton and banished me from the mountian home! - the ghost was shaking from anger - You have to help me! We will avenge and you will get what...

[Criperum]

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 - To help!? To help you, you're son of a gnome!? - I bursted in anger - There is nothing that could help you! Why have I even listened to you, asshole!? I'll destroy you, turn you into nothing! You'll regret I had mercy on you - while I was shouting the spiring walked back and then ran away - Don't you ever show youself to me, worthless prick! - I shouted at his back.