Ring of Madness

by Royden Labrosse

  - No. We'll get there while the chief explains everything to you...

  The guys were cute and seemed like brother and sister. Both tall, with copper-colored brown hair, very cute each in his own - male or female - version. Lesha's beauty is one of those from which the old ladies are mletting, Tanya is a little softer and lost against the background of her companion. Lesha looks at the world with stunning turquoise eyes, while Tanya looks at it with gray eyes. Dressed very simply, too, in old sports suits.

  - Nice to meet you," Lesha extended his hand. - Alexey Viktorovich Surmin. Tatiana, accordingly, is Viktorovna.

  - You, too.

  We looked at each other with Tanya. For several minutes she measured me with her gaze, and I showed her friendliness. Good me, good me. And I don't even bite... almost. The girl figured it out. Then a timid smile appeared in her grey eyes.

  - Yulia Yevgenyevna, but really...

  - No! - I instantly refused. - I wasn't there. I really wasn't there!

  Tanya giggled.

  - Somewhere else, too?

  I actively shook my head and slammed my eyelashes, trying to look as comical as possible.

  - Of course you did. And actually, you're confusing somebody and something.

  - You?

  - Us. Or better yet, me. Shall we switch to "you," or shall we keep on fooling around?

  - You're funny," Tanya said, "I thought Nadia was lying.

  - She can do it. Why is she lying about me?

  - That you're the strongest psychic in our city.

  - That's bullshit. I'm stronger than all the psychics in our homeland. What else is there?

  - That you lead the nightlife.

  - Then I'd be kicked out of the institute.

  - That you're connected to a vampire.

  - That's where, unfortunately, she's not lying. And you're related?

  - Well, there's a problem.

  Lesha kept silent all this time, but finally couldn't stand it.

  - The problem is when your sister decides to find out what her brother does on a full moon. And she breaks into a pack of werewolves.

  - And I'm not sorry. - Tanya had fun shaking her head. - But can you imagine the picture? Some jackass starts hitting on me, and I'm like, fuck off, asshole, I'm kitszune...

  [2]

  . Tough?

  - Are you into Japan?

  - And he's sticking his tail out of his fox jeans for half a meter," Leshka said. - Or opens his mouth in a smile, and there are three rows of fangs. I've got two friends forever out of booze.

  - And they did the right thing. And I can also walk in peace at night. And not be afraid of hooligans.

  Yeah, well, you gotta be scared.

  at

  of hooligans. With a sense of humor like a girl's...

  - But the fox is not the strongest beast," I noticed as I laced my shoes.

  - But I am the strongest.

  I tucked in my shoelaces and straightened. If I'm going back to the world of fang and claw, I should start getting to know them. A man who knows himself and others is strong. That's what you know.

  - Tanya, can I try how strong you are?

  - Lick? A slice? Scratch?

  - No, no, no, I objected, but I noticed some mixtures in my grey eyes. It's also a mockery. Well, if I don't clap my ears, I'll get a second girlfriend to argue with and argue with.

  - I want to free my

  power

  and try to find your boundaries.

  - Auntie, isn't it dangerous?

  - Terribly dangerous," I answered with all possible seriousness. - If things go wrong, you'll be in danger of three days of prolonged diarrhea.

  - A verbal diarrhea or something? - Lesha didn't even think to protect his sister.

  - The ram herself, - Tanya reacted immediately. - Doesn't it hurt?

  - No," I was surprised. - Why does it have to hurt? I wouldn't even touch it. I just need to see it. Practice. Compare levels.

  - I don't mind.

  - Would you like to go for a little while? Don't take off your clothes.

  Werewolves have obeyed. Tanya took the chair, Lesha took the sofa; I sat neatly in the middle between them on the floor.

  - Aren't we going to be late?

  - Don't worry, - I swung Lesha away. - You know, Valentine won't forgive me that much.

  - Neither will I. - The werewolf's eyes suddenly became bloody serious. - Julia, we owe you very much for Andre.

  - I had no choice.

  I was darkened. The subject was still... painful. If it hadn't been for that dead blond bastard (and how nice it sounds - forever dead!), I would have lived in peace and quiet. I would have studied, then worked, look, and also married someone like Seryozha (note "s" and face - that's all Seryozha...). But now...

  - Let it be. But we're still grateful to you. I want you to know: all the foxes, how many of them live in our city, all the wolves are grateful to you. Andre could do whatever he wanted to us at any moment - torture, rape, kill, order to kill one of his relatives. We couldn't resist. But now he's gone. And thank god.

  - Are you a believer?

  That "thank god" just made me crazy. That's what you don't expect from a werewolf that the church originally recognized as a filthy creature.

  Lesha snorted a snort.

  - You know, I believe that God created our world. But I don't even remotely believe that his name is E.I. Christ. Or Mohammed. Or Buddha. There are so many peoples, so many religions. And there's only one truth. And if he is, he will not turn away...

  I took a deep breath. Lesha said something else, but I couldn't hear anymore. I suddenly managed to slip into a trance easily.

  I was sitting in a room pulled by a multicolored mare.

  It's beautiful.

  Jets of mist spilled, intertwined, gently floated around me. What do I see now? I slowly turned my gaze on Tanya. The girl was surrounded by a rather narrow, about 20 centimeters, iridescent halo of more dense and bright colors. And a fog streamed from her. But weak and blurred. Then I looked at Lesha again.

  Lesha was also surrounded by a multicolored cloud, but in even brighter tones.

  Aura? Or something else?

  Miss my principles! What's the use of them, if I can

  sight

  but I don't know,

  which is

  I see that? I can do something, but I'll only make it worse. An inexperienced surgeon is just a butcher. Inexperienced witch? The only thing worse is Jack the Ripper.

  Lesha was saying something, and those words, too, went away in a colorful fog. Yeah, something's clearing up. More vivid is the aura. Less vivid is what's formed between people close to you when you're around. And a brother and sister have a good relationship. Pure, vivid emotions. No dark tones, no dirt. Even when they're intercourse. And the aura?

  The aura is clean, too. In several layers, like an onion. Lesha has more red and blue. Tanya has yellow and white. All the colors are like they've just been wiped with a rag. And both have a very distinctive pattern of colored spots all over the background. Silver, like a new ruble. Or is it like the moon?

  I kept going further and further and began to discern other important things.

  Both Lesha and Tanya seemed to me like balls of colored threads. The threads were directly glued to the aura. Body and spirit. Everything is interconnected. If you pull one thread, the other threads will stretch. You stroke a spot of light and fix something in your body.

  If you know, you can control it. Is that red - health? Or that's how I see it. What if I want to reduce the amount? Are the guys gonna get sick? Or with werewolves, that's not gonna work? They heal everything, don't they?

  I wish I knew what to do and where to fall.

  - Julia? Are you all right?

  I fell into a normal world.

  - What's with the nuts?

  - Why have you been sitting there like a statue for half an hour and not moving?

  I thought I was spinning my head!
r />   - I was watching. And I even saw something. But that's what?

  - What? - Tanya immediately shaken up.

  - You're related. Probably even twins.

  - Twins," Lesha said.

  - They're still related to each other. And you love each other very much.

  - And that's it?

  Tanya's voice sounded disappointed. I got up off the floor and reached out. Ooh, that's high!

  - Do you think I can see everything and know everything? I must disappoint you. Even vampires don't catch you by aura, but by changing body parameters.

  - What's that?

  I shook my head. Yes, you did. And now I have to understand what I just said.

  - Vampires don't read aura. They don't? They can't? I don't know. But I know very well that they see the world much brighter than we do. If you want to lie, you've changed all your body parameters. Your breathing is more frequent, your smell is sharper...

  - We can do that, too.

  - But not on the same level as vampires. Vampires are beyond competition in this regard. Okay, enough about that. Let's go, shall we?

  - Let's go.

  I took my bag, let the guests in front, and I slammed the door.

  I'm gonna have to hang on the Internet. There's a lot of websites with stories about azohazards right now. Isn't there a decent one? Or at least a tenth of the truth? Without pornography and offers to sell miracle glasses in which "you'll see everything and even a little more".

  And it will be necessary to learn from Rokin: maybe in some numbers of the magazine sent to me was about auras? I'll take a read from him. I think that Konstantin Sergeyevich will not refuse me.

  Lesha had a big jeep. You can stuff an elephant in one.

  - This car was invented to transport pigs in America," Tanya told me.

  - And the Russian werewolves have adapted it for their purposes?

  - It's comfortable. And it will pass everywhere.

  They put me in the back seat and offered me a blanket of some thick fabric.

  - We have to drive at least an hour," Alexei explained. - If you want, you can take a nap for now.

  I wanted to take a nap. The morning's shake did not do the body any good. I covered my eyes and nodded off to the lullaby noise of the engine.

  * * *

  Twilight.

  Cold and empty.

  I lie in a coffin and look at the vaulted ceiling of the castle.

  We're in the basement. Deep underground. There's no sunlight, no servants, no guests coming in. We're safe here. The only downside is there's no underground passage yet. I mean, it was, but it fell asleep. They're clearing it now, but it's still two weeks away.

  I just woke up, and I'm awfully hungry.

  Hunger literally makes the insides cramp. Except I don't want meat and wine, I want something else.

  Blood.

  The thick, hot brackish liquid that flows in my veins. Or isn't it leaking? Now I'm unclean. Undead. Damned by God and men is Satan's servant.

  God, why would I do that? Did I want much?

  I just wanted to paint. I wanted to show everybody the beauty of this world, only as seen on the canvas. I won't argue, I wanted to be famous as Cellini, Rembrandt... I wanted to have a lot of money, I wanted us to gather every night at the same table as the family. Me, my wife, the children...

  There was even one girl, pretty Jeanette, the wine dealer's daughter. And her father, though he didn't approve much, didn't interfere, especially when I painted his big portrait... No, but don't mention it. You don't have to remember Jeanette. It hurts. And not even because I lost her forever. It's because it's over for me. It's over for me. I'll never have anything. Family, children, love...

  Who's going to love the undead?

  And what Lisetta calls love...

  In the time I've been dead for almost five years, I've learned a lot about mating. And there's nothing else I can call it. I can't call it anything else. Not even carnal pleasures. Probably not even lust, because only living people can do it. I'm an undead man. What does that have to do with flesh? I'm just a walking dead man who keeps the semblance of life alive with devilish witchcraft.

  Why am I not dead yet?

  I don't know. I can only find two reasons. One keeps me from finishing, and the other helps me overcome despair.

  Even I know that any semblance of life in our bodies stops fire, silver or aspen. I can get it all very well. One aspen stake is enough. All you have to do is fix it in something and throw yourself on it with your chest. Or any monk will do me that favor. Yes, it will hurt. But it won't be long. And then what?

  I was scared. I was just scared. What happens to me later? Paradise? But there'll never be a man like me in heaven. I'm a cursed evildoer.

  Purgatory?

  I'm no hero. I'm very afraid of pain. If I'd known this would end sooner or later, I could have taken it all. But I don't know that. Only priests know.

  Hell?

  That's what I'm most afraid of. I killed, didn't I? And a lot. Not of my own free will, but because I was led by the devil's hunger, but is that an excuse for God? Maybe I should have prayed and overcome this terrible urge for blood. I've been holding on to the last one. And then when I find the victim, I try not to drink everything. I try to keep a man alive. And I always choose only drunkards, robbers, thieves... So my conscience chews me less. It's safer that way.

  But it's still disgusting. For some reason, I can't send an eclipse to people's minds. You either have to stun them or... Lisetta didn't even stun. I still remember some peasant's eyes filled with horror. How I didn't want to kill him! But I couldn't help myself. The first famine - he doesn't know any inhibitions. There aren't.

  - Anxiety! The Inquisition!

  The werewolf's scream rolled through the castle. Danielle jumped from the coffin. All thoughts of suicide flew away somewhere.

  If he falls into the hands of the holy fathers, there will be no mercy. But his death will be slow and painful. And this vampire didn't want it.

  Four other young vampires were getting out of the coffins next to him. Carl, Lilliana, Madeleine, Julia. They were all recently converted by Lisetta, too. And they all obeyed her. Everyone was killed. Liliane, Madeleine and Carl would love to. Julia and him - with disgust. But there was no choice. It was either that or death. And Danielle had not yet reached the line followed by suicide.

  - What the hell are you doing digging, you lazy creatures?! - Lisette flew in like lightning. - Grab a gun now, and go. The castle was attacked by the Inquisitors. We must destroy these creatures!

  - How many of them?! - Carl asked bloodthirsty. - Have we had enough? I'm hungry!

  Lisette laughed nastily.

  - No more than 20! And what were those idiots hoping for?! Follow me now!

  Danielle followed the lady obediently. Perhaps we should put ourselves under the Inquisitor's attack.

  In the heat of battle, it's not so hard... maybe not even so painful...

  The battle was boiling in the ceremonial hall. Servants were holding back the pressure of soldiers in all black and blue and monks in brown robes. There were indeed few attackers, but they fought desperately and skillfully. Palashas and sabers sparkled. Nobody had a rapier. Did the monks suggest that they were ineffective against the uncleanness of rapiers? On the floor there were already several chopped animal bodies. But one of the soldiers, or even two, had already been torn to pieces. Blood was pouring on the floor. Carl murmured and rushed forward.

  - It was because of that girl," Julia whispered softly. She was a miniature English woman, dark-haired and green-eyed, killing with disgust. And she hated her vampire identity, too.

  - Which one? - And that's when Danielle remembered.

  Lisette had recently brought a girl into the castle who'd been caught somewhere nearby, clearly not a peasant. Though the prisoner was dressed poor, Danielle immediately recognized her noble - or at least partially noble - origin. Thin hands, thick hair, right facial features - all
this made her very different from the peasant women.

  The girl was the illegitimate daughter of a local baron. But that didn't stop Lisette. She was hungry and angry at something. So the unhappy one was simply let into an orgy of violence and blood, biting and satisfying her sexual desires at the same time. Daniel was still distraught with disgust, if only to remember this abomination.

  The girl shouted, resisted, threatened that her father would avenge her... everything was in vain. But revenge has come now.

  - What the... are you standing there?!

  Lisette didn't talk, she sizzled. Daniel thought he'd look into her mouth and see the snake's double tongue behind her fangs.

  - Come," Julia first jumped over the stair railing and landed successfully behind one of the monks. Thin hands shone with mother-of-pearl. The monk couldn't even snore before he fell with his broken neck.

  Danielle jumped, too, but he was so unlucky. He didn't own the levitation, so he landed next to one of the soldiers. He screamed out of surprise and swung his hangman at the vampire. It wasn't right. Danielle intercepted the soldier's hand and hit him in the face hard. The soldier flew off to the floor with his neck broken. The palash remained in the vampire's hand, and Danielle swung it at the next opponent. Crazy, awkward, but the vampire's strength and speed were superior to human.

  Strike - and a severed soldier's hand fell to the floor.

  - Die, evil! - He heard from behind. Without hesitation, he turned around and swung his sword away.

  Blood splattered right in the vampire's face, and the sword suddenly fell out of his hands.

  - Antoine?!

  In a dying priest with his throat chopped off, he suddenly recognized his little brother. A brother who had once devoted himself to God.

  A brother with whom he'd put boats in the pond and run to collect strawberries.

  Danielle completely forgot about time when he became a vampire. It wasn't long for him, and it was years for humans. And his younger brother was older than him once.

  But he also remained a loved one.

  - No!

  - broke out of Daniel, but it was too late. The wound was fatal. They don't live with these for more than a few minutes. He'd rather die himself than raise his hand against his brother. But... late. It's unforgivably late. Even to turn his brother. No time, no strength...