Danny Osipenko "The Black Book of Souls"

The Black Book ofВ Souls
Danny Osipenko

If you want to know what hell is, what it looks like, and what awaits you, then you are welcome. This is a new book by Danny Osipenko, which will tell you the terrible secrets…

The Black Book ofВ Souls

Danny Osipenko

© Danny Osipenko, 2022

ISBNВ 978-5-0056-1878-8

Created with Ridero smart publishing system

CHAPTERВ 01

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

InВ three days IВ managed toВ get only the small, wrinkled apple, and painful spasms inВ aВ stomach gave toВ aВ voice drama feeling.

But not only hunger forced toВ look for earnings convulsively. Midday when the city guards begin aВ round came toВ collect aВ daily payment from foreigners for stay inВ 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: aВ copper penny, but where toВ takeВ it?

IВ tried toВ 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 toВ drag others supposedly inВ the city. InВ which for the introduction it is necessary toВ treat government ofВ binge, toВ pay aВ contribution five silver and toВ deduct every month two silver inВ aВ 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 toВ be engaged inВ the craft. Glory toВ gods, the guild ofВ clerks did not exist. Alas, almost everyone on the island was more or less competent, and on services the calligrapher ofВ demand wasВ not.

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

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

The hand itself stretched toВ it, but IВ felt as language aВ loose tooth, remembered prevention ofВ local thieves and constrained an internal rush. Unworthy toВ the person ofВ my craft and qualification toВ trade inВ theft. Instead IВ whispered toВ the girl directly inВ anВ ear:

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

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

IВ wiped wet palms about aВ loincloth and started turning the head.

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

IВ pressed aВ medallion toВ heart and swore that IВ will better die ofВ hunger, but IВ will not sell it. Other business threat ofВ slavery byВ galleys. ToВ avoid aВ similar fate any will be ready toВ do anything.

So far IВ managed toВ disappear. IВ hid on roofs ofВ houses and inВ cesspools, under boards ofВ port moorings and inВ 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 IВ was more cunning, but whether good luck will long last?

Money was urgently necessary, but how toВ get them?

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

The bearded fat man who, taking the rap, pressed two shabby volumes toВ aВ breast overtook me. The stranger was obviously not from the poor, and IВ became constant visitor, looking toВ him inВ eyes:

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

Tolstobryukhy twisted aВ 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.

IВ hardly constrained desire toВ strangle the bastard.

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

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

And the wandering purpose toВ write aВ research about mysterious chasteners ofВ the Archipelago, could immortalize our names. Nobody authentically knew anything about mysterious attendants ofВ the goddess Cara. Commoners frightened byВ chasteners ofВ disobedient children, library volumes were full ofВ the most contradictory data, and scientists toВ blue inВ 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 Cara’s 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 ofВ mysterious beings. They supposedly can pass through walls, breathe under water, turn into birds and animals, toВ become invisible, do not burn on fire, are not vulnerable for magic and weapon.

InВ 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 ofВ bodyguards and policemen, sorcery and protection ofВ deities saved the victim. Only continuous flight could on kokoye time toВ delay inevitable, but not on long.

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

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

The travel toВ the Southern Port was inexpressibly fascinating and full ofВ new impressions. IВ even could not present before as far as life out ofВ walls ofВ the monastery differs from habitual toВ 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 ofВ the identical gray chlamyses put toВ priests and altar boys, laymen put on each inВ his own way, and the most unimaginable coloring. Men preferred the ridiculous wide trousers which are tied up byВ aВ rope or aВ bright belt and free shirts, is frequent without sleeves. Women wore the dresses which are usually embroidered byВ bright patterns and intricate hats. Over it inВ rainy weather jackets, vests, raincoats were put on. InВ the majority leather woolen sometimes.

From discordant noise inВ the cities and villages IВ who got used toВ silence ofВ the monastic university turned the head.

And women.

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

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

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

InВ the morning we have hastily aВ bite and went further, and byВ aВ lunch already were inВ the Southern Porto.

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

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

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

The type ofВ the huge ships and aВ boundless water smooth surface blew my mind.

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

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

Out ofВ aВ stupor IВ was brought byВ Kimraz, having pulled aВ hand so that nearly pulled out it from aВ shoulder. He pointed toВ the stocky building and told that there we will be able toВ learn what vessels go toВ the Archipelago.

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

Soon Kimraz already hazardously bargained with the high big guy inВ aВ red sleeveless jacket. As aВ result for twenty silver we received the place on the deck under aВ 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.

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

The beginning ofВ swimming was awful. IВ was exhausted byВ seasickness and the whole world was not lovely. Only for the fourth day it became better for me and IВ ate aВ little, and then began toВ write down the collected impressions.

InВ the evening after dinner IВ felt absolutely healthy and went toВ admire aВ sea sunset toВ aВ board. Similar before IВ saw nothing and the fantastic show so bewitched me that IВ ceased toВ notice surrounding.

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

Gasping for air, IВ turned back and caught aВ quizzical glance from under fluffy eyelashes. The answer got stuck inВ aВ throat.

Regular features showed natural irony and sharp mind, and still some reckless impudence. The men’s 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.

InВ several moments IВ managed toВ squeeze out from myself silent:

– Hello.

The girl sniffed, was called Garda and asked how IВ like swimming. Gradually my awkwardness weakened, IВ was presented, and the conversation was struck up. Having heard about the purpose ofВ aВ trip, our with Kimraz, toВ the Archipelago ofВ Thousands ofВ Islands, the beauty inconsiderately slapped me it can do and told that IВ was largely lucky, it is an adventurer, it is possible toВ tell the adventurer inВ 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 Cara’s 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 toВ insist as if those demons and sorcerers who sold soul.

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

It is enough to come to Cara’s 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 inВ the east all quite so and is, but inВ the West chasteners are ferocious with might and main. Whether you will not wait for justice at the authorities there, whether it became fashionable toВ cut toВ itself drinks.

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

ToВ evening ofВ the next day the storm, and everything burst, including sailors gathered inВ aВ hold. On the main deck remained only steering.

We with Garda sat down near and continued a yesterday’s 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 yesterday’s kiss was my one and only experience.