While my clothes, washed in the river, were drying in Tenedom's afternoon sun, we managed to enjoy a hearty meal and tea with jam made from some mysterious yellow berries.
"Next time, I'm going with ya, Max-Dorian," Hornborn announced after hearing the brief recount of my adventures at Vagasso. "I absolutely despise goblins!"
"Then I'll come along, too," murmured Lacrimosa, gently wiping a droplet of jam from her lips and lapping her finger with a satisfied smile. "I love demons. They're so adorable, like children. At first, they look fierce and terrifying, but stroke their ego a little, and they turn into affectionate little kittens."
She likes to stroke more than their egos, Dorian grumbled. Tell them they're not going anywhere anytime soon. I still lack the energy.
I conveyed his words to the witch and the dwarf, feeling a twinge of disappointment myself. I'd already made plans to bring Bormotun home with me so he'd accompany me to the Sunday ghostly gatherings. There was no shortage of unwanted visitors.
"Does that also apply to Bormotun?" I still asked.
Not sure, Dorian answered cautiously. Speaking of... Ask Lacry what she and Ibrahim did while we were gone. I didn't spend half a day carrying bottles back and forth like some kind of a mule...
"You mean I didn't spend half a day carrying all that..."
Same difference. We are the same, you and I.
When it came to conversing with Dorian, there were moments when silence was far wiser than attempting to argue with him.
I cast a glance at Ibrahim. He had been watching the witch intently the entire time. I couldn't help but wonder if he still even remembered his Lena, the very reason he had agreed to assist me, or if his heart had already shifted to someone new.
"Lacry, what do you think of the potions I brought back?" I asked.
"Did Ibrahim tell you anything about them?"
"Of course he did," she said proudly. "He's a fine fellow, indulging my whims. But there's still plenty of work to do. Would you leave him with me a little longer? I could use a hand in the laboratory."
"What do you think, Ibrahim?" I inquired my aide, though his expression plainly showed he'd be more than happy to settle here forever.
"If you wouldn't mind, effendi. There are a few particularly intricate elixirs I'd like to work on."
"I figured as much," I replied, casting a glance at Bormotun, who looked at the ghost with a lapping tongue and a curious expression. "Very well then. You can stay. I'd like to rest anyway. And while I'm at it, a trip to Belozersk wouldn't hurt. I ought to see how the apartment repairs are coming along and to check on the progress of the cursed artifact."
I had only seen that smile on Ibrahim's face twice: once when we sent the letter, and now again. Such an odd fellow...
That's what you call love, Max, Dorian decided to enlighten me.
Sometimes, it blossoms between men and women.
"His face looks twice as dumb now." I finished my slice of jammed toast. "I'm never falling in love. It's silly."
Having bade Hornborn, Lacrimosa, Bormotun, and Ibrahim farewell, we set off for Kitezh.
My clothes hadn't yet dried completely, but I was aching to get some rest. It felt as though some energy vampire had drained me to the very last drop. Dorian mentioned that such things happened during dimension hopping, especially when you were as active as I was.
We'd gone straight to Vagasso after training. Then there was that whole ordeal with the goblins. But I simply couldn't afford to skip such a valuable opportunity.
The moment I stepped into my room, I collapsed onto the bed and slept like a log. Holidays were wonderful — you could stay in the dorm all day and no one would bat an eye.
Come Thursday, I woke up feeling refreshed, fully rested, and as hungry as a wolf. I joyfully devoured three generous portions of scrambled eggs with bacon and topped them off with two pancakes smothered in cherry jam.
Only then did I finally feel ready for the journey to Belozersk. First, I was expected by Frol, and later by Sava Lazarev. I deliberately avoided visiting the artificer last time, wanting not to rush the master and to give him more time to work on the artifact. Curses were a serious matter, and there was no room for hasty actions.
While riding in the taxi, I kept turning my head from side to side, catching myself thinking how quickly I had grown accustomed to Ibrahim's constant presence. At first, I even felt a touch of boredom without him, but that sensation soon faded, and the feeling of complete freedom returned.
Lately, it sometimes seemed as if I had a bodyguard trailing me everywhere. I'd need to make it a habit to take occasional days off from Ibrahim's ghostly company. Being entirely alone was quite a welcome change.
Well, not counting Dorian, of course. But that was a whole different story.
Frol exceeded all my expectations. The apartment looked even better than the photos I had sent him. I didn't know how he managed it, but even the brand-new furniture didn't irritate me with its freshness.
Everything was warm and inviting, as if I had lived here for years.
"Not bad, is it?" I asked Dorian, who had been uncharacteristically silent for quite a while.
"Bit too cramped for my taste."
"Do you like it?" Frol, who'd been following my every move, asked with a grin.
"Yes. You've truly outdone yourself."
"I'm glad to hear it." He beamed. "As you can see, we've replaced nearly all the furniture and fixed the heating system."
"How much do I owe you?"
"Nothing at all," Frol declared, turning away dismissively. "Mr.
Naryshkin Jr. said he'd cover all expenses himself, and that you two will sort out the rest."
"I see," I mumbled. "Thank you."
Once he was sure there was nothing more required of him, Frol took his leave. I wandered through the rooms a little longer, gradually acclimating myself to my new surroundings.
I decided to give Alexey a call.
"Hey, Max. How's it going?"
"Just admiring your protégé's handiwork."
"Told ya he's the best!" Alexey chuckled. "How're you holding up?
Not going stir-crazy in Kitezh?"
Memories of the goblin crowd racing around made me smile to myself.
"I'm keeping myself busy."
"Any chance I can tempt you to come over? Tomorrow's my birthday and all..."
"We've been over this, Alex. I have stuff to do here."
"What kind of stuff?"
"Not over the phone. I'll tell you when I see you."
"That fun?" I could hear the impatience in Alexey's voice. "If necessary, I'll be there Saturday evening. So, we still have the entire Sunday free."
"Sounds good."
"See you then, Max. If you suddenly change your mind..."
"Eat a slice of cake for me, yeah?"
Alexey sighed.
"You're no fun."
"Talk to you later."
"Every party needs a pooper..."
Before leaving the apartment, I peeked into the empty fridge and thought that it was high time I got some canned goods. Some coffee, too.
Definitely lots of candy... After all, I came here at odd hours, and I couldn't always count on food delivery.
Maybe... Maybe I could even buy this place...
Why do you need this dump for, Max?
"I should have my own place."
Suppose so. But why settle for a shack?
"Because I don't have money for a mansion. Not that I need one."
That's just a matter of time, my boy. But that doesn't mean you should get used to the bad. When I was poor...
"You? Poor? From what I gather, you never carried less than a couple of million with you."
Dorian didn't speak to me again until we approached Lazarev's workshop.
To spend more, you just need to earn more, was all he said.
"How did I not think of that? You must be a genius," I snapped at him, irritation creeping into my voice. "How about you offer some useful advice?"
I could come up with thousands if we were in my world! But here...
"Alright, let's leave it at that for now."
Instead of Sava, there was a girl behind the counter. A fiery redhead, her hair wild and sticking out in all directions, with enormous blue eyes that seemed to hold the vastness of the sky itself. I felt I had seen her somewhere before. Maybe at school? But no, she looked even older than a fifth-year student.
"What do you want?" she asked, eyeing me as if I were a cockroach.
"Are you a courier?"
"You're the courier, if anything," I responded, leaning on the counter. "I brought an artifact to have a curse lifted. I think I spoke to your father last time I was here."
"First of all, he's not my father, but my grandfather." She frowned, her brow creasing. "And secondly, stealing isn't nice. I'm sure your parents are wondering where their artifact went."
"That's none of your business." I was starting to get annoyed with this fiery redhead. So brazen, freckled all over, and poking her nose where it didn't belong.
"Hold on a moment..." She squinted thoughtfully. "I'm starting to piece things together... You're Temnikov, right? Maxim? The peculiar boy with a Dark Gift?"
"Why peculiar? I'm just an ordinary guy."
"So you're him. Now it all makes sense."
"It does?"
She extended her hand with a wide, welcoming smile.
"Nice to meet you, Temnikov. My name's Polina Lazarev.
Granddaughter of Sava Lazarev."
"I gathered as much..." I shook her hand and nodded. "I'm Maxim Temnikov."
"I gathered as much. I often visit the Steel Class at Kitezh to lend a hand with artifacts."
"So I did see you at Kitezh. I thought you were a student..."
"No, no. I graduated a couple of years ago, but I'm not in a hurry to start university. I decided to help grandpa a bit in his workshop. He won't admit it, but he's getting old. It's hard for him to manage alone."
"That's very nice of you."
"Speaking of... Where did you get that thing you brought to grandpa?"
"I, uh, found it somewhere..."
"Uh-huh..." She nodded knowingly. "Wait right there."
With that, Polina disappeared deeper into the workshop, but within seconds, she was back, moving so swiftly it seemed as if she had ants in her pants. Quite the lively one!
In her hands was a small wooden jewelry box. She opened it, revealing my amulet resting on a dark blue velvet cushion.
"Lovely packaging," I said.
"The box is included in the price. I came up with the idea. A little bit of free promotion never hurt anyone. C'mon, take it. It's no longer cursed."
I nodded, carefully taking the amulet and placing it in my palm.
Perhaps I was just seeing things, but the artifact seemed as if it had become even more radiant. Now the stone at the base of the pendant shimmered with a kaleidoscope of colors.
"It's a pretty impressive piece. Expensive, too," Polina said, watching me admire the artifact. "With a very rare effect."
"Yeah?"
"Health regeneration. You probably don't need it much, but for someone with a Celestial Gift, it's a real treasure. If you're interested, I could offer to buy it off you for a good price. No one in Morok will give you more for it."
I examined the artifact, pretending to consider her offer, but I had no real choice to make. I had no intention of selling anything. Alexey would be more than satisfied with the amulet.
"I don't want to sell it," I said quietly, carefully placing the amulet back into its box.
"Your call." The girl shrugged. "That'll be seven hundred rubles."
I reached into my pocket, pulled out a wad of bills, and began to count out the exact amount.
"Cash?" Polina asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "The last time I saw so much cash in one place was probably about two years ago. People prefer credit cards these days. Or are you one of those 'old souls'?"
I silently finished counting and laid the money on the counter.
"Tell your grandfather I'm happy with his work," I said.
"You're quite the serious fellow, Maxim," she said with a grin as she tucked the money away into the cash register. "I'll be sure to pass along your thanks. Don't know why though, since I lifted the curse."
"In that case, thank you," I responded.
"You're welcome. Feel free to come by anytime. I see why my grandpa likes you. He's sharp as a tack and very good at reading people.
And he always offers the best price to honest folk."
With a casual wave of my hand, I nodded and stepped out into the frosty street. This took care of Alexey's birthday gift. No one really told me how hard it was to buy gifts for rich people. You'd either have to buy them something ridiculously expensive and big, like a private jet, or something unique, like this little trinket.
I returned to Kitezh fairly early, leaving me with nearly half a day still at my disposal, which I spent in "The Bunker."
There was plenty of work waiting. I tidied things up a bit and assigned three of the four rooms with purposeful functions.
The laboratory, where we could store elixirs and perhaps even experiment with mixing them, provided we manage to bring some equipment here.
The relaxation room, with a sturdy table and three fairly intact chairs. It was the warmest and coziest of all the rooms.
And the storage, where we'd pile everything unnecessary from the other rooms.
As for what to do with the last room, I hadn't yet decided. At the moment, it held four empty cabinets. Alexey and I would give them some purpose soon enough.
"Do you like our secret hideout?" I asked Dorian after I'd finished, proudly inspecting the fruits of my labor.
No comment.
"Let me guess, it looks like a pantry?"
How ever did you guess?
"You're no fun. The Bunker is superbly situated. You couldn't dream of a more perfect location! Close to the boiler room, tucked away in a remote spot..."
The Bunker... Dorian scoffed. A truly fitting name. At least we'll be safe in case of a zombie apocalypse.
"And even if the zombies got in, they'd never make it past that strange cipher device."
You mean that baby puzzle lock?
"We'll put some battery lamps in the corners... Perhaps we'll even get a kettle... I'm full of ideas!"
And not a single good one in sight, Dorian muttered gloomily. You said you'd go to Tenedom tonight to practice alchemy with Lacrimosa and Ibrahim.
"No, not tonight. I'm too exhausted. I just want to get some sleep." I sank into a chair that groaned plaintively but held firm. "Tomorrow morning. I'll bring some potions here and stock up."
Which ones?
"Something simple... Healing potions, antidotes, mana refills... Stuff like that... We have space..." I gestured toward the storage room. "And Ibrahim had enough bottles in his stash to open up his own shop."
Makes sense.
"Do you think Alexey would agree to drink a potion that'd allow him to see ghosts?"
Oh. I am sure he would love that, Max...
"Also! I've figured out how to earn more money. Want to hear my plan?"
I am positively trembling with anticipation.
"Don't mock. I think we should open our own alchemical shop.
Why not compete with the merchants in Morok? Alexey could lend a hand."
Not the worst idea you've had today... You want to compete with that... What's his name...? That slimeball... Gadyukin?
"Not exactly. I have a better idea. We'll sell exclusive, one-of-a-kind elixirs."
I'm curious to hear which ones exactly. Still, that might not be a bad idea...
"Good enough to earn me a double portion of cake for dinner today?"
Why stop at two, my boy? Why not three?
"Now we're talking! Let's go to the cafeteria!"
And your business plan? Won't you share it with me?
"Cake first. My plan isn't going anywhere. Dessert, however..."