World Witout Wizards: Guard

"Wait," I was confused. "Doesn't Oulsast's estate belong to the Empire?"

"The estate will be transferred to the Empire in seven days, unless we can prove that the warlock had bought it with his own money and didn't acquire it while he was a warlock," Lysandra explained. "I'm afraid, it'll be difficult to find the title deeds; this estate is very old and was rebuilt many times. Most likely the bill of sale will be required."

"You can do whatever you want; I'm going to find my family. I spent too much time... how long have I been unconscious?"

"A day," Lysandra replied gloomily. "Sorry, I forgot about your parents. They were good people. Although strictly speaking they didn't belong to the human race, well... I'll shut up…"

"Why are you talking about them in the past? Were their bodies found?" my heart ached, my eyes darkened.

"No, no, it's all right. Forgive me. I've never had a family; I don't know what I'm talking about. I wish I hadn't said anything."

I felt better because I had never seen Lysandra so embarrassed. Sarcasm and mockery were part of her personality.

"I'll try to find the doc.u.ments, Vasilisa will accompany you," Lysandra said.

Before I went looking for my parents, I had to find some clothes. All my things were hopelessly torn and damaged in battle.

"Well, I need some clothes. Where can I find them? I can't walk around the village in a sheet…"

"The trunk with the men's clothes is over there," Lysandra nodded. Suddenly I realized that my girls were putting on beautiful and new clothes, much better than the ones they had worn before the battle.

"Why are you trying on those beautiful dresses? They don't belong to you! You shouldn't take other people's things!"

"Oh, dummy, you should have learned to use your mind rather than just working with a sledgehammer. We're your property. Don't be so shy, listen to me. You have to take care of us, that's the law. Oulsast's personal possessions are yours. Like everything else that the Empire didn't directly transfer to him. All Oulsast's clothes except the warlock's mantle belong to you."

I opened the c.h.e.s.t and saw piles of neatly folded clothes: shirts, pants, socks, and p.a.n.t.i.e.s. But the clothes were about the same cut and style. It was weird, as if different people preferred the same things. But most importantly, there were clean shorts and socks, so I could relax and stop worrying about walking around in a sheet.

"You should wear something more practical," Lysandra commented on Vasilisa's outfit. I turned and was stunned: Vasilisa in dresses of lace and satin looked like a real lady, though her gait and unkempt muscular arms revealed her peasant background. "We need to take only road clothes; we'll give to the appraiser everything else."

"It's so beautiful," Vasilisa whispered in frustration.

"In our village, there are no appraisers," I said.

"The appraiser came with the Baron," Lysandra replied immediately, "We'd better give him all the property that we can't carry. Unless, of course, I find the bill of sale. But I don't count on it."

"I don't have time to talk to you. I wonder why there are so many identical clothes of different sizes." I muttered.

"All the clothes were made for warlock Oulsast," Lysandra explained, "he changed considerably while preparing for the spells and increasing in rank. While he was training to apply a new magical weave, he lost much weight. Sometimes he ate a lot and slept in order to prepare his body for new magical experiences, and accordingly became very fat. That's why there are so many clothes."

"Is it difficult to learn how to use a new magic weave?" I looked with surprise at the simplest picture of a spider in front of me and then on the spider itself. The insect sat on the back of my wrist, not moving, but firmly clinging to my skin.

"It's easy to learn. I know how to use about six hundred types of magic weaving thanks to Oulsast's drawings," the warlock's disciple replied. "It's very difficult to create a new viable weaving. It requires a great deal of intelligence, force, will, and courage. The more complex and the larger the weaver is, the more life it sucks out of his master. The simplest of them almost don't interfere with their host's life, like your spider. So, the master used them. But he could do many things. Once I saw him summon a winged demon that could fly and destroy a stone wall with one paw. He used up so much strength then, that he almost died."

"Will I be able to create something similar?" I really wanted to become a warlock.

"Yes, you will. You need to buy a scheme for a spinner, it costs about twenty gold coins."

"Can't I just imagine? I mean, is it possible to create these drawings in my imagination?"

"Look at your assistant," Lysandra grinned, "what do you see?"

"Well, eight legs, an abdomen—just like I imagined."

"Really? Now look at the side, see, it's not completely flat. It's got some kind of internal engines, powered by your soul, joints, stings, organs of vision, smell and hearing. Let me guess, you didn't even think about it, did you?"

"No, I just drew it. And it worked."

"In your case, the weaver knows how to use the scheme, you see a simplified version before your eyes."

"Such schemes, simple from the outside and quite elaborate inside, are available only for warlocks and their disciples. You don't belong to this group, although you have your own magic weaver."

Damn. I hoped I could practice and use some spells.

"Well," Lyska hesitated, "I heard that such schemes can be bought illegally. They cost two hundred gold coins rather than twenty. You can ask them as a reward for Guild or Academy assignments. But I advise you to focus on controlling spiders. It's a very powerful magic…"

"You're right. I remember how Oulsast used them to destroy his enemies. But there were much more spiders—there were tens or hundreds of them."

"Don't you dare even to think about this," Lysandra laughed, "Your weak soul and body couldn't take that. But if you train enough, you'll be able to summon two or three spiders."

"You seem to do it yourself many times," I said irritably, tying my shoelaces.

"Well, I haven't got a magic weaver. Otherwise, there would be a real magician rather than you. But remember, I can do many things: to read the command spells and to ward off demons. I can easily enchant or scare off your spider assistant, so it isn't dangerous to me."

"Fine." I finished getting dressed, "you'd better stay here."

"As you command, master," Vasilisa bowed immediately, Lyska nodded absently, examining another dress.