Village tales

– Oh, why so early? The sun hasn't even risen yet.

Kaito, accompanied by Segira, headed to the field. Everyone was very cheerful and active, only one Hikaro yawned and stretched.

– And we don't need it. After all, the work doesn't wait, – Segir grinned kindly, pointing out to the guy what was happening around him.

«Indeed, no one sleeps anymore. Everyone is working».

They walked along the central village road, from which every yard was great: mothers prepared food for the kids, the elderly took out the cattle they had left, and the men sharpened sickles – after all, the harvest had begun.

– Listen, Emily, – Mido scratched the back of his head, timidly looking away.

– Yes?

– I didn't thank you for saving me. If it weren't for you, my bones would have been eaten by the fish by now, so... thanks, or something.

– Come on, – the girl smiled. – I had to do it, we are one team.

The guy hugged his partner.

– Let me kiss you!

«What does this clown allow himself?!»

Hikaro got a little angry and was about to hit the redhead, but Emily herself was not a miss and gave him a good blow on the back of the head, from which he fell on the road.

– If you touch me again, I'll drown you myself!

– What are you doing, yesterday you kissed me yourself, – the guy complained, getting up and brushing off the dust from his clothes.

– That was artificial respiration, you idiot!

– Okay, okay, calm down.

«And she is good. I feel that this Emily will be as difficult to win as the previous one. If not more difficult».

Since in the village everyone always knew each other and knew about everything, people constantly looked in the direction of the kaito and whispered something to each other. Suddenly, a disgruntled voice was heard from the nearest courtyard:

– Well, get the hell out of here!

Two filthy men, dressed only in tattered trousers, with sagging beer bellies, lay on a pile of hay in front of a clay hut. One of them poked his fist in the direction of the kaito.

– What are you angry about? Maybe they are travelers? – answered him the second.

– Yeah, you bastards. That's how all sorts of overdressed bastards come and fuck our girls. And how not the devil is born, so the devil understand what. We don't need this, – the man waved his arms so emotionally that he fell to the ground with a roar, so much so that he forgot what he was talking about. And his friend laughed so hard that the whole village could not understand from whom the duck had escaped.

– Pay no attention, – Segir said. – These drunkards only know how to grind with the tongue of nasty things, but in fact, what the hell is there – their hands will fall off.

– Nothing. We are not the first time.

«I didn't even turn around. He walks calmly with his hands in his pockets. What a strange mentor we have. But what doesn't this redneck like? We've come to help. Bl–in…» – How much longer to climb?

– Not really long, we're almost there.

Segir led the team to a hill, where the wheat fields were. Huge areas were divided by forest plantations. But you won't notice the trees right away, because the rye was earing at such a distance that the eyes were blinded from the golden color. People were already working tirelessly.

– Whom did you bring to us? – One man turned around.

– Kaito of the sun. They will help us.

The man looked at everyone with disgust.

– These?

– Oh–oh–oh–oh, hello, – a short, plump, bearded man of about fifty ran up and began to shake hands with everyone. – We were waiting for you. Wow, the work here, as you can see, is, to put it mildly, dodgy. My name is Futor Efimovich. I am the elder of our glorious Danasava. How can you be praised?

Segir introduced the kaito, after which the same disgruntled man continued to resent:

– Well, you have names, city people. My name is Mishko. There are also Ivko, Shimko, Petka, Sofa, Danka and others. Normal people, yes.

The headman handed out sickles to the kaito and began to show how to work.

– Here you go. Men and women plow the same way, – he clarified, looking suspiciously at Emily. – You separate, then, with a sickle the wheat from the main part, right here, below. You grab a little higher with your left hand and smoothly with a sickle towards you, like this. You put them in small piles, and then in sheaves, tying them with a stem. Then you put the sheaves in one huge pile and leave to dry.

Mishko again distracted himself from the harvest, spreading his arms at his hips.

– Headman, even though you are the headman, you are a walrus dick. Don't you really think that these people came to work? What good are four of us? We manage without them. They'll get swords and drive all the men to the front. But what, is not it?

– And they'll take all the grain, – one woman added. – Yes, our cattle. Everything will be sent to war, bastards. You need to chase those.

– Drive, drive! – the crowd of workers picked up. – People don't call them the white plague for nothing. There will be worse monsters.

– Yes, they came to fuck the girls. What is incomprehensible? – joined some flabby old man.

«Lord, what are they carrying?» Hikaro looked at those around him with bewilderment and irritation, but the rest of the kaito only laughed slightly, saying that there was nothing particularly strange in this. However, the headman did not tolerate such a disrespectful attitude towards the guests.

– Shut your mouth! Shut your mouth, I said! Yes, part of the harvest to the front, but what can you do, even for my great-grandfather, our village fed the whole kingdom. And kaito, meaning, have speed and endurance.

– Since they are so fast and hardy, then let each one take a site for himself for a day, – Mishko decided. – Even at noon, let them work.

– What are you? – the woman objected. – The noonwraith will punish them.

– And sho me, crap now? In addition, they can fight evil spirits.

– Nah, noonwraith gives a harvest, you can't drive it away, – Grandpa intervened.

– So isn't this one giving it, like his…

– Shut up, Mishko! – interrupted Futhor, furrowing his brows angrily. – Enough gossip. It's up to me to decide. Am I the elder or what? Let, znachitsa, each take a section. At noon, rest a little, have a snack and get to work. Sedna, what a cool breeze, work is a delight. Go straight along the path, there you will find free sections. In the evening we will take work. Schaub everything was collected!

– All right, it will be done.

– Lah, what the hell, can they do it anyway? – people were surprised at how Sudoshi immediately teleported everyone to their sites.

– The headman has already explained how it is done. Get started.

– Wait, teacher, – Hikaro twitched, wanting to finish his sentence before Kantake disappeared.

– What?

– What they said...

– Yes, – he sighed. – It's like that. But that's not what we're here for, remember?

– Then why do we need to harvest? How can we understand if the sorcerer who summons monsters is here?

– No one knows why we are here. Do what they say and I'll take care of the rest. And-and, watch out for noonwraith.

– That is, as? – Hikaro wanted to be indignant, but Sudoshi was already gone. – That's all, – the wheat field was three hundred meters wide, and the length and end of it is not visible. – Should I clean it myself? And what else is noonwraith, can someone explain to me?

It seemed that Hikaro was asking someone, but there was not a soul around.

– O-okey, what did he say? We take a bunch with the left hand and a sickle ... Is the sickle above or below the hand? It seems to be higher. A–i–i–i–i–i–i–a–a–a–ay! It turned out to be lower. –Takigami did everything completely wrong, thereby cutting a piece of skin on the back of his left hand. – Crap! Crap! Che–ert! How painful, ah–ah–ah–ah! I have to stop the bleeding. Is there anything here? – the guy looked into the bag that Sudoshi gave him, and found a bandage. – Hooray, I'm saved.

Somehow the guy bandaged his hand, after which he moved to the edge of the forest plantation.

– If I work now, the bleeding may increase, and I will bring dirt, so I will rest a little. Well, the heat!

He took off his jacket and lay down under a nearby tree. Having settled down on soft grass, Hikaro tore off one stalk and began to chew it, intently examining the bizarre bluish clouds.

– Just think about it. All my life I dreamed of finding myself in such a world, and here I am. Yes, I lost the powers of God, but I do not know what awaits me in the future. Anything can happen. And it's damn cool! Plus, that jerk in black who calls himself the Magaths is keeping an eye on me. I'm sure it will bring me many more «surprises». And I, the chosen cursed swordsman... have to harvest rye in some village. Hmmm, such a schedule. Also, Mido hits on Emily... Although, he's just a fool. There's no way my Emily could like someone like him. Now it will definitely be mine. I will do my best for this. And no, mmm, – Hikaro waved his hand, but for a moment he stopped its movement and lightly hit the ground. – Where is Tsukisuke now?Exactly! – The guy stood up sharply, – Himitsu was the king, so Tsukisuke must be in Ehrenrise! Hah! – smiling, he again fell on the grass and raised his right hand, clenching it into a fist. – Then I will fight you again. Wait for me! Damn... why does my back itch so much?

The unusual mode made itself felt – the guy did not have time to blink, as he fell asleep. He slept until noon.

«Mmm, it's hot. I feel like an egg in a frying pan».

– Your mo-om! – Takigami jumped up abruptly and immediately began to mow the rye. And he did it so deftly that he didn't even have to remember the instructions of the headman. – How could I sleep so much? What time is it now? Fuck you understand, the sun all day behind the clouds. But in the heat it seems that somewhere in the middle of the day. If I try, I can still have time to do everything, – the guy slowed down and raised his head to inspect the entire area. – Although I.

– Hey, why are you working at noon?

At that moment, Hikaro froze in place. He didn't know what to think. Who could it be? Still crept up so imperceptibly.

– Are you noonwraith? – he barely said, turning to a golden-haired girl dressed in a light white dress.

– Who? – she laughed. – Not. My name is Nastasya, and your name is Hikaro, right?

– Yeah, – Takigami nodded.

– Funny name. The villagers sent me to you, so that I could see that you were resting at this time.

– It is forbidden. I slept for half a day and did not have time to do anything.

– What to do. Wait an hour or two and get back to work.

– I can't, – Hikaro protested. – Sorry. Go back to the others, – the guy took the sickle and continued to harvest.

The girl stood for a moment, knitting her eyebrows, tolerated the ignorance of the kaito for a couple of minutes, after which she abruptly rushed towards him and snatched the sickle from her hands.

– What are you doing? Give it to me, I have to work!

– It is forbidden! Can't work! Noon! – she said angrily in a voice that was not her own, she waved a sickle at the guy, to scare him, barked and gave herself away.

– Return! «Yes, what is the matter with her?»

The guy ran and ran after the girl, but he could not catch up with her. It seemed that he was about to grab her by the sleeve, when suddenly she seemed to come off the ground and moved away about five meters ahead. After some time, the girl appreciated his perseverance and stopped.

– Wow, – Hikaro leaned over, trying to catch his breath. – Will you give me the sickle? Please, I have to work.

– I'll give it! But first guess my riddles. Three things in total.

The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise.

– What other riddles?

– They are like this: it spread for a mile, not a river; it spread through a valley, not a lake.

The guy looked around and answered:

– Field. Is it?

– That's right, you turned out to be not stupid, – Nastasya chuckled. – Here is the second one: it reaches for the sun, it burrows on the ground, it ripens – it will lie on the table with bread and porridge.

The boy looked back again.

– Yes, what is there to guess? Grain, of course.

– Grain, right. Can you guess the third one? The boy is young, and he holds grandmother upside down.

«Who could it be? What rapist? Obviously a pervert. Or did she put some other meaning into it? Then… grandson. No, it's some bullshit. Maybe a plant? And the devil knows».

– I have no idea.

– As I thought – the girl laughed wildly and ran on. Everyone ran and laughed.

– Stop, you bastard! Hikaro exploded and started chasing after him.

After another half–hour run across the field, the guy still managed to catch up with the girl.

– Yeah, I got it!

– Well done, – Nastasya hissed in a voice that was not her own.

The guy grabbed her from behind and tilted his head to the ground with his body. With one hand he firmly held his waist, and with the other he twisted his arms.

«It remains to take away the sickle».

The girl instantly lost weight, wrinkled all over and turned cold.

– Hooray! – the guy pulled out a sickle, but along with a bone palm. – That's a bitch! – he squeamishly tossed the torn aside and stepped back.

– So who held the grandmother upside down? – the old woman laughed wildly, adjusting her right eye. She was not really old, but her dead body was severely wrinkled.

– Y–ah, – Hikaro said in a trembling voice.

– What? Don't like you? Has it become nasty?! – the noonwraith yelled loudly, loudly, and how she jumped up to the guy, that he almost fell from fear. – Nasty, I ask?! Answer! – she put her muzzle right in front of Hikaro's face.

– No.

– Not? – the old woman laughed again, so much so that she spat with saliva. – Then why aren't you looking at me? Come on! Grab my waist like just now. My shaky buns felt something solid at that moment. I like it. We can do it right here and now.

– I can not…

– You lie! – the woman yelled wildly. – You can do anything, but I must be beautiful. Well, all right, – at this moment the grandmother turned into a young beautiful Nastasya and lay down on the wheat, legs apart.

– I'm sorry I can not…

– You can't do it again? Do you still see the ugly thing in front of you?!

– Not! – guy confidently cast a glance at the girl lying in front of him. It's not about your beauty. You're beautiful. If I were in a different situation, I would definitely get enough of your body, but ... I have someone to enjoy, – he looked more closely and the tattered dress seemed to him a wedding dress. – You also loved someone in life, right? And so I am true to my choice to the end! For breaking your rules, I'm sorry. I am ignorant in this matter. Do you want me to give you my dinner as a gift?

The girl looked at him in surprise, calmed down and got up. The guy's words hurt her half–dead heart.

– Let's. What do you have there?

– Follow me, my mentor left me something.

The guy ran to the forest plantation, and the girl picked up the sickle and slowly followed him.

– Here you are! – he handed the whole sack to Nastasya.

– Take it with me, – said the noonwraith. – It's been a long time since I dined good people. That is, with good people, – she corrected herself.

The guy smiled warily and agreed – after all, he was very hungry himself. Kvass, bread and grain porridge were in the sack. They shared all this and started a conversation:

– Your chosen one, is it not a dark-haired girl?

– Yes, but how do you know?

– Well, she works one section from here. Beautiful. Just don't think of having a wedding here. I know you are not local, so you better come back, where did you come from.

«I don't think, huh».

– But why can't we have a wedding here? And aren't you in your wedding dress?

– Cursed is this land. Cursed by treachery and black blood. I played the wedding, and my sister stabbed me – she wanted to take revenge. Only now God also paid off with me, making me a noonwraith.

– And what did you do wrong?

The girl turned away, barely holding back her tears.

– None of your business! I say come back before it's too late!

– To be honest, it doesn't depend on me. Our team is instructed to find out if some kind of witch, sorcerer or some other kind of crap lives here, which breeds evil spirits in the district and sends it to the capital.

Nastasya muttered something unhappily under her breath, turning her head away, and nevertheless answered:

Oh, there is one...

– Truth?

– Just stay away from him if you want to save your skin. He is incredibly strong. He controls everything here, sends thunderstorms and drought. Or the harvest brings, if you appease. Here the villagers are fleshing him out with living people. That's all what I know.

– People?! Damn it. You need to tell your mentor about this. Thank you, Nastasya.

– Why not tell a good person? Now there are few of them. Eh, you will be lost, you will be lost ... But this is what, since you are not going to leave ...

– What? Speak.

– God punished my sister too – now she is a nightwraith woman. This night she will come to the village for the child. Don't let her destroy an innocent soul.

– Alright, we'll do whatever it takes! But where exactly will she go?

– I don't know, it's time for me. Hold the sickle and farewell.

Hikaro silently watched as the young girl ran off into the distance, turning into a spirit, and completely disappeared into the sunset.

«It passed ... A little more, and she would have definitely raped me, and then devoured me. Wild shit, goosebumps».

– What the fuck didn't you do?!

«Damn, is it evening already ?!»

– Mmm, sorry, – Hikaro had no choice but to smile ridiculously at the angry mob of hard workers.

On the way to the village, the guy explained in detail what had happened to him. Of course, none of the villagers believed him. Despite the existence of various evil spirits, noon for them was something like a deity that no one saw. Most people deny its existence. The guy kept silent about the sorcerer and the victims, because this must be said personally to Sudoshi. Upon arrival in the village, he told about the request of the midday woman, to which the villagers reacted very ambiguously.

– The nightwhaith maid will come for the children, you say? – Mishko was indignant throughout the street, sitting on a wooden fence near the hut. – It's all nonsense! A crazy orphan lived with us a couple of years ago. She came to Morphe, the kingdom of her Lord, and she just had a baby for a month or more, as she was ill, she didn't even know what to do with him, she was all agitated. So also this bitch came and said, they say, I'm your daughter, and this is a block left by the midnight woman. She grabbed the child and threw it on the threshold.

The crowd froze.

– So what?

– What-what, – Mishko glanced away. – It wasn't a fucking chump, – he cleared his throat and spat at his feet. – The child was saved from suffering, and his mother's heart could not stand it. Therefore, don't talk nonsense – we don't have no noons, no midnights!

– Shut your mouth! – suddenly eavesdropping on the conversation, the old woman hit Mishko on the head with a stick.

– What are you, grandma?

The kid is telling the truth! Even when I was seven years old, two sisters lived here – Nastasya and Marina. The first one was kind, golden–haired, cheerful. She wove toys for me and invented all sorts of fun. And the second has a blackened soul, like her patly. That you don't look at her, you almost faint, so she cursed you with all the nasty things. Both were already over twenty, but they had no children of their own and no one called for marriage. One night, a newborn baby was thrown to Nastasya. Who threw it – no one knew, but some said that the witch worked up from the demon and threw the baby to people. Nastasya was delighted and raised the child as her own. For about a month she could not take him out of the house, so that the dashing eye would not notice, but the child would get sick. At midnight she went to the young healer Ivan. And so for a whole week she ran to him at night. Once her sister was tormented by insomnia, so she walked around the countryside and noticed a child with her sister. Her envy was stuck here, she ran up to her sister from behind, and let's snatch the baby. But Nastasya did not recognize her sister in the dark and keeps the child on. It screamed and screamed until the sisters tore it in half. They grieved for a year or two, and the whole village despised them. Ivan called Nastasya to marry, which means, she agreed, they played a noble wedding, but only at the end of it Maria stuck a knife in her sister's back and stuck it. She envied her in every way. Ivan, as he saw it, immediately grabbed the hammer and smashed her head to smithereens. After that, God punished the sisters, made one a noonwraith woman, and the second a nightwraith woman. And I didn't just come up with this. Just at that time, they began to honor the noon day, to ask her for the harvest. And the children began to suffer from insomnia at night. Here you are, Mishko, well done for remembering the crazy woman, but only in my youth there was a similar story, but with a different ending. Night owls and the truth, a block of wood can be planted, so don't laugh here.

– I don't know what to say, – thought Mishko, dumbfounded.

– Which house will the midnight owl come to? Sudoshi clarified.

– I do not know. She didn't speak.

The headman folded his arms in displeasure on his chest.

– Why didn't you ask?

Yeah, she doesn't seem to know herself.

– Pah–you.

– The nightwraith maids come for newborns, – Kantake explained. – Who recently had a baby?

Segir stepped out of the crowd.

– Ramailo's wife gave birth a couple of weeks ago. Well, as a wife, they will only play a wedding one of these days.

– Let's go to him. Show me where, – Sudoshi had already taken a few steps, after which he turned to the villagers. – Not all: only my kaito, Segir, the headman and ... you, – he pointed at Mishka with his finger. – Useful too.

– I? – he grinned. – Well if you say so.

People came to the court of Ramailo. There was no one there, only the dim light of a candle poured from one small window.

– Ramailo! – shouted the elder.

– What are you yelling at? – the owner left the hut, carefully closing the front door, and went to the fence near the others. – Woke up my child, Annushka just put him to bed.

People told what they complained about. The man did not want to believe for a long time, but he was very worried about his family.

– If any monster enters my yard, it will deal with me personally.

– That's not the case, – Sudoshi objected. – You won't even be able to drive her away without consequences, only kaito can deal with such evil spirits. Hmm, wait, – Kantake thought for a second. – Can't there be any other options? Newborn in the village only you?

– Yeah, sort of. The smallest after our age is seven, probably.

– So no ... Answer me then, did you leave the child alone?

– No, of course, what are you – Annushka is always with him.

– Didn't you swing an empty cradle?

Ramailo shrugged in surprise.

– Why are we, fools, toiling with such garbage?

– It complicates everything. Usually night owls need a reason, a good moment, to pick up a child. Why to you, and even on this night? I don't understand anything. Hmm, unless someone ordered her to.

– So maybe the kid was wrong, – Dik Embirsky came out of nowhere. – You never know what he fancied in the sun?

Ramailo gently pushed Dik aside with his hand, saying that he was not listening. And he came closer to Sudoshi.

– We have either a sorcerer or a demon ...

– Shut up! the headman shouted, which caused a bunch of suspicious looks from the kaito.

– It's nothing for strangers to know, – Dik became angry and slammed his hand on the fence so that he almost knocked over the clay pots hanging on it.

Ramailo also raised his voice in response:

– I don't care who they are! This is about my family! What kind of father am I if I can't protect my child? Even though they are kaito, they want to help. So they have a right to know. If anyone dares to argue with me, I will sharply otmandohay! – the owner of the yard looked menacingly at the villagers. No one said a word – they were afraid of Ramail's strong hand. – So, listen, Sudoshi, or whatever you are. For many fucking years, this village has been sacrificing its people for the sake of a good harvest and unprecedented luck. If thunderclouds thicken more than usual in the sky, and a red scarf hangs on the gates of the village, then it is necessary to send someone to the forest tavern for the night. As you know, this person never returns from there. The peasant does not want to, and if the villagers pushed him into the forest, then the trees themselves will carry him to the tavern. Oh how! Sometimes it happens rarely, sometimes often. But already there is no strength to endure! At least go and cut the damned demon's head off.

– Exactly, – said Segir, raising his eyebrows.

– He controls various evil spirits and all sorts of spirits. Therefore, everyone worships him,» the headman explained. – For if we resist, there will be grief for the village. The harvest will be lost, but the disease will come.

– Everything is clear with you, – Sudoshi replied coldly. – Where is this tavern?

– In fucklands. Far away from here.

– Hmm, understandable.

– But we don't go there. We are afraid, afraid.

– Have you ever disobeyed a demon?

– Of course it happened, because we know what awaits us for it, – Dik answered sharply. – The last time they didn't send anyone to him either, that's why the torun ate the cows.

– That's it. In this case, the night owl really serves the demon. We'd better hide and wait for her to come.

– Why hide? – Mishko could not understand. – Let's wait here.

– It won't. We'll just scare her away and she'll come the next night. Here's what I propose...

– Yes, yes, yes, – said the old man. – Muddy here, sho you want, but I'm not in business. All the best.

– Look how it runs, pissed off, – Segir laughed. – It wouldn't make any sense anyway.

Quickly and as simply as possible, Sudoshi explained to everyone the plan of action. Many did not understand anything, but they performed their task as best they could.

Ramailo lay not far from the child, pretending to be asleep. If something does not go according to plan, and the night owl still sneaks through the window into the room, he needs to grab the child and his wife and run away from the house.

It's midnight. Segir sat in a shed near the hut and looked out the front door and windows. Suddenly he sees: a black–haired girl in a gray tattered dress slowly entered the courtyard and peered into the windows. Yukhlins immediately opened his door and began throwing stones at a haystack nearby.

«Come on, get up, you drunken creature. Your way out».

– Ah, onk, – a heady Mishko rose from the hay with a bottle of moonshine.

– As soon as the nightwraith approaches the window, wake up Mishko, – Sudoshi said earlier. – Let him come to her. And when she pays attention to him, let him run down the street with all his might. She does not like it when her feast is interrupted, and the drunkard cannot stand it.

The girl was a little frightened, as she heard the rustle of hay, and began to look in that direction. And Mishko stretches out his evil smile with his teeth knocked out, which in the moonlight will be worse than any ghost, and start balabolizing:

– Girl, hey, girl, why are you running around alone at night, mmm?

The nightwraith woman furrowed her eyebrows and came closer to the peasant. She looked at him with a wry look, sniffed and grimaced.

«Run, Mishko, run!» – Segir mentally shouted.

– Ha–ah, can you take a nap? – either he got tipsy, or he just played too much, and for a moment Mishko forgot what he was doing. Thoughted, really, he would pick up a girl now. Yes, she just grinned for a second, and showed the face of the dead. – Well, fuck it! – At that moment, the man, as if he gave a tear, almost turned over, and the midnight owl caught up with him.

«Oh, I wish I were still alive».

– Mishko, as soon as you find yourself outside the gate, fall to the ground. Just don't be afraid – it must touch you. Then she materializes, and Mido and Emily grab her by the arms. And here is the most important thing: Dik, Hikaro and I will be at the other end of the village, from which the surroundings are clearly visible. You need to throw this torch as high as possible and directly above them. That wouldn't be a problem, would it? – after this phrase, Dik looked slightly angrily at Sudoshi, but did not say anything. – I already made an incision on it. My normal teleportation is limited to fifty meters, but I can also teleport farther to objects that have a notch from my bloody blade.

– Stop, unclean! – Emily called out, holding her hand.

– And for a dead woman, she's even nothing, – Betsai said.

«I hope it works» As soon as Mido and Emily grabbed the night owl, Dik threw the torch so hard that from the field it looked like the fire had reached the moon.

«So, the main thing is to plunge the sword into the midnight woman. But, as I understand it, you have to fall down on it. I hope it won't be very high–o–o–o», – Hikaro stood ready for a long time with a sword in his hands, and Sudoshi held him behind his back in order to teleport at the right moment. When the torch began to fall, the kaito were in the air.

– A–a–a–a!

The maneuver was a success. All the way through the air, Takigami stabbed the cursed blade straight into the nightwraith's back. She screamed, blinking turned into a dead, then into a half–dead form.

– A–a–arch–a–a! It was as if a solar explosion formed inside her, and she evaporated into the air, leaving behind only a mad scream.

– Wow, wow, that's it. This is how adventures are for my asshole, – Mishko still could not believe what had just happened to him.

Segir and Ramailo have already run to the others.

– Worked?

– Yeah, sort of.

– Why the hell did I have to throw that torch? Dik was furious. – You could sit somewhere on the roof and move around whenever you wanted.

A shadow of indignation ran across Kantake's face – he did not have the slightest desire to answer, so Mido stood up for the teacher:

– It was necessary.

Dik was surprised, twisting his displeased face, took a couple of steps towards Mido and slightly impudently stuck his head out.

– I didn't address you, kid. Be quiet, when the elders are talking, I can punch you in the teeth.

– And you try, – Betsai smiled slightly, but his gaze was terribly serious.

Dik did not scatter words and immediately flew the guy right on ... the arm, with which he instantly blocked the blow. Mido smiled even more, and Embirsky continued to make a disgruntled face.

– The evil spirits could feel the power of Hikaro's blade, so it was worth keeping a distance. The probability of this is not so great, but you need to be careful.

– Say thanks to your friend, – Dik, smiling slyly, kept his eyes on Mido, as if he was saying «I'll deal with you again» and turned sharply to Sudoshi. – Was it hard to say? Hmm, what's special about your sword? – he turned to Hikaro.

– I'm kind of a cursed swordsman.

A noticeable surprise was reflected on the faces of the villagers, but Mishko reacted brightest of all:

– He's still, bitch, and cursed ?! Son, didn't the witch really does it?

– No, – Takigami grinned. «I'm just the chosen one. I own the element of light and other bells and whistles.

– Ah, that's how it is. We are a simple people, we have not heard such garbage.

– Hey, – Ramailo interrupted. – Thank you all for the work done, you saved my child. I am due, therefore I invite you to my wedding with Annushka. I will not accept rejections. And now let's go home and sleep, tomorrow we'll work again.

– Okay, thanks for the invitation. We will definitely come.

Everyone went home, and Ramailo decided to take the kaito to their hut. After all, the area is still poorly known. When the others had already entered, Khmelnis stopped Sudoshi to talk to him:

– That's what I'm afraid of ... She didn't die, did she?

– Not. Usually, to get rid of the night owl, you need to burn her bones, as well as what she is still attached to. However, the soul of this midnight owl is so blackened that, I'm afraid, sending her to another world will no longer work.

– Will she come back even more embittered?

– Now you can't drive her into this village by force. Evil spirits are very afraid of the cursed element, especially when they have already felt it on their own skin, but I can't say anything about your demon.

– That's how it is. Well, let's hope for the best. Thank you again.

– It is my job and I will be paid for it.

– Of course, – he shook hands with Kantaka and headed home.

And the night became calmer. The crickets played the violins pleasantly, creating a lullaby for our heroes. The moonlight illuminated the village, the field, and also the forest path. At the other end of which the tavern door had already slammed shut, and a faithful servant carried a red handkerchief.