Chapter 23

Various brigades were already engaged in logging, while women were weaving baskets from branches. Unfortunately, all this enthusiasm lacked not only skills but also knowledge.

Animal blood had saturated the camp and given people strength, but only nine people were drinking human blood so far. Eugene's advice was needed by the people. The second advisor was Konstantin, who turned out to be unusually prudent and intelligent.

Together, they acted as a kind of brain center, while Alexey Gennadyevich ensured that what was conceived began to be implemented and worked. Now, due to changes in plans for a soon change of habitat, adjustments had to be made to the work of the people.

Dragging the dead boar to the girls who were busy gutting the carcasses and removing their skins, Alexander decided to go to the stream and wash up a bit. He smelled like such a cacophony that he could have competed in the most nauseating smell contest.

Near the stream, three unfamiliar girls were immediately spotted, who were busy organizing a dam. At first, all three looked at him quite angrily, but quickly recognized that the main hunter had arrived. Their looks changed from anger to mercy and even some friendliness.

"Do you want to drink or wash up?"

"I just want to rinse off."

"Then go downstream, there's another dam there where you can splash around. Here is only for drinking," one of them said strictly.

Apparently, they had to explain the new rules of using the stream to people for the umpteenth time. Such division was quite handy considering what happened to the very first spring they found in this world.

Raising his hands in a calming gesture, Alexander smiled and walked along the stream downstream. About a hundred and fifty meters away, the desired dam was found. The water level and its depth allowed several people to take water procedures simultaneously, but there was no one here now.

Taking off his clothes, the man eagerly plunged into the clean icy water. Yes, not a bath or a shower with a bathtub, but still better than nothing. The feeling of bliss was not spoiled by the mud stirred up from the bottom, or fallen leaves, or the absolutely icy water, mountainous in its nature.

Relaxing, he lay immersed in the water with pleasure for a couple of minutes. If you forget about the circumstances in which he found himself, Alexander would have called himself a happy man at that moment with all responsibility.

Deciding that further idleness was harmful — he still had skins to collect, and there was enough work in the camp — he got up, and, as it sometimes happens, his thoughts shifted.

Right at that moment, for some reason, he remembered the bear he killed during the night. Or more precisely, how, obeying his desires and thoughts, the blood was simply sucked out of the animal at great speed.

Coming out of the water, he squatted on the shore and watched how the water surface calmed down after him. Memory dutifully supplied him with images of other people's memories. Wizards.

Here comes a boy dressed in a light caftan and boots, looking like an ordinary son of a steward or a wealthy craftsman. But the sign! Crossed lightning and sword! A future paladin! A wizard! He must be bowed to!

He's still a little brat, of course, and he should be smacked, not bowed to, but he couldn't. And you bow, looking at his self-satisfied face. The face of a man who was lucky to be born with abilities, but could now be cleaning up crap behind pigs in the master's yard, a wretched little creature.

Alexander shook his head. Yeah. He hadn't taken into account the presence of magic in this world until now. But what if...

The man reached out over the water's surface and, concentrating, ordered the water below to form a funnel. The water's surface began to circle, and soon Alexander was watching a real whirlpool, which, obeying his desires, either gained speed or slowed down.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!"

Deciding to continue, he ordered the water to rise to his hand, and soon, with some aesthetic satisfaction, he watched the rare phenomenon—a water tornado. Or it was better to call it a waterspout, as tornadoes are not usually watery.

Deciding not to bother with terminology, the man stood up, simultaneously ceasing to support the created miracle. The water fell back into the dam, and in the man's hand, there was already a tiny flame.

A small flame, like from a candle, burned right in his palm. Alexander even felt the warmth emanating from this fire. Another wish, reinforced by a clear mental command — and in his hand, there was already a fiery ball. The fire didn't dance with tongues like on a bonfire; it curled up, trying to devour itself and being within clear boundaries of a sphere.

And the heat from this little ball was so intense that his hand began to burn. With a small swing, he threw the ball aside, and it began its flight, but after flying about a meter, it disappeared without a trace, simply dissolving in the air.

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