Topic: The Night Watch

[erik]

Well-written, very readable...

Walking the streets of Moscow, indistinguishable from the rest of its population, are the Others. Possessors of supernatural powers and capable of entering the Twilight, a shadowy parallel world existing in parallel to our own, each Other owes allegiance either to the Dark or the Light. The "Night Watch", first book in the "Night Watch" trilogy, follows Anton, a young Other owing allegiance to the Light. As a Night Watch agent he must patrol the streets and metro of the city, protecting ordinary people from the vampires and magicians of the Dark. When he comes across Svetlana, a young woman under a powerful curse, and saves an unfledged Other, Egor, from vampires, he becomes involved in events that threaten the uneasy truce, and the whole city...


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Night-Watch-Sergei-Lukyanenko/dp/0099489929

...and provides some food for thought.

A long ago at TNF it was asked where did nuclear weapons come from? Was it Light or was it Darkness that provided them?

'The Night Watch' provides a readable view on that eternal stand-off between Light and Darkness with some spice. It gives its own view on where did the communism and fascism come from...and a few other things as well.

[Jahn]

...and provides some food for thought.

A long ago at TNF it was asked where did nuclear weapons come from? Was it Light or was it Darkness that provided them?

'The Night Watch' provides a readable view on that eternal stand-off between Light and Darkness with some spice. It gives its own view on where did the communism and fascism come from...and a few other things as well.

Intriguing and interesting!
It raise the straight question, where did the human form come from? And I have no idea what so ever.

[Firestarter]

Is this based on the movie, Juhani? Cause I saw the movie and thot it pretty cool:


http://www.amazon.com/Night-Watch-Konstantin-Khabenskiy/dp/B000FFJ81C

[erik]

No, it is the other way around - movie is loosely based on the book. What I have heard, is that the movie is more action, whereas the book contains more philosophical stuff.

[Firestarter]

No, it is the other way around - movie is loosely based on the book. What I have heard, is that the movie is more action, whereas the book contains more philosophical stuff.

Ok then I get it, cause  I remember the movie, and tend to probe the deeper philosophies, like they did with Matrix, less getting too choppy.

The story description was trippy tho, I thot to self "sounds like the story of my life," lol bad joke there 

[Builder]

Brief review of "Night Watch": insight from the Forces of Light
In the "Night Watch" Forces of Light rescued from the Forces of Darkness and  recruited a woman called Svetlana ('Svet' means light in Russian). She is destined to be a Great White Mage and give birth to a girl to become a Source of Light.

Forces of Dark tried to prevent her following her destiny by using her own purity of mind. They made Svetlana's mother ill and requiring organ transplant, but Svetlana got scared and mother said: "It is ok, I forbid you giving me your organs!". Pure as Svetlana was, she dived into guilt and self-blame (herself was the only person she was able to blame) that combined with her latent magic abilities nearly destroyed Moscow.

Svetlana was saved by a White mage Anton who was the only person around who did not feel sorry for her. Anton was destined to father the Source of Light. At the end of the story Anton got so tired of the infinite struggle between the two forces that he gathered horrendous power and nobody knew what he was going to do about it - destroy somebody or something else. He used it all on himself and did not even try to help or influence anybody - "...to know what is the right thing to do"

Part two "Day Watch": insight form the Forces of Darkness
It is about how Dark Forces carry out an operation to prevent the girl to be born from transforming into a Source of Light. They use love, pure and simple almighty humanly love to do it.

There is a Dark witch that loses nearly all her power in one melee against Whites. She is sent to a children summer camp to feed on kids' dark energy. Simultaneously there is a White mage with a similar problem and he is sent to the same camp - to recover with the help of children's white energy.

They fall deeply in love without knowing who the other is (they have no power). However, as they grow stronger, they recognise each other for what they are. White mage challenges the Dark witch and declares a duel suspecting that the latter seduced him for some dark purpose (remember, their sides had fought each other for eternity).

He kills her - drowns her by his sheer force.

Such a kill is a subject to an investigation (there is something called Inquisition that has an authority to investigate and punish mages, sorcerers, vampires, etc from both sides).

Dark Forces set initially the operation up so as to provoke the White to kill the witch in the hope of punishment from Inquisition. Yet the Inquisitors are better than that - they termporarily re-embody the witch to ask her about the events. She appears choking and coughing and holding her throat. She appears at the very moment of her agony and death.

She tells the court that her sending to the camp was a deliberate plot by the Dark Mage in charge of Dark Forces in Moscow. He was certain that she would fall in love with the White.

Whites accuse Dark Forces of the provocation and demand acquitting their colleague. Inquisitors deny their their arguments saying that no magic was used except by the White mage.

Yet the White and the witch have only eyes for each other. As the whitch is sent back to non-material world, the White de-materialises and ceases as well. He had nothing to live for any more. In his own words he had fought as a human in many wars. He had lost all his dear ones. He had never hoped to love again, he had felt true love again - and killed it.

As the proceedings are over, the Dark Mage in charge of Moscow approaches the White Mage in charge of Moscow (they have had fought each other over aeons) and asks with a glee:"Well, well, well! You can have the child, but who will bring her up and transform her into a Source of Light now...?"

...and leaves with a deepest and most satisfied laugh.

Svetlana and Anton ask the White Mage in charge:"Does it mean that we cannot bring the girl up as required?"

The White sighs and answers:"He (the de-materialised White) was the man for the job and I see nobody equal to him. To be a mother (and a White Mage) and raise a Great White Mage are two different things...I failed to see how much he loved that Dark witch. I could have found another way..."

[Builder]

Interlude.

My name was Vitaly Rogoza.
It began when I walked through the park at night and suddenly sensed a darkness in the bushes. I was surprised, approached the bushes and then it launched at me snarling in the flight. Strangely, I knew what to do – I deflected it and said: ‘Do you want to meet the Night Watch? The Whites? Idiot.’
...
I began to remember myself in train to Moscow. I had a bag. There were US $ 100,000 inside it. I had no idea from where it came. It seemed that I had lived only for two days. There was just that feeling that I had to go.
...
In Moscow I knew where to go. I checked into a luxury hotel and registered with the White officer keeping an eye on Dark ones coming to Moscow. The White mage doing the check in looked at me with puzzled expression and mumbled: ‘Who are you? Sorcerer, warlock, vampire, werewolf...no, none of them...?’ I had also no idea and replied: ‘Sorcerer. It is complicated’.
...
I heard the call when I was sleeping. It was irresistibly tempting. Vampire attracting her prey. I got dressed and walked out. In the dark street I saw a shadow vanishing into the night. I went closer and there was a dead body, with a smile on the face and bite marks on the neck. Sweet surrender. White patrol came to the scene and one younger, but enthusiastic guy looked angrily at me and tried to arrest me. I felt a huge boost of power and realised that I had jumped maybe a level, but more likely two up. I could do much more than before. I replied: ‘Idiot, did you look at the neck? Do I look like a vampire? I am leaving now, you’ll find me from a hotel’.
...
I left my room and put protection in place. In the evening I found the same young White dead in my room. Protection had got the better of him. White patrol charged in and accused me of murder. I had only tried to keep outsiders out. They inspected my things (with my full cooperation) and agreed that that White had violated the rules. Dark ones who came to my assistance were stunned that I had put so much power into simple protection... I felt deep inside that everything was in the best possible order and that my next leap up in terms of power and awareness regarding myself was near.
...
Dark ones took me to their place, and again in the sleep I felt the call. It was from Whites. Very subtle, very powerful and only for me. Surrendering to it could have been the sweetest thing. But instead I overcame it and gained in strength again. Massively. I saw the White energy coming out of me and flowing into the floor. I decided to see who was calling me. In the dark park they were expecting me: two first grade White mages and two shapeshifting White fighters. Mages struck first sending two energy walls at me from two sides. I felt the pressure, but it was moderate. I spread my hands and sent it back – I saw two men sliding on their backs in the snow. Then the fighters attacked: a bear and a tiger. I shouted: ‘Can’t we talk?! Is this the way things are done in Moscow?’ I sent bear rolling over me and blocked the tiger’s attack. Mages tried again and this time I threw them farther into the snow. Bear stopped as if thinking, but tiger persisted. Apparently her boyfriend had died in my hotel room. I shouted again: ‘I don’t want to kill anybody! Can’t we talk?’. But she jumped. Then I struck. 150 kilos of strength and beauty transformed with a cracking sound of breaking bones into a bloody mass of meat. Totally squashed. They left. I was sure I had done it all right.
...
I had come into a contact with an ancient Dark artifact. It had an immense power. I sensed that the final realisation of who I am and why I am in Moscow was getting close. I knew that my power had grown beyond all measurable scales and grades. I could enter Twilight and get stronger while every other White or Dark one became slowly weaker. I kept it inside and felt how my mind was getting clearer and I could see lines of probabilities, destinies of people, slightest variations in power and I could use the energy of Twilight. I felt I had done everything right.
...
We were summoned (all Whites and Dark ones) to Inquisition meeting. I was late because one White had decided to stop me from going there. He created a car crash, but I walked out unscathed. He shouted at me: ‘Who are you?!!!’, and I could only reply: ‘The mirror of the world’. He ran away.
...
I still got to the Inquisition meeting. While entering, I saw Inquisitors removing all blocks from using magic in the room. I looked right and saw Svetlana looking like an infinitely bright source of light, like a lightning ready to strike. I realised, it was Anton who created a crash and Svetlana, the Great White Mage, thought I had killed Anton. She struck with all her might. My clothes went to shreds, my CD player flew to pieces, but I stood and absorbed all energy aimed at me...

I saw and understood fully. I was a Mirror. I never was a Dark, I was one without a colour and Twilight used me to restore the balance.
I was one without the destiny.
My work was done.
Two Whites killed and Great White Mage stripped of all her power for at least 30, but more likely for 50 years.
Balance restored between strengthened Whites and weakened Dark ones.
I had maybe minutes of life left before Twilight would accept me.
Anton entered the room and came to me.
He gave me his player.
I turned it on.
I listened.

Do not ask – I won’t take you with me.
Do not look – the meaning of life I know not.
Do not wish – to learn the secret of other.
And that’s all – spirit I am vanishing soon!