- It's not gonna work. Not only does Argard have a binding to the girl, he has a binding to Riverstein. I can't weaken any of the ties yet. In the Rainbow Empire, she'll just die.
Shyder darkened, and he buried himself in his papers again.
- What are you trying to find there," the Arch'arrion asked irritably.
- Answers to... anything! - The Lord waved hopelessly.
- So it's one of the dark ones," I thought, "isn't Arghard the symbol of power in Chaos? Arch'arrion, do you have any enemies?
The demon shook his shoulders indifferently, Lord Darrell hummed.
- He's got a whole legion of enemies! You'll torture yourself to suspect and test them all!
The Arch'arrion looked at the slowly shining horizon.
- It's time to go back," he said, "it's not desirable that I'm here... found.
- Yes," Shider smiled, "the bright ones would be very surprised at such an... unplanned visit! By the way, why did you bring us here and not to your place in Chaos?
- Because Chaos is not an example of better security, to be there with you, I did not want! - The demon sarcastically said, - and your reserve is better filled here.
I did not get into their political strife, focused thinking. Some kind of elusive thought kept me busy. But there was no way to grab her by the tip of her tail.
- Come here," the Arch'arrion called me, without looking in my direction. The tiredness I've become accustomed to," he called me, looking in my direction. And suddenly anger.
- My name is Vetriana," I said quietly to the demon, "it's not very difficult to call me by my name, is it? - bitterly, I asked.
The Arch'arrion looked me in the eyes, silently.
Sider hummed.
- Give me your hand... Chickenpox, and don't be afraid. - ...the demon said calmly. I stretched out my palm, looking into the black fringes of his eyes, the Arch'arrion squeezed it, and we were already falling into the abyss as usual.
And I was not afraid.
Part 2.
- ... Well, focus! So... close your eyes... don't think, imagine pushing me. Imagine that! Don't shake your hands! And don't pull your neck out on the floor of the sap! You're not a goose! All right, that's good! Feel the lump of Power inside... feel it with your whole gut... not with your eyes! Oh, Saan Mon Shot! Chickenpox! Why are you staring at it?
- I mean, you... you... you said to look at it yourself, right? Is that what I'm trying to do? - I was outraged. Lord Darrell, I mean, Shyder hummed skeptically with his hands on his side. I picked a sock of my shoe in the snow.
- Well, that's not working for me!
The Lord took a sigh. He'd been trying to teach me how to control the Force a little for ten days, but it wasn't much use. Either I'm a bad pupil, or he's a teacher. But deep down, I suspected that there was a mistake, and I have no Power. And strange cases, they said, hit the Lord by a force wave or caused a vortex and snowstorm, swept off the fence of the raven, which the Lord turned, I thought just coincidences.
Even what had happened to Xenia made me doubt, could I have returned her departed soul? To open a mysterious door to the world of shadows? That's right, it was Danina's mistake, and there was no ink rottenness, and there was another pine tree, heavy but not fatal.
Maybe because I didn't believe in myself, it didn't work out. Or maybe because it didn't work out, I couldn't believe it. Anyway, the field by the lake that day we trampled for nothing. After a couple of hours of torment, the Lord was angry, trampled the snow in the melted dirty porridge, remembered all the evil he knew in an unknown language, but the meaning was clear. I lavished, repentedly picked my tincture, rubbed my cold hands, and gazed drearily at the distant walls of Riverstein.
Sometimes Xenia would join us, and then I would get lost because I could see my friend's round eyes and the laughter lurking in their depths, and start giggling myself. So the Lord forbade Xenya to come to the field.
The night I saw the Rainbow Empire, the Arch'arrion moved me right into my room and disappeared without even saying goodbye. I fell to the edge of the couch, trying to get the world back to normal.
Not for long, really. Sitting down, staring stupidly at the wall, I thought I'd better get some sleep and think about it tomorrow. And the next morning and just reconciled with the new reality, somehow got used to easily and naturally, as if my soul has always felt that the world is not as simple as it seems.
Ksenia had been digesting it longer and longer. Especially since she did not see it herself, but only listened to my colorful story. I frowned, snotted, a couple of times could not resist, jumped off the bench, even lost her appetite, which spoke of the highest degree of her mental disorder. But by the evening meal she was hungry, and well stuffed her belly with potatoes and meat gravy, calmed down and also took everything as it is.
"Well, magicians, so magicians," Xenya philosophically stretched out, wondering if the additive will do, "not scarier than our abbesses, I think so, will be!"
On the same day, I took the Lord to Danila. The guy wasn't happy about our appearance, he got scared, waving an axe and mowing at me. My confused and illogical stories about magicians, Chaos and the Rainbow Empire did not believe, thought that I brought the keeper, and was preparing to sell my life dearly.
So the Lord had to look at this disgrace, calmly undressed, ordering me to turn away and turn into a raven. Daniela and I sat down on the floor, looking at a black bird with a humpbacked beak, which bowed its head and looked at us from the edge of the bench. Looking and loudly shouting something indecent, the raven began to slowly stretch upward and wide, the feathers as if melted and retracted into a muscular body, beak decreased, becoming a nose, the bird's head increased in human, and eyes regained a green color. As we opened our mouths, we saw the transformation of the black bird into Lord Darrell. Lord Darrell's naked.
Catching my gaze, the man mockingly raised his eyebrow, I painfully poured paint and jumped out into the courtyard, in the barbed north wind, gladly setting his flaming cheeks. I never dared to return to the house, and I walked around the courtyard, looking at the palisade, counting the pots on it, and talking to Kairos. The horse wouldn't respond to my sniffing, but the bread was crunching properly. When I was finally stabbed and cowardly warming myself to the warm side of the stallion, the door of the house opened and there came out a slightly tired Lord and Danila, with such a happy, shining, like a silver face that looking at him I involuntarily smiled. Still, it is a pleasure to share my fears with someone strong and adult, those who will help and find a way out. And to find out that you are not said and cursed as you thought about yourself, but you are endowed with the Power and Magic, and there are a lot of people like you in the world... yes, it is wings.
I looked at the Lord questioningly, he shook his head.
- I put Danila in a trance," he said, taking Kairos out of the corral and putting me in the saddle, "but I couldn't see more than he'd already seen. Whoever kills, puts up a defense, watches out. But he is not far away.
I drearily looked over the boundless, to the horizon of the forest and the lake. Not far away, the concept is relative. Here every five of them is a protected area, a little further away from the spruce, you can't get back out, and look here, what a pin in the lake.
- But you said there's no sorcerer nearby!
- No. But there is one who has knowledge and artifacts. So much for the power of murdered children... or...
He didn't talk, but I figured it out. Or this someone so strong that they've covered their magic trail and the Lord can't feel it.
- But it's unlikely," the man understood my thoughts correctly, "that it's almost impossible to hide a trace for so long.
I sighed. Still, the Lord is not omnipotent.
- Rion was checking," he reluctantly said, "if the Archimedean couldn't smell the magic trace, no one could," he turned to Danielle. - Get your things, tomorrow I will move you to the Source. Perhaps after the dedication, your abilities will increase, and you will st
eal more. You tell your mother I'm sending you to Starover to study medicine, I'll confirm it.
I waved my hand to a cheerfully agitated guy, and I held on to the man in front. It was decided I shouldn't be sent to the Source yet. Firstly, because the "initiated" has a magical background, and this may alert the killer, and secondly, no one knew how Argard would react, it is likely that he will begin to absorb the power, and therefore me.
But it was decided to try to teach me how to control the rudiments of magic that are in me. Early in the morning we were transferred to a distant field by the lake, the Lord renewed it, making us invisible to random curious eyes and began ...
I honestly closed my eyes trying to relax, I imagined one by one: a blooming meadow, a slowly and importantly flowing river, a leaf spinning in a ray of sun, the glow of distant stars and a majestic field excited by the wind. The Lord explained that such paintings help to relax and turn off the consciousness, to reach the right level of thinking. But apparently, my head was arranged differently. On a blooming meadow I could see angry villagers with pitchforks, the river, flowing slowly and sleepily, suddenly burst out of the shore, flooding the fields, and the stars turned into fireflies and flocks, rustling with transparent wings.
Besides, I was so fond of these made-up paintings that I completely forgot to focus on the necessary sensations, and did not feel any rising power. And after an hour of such a stupid stand began to freeze, clench my arms and legs, which was categorically impossible to do and even a little dribble from the cold. The Lord cursed (I didn't understand the words, but the point was quite clear), made me run across the field to get warm, covered me with a heat wave, but when I got warm, I started to fall asleep irresistibly. Well, I wouldn't mind eating.
Anyway, it wasn't much use to me. Especially since we usually did it at dawn, so as not to draw too much attention to my absence, so I was not particularly happy about it.
And today I yawned so desperately that the Lord looked at me with doubts, deciding whether to let me go to bed or beat me up at once, so as not to suffer with me. I had already agreed to both options, but the teacher got me persistent and, frowning, the Lord began the lesson.
- Chickenpox, pull yourself together! Focus! Imagine a blooming meadow... wow... something else! Something you like!
I gladly imagine a soft bed in my blue room, an old blanket and a pillow. And how sweet it is to sleep there...
- Stay awake! - The lord is outraged. I opened my eyes wide and thought sadly I hated the morning. And why is everybody trying to rob me of my morning sleep?
- One more time! Focus! And remember, I'm not leaving you until you've learned... anything! So, you'd better do it soon before we get mad here! Come on, Vetriana, be a good girl, do your best!
I tried, I tried... it's no use!
- Well, I don't have that power! - I'm hopelessly cold, starting to freeze! - Well, I don't have it!
- Be more careful, try to imagine...
And then what happened was that she immediately pulled me out of a slumber in which I kept slipping.
Closer to the edge of "our" field, the oaks were growing. Magnificent, powerful, fathoms twenty-five in height, with widely spread messy branches and dark gray cracked bark. Down at its roots, in the deep shade, lay acorns and fallen leaves, almost not soiled with snow, but only bounded by ice.
The dragon came out of this very oak tree, out of the dark shadow, snorting and shaking... the dragon!
Blessed Mother, and in no picture book that we read as children, there was an image that even a little bit conveys the stunning beauty and power of this creature. The long flexible body is covered with malachite green scales, only the tip of the tail and the sternum are poured with ruby highlights and sparkle in the winter sun like jewels. There are spiky outgrowths all over the body, with a crest ending in an elongated head. Four strong four-legged paws with claws and yellow leathery wings complete the picture.
The dragon rolled out from under the oak tree with a cube, sneezed, perplexed smart yellow eyes and looked at us. I stared at him, frankly opening my mouth, but the Lord instantly grabbed the sword hanging from his side and turned to the lizard. He lifted up his hind legs, gutted wings like leathery sails, steamed from his nostrils and pushed away from the ground, a dragon on shaving flew to Lord Darrell. Without hesitation, the man swung along the wide arc, the sword in his hand sang subtly, cutting through the air and trying on the shiny emeralds of his neck.
Something stirred in me and crushed out following my palm, hitting Lord Darrell in the chest. The sword, describing a semicircle in the air, flew into the bushes. The dragon looked remarkably surprised. After releasing steam, he fell to the ground, wrapping his tail around his hind legs. I was embarrassed, I threw myself at the lord rising from the ground.
- What the..." he said, shaking off, "Vetriana! You missed!
- I think she got where she was aiming," said the Arch'arrion, smiling as he approached us.
- At me? - Amazed, Shaider," she pointed at me? But why?
It was my fault I smiled and waved my hands.
- I'm sorry... it's just that you're a magician with a gun, and a dragon... it's so beautiful!
- Also, Vetriana has not forgotten how you chased her through the cemetery at night and frightened the undead," the Arch'arrion gave me up, smiling innocently.
- So I was sure she was dark! I scared her to show her what she was!!! - It was Schoyder's fault," he said.
And I stared at the beast with rapture. The dragon wiggled his head and, like a dog, scratched his head with his hind leg. I jumped in admiration.
- But if that handsome guy had eaten us? - the lord was still in shock from my betrayal - I was protecting you, by the way!
- No, I wouldn't have eaten you," I said confidently.
- Why would you say that?
- Well, first of all, I thought he wasn't going to eat us, I thought he was... confused at all. And secondly, judging by the fact that the dragon has moved the Arch'arrion here, he is not dangerous. Although, - I was shy, - to be honest, I just felt sorry for him... sorry.
Men and the dragon were staring at me in every eye. The Lord is offended, Arch'arrion, seriously, and the dragon is skeptical.
- Well, you know, Vetriana! - said Shyder and went into the bushes behind his sword.
I was ashamed to lift my eyes, afraid to look at a demon.
- I'm sorry," I said again, just in case, and I jumped up the first time I saw him laughing. The yellow bezel around his pupil spilled like lava, making his eyes almost golden, and he laughed so contagious that I couldn't help but smile back. The insulted Lord Darrell puffed his sword into the sheath, but he couldn't resist and smiled too.
- Well, at least we found out you have the Force after all! - He said, or even I was beginning to doubt it. And how come I didn't think of the emotional component?
- Just the usual approach, meditation and relaxation of the Vetra, are not appropriate," said Arch'arrion, calming down, but still smiling merrily, "her strength spurts on emotion, resentment or fear. Or pity. That's why you haven't been able to do it.
- Did you peek? - The lord was suspiciously sniffing at me.
- I was watching," said the demon seriously.
I looked at the oak.
- From there? From the shadows? - Sometimes I really thought we were being watched...
The Arch'arrion nodded.
- I thought you could use a... fresh approach to training. We turned to the dragon at once. He sneezed again.
- How did you move it?
- It's not for nothing that the higher demons are called the Lords of Darkness, the Vetriana. Any shadow is part of the darkness, which means it's a transition for us. The darkness is part of our blood, our heritage and essence. By shadow, I can pass everywhere. Well... except where there's a penetration shield. And that...
- Wow, I admired it, didn't I, Lord Darrell?
- Alas..." Shyder laughed, "a magician needs portals, or an artifact to m
ove. It's true that the artifacts are quickly discharged, or even a single action.
- And yet it's amazing," I meant it, I said.
- Chickenpox, what makes you think a dragon isn't dangerous?
- I don't know," I was confused, "but I just felt... it wasn't going to attack us.
- It is," said the Arch'arrion thoughtfully, "but that's how you understood it, I don't understand..." Shider didn't.
- Because I didn't have time to know if he was going to eat us or not," said Lord Darrell, "and I'm no expert on dragons!
The lizard shook his head, breathed the ferry, and looked at us sadly.
- He froze! - I felt sorry for him, Arch'arrion, could you bring him back? Where did you get it from?
- Actually, when I pulled him out of the Eternal Forest, a bunch of Orcs were about to attack him. And since that dragon's still young and can't spit fire, I think their attack might well be a success.
- What a horror! Then move it somewhere... where there are no Orcs? I beg you very much! - I beggedly folded my hands and looked into the eyes of a demon. He turned his back.
- Don't worry, Vetriana, this dragon will be all right.
And he went to the tree, the dragon obediently, like a puppy, followed him. For another moment I admired the shiny skin and they both disappeared into the shadows.
- Thank you," I muttered belatedly.
- Well," said the Lord satisfactorily, "I think we're done for today. Just try to remember well the feeling you felt when you hit it. You'll remember it tomorrow and try again. Cause Rion is dragging the whole Eternal Forest here.
- Why, I don't mind," I laughed, "it's much more fun to do this way! Oh, I'll tell Ksenka - I won't believe it! The Dragon! A real dragon! He's so handsome, isn't he? No, have you seen it?
- You're still a child... Lord Darrell shook his head and got drunk and went towards Riverstein. I jumped in and ran after him.
* * *
Xenya believed it. And then she made scary eyes and scolded Lord Darrell, who forbade her to come to class in such terms that my ears caught fire with shame. And where does she get all this from? The story of how the evil lord flew into the bushes from my stroke, cheered her up a little and reconciled her to what had happened.
The Wind of the North Page 16