Unconquered Sun

by Philipp Bogachev

  Judging by bearing, the golem was a military. The body represented it a continuous military armor, and the head was closed by an impenetrable helmet with a deaf visor. Only it had no sword - probably, he owned some other, more perfect weapon. On frontal part of a helmet and on a breast plate the gold solar disk with female features and empty eye-sockets was engraved. The top part of the sun the royal crown over which two letters - N and Page were written crowned.

  The gold knight bowed to madam invisible to an eye.

  - You called me, your Perfection? - the deaf, in a military way accurate, but at the same time a lifeless and mechanical voice was distributed.

  - Get ready for a trip. Take the fastest dragon of nobody any more - it is not necessary to draw excess attention. You will make the way through the Ant hill, bypassing the Ring. I need this person, urgently, location - sector 45-98, - at these words in the head of the golem arose an accurate fancy of object.

  - And on the destination?

  - I will make so that he will approach you. Fly as soon as possible more quietly, understood?

  - Yes sir, your Perfection.

  2.

  The prince really felt ill at ease. He almost saw nothing and did not feel. Everything inside at it burned with intolerable fire, blood began to boil in veins. Two big blinding the sun incessantly were always on his mind, and in ears all the same refrain sounded and sounded: "Come, come, join the Stream, become perfect!" From this persuasive metal voice it was terribly hurt by the head, and, in general, Prinze felt as seriously ill fever. It expired then, he was beaten by a fever, but at the same time he could not move as paralyzed.

  When it seemed to Prinze that his tortures last already whole eternity, suddenly everything ended. He felt much better and on some inexplicable motivation quickly got up and approached the cracked window.

  Against black, without uniform star and a cloud, the sky the full moon - bright, silvery, round burned. To the prince at once was evident that the moon was absolutely unusual - honor with the size in all sky. Also the fact that it had the most real eyes - more precisely, the empty eye-sockets which are filled in from within with bright light - and also a mouth, a nose and a chin was strange. All this gave it similarity to some terrible silver mask suspended on bluish-black scenery in some thrown and empty theater.

  - But such moon does not happen! - Prinze thought. - It cannot be such big! Besides it can have neither eyes, nor a mouth …

  - Why? - the Moon hit such acquaintances to it by a metal voice absolutely unexpectedly question with a question.

  - There is no all also here! - for some reason Prinze took offense. - I never such saw, here!

  The moon laughed, having bared is dazzling white teeth.

  - You what did not see a lot of things, the little man, and, meanwhile, it exists! You as a rain worm live in the little burrow and except her see nothing and do not know. I know it, as did not dream you. What from you is hidden by those who do not want that you knew too much! - and again in the head the metal ringing of unpleasant cold laughter began to sound.

  The prince curiosity sorted. He suddenly invincibly wanted to learn the secrets hidden from it by all means. Constant half-words and utayka of the Fairy, the closed cases with books, persuasive requests to make that and not to do it are all this in a flash emerged in Prinze's consciousness, and it seemed to it that just about on all these utayka, bans and half-words it will find the answer at this strange laughing moon. And only at It!

  - Hey, you, the moon, I agree! Open for me unknown, I want to know it, I do not want to be more blind worm, no!

  - And whom you want to be, the little man? - with curiosity, having crafty blinked an eye, the strange moon asked.

  - I … I … I … - the Prince did not know, as to answer how suddenly in his consciousness from where there was an image. The tall strong man in the armor inlaid with gold, in a continuous helmet stood on top of the high mountain. His face was completely covered by a mask. On a helmet the magnificent purple sultan flaunts. The purple raincoat flutters behind his shoulders, as at great masters of the ancient world. "The gold Knight" seemed such powerful, such strong, such stately that Prinze suddenly by all means wanted to become same, to become the Soldier, the Knight, the Master …

  - I want to be the Master, infinitely wise and strong. I want to know and be able everything, I want that before me trembled and submitted to me. I want … I want … I want …

  - … And you will be all that whom you want to be … - insinuatingly said a metal voice.

  - But how?

  - There is nothing more simply! Just go directly into a lunar path and go to me!

  During the same moment from the huge shining moon to Prinze the set of beams which, fancifully intertwining among themselves were stretched like the thinnest hands, connected in a long silvery lunar path what is usually on water. It conducted from the Moon directly to a window sill which had Prinze.

  - Go, be not afraid, the silly fellow … - indulgent tone the Moon said and again laughed.

  And Prinze, having risen legs on a window sill, took the first shy step …

  And oh, miracle! His leg as if rose not on the lunar beams piercing night air, and is valid for the real path, that grow white in park at night.

  - Wow! - delightfully Prinze exclaimed, and on his face there was the same expression of almost children's naive delight that brought more than once the Beautiful Fairy into affection. - This miracles! - And Prinze put the second leg on a lunar path.

  - You saw this miracle - will see even more if you want … Go to me, the little man, more safely, more safely!

  And Prinze, without thinking twice, ran on this magic lunar path towards to the strange and mysterious Person Loong.

  Suddenly for an instant he stopped and looked back. He saw how his favourite Fairy lies on a bed, on a breast, having childly embraced a pillow and, having drowned in it the person, bitterly cries. Her back was so shaken in sobbings that he felt sorry for the crying Fairy, it is a pity to got down.

  The prince turned was back, but the Voice behind it stopped:

  - Where you, little man? You already made the choice.

  - I feel sorry for my Beautiful Fairy! She cries because of me, and I cannot leave her … I love it!

  But Prinze as the lunar path under him suddenly started moving did not manage to finish speaking. The window with the crying Fairy began to move away from it promptly. The prince stretched there were to it hands and cried from the dull ache which pierced heart:

  - Fe-e-e-e-ya-ya-ya!!! Not-e-e-et!!!

  But it was already impossible to return back, to the room, for it. The window became such small, the size no more little finger, besides that the distance between it and Prinze continued to increase. And Prinze began to cry from melancholy and powerlessness.

  Then it turned was to the Moon with the person, not expressing anything, except hatred and just anger, but … Did not see any Moon! Instead of it before his look the poker metal face of the tall person, from legs to the head chained in a gold armor appeared. Near a giant the huge, covered with the sparkling gold scales dragon lay on a belly. From its toothy mouth and nostrils uvulas of an orange flame and stinking sulfuric smoke escaped.

  - Chto-au-au-au? - not knowingly Prinze on goodness knows where from stared the undertaken newcomers. But did not manage to tell anything else any more as was hit such strong blow a metal fist in a stomach that at it intercepted breath, and before eyes multi-colored fires ran. The prince fell, choking, directly on a grass.

  Even the moment - and directly in Prinze's neck pierced something very cold and sharp. On a body the pleasant feeling of rest right there spread. The body became soft, weak-willed as at a doll, and all became indifferent for Prinze on light.

  Strong metal hands easily as a plumelet, picked up his body. The prince vaguely saw how him as a rag bag, lower on a back of a gold dragon as attach belts to it as the gold soldier sits down ahead. And then the dragon with a force makes a start from the e
arth paws.

  The prince, in a light slumber semi-reality looked down and saw how such darling to pain and a home became less and less until at all was behind big black clouds.

  - Farewell my lovely house, farewell! Once I will see you again? - Prinze whispered, and the heavy sleepiness took control of him, at last, completely. Something clicked at it in the head, and it plunged into outer darkness of unconsciousness.

  3.

  This night was especially light and pleasant. The full moon, brightly flickering stars covered a bluish-black firmament. The cool night breeze tenderly blew long golden hair of the fairies of patrol of "STING" who took off on an alarm signal.

  Award "STING" was the most elite connection of Security forces of Community of fairies. It was charged with the most responsible, most dangerous tasks. And it is not casual - only especially elected representatives of Celestial Empire of the country got to it: the most knowing, the most disciplined, the most brave and unconditionally betrayed to the Sacred Principles of the Order and Prosperity of the fairy. Members of this award never marry, strictly keeping chastity, and directly submit to the most Triune Knowledge. These fairies at once, by results of examinations, receive the highest degrees at fairies - 1 both 2 ranks - and the right to carry a special distinction - stripes with the image of an angry bee with threateningly the put-out sharp sting.

  Generally problems of "STING" included investigation and counterintelligence, diversions and raids on backs of the opponent, elimination and arrest of persons hostile to the Sacred Principles, search and theft of the classified information and so forth. They participated in open fights seldom - also ordinary fairies for this purpose will fit … Besides, the problem of the Award included both protection of their Knowledge, and execution of their personal will, the motto of "STING" - "NOTHING EXCEPT" (that for devoted meant, "nothing except will of their Knowledge").

  Here and this night the patrol of "STING" - three fairies of the 2nd rank dressed in golden tunics with award symbolics - was lifted not for nothing. Analyzers on the Flying Island responsible for the Order and Prosperity of the western part of Hartlend, the main continent of Tselestiya, informed on strange indignation of the power field around the Limit. A moment - and already three golden high-speed griffins who are artificially created by means of gene magic animals with equestrians on backs promptly rushed to the place of indignation.

  Analyzers informed at once that in air unusual mix with strong allocation of radiation is poured. They could not identify completely so far it, but, seemingly, that it is exhausts of some strange fuel. One of fairies got the small black container from a saddle bag and took air samples for the further laboratory analysis experts of the Award. Analyzers were ready for search, and in a moment in consciousness of fairies the probable trajectory of the movement of object was already displayed.

  After a while fairies flew up and "hanged" over a forest edge around the Limit, sector No. 3. And one of them nearly gave a whistle from surprise:

  - You look, sisters, this da-a-a-a … - and pointed to something by a long thin finger.

  Both of her allies looked down and saw the deckle-edged big black bald spot which is burned out by something directly in the middle of the wood, curve boughs of the spoiled trees which are broken off, deprived of leaves around it.

  Griffins softly landed. Fairies got down from the winged racers and, having put on protective gloves and respirators, began to investigate a clearing. The grass and branches were burned in coal, in ashes, even the top layer of earth burned down. Sisters hasty took samples of analyses.

  - What could it be, sisters? - thoughtfully one of them told, sniffing. - Smells seemingly gray with pitch … Really dragons?

  - You that, the sister, whether in the you mind! - the second answered right there. - Cannot be! They very long time ago are exterminated irrevocably!

  - I do not know, I do not know, the sister, I am afraid, this riddle in power only Triune Knowledge …

  - Listen, sisters and whose this territory? - the third asked, hiding the container in a saddle bag on a back of a griffin.

  - Keepers of the Limit No. 3. The skilled fairy, on the good account, is married, two children, has thanks from Triune Knowledge, has no the communications discrediting it, received increases in a rank ahead of schedule, study at School - strictly naotlichno … - mechanically accurately reproduced the first these files which is on each fairy in Collective Memory of "STING".

  - Perhaps we will interrogate then her? Whether she noticed anomalies on the site recently? - the third asked again.

  - No, the sister, is impossible, our operation is strictly confidential - ordinary fairies should not know about it. Elder sister gave the accurate directive - privacy of the highest category.

  - And what then to do to us?

  - That-what? To follow in the tracks, of course! And well, we start Analyzers on search, we calculate a trajectory of the movement and - in a pursuit! - with a smile the first told, having touched with a finger of the right hand amber yellow stone on a silver rim. The stone flickered, and fairies saw before the mind's eye Tselestiya's card with the calculated trajectory of the movement of the object which released such strange substance into the atmosphere. And then fairies, in a military way built at the same time jumped on the winged horses and promptly gained height.

  Of course, they would not lack forces of usual grifonovy wings for anything to catch up with the object which far came off them. It was necessary to pomanipulirovat fairly spells from area of the highest magic.

  The matter is that fairies of "STING" skillfully were able to find by means of magic gaps invisible to an eye in matter of which Tselestiya consists. Knowing their arrangement and interrelation, it is possible, passing through them, in a flash to cross huge distances. The principle turned out approximately same as though one person ran to a circle of stadium, and another would run across stadium not on perimeter, i.e. not on a racetrack, and the middle, across.

  Of course, the theory of explosive space and calculation of an arrangement of points of a gap is an aerobatics of scientific magic which is known only to intelligence agents of "STING". Only their heavy-duty analyzers are capable to make such difficult calculations. It is connected with the fact that gap points continuously change as Tselestiya's matter continuously "breathes" and if to be mistaken in calculations of an arrangement of a point of an exit, it is possible to leave "not there", say, on the South Pole instead of northern. Or, it is worse than that, not to leave absolutely …

  But this patrol managed to carry out calculations unmistakably. Having dived into one of uncountable invisible points of a gap, they literally in a moment appeared just steps to a pyatist from object. Having come up, sisters mentally rendered thanks to the Creator that they did not program an exit closer to object. Even at such distance they nearly choked with a suffocating sulfuric smoke, and skin them nearly got serious burns from the heated gases escaping from back part of object.

  Telepathic the sent signal - and all three sisters were divided. Having imposed on itself a glazootvodyashchy spell, they departed different courses. One began to bend around object from the left flank, the second - with right, the third - from above. What surprise of sisters of "STING" when they saw that the object really was a dragon, however, not real, and made entirely of the polished gold plates was. Now it became clear, and here sulfur and gases … At the expense of what, it is asked, such heavy vast object will fly how not at the expense of some engine in it using energy of the burning-down fuel? Something similar is used by dwarfs, doing smart cars for drilling of rocks. It was known to warriors of "STING". Means, and dwarfs are involved here! It is necessary to remember …

  Besides, on a back of a dragon the gold golem holding in hand some levers by means of which it operated flight of a vast object and behind weak-willed motionless "bag" sat some person lay.

  - Scan "freight", the sister, look in Collective Memory, maybe, it is in base, - elder sister of patrol sent a telepathic signal.r />
  That that flew from above, directed the Analyzer beam to the lying person and began to scan it. Here, accurately we remove a visible range, here, it is gradually released invisible radiation … Oh, Creator, radiation of pink color! This is our, this person - the member of our Community! The moment - and intensity of radiation is driven into Collective Memory of "STING".

  - The sister, is the husband Hranitelnitsy of the Limit No. 3. The father of two children, character balanced, quiet, in the discrediting communications is not noticed, drives, however, suspicious friendship with mermaids, but without political implication, composes fairy tales, walks in the woods, idles … Generally, the ordinary representative of man's part of Community, is harmless and does not constitute danger to the Sacred Principles of the Order and Prosperity.

  - What does it do here?

  - In blood the high dose of morphine, and on an integument bruises and bruises is found … It seems that the sister, he is taken prisoner.

  - Interesnenko, sister, interestingly … Business becomes very curious. Why it to the golem was required to abduct the husband of one of our sisters? Business obviously political, perhaps, some diversion of enemies of Community and Sacred Principles. It is necessary to give the urgent report of their Knowledge!

  - Wait, the sister, it is necessary to track where they fly …

  - … And, in my opinion, and so everything is clear - look!

  And sisters saw in the distance, in beams of a rising sun brilliant teeth of unusually high tower from the polished gold brick, and at once everything became clear to them.

  - Everything, sisters, a release, we fly on base - business takes a serious turn. She began to move again! Their Knowledge needs to be informed urgently. As my intuition, sisters prompts to me, something outstanding approaches. There can be a new war, or perhaps even worse … Let's go, for me!

  - And unless we will not beat off the kidnapped person? It will be simple to be made … - objected mentally flying from above.

  - And we have on that instructions, the sister? No. Entirely prospecting and the mission we executed our raid. Obedience, the sister, implicit obedience - the main virtue of the Award, do not forget about it! And then - if we beat off it, we never learn those intentions for the sake of which she made stealing. In this IT party has to make the first course!