Unconquered Sun

by Philipp Bogachev

  Thin uvulas of a flame escaped from her fingers. It began to water with this flame the coming feelers. Feelers fluttered, blackened, were twisted in tubules and fell off, from disgusting squeal stuffed up ears, ran a jimjams. But to the place of the burned feelers all came new and new …

  Animals already ran out outside - glory to the Creator, wind blew not storm though the blizzard all the same was decent. And the Fairy, step by step moving back, continued to water with streams of a liquid flame became enraged the feelers creeping to her from all directions. Fire flame helped with the center of a cave to those that feelers had to bypass it - on a ceiling, on walls - and therefore they could not rush on the Fairy directly. And to bypass - meant to lose movement speed that gave the chance to the Fairy effectively to shoot back.

  But here, when the Fairy already almost reached an exit from a cave, action of the spell supporting magic fire began to run low, and that decreased at once almost twice. And then the most terrible began …

  Couple of tens feelers suddenly "shot" from where from cave depth. Not constrained by more wall of fire, they, having described an arch in air, stuck into hands, shoulders and a neck of the Fairy. The fairy screamed from pain and fire stream from her hands stopped. Also other feelers quickened, having victoriously directed to the Fairy. And those that already stuck with an inhuman force pulled it in depth of a cave. Poison which was injected into a body of the Fairy by claws obscured her consciousness. In eyes all floated. In members of a body there was a treacherous weakness and the Fairy, without having kept standing, fell …

  But here in a cave Animals flew. They rushed to the Fairy and became teeth and claws became enraged to tear damned feelers. Feelers snatched on them, but poison did not affect plush animals, and blood-thirsty wet suckers have a fit of coughing, having involved in themselves fibers of artificial wool.

  This instant confusion of feelers was enough to seize the Fairy by hands and by legs and to pull out on snow at an entrance to a cave …

  While the Puppy watched, the Kitten grabbed full handfuls of snow and began to pound them cheeks, a neck and a breast of the Fairy.

  - Regain consciousness, the hostess, m-m-mya-u-u! Otherwise to all of us here the end will come, ochni-and-and-is!. What there, Puppy? Let's drag it far away, and that these feelers now for us will get!

  - Yes, it seems, do not climb, and-av! It seems that they are afraid of cold.

  But the Kitten did not believe in such cowardice of feelers, but also to bring round the Fairy there was nothing. All medicines remained in a cave.

  - Puppy! Quickly, mya-at-at! I will not calm down until we clean up where far away from here!

  Puppy with the Kitten somehow charged themselves with the become soft Fairy and incurred her on a narrow footpath, through a dense blizzard, further as it is possible further from this ominous place.

  And feelers did not rush to them after. They really were afraid of cold. And it as the Puppy guessed then, rescued them from inevitable death. The owner of feelers because of the cold weather which came in mountains fell into hibernation in cave depths. Thanks to it he did not rush on them at once when they it is so precipitate, without investigation, crossed a threshold of its den. And then heat from fire warmed a cave, the ancient monster wakened and if not vigilance of the Puppy, the outcome of their campaign would be very and is very sad …

  However position of friends remained desperate. They saved the life, but there were one highly in deserted wild mountains, in a terrible blizzard, in the dark, without supplies, without fire, on a narrow slippery footpath, with the wounded Fairy behind shoulders!

  - Proklyatye, m-ya-ya-u-u! - in a fit of temper the Kitten exclaimed. - A puppy, you understand to what alteration we got!? We are with you in warm fur coats, and our Fairy - in one tunic, almost stark naked! It will freeze, without regaining consciousness, you understand it?

  - A-av! And what to do? You at us the cleverest, you are the master of medicine! Prompt!

  - Blockhead! Here and such feeble-minded head as yours, it is clear what to do! Quickly look for firewood some! I know spells on kindling of a fire. The hostess should be warmed immediately, otherwise we will lose her!

  - A-av! Now, I in a trice! - and the Puppy disappeared in a pitch ice haze …

  At this time the Kitten without restraint pounded hands and legs of the Fairy pads, trying to warm her. And then just laid down on it all over, embraced as it is possible more strong that his warm hair somehow protected it from cold. A kitten was late abused himself for the fact that sent the Puppy for useless searches - better it would remain here and helped to warm the shaggy skin the dying Fairy!

  And the Fairy really died …

  However, poison of a cave dev was not deadly. He acted rather as strong sleeping pill. In large numbers it could cause, of course, cardiac arrest or paralysis of nervous system, but the Fairy not so long stayed in monster paws. And therefore she just fell asleep.

  The fact that it had no warm winter clothes was much worse. Before the Fairy was warmed thanks to a special spell - a thermal board, and therefore could walk even in a hard frost in a light short silk tunic and sandals. But now, when she sank into a deep sleep, there was nobody to create and support such difficult spell. The fairy was doomed …

  3.

  She died of cold. But where throw a look, around there was only a darkness and ice, snow and darkness. Neither mountains, nor the woods, one flat ice desert and flakes of snow falling from the invisible heaven dissolved in darkness.

  She looked narrowly and saw that she costs on a big snow-covered ice floe which, appear, just about will come off the land and, carried away by a current, will carry away it to the high sea. Ahead - only darkness, only a blizzard, only thousands of cold snow-covered ice floes, icebergs, and infinite open spaces of the ledovity ocean. And in the sky - neither stars, nor the moon, nor the polar lights - only one pitch gloom. Moreover the cold penetrating to bones …

  - Yes - and-and, - She thought sadly, - it is cold, as in a grave … As there is no wish there, but exactly there I now and will be incurred by my cold snow-covered small piece of ice - to the infinite black ocean …

  Suddenly vaguely familiar voice reached It. She hardly came off hypnotically fascinating show on the horizon and looked back. There ashore in despair some small animal, it seems, a kitten ran, desperately waved pads and called her. For some reason this small animal seemed to It vaguely familiar …

  - Madam, madam my Fairy! Do not sleep, only do not sleep! Go to me! Do not leave! Do not dare to leave!

  He cried, from a hard frost of a tear right there turned into tiny small pieces of ice on gray fluffy cheeks. It ridiculously shook pads as the broken clockwork toy so it was a pity to look at it.

  - Well you so fuss and cry, a small animal! - puzzly She answered. - I am only a small piece of ice, one of billions in this infinite cold ocean! I have to departure, as well as all others. Why it, you speak, I need to return? Than I am worse than other such small pieces of ice?

  - Madam, I beg, return to me, here, do not dare to sleep! Wake up! Only you are able to do it! I beg you!!! - and the small animal fell on knees and stretched to It prayerfully the put pads. And then bitterly began to sob.

  She felt sorry for a small animal again, but what It could do? Her legs tightly froze to an ice floe and It entirely consists of transparent ice. However, not absolutely. Having inspected itself, She with surprise noticed that in transparent as the tear of an ice body fights something pink, dense and warm.

  "This my heart!" - about herself She with astonishment noted. - "It is strange that it not from ice … However, it for a while".

  And really, heart was reduced more and more slowly. Its saturated pink color became gradually more pale and more pale.

  She wanted to turn again facing the boundless black ocean especially as the small piece of ice on which It stood already almost absolutely separated from the continent. Still slightly, and the invisible undercurrent will pick up it and, having b
egun to whirl, will incur in a cold dark chasm together with other sisters small pieces of ice. In a chasm from which is not present any more and there cannot be a return …

  It is a pity only for this young of wild animal … But there's nothing to be done? It is impossible to change all the same any more anything …

  And meanwhile a small animal, having ceased to cry, suddenly somehow started as though he was dawned by some thought, and cried:

  - Prince! Prince! Madam, do not departure, jump here, to me! You do not want to leave forever Prinze! He loves you and waits! Do not departure! For the sake of it!

  What meant the word "prince" She did not know. The head it was filled by ice in the thickness of which, somewhere in the very bottom, something was concealed. But as where - who will be able to understand now?

  And still this word seemed to it something familiar. In any case, She began to hesitate and postponed initial intention to turn to an ice chasm immediately.

  And ice meanwhile threateningly cracked, a gravelly aged voice reminding "passenger" that time presses, it is time to go to a way.

  But suddenly something changed.

  In air there was some strange being entirely weaved from light. Wings at it - tongues of flame, the person - the melted metal, hands - the metal rods heated in the furnace.

  It slowly fell by its ice floe and approached It closely. From intolerable heat ice in her head began to thaw. Just as from the winter icy cold of the earth exempted from fetters begin to sprout spring snowdrops, in her head some thoughts, some memoirs began to wake up …

  And then the being upraised other hand and … some person on skis suddenly heaved in sight. It was from head to foot dressed in fur clothes, his face was covered by a fur hood.

  In its figure and a manner to move something familiar seemed to It. She even wanted to ask a light being who he is. However the winged giant was gone as if it was dissolved in air. Perhaps, in general seemed to It?

  And meanwhile the person removed, despite a blizzard and cold, the fur hood also addressed it:

  - Darling do not leave, I beg you! I love you! Think of me, of our strange kids how it will be without you? How I will be without you now? HE told me that everything depends only on you! You understand if you want, you will be able to remain here … - and the person hasty wiped the eyes and a nose a fur mitten.

  She was silent. This person was familiar to It. She remembered it - a lodge at the small river, two kids - the boy and the girl - at it on a lap … And She wanted was to answer already it, but suddenly the black wave of some other, heavy memoirs overflowed her reason.

  This person comes home such indifferent, such cold, such heartless … Here she reaches for it, tries to embrace him, and he - goes somewhere to darkness, at night … Here she cries and says that she does not want to live more … And again pulled it to turn towards the infinite ledovity ocean. Yes, it is cold, dark there, but is quiet, silence there … Eternal silence …

  The ice floe again foully cracked.

  But rushed to this moment of people to it. Was not in time she and an eye to blink as he embraced her, strong pressed to itself - to such hot, such filled with life, breasts - and kissed …

  The stream of life-giving heat flooded her heart. Ice disappeared, snow disappeared. Inside as though something became torn and heat extended on all body, having filled each section, from everywhere expelling an ice twilight.

  She remembered everything - the name, the past, Prinze - their first meeting, nights under the moon, a wedding on Fey's Island, the birth of the first child, the second …

  - Prince! You returned! - the Fairy exclaimed, hardly coming off his lips.

  - As you see … - he smiled.

  - But how? Where I? From where this ice? Snow? From where here you?

  - Listen, expensive, let's descend from this ice floe until we with you departured goodness knows where!

  He took her by hand, and they together descended on the coast, and an ice floe, with a crunch having separated from the coast, slowly floated in boundless chasms of the black ocean.

  In the fulness of the heart legs of the Fairy weakened and she flat-out fell to snow. The prince kneeled and tenderly ironed her face. And the Fairy, in turn, could not tear off a look from eyes of darling.

  - What happiness that you returned! What happiness! - joyfully Prinze spoke.

  Suddenly Prinze's face in the eyes began to be changed. It began to shrink, from cheeks, a nose and a forehead gray hair suddenly got, eyes from blue became green, and the fur clothes turned into a gray cat's fur coat!

  Instead of Prince Fey saw the exulting Kitten attractive face!

  - What happiness that you returned, what happiness! - delighted the Kitten and in which already time licked her face shouted and lips we heat a rough uvula …

  - Where I? - it is slightly heard the Fairy whispered. - Where Prinze? What with me was?

  She not without effort turned the head and saw that near it the small kosterok burns down. In the clear blue sky - neither clouds, nor clouds. From the bright, as in spring burning sun snow began to melt here and there.

  - Do not worry, madam, everything is all right. Just you were bitten by this creature from a cave, you fell asleep and nearly froze … I thought, not to rescue you … - the Kitten sobbed and hasty brushed away a teardrop from an eye, - but here …

  - … but here, - the Puppy inserted, bringing the next bundle of firewood to the fading fire, - wind suddenly suddenly ceased, dispersed clouds, a blizzard stopped, there ascended the sun and it became warmer. And I a little far away from here found couple of dry trees, and we with the Kitten made fire, boiled water in a circle and warmed you a little bit!

  - What you are good fellows, my dear Zveryatki! - the Fairy smiled. - Well I without you would do! - and furtively brushed away tears.

  - Means, Prinze and that fiery person was not … - disappointedly added, having a little kept silent, the Fairy.

  - What such fiery person? - suddenly the Kitten was outright disturbed.

  - Well-at-at, it, from light everything, and hands - as tongues of flame too … - the Fairy explained.

  Kitten with the Puppy exchanged glances. They a little bit felt ill at ease. Both of them fairly were frightened when both of them saw this strakholyud there, at rock top, on that side of a chasm. The fiery feelers it made some strange passes from which weather sharply changed for the better. Without it even firewood which the Puppy managed to find would never light up …

  - No, madam, we did not see any person from fire. You were delirious … But now all will be good! - without batting an eyelid, "" the Kitten as any doctor seeking to distract the patient from evil thoughts hazardous to health arrives honestly told lies. - You should have a sleep a little bit. I found at you in a pocket of a little pink concentrate and parted it with thawed snow. Here, drink, it will give you forces … We with the Puppy will very strong embrace you, and you have a sleep in heat, as under a woolen blanket. And now here you are, drink … - and the Kitten stretched to the Fairy a marching tin mug with sweetish pink hot water. The fairy drank it and felt much better.

  4.

  The fairy woke up after a lunch and felt excellently. "The pink concentrate" restored its forces, and therefore it could warm itself by own efforts now. Looking at such positive changes at the Fairy, Animals became cheerful and began to think that the worst already behind and ahead of them expects only good. And the end of a way was already not far off. Travelers reached a saddle of the pass and thanks to a clear weather distinctly saw far ahead the spike of a gold tower shining on the sun. To the destination remained some 4-5 days of traveling.

  Weather was really remarkable. In the clear blue sky was not cloudlets, the easy breeze blew, the sun burned as in spring so it became easy to go. In addition the footpath went for descent. The fairy still went ahead, Animals behind her. The kitten and the Puppy whistled songs, and the Fairy sometimes sang along with them.

  However it became clear soon that gloom
y predictions of Cora - not the joke, but good weather though facilitated a way on the mountains, but also awakened from hibernation of terrible inhabitants of these wild places.

  Troubles began already through a couple of hours after travelers began descent. Everything began with the fact that the Kitten and the Puppy, rejoicing to the clear sky and the warm sun, were played as small children. The puppy took a full handful of the snow thawing on the hot sun in the plush pads and started in the Kitten, having pleased it directly on the head. The kitten, of course, was not in debt, and rushed …

  Puppy, escaping from the Kitten, ran ahead of the Fairy, and the Kitten pripustit behind it. The fairy wanted to shout at them, to remind of danger, but for some reason did not make it. It grieved it to interrupt their fun. After all those dangers and difficulties that they worried, there was a wish that they though a little bit relaxed.

  As a result, the Puppy escaped so far forward that the Fairy absolutely lost him from a look. And when shouts of Animals abated somewhere in the distance, she was disturbed outright. In addition, she noticed that on this footpath they are not one …

  Probably, any woman perfectly feels when someone looks at her, especially, if a look of the stranger - bad. And fairies with their congenital intuition - especially!

  The fairy felt at once that someone watches them. But who? She several times looked around, but noticed nothing strange. Then it started the Analyzer determining the level of radiation of thermal and magic energy. The analyzer showed zero level of magic energy, but thermal radiation read off scale. However when the Fairy tried to determine location of sources of thermal energy by the card - nothing worked well. She felt such strong hindrances from which by the way the head strongly began to hurt that it was forced to stop search.

  And meanwhile Animals everything did not come back and did not come back.

  Then the Fairy alarmed cried:

  - A cat - e - e - eno - about - about-to! Shcheno - about - ok! You where? And well stop playing! Quickly to me! Here it is dangerous!

  In reply she at first heard nothing. And then somewhere away it was ahead distributed wild howl the Puppy and miaow of the Kitten. The fairy rushed on shout, but did not manage to run also couples of tens of steps as from where from below black shadows with big leathery wings in which paws were flew … Her FAVOURITE ANIMALS!!!