Crown of Horns

by Alex Sapegin

  An hour before the final point in the negotiations, Asha, Turgar, Andy, the illusory-ghost Evael and Nariel, providing communication, remained in the hall. Andy took from his pocket an information crystal with a map and pointed at the interplanetary cargo portal three hundred leagues north of the Celestial Empire’s southern border. The attack was scheduled for the sixth day; delaying any further was ill-advised….

  No sooner had the ruler’s tail disappeared into the silvery haze than from it emerged platforms loaded with supplies. Armaments, tents, armor fitted for humans and elves, building blocks for portals and, last but not least, a real royal gift—five charged megaliths. At three o’clock in the afternoon, the magicians built another portal, through which Evael’s elves and humans began to arrive at the wide valley below the fortress. Andy took Ania with him and personally met the cunning old elf, but before he could hug the gray-haired elf, Lilly hung on his neck, and Mimiv drew up at his feet with a plaintive meow. Embarrassed, red as a lobster, Andy stroked the girl’s hair, not noticing the wide smiles of the soldiers and refugees emerging from the arc and of Ruigar, who was nearby, who saw the ruthless killer in a whole new light. For the former governor, a busy workday was just beginning. He needed to accommodate thousands of people, provide shelter, food and water, build pens for cattle, and that was only the beginning…. Ania, having lost her mask of cold estrangement, was standing on the sidelines and flapping her eyelashes in amazement. She obviously did not expect such a manifestation of emotion. The river of people, meanwhile, did not stop flowing from the archway….

  In the evening the builders arrived. A thousand miurs, under the leadership of a dozen big brains, began erecting ten portal arches: three huge dragon-intended ones and seven smaller ones for humans. On the anti-gravity platforms, a dozen megaliths were disguised among the building blocks. Real anti-aircraft devices arrived with the builders. The cats brought strange, luminous structures resembling satellite dishes and installed them at all the highest points around the valley where the portals were. The Great Mother took her obligations as an ally seriously. It was terrible to imagine what preparations were being made in the foothill cities.

  Day by day the camp grew. By the evening of the fifth day, there were about one hundred and fifty thousand humans and elves and about two thousand dragons in the valley.

  On the morning of the fifth day, Andy was attacked by Targ knows what kind of assassination attempt, during which Lilly was slightly wounded and Yurish, a miur from Irran’s second division (she had two, consisting originally of ten warriors each), was killed. The security services were twiddling their thumbs. The dragons who attacked Andy were met with a “moss” spell. When he saw the girl falling to the ground, he was furious and completely lost his mind, in an instant building an interweave of the blackest necromancy, which was completely unknown on Nelita. The “moss” dug into the attackers’ skin and in thirty seconds drank the strength and life from them. Andy almost kicked the bucket from the amount of life energy and mana obtained in this way…. That day he realized that he was feared. The people around him were afraid of his anger and ability to quickly dry a being full of strength into an empty drum.

  T minus three hours and counting….

  In the camp that night, except for the crystal dragon, no one slept. The soldiers of the assault detachments were checking their weapons and cleaning their armor, gunnery and swords. The elves tested their bows. Hundreds of dragons, to the light of the magical lanterns suspended high in the sky, went over their attacking and defensive constructions for the last time, arranging V-formation while in flight, and multi-layer defensive circles. Special units of Lords of the Sky honed the settings of air traps and mine spells. Thousands of refugees packed their belongings and loaded them on carts and levitating platforms. Mile-long lines formed in front of the portals built by the miur; there was chaos all around them. Noise, hubbub, crying children, rixes yelping, and cattle mooing in protest. The animals could sense their fate and did not want to go to the slaughter. Hundreds of mages, illuminated by the neon light of the megaliths, which were charged to bursting, spun around the giant arches. Andy slept. Soon he would need all the strength he could get. Asha warned that the key would suck up his entire reserve.

  The end

  The Dragon Inside:

  Becoming the Dragon

  Wings on My Back

  A Cruel Tale

  Crown of Horns

  Home at Last

  GLOSSARY

  Geography

  Alatar—the largest continent on the planet of Ilanta.

  Aria—a continent located north of Alatar.

  Astal Ruigara—the north-eastern province of the Principality of Ora, borders with the Freelands and the miurs’ territory.

  The Scarlet Mountains—a vast mountain range located on the territory of the Celestial Empire north of the Freelands; once belonged to the miur, but three thousand years ago, all the settlements of the cat people in the Scarlet Mountains were destroyed by the Emperor Hazgar.

  Ilanta—a planet.

  Ilite sultanate—a state located to the east of Rimm; shares borders with the Patskoi Empire and the Steppe.

  Empire of Alatar—a state existing two thousand years ago that pursued an aggressive policy of conquest. Approximately sixty percent of the total area of the continent of Alatar was subject to the Empire. The continent itself was named in honor of the Empire. Northern kingdoms such as Tantre, Mesaniya, Meriya, and Rimm were at one time secluded barbarian provinces of the Empire. As a result of civil war, the Empire of Alatar was broken into separate states and ceased to exist.

  Kingdom of Mestair—a legendary human kingdom located on the territory of modern-day Taiir and the Great Principality of Mesaniya, which existed three thousand years ago during the age of the dragons. As an independent state, it was destroyed by the dragons and their allies during the war with the Forest Elves and few human states that had joined them.

  Mellorny campground—the settlement of the last Forest Elves in the Freelands.

  Mesaniya—A Great Principality located north of the kingdom of Tantre.

  The Marble Mountains—a large mountain range crossing the northern part of Alatar from north to south. From the north, the range is bordered by the North Sea. From the south, by the Southern Rocky Ridge and the Long sea.

  Nelita—The second planet in a triple solar system: Ilanta, Nelita, and Helita. Nelita is considered the dragons’ native land; it was named in honor of the goddess of life, Nel. The literal translation is “eye of the goddess of life.”

  Ora—the principality of the dragons on the planet Nelita, formed three thousand years ago as a result of a break from the Celestial Empire; was named after the prince.

  Ort—the largest river in the north of Alatar, flows across the territory of the kingdom of Tantre.

  Patskoi Empire—a human state with the capital at the city of Pat. The Emperors of Pat consider themselves the heirs of the Empire of Alatar.

  Celestial Empire—the largest state in Nelita, formed by the dragons over ten thousand years ago.

  Rimm—a human kingdom located east of the Marble Mountains.

  The Light Forest—the state of the Forest Elves, limited to the growth area of the Mellornys.

  The Freelands—the foothills of the Lidar mountains, adjoins the Celestial Empire, the Principality of Ora, and other principalities. De-jure does not belong to any state. It is de-facto controlled by the miurs, who consider this land theirs.

  Steppe—the self-designation of the kingdom of the white orcs. Located in the east of Alatar.

  Tantre—a large kingdom, second largest after the Patskoi Empire, located in the central part of north-western Alatar. Geographically limited by the Marble Mountains and the Northern and Southern Rocky Ridges. Has access to the Eastern Ocean and the Long Sea. Its capital is the city of Kion.

  Taiir—a dukedom.

  Miscellaneous

  Alat, High (a
lso known as Younger Edda), Common—the languages spoken on the planet Nelita.

  Alert-dert—a military rank corresponding to that of captain.

  Astal—a word that includes several concepts: both lord and ownership. The most accurate translation will read: “One who has taken responsibility upon him/herself. A domain, for which they answer with their honor and conscience.” One of the meanings is vicegerency.

  Ata-virk (ata—having taken, virk—trial)—someone who has accepted trials

  Berk—a large poisonous omnivorous animal resembling an armadillo.

  Chucker—a magical artifact that allows its user to throw balls of capsulized spells.

  Circle of the Twelve—the ruling caste.

  Concress—from the word “concrescence.” A bundle that attaches to a person, causing changes in people in the cocoons of the converte —the magically transformed chimera tree. Through the main bundle that joins to the person in the center of the thorax, and the bundles produced by it, there is a connection with the nervous system and an intravenous “feeding” of the person being changed, and also the departure of natural waste.

  Drag—a rideable flying lizard.

  Dugar—literally “mute.” A magically and biologically altered person with an erased memory, the dugars possess great physical strength and extremely low intelligence, they easily obey. Used for dirty and heavy work.

  Dugaria 1. The mage-derived chimera tree that enacts the magical and biological transformation of intelligent beings into dugars. 2. A prison in which people are transformed.

  “Fangs”—personal bodyguards of the Emperor of the Celestial Empire.

  Feather—a junior military group of twelve to fifteen rideable animals.

  Fiver—a week in Nelita (five days). Month—six fivers. Every fifth day is considered a holiday.

  “Ghosts”—miur intelligence agents, possessing special mimicry magic equipment that allows them to completely merge with the surrounding terrain.

  The Goddesses’ Eyes are what people call the planets Nelita and Helita. Helita, Nelita, and Ilanta make up the system of planets that revolve around their sun.

  The Gray Horde—the collective name for all the “gray” orcs residing in the northern coastal steppes; the strongest khanate of the “gray” orcs was also called the Gray Horde.

  Gross-dert (gross- leading, dert- wing)—a military rank in the air units of Tantre’s army, corresponding to that of colonel.

  Guardians—dragons (true blood mages), who stayed on Ilanta to guard to portals. At the time the events described herein took place, all guardians are thought to be deceased.

  Gunner—a hand-held weapon, functions like a magical chucker in that it fires magic, but much more powerful. Works from a crystal accumulator, unlike a chucker, which fires spells in capsule form.

  Hel—mistress of the world of the dead.

  Khirud—the main god in the pantheon of the “white” orcs. Khirud the lightning-armed is the god of warriors and daredevils.

  “Leaves”—elf rangers.

  Manyfaces—the goddess of everything that exists.

  Miurs — an intelligent magical race. In appearance much like humanized cats. Average height over eight feet tall. A matriarchal society divided into castes. Females are larger than males and play the dominant role.

  The Northern Alliance—an alliance of Tantre, the Rauu Principalities, and the dwarf kingdoms.

  Odin—a Norse deity.

  Pound, jang—the currency of the kingdom of Tantre. Pounds come in silver and gold; jangs are small copper coins.

  Quork—a large amphibian, a predator, akin to a crocodile.

  Rasht—miur males who do not have pouches. They are only slightly smaller than females. Besides their lack of pouches, rasht differ from the females in their skull capacity. Females sarcastically call males “big brains” when out of earshot.

  Rauu—Snow Elves. The first artificial race created by the dragons for battles against the orcs.

  Rix—an animal akin to a wolverine

  Roi-dert—a junior officer’s rank, corresponds to that of lieutenant.

  Roihe or roihe-male—males with pouches on their bellies for carrying the young.

  Rune Keys—used for opening portals.

  Sarun—male ceremonial dress.

  Secret Chancellery—the state security organ in the kingdom of Tantre. It deals with political investigations, searches and torture, internal and external intelligence, counter-intelligence.

  Servants of Death—helrats, priests of a cult forbidden in all countries which perverts the very name of the goddess Hel. Hunted dragons and actively promoted human sacrifice.

  “Shadows”—the collective name for the warriors and operatives of the secret services in Nelita.

  Shanyu — the high khan of the Gray Horde.

  Shkas—degenerates, geeks, magical mutants, etc.

  Sida—elves who prefer to settle in the hills.

  Targ—the dwarf god whose name took on a negative connotation in almost all countries, often used as a curse word. Occupies the niche of mischief-maker and prankster, analogous to Loki in some sense.

  Teg—the polite form of address of a nobleman; grall—to a mage. Teg grall—form of address of a noble mage. Tain, taina—titles for high-borns, male and female, respectively. Professor/master/mistress [first name] Teg grall (tain/taina) [last name].

  Temple dwellers—the priest caste in miur society.

  Tiv—a small dome-shaped house which can be grown from magically altered plants.

  Trox—a large non-flying bird. Can grow up to thirteen feet high. Used as horses and hasses, as a transport animal.

  True blood—a mage who, unlike others, can work directly with the astral and consciously take mana from it. Other mages can extract mana only from the planet’s magical field.

  Vogr—a predatory animal created by the mages of the Celestial Empire, the size of a bull, resembles a bear.

  Book Recommendations:

  Thank you for reading my book.

  The final part of the Dragon Inside ‘Home at Last’ is available for order now.

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  Fayroll:

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