Dragon’s Empire – 2. Goddess for Dragon

Reflecting, I crossed several corridors, where guards with halberds were. They did not notice me. Their eyes from the slots of helmets looked at me like I was an empty space and did not feel anything suspicious. Not a sound of steps, nor my quiet breath, they certainly have not heard. Invisible shadow passed by was immune to their guns and spears, but at the same time could cause harm to them. It was pleasant to realize my full power over the people who have grabbed their weapons, even hearing too noisy scraping mice.

At the door of the owner I stopped. The lord was not alone. Next to him were a valet and some women.

All the same, they would not be able to notice me. Opening the door, I boldly crossed through the threshold and passed to a high window with an arched niche. It was nice to look at the starry sky from the fortress.

«What’s the matter?» said the lord. «Why do you look as if you saw a ghost,» he turned to his lady and the servant.

«Someone opened the door,» murmured the servant.

«It seemed to me that I saw someone’s silhouette,» the lady concluded, while resorting to her rich imagination. Otherwise, it was impossible to explain it, because of her thoughts it became immediately clear that she had seen no more than the rest.

«The door is opened from the wind,» the owner of the castle calmly said. «The wind blows here from all four sides. Go to yourself, Leonora,» he turned to the lady. «And you too go and close the door behind you,» followed the second order for the servant.

As soon as the door behind the servant and Leonora was closed, the lord began to look restlessly around. Then, without finding anything unusual around him, he sank into the carved chair:

«It should be true, just the wind.»

«You really think so,» I walked away from the window’s niche and found myself in the middle of the hall. The poor fellow lifted his eyes to me and almost cried out of surprise, because at first he heard an infrequent voice emanating from emptiness, and now, in addition, he saw a silhouette of a golden smoke.

«You’ve been waiting for someone else?» kindly asked I, having already assumed that Vincent not just dropped in here. «Most likely, I disappointed you, coming here instead of your friend’s unusual, and even without an invitation.»

– No, I’m just waiting for my partner in gamble and not a friend. The lord once again looked at me, trying not to miss a single detail of my appearance. He had a good reason, because the visitor entered the castle unexpectedly and could be anyone.

«You got bored of gambling with your friends, and your wife, why are you waiting for someone different from all of them,» I began carefully to read his thoughts.

«You did not even guess,» he was afraid.

«I guess. The luck smiled so often to you that no one wants to gamble with you… only he.»

«All that way. Nobody wants to help me dispel the boredom,» sadly said the gambler. «When he came to me, I was in despair and loneliness. And now I’m ready to play cards even with the devil himself.»

«He is in front of you,» I responded with gloomy courtesy, while my eyes flashed naughty, and I was ready to swear that the lord saw the black shadow of the dragon.

The lord was nor alive, or dead. In this moment, even addiction to gambling could hardly bring him out of stupor, so I did not wait for the invitation, took a place at the table. Before me stood white chess and taking advantage I made the first move, of course, while not touching any figure. White pawn itself moved forward to one field, quickly and deftly, as if a brave soldier.

«Adrian,» using the confusion of the interlocutor, I decided to contact him by name. For me, it was not difficult to read all his names and titles among other thoughts arriving in confusion. «You should not trust either a penny for this fraudster. If he visits you again, drive him away.»

We both understood about whom we are talking. And the lord every time, thinking about Vincent called him with another name. It was indifferent to me, in the end, Vincent had the right to call himself as he liked, but I didn’t want to have entire provinces under the rule of this scoundrel. It will be impossible to follow him forever, but I need to save at least these prosperous places from him and located nearby Lara with their noisy masquerades, cozy taverns, sea of artificial flowers and garlands, and even marshy outlines. When memories of the swamp and his host, the mood rightly spoiled. The only consolation was that if Vincent declares the swamp and meets there with my new acquaintance, then either leaves out of there, or it will not have time to carry his legs at all. For some reason it seemed to me that all these years he was engaged in the fact that he was deceiving around others and used them for its purposes.

«You do not want to continue the party?» I asked.

The lord who came down from fear, stretched out the trembling hand and made a pawn, and so it was so unpleasant that this figure was immediately lost. His move followed, then my, a few more thoughts and movements of fragile chess figures, while the game was not a duel of two minds, and rather reminded the hunt for a rabbit, which suddenly began to beat back from the pursuer.

«I warn you, do not trust this card-sharper,» Shah and Mat followed the warning immediately. Adrian flinched and moved away from the figures as if they were enchanted and could harm him.

«I just warned you, now you have the right to get rid of the scoundrel,» I tried to soften the tone a little, but the advice sounded too cold and sternly.

«But you said that you…» the lord was not deciding to call me once again by the Devil.

«Yes,» I confirmed carelessly, caught in his thoughts this word and fear that he experienced before his guest. «Just, for the first time in the century, I decided to make one good deed. So, for the sake of diversity.»

I shrugged with such a kind, as if I could not understand the causes of such madness. And why suddenly such an interesting person, like a dragon, with long-standing glances and morality to do a good deed to someone. This was followed by graceful flap of a raincoat and guest, not even saying good-bye again became invisible. At the same time, it was very curious to observe how the lord looks in a bewilderment and fright right at me, but sees only emptiness.

At least Vincent is now persona non grata here, and extensive possessions are almost saved from his tricks. When he declares here closer to midnight, he will expect a hot welcome.

Passing by the chamber of the lord’s wife, I was long delayed. Leonora talked with a slender girl – a teenager, most likely a poor relative. Something in their conversation made me stop.

«Who gave you this book?» asked the girl.

«The necromancer from Lara,» answered Leonora. «He came here several times.»

«And he, though, is good?» In a thin voice, curiosity sounded. «Usually all necromancers are so old and evil.»

«In this case it is an exception. He is very pleasant in appearance, but he has such an ugly scar on his throat.

«And what kind of scar?»

«Yes, it seems like from claws,» Leonora shrugged, expressing complete misunderstanding. «But the book is interesting. Over the years, the bards, and scientists also whisper secretly about some destroyed power. The fact that one of the three heirs got mixed up with the sorcerer and destroyed himself and the whole country.»

«Why did he get mixed up with the sorcerer?» asked the girl again. «I read this legend, but I almost did not understand anything.»

«It seems that he gave up his soul for a beautiful face or for something else. Most likely, he was irresistible, but because of him, so many people died.»

«Or maybe he himself still did not die, maybe the story had a completely different end, which no one suspects.»

«Anyway, we and even this necromancer can only guess what happened in fact. We read too much scary legends. Of course, I can understand that this prince immediately became your idol, but even if he did not die then, he would still be dead now.»

«But maybe he still escaped and still wanders on earth under a different name and other appearance?»

Leonora did know the answer.

«You’re right, child,» I thought silently, leaning against the door, and in this moment a fragile blond girl, as if hearing me, staggered and fainted. The inquisitive reader was motionless, like a doll, which was dropped on the floor.

Leonora, with a cry, rushed to her ward and could not see how the golden shadow quickly sliding in the opened window, forever leaves the fortress.

Shortly before the onset of midnight, I returned to Lara and wandered aimlessly in the streets, with difficulty holding away from the desire to catch the first oncoming and tell him all the history of my life from beginning to end. A desire to at least someone recognized the truth, and not empty fictions were so strong that I almost delayed a frightened messenger, but in the end, I made way, passing a frightened boy. More passersby I did not meet. The street was empty, nor dancing people, no carnival masks, only Percy, as if grew up from under the ground at the porch of the nearest house.

Percy was pleased with the fact that he managed to collect tribute with most of those whom he diplomatically called my vassals and admirers. After his appearance, it was already impossible to bother. In the company of a friendly elf, it was difficult to feel all abandoned and unhappy. Percy without silence cracked about where he hid everything and that no one except us could find it. He waited for the praise with hope, and I tried to say something in approval.

«When you need to find servants among people, it will not be so difficult to do,» as if by the way he noticed. «Sorry for the audacity, but I observed and noticed that it was worth only to call and mortals would be ready for everything for you. Of course, it is impossible to leave them alive after they fulfill the instructions.»

Vincent also said that he has servants among pirates, smugglers and other villains.

«What do you mean, Percy?» I immediately asked.

«Well, perhaps you will want to invite to yourself a minstrel or…» he shrugged. «Many of us often used mortals in their games and their plans. Sometimes it brought success. But with your power, such a petty cunning, perhaps, will be superfluous.»

Percy blushed a little, embarrassed by his own sincerity, and I thought that my power is quite doubtful, and even if you want to call poets or musicians to yourself, then there will be no place to invite them. I was no longer at home. Since the royal castle has burned down on fire, I was deprived of home, called the dudgeon of Rothbart somehow did not turn the tongue. Even now following at random the meridian of life, I remained just a traveler. Even now, we have nowhere to spend the night. For the elf, of course, it was possible not to worry, with his flexible thin body and abilities to take off on any height and feel comfortable anywhere, he could have spent the night even in the hollow of an old oak. I was more accustomed to comfort. Remembering the message of Vincent that smugglers’ boats will wait for his accomplice, I immediately pulled an elf for myself to the nearest pier. We quickly overcame the city gate and the mouth of the river, then got to the rocky coast and next to a small, inconspicuous bay, we noticed a dozen tiny lights in the night, which as fireflies looped over water. The splash was heard. There was a crazy plan in my head. The idea was justified by tracing the boats and their owners, it was possible to say for sure that near this place they found a safe shelter.

«Let’s go for me!» I ordered Percy, it would be more precisely to say «fly,» because we hide behind the smugglers on top of the rocky ridge and now we had quickly to jump down, so that our raincoats shot down in the wind, like two multicolored wings. The man would certainly turn his neck, jumping down from such steepness, but Percy only laughed, enjoying the freedom of flight.

«Do you want to drive out these guys from their cozy cave?» he asked.

«The cave will fit for us. Can you gather brushwood for a fire?»

Percy took off his cap and elegantly bowed as soon as we stepped on the bottom of the cave, littered with bales of valuable products. He was happy from the fact that his Mr. is also not against mischief. It was much more interesting to serve the playful demon, than the gloomy hunchback.

However, the witnesses of this scene did not laugh. The smugglers dropped their bales and froze at the entrance of the cave. Such a strong effect could not allow them even the emergence of a whole regiment of the soldiers. Their confusion could be understood. After all, not every day you manage to see an elf with pointed ears, red eyes and such a mood, as if he was ready to destroy all the caves and stony ridges on a mile around. Maybe, I made a greater impression on them, with a sword flushing in the dark, with a cloak, like a black wing and a certain invisible force, which began to put pressure on them with multi-tone severity. It was difficult to say who scared them more the owner or the servant, but after a few moments most of the people preferred to escape and only someone in a low voice sent the curse «frightened fools and a false fellow.»

I learned the accomplice of Vincent even without a mask, but did not detain him. The black figure disappeared in the night, after the rest. Now, it was no longer important. The cave for all night belonged to us.

Percy very quickly returned with twigs, the fire began to rise in the midst of the cave and he asked incredulously:

«Can we really relax?»

«Choose yourself any bale with fabrics and sleep on them,» I allowed graciously. «In the morning, we will be busy, but now you can drink any wine if you like it.»

Percy examined bottles and barrels stood in one of the distant corners, and I, feeling a sudden fatigue, just wrapped in a raincoat and fell asleep near the fire.

I did not remember how much I slept, one hour or more. Something hurts me in the heart and forced to open my eyes. Percy has long asleep. Everything was calm around, the noise of waves, crabs and scorpions crawling between stones and a quiet swaying of algae – all these are normal night sounds on the coast. Smugglers would not be poured back. Their traces were already washed off the surf. The lights went out. Boats, too, was no longer noticeable at the shore. I rose and sat down, trying to come into myself, to separate the dream from reality, but in my heart again there was a leaning pain and a fiery wave spilled throughout the body. I embraced myself with my hands, wanting to warm up and relieve painful spasms. The prince called me. Even at such a distance, I saw the aquamarine ring in his hands. I wanted to drive away his witchcraft. I tried to strike into the emptiness, but had no success. n.

Away from the cave. It is necessary to take off into the airspace until Percy woke up and did not witness a terrible reincarnation. Soon the shining golden dragon flew overnight, without even disturbing the peaceful sleeping of the elf. This time, the wings themselves carried me forward, to some unknown, but excellent bastion. Immediately it was possible to understand that it was the towers of the capital. Alas, the labyrinth of the toy streets, located below, was absolutely defenseless before fiery breathing, but I didn’t want to breathe fire on this wonderful picture.

«Do you really want to destroy all this magnificence, Rothbart?» I mentally asked and heard a deafening, triumphant, vile laughter. Laughter, which no one except me could hear.

Narrow roads, squares and wide avenues, according to the brilliant architectural plan, they were almost empty from the white side of the palace. Bridges, laid out by yellow stones, were cast by sandy color, eaves, chimney pipes and attic enders represented a variety of forms and colors to taste each inhabitant. Even a child who received as a gift one of such doll houses, would feel sorry to break such a beautiful toy, but I could not act according to my own solution.

Someone from the night guard, cheerfully marching very far from me, in the interval between the buildings, stopped and began to point up. The cab driver could not keep a frightened horse and was forced to take a look up. The body of the dragon is the latter that he saw in his life. And then the jet of liquid fire crawled into the city. The buildings are easily ignited. The dream of the inhabitants was interrupted by orange spins, compared with the windows of the upper floors. The golden dragon described again the circle over the fortress wall. Reverse flight to the cave was quick but the heart failed me.

In the morning I saw my bloody clothes, Percy diplomatically kept silence. He only offered me a flask with wine and conscientiously cleaned my cloak from dirt.

«Will be today any instructions?» Percy decided to ask after a long silence.

In response, I could only negatively shake my head.

«Then, with your permission, I should walk around your vassals and bring the chests in the already mentioned place,» Percy always tried to miss the exact names of the places and the names, as if he was afraid that someone could overhear us.

«All this will take no more than a day. But if something unexpected happens, I will return to you as soon as you call,» Percy once again asked my permission and having received it, he disappeared in the bright radiance of the coming day.

«Run, a cowardly elf, until the flames fell to you wings,» someone was angry. It took a few seconds before I realized that a hoarse mocked voice sounds in my mind.

I hoped that if I had spent the night away from the settlements, I can’t harm people. Instead of averting the danger, I most likely got into the place where it was easier for Rothbart to reach me and get to submit to his strength. It was necessary to get away from him as far as possible. Every step that will divide me from the prince must, limit his power to me.

It’s time to go. Percy could find me anywhere. I never appointed a meeting place to him, he himself found me every time and waited for me, standing at a respectful distance. Neither the compass nor the map were with me, only I could guess in which direction I should go to move away from the prince. I quickly crossed the fields, flew through the rivers and lakes, as the shadow rushed past the towns and villages, until I began to feel that the power attracting me to itself as the magnet gradually weakens. With the onset of the first twilight, I got to the borders of the city. It was Roshen. It was immediately clear that, unlike the luxury present in Lara, here, along with new, painted buildings and mansions, there are poor bedrooms. Elegant crowds of honest citizens in the evening are replaced by the beggars and robbers. I decided that in a big city it would be easier to get lost and forget my sorrow. Maybe if I always wander in the crowd or in the center of densely populated areas, then Rothbart will lose a trace and can not find me with the help of his witchcraft.

From large houses came laughing, music, scraps of conversations that I could hear especially acutely, not as people who pass by and will not be able to disassemble in general noise even a couple of words. An old-cut, luxurious cloak – the gift of the prince, waved behind my back. sometimes tasty passersby, but I walked so quickly, which disappeared in the crowd before someone had time to send a passage. It was necessary to stay away from the rich houses. I myself did not notice how I found myself in the poorest neighborhoods. The shabby walls of houses, broken windows and cracks on the shabby doors, were not as strong as the lit expanses of the central streets. It reigned amazing silence.

Only sometimes on the way there was a lantern with a stove or cracked glass. Very rarely in the windows of the second floors under the projected roof, the candle was poorly glued or I heard, as a children’s voice was reading fairy tales from the opened book. Rothbart did not say a word about the fact that in the current times, an education can be found even in slums. Much more often there were tramps and robbers. The outskirts of the city did not go to any comparison with the center. The death danced here in all the catches, but no disease was terrible for me.

Such a decline was strange to me. In the country of my father never ruled the high mortality and hunger, nor in the center, nor on the outskirts. Robbers sooner or later met their end on the gallows, and here they were under the nose of the guard. The consolation was one thing, in such a place Rothbart will not look for me. Camille, his faithful sorcerer, also does not like to visit here, and Percy tactfully will wait for my return in a safer and tidy quarter.

Why the dragon should obey orders of sorcerer, every time rushing on his call, to destroy whole fragile cities, created by many years of work of people. Once at the power of the villain, I again and again, according to his will, turned out in the thick of tragic events.

I went down to the pier. Stopping not far from the slums, it was possible to observe how the moonlight lays the glare on the ink surface of the water. Several boots swayed on its surface, fishing nets were dried on the shore. I wanted to walk around the pier, but several boards were wedged out of the flooring. It remained only to turn back to semi-empty barn and sheds, deserted streets, bridge and tightly locked houses.

Found myself in a dark alley, I heard quick steps and muted muttering, as if two were consolidated about something.

«Look what a pretty little boy!» Someone pushed me in the shoulder and pressed against the wall of the nearest barn. A fool must have been looking for his own death. A man with a nasal voice and a disfigured scarred face took a knife from his pocket. His accomplice, wrapped his face in a dirty scarf attached to my throat the tip of the sword. To keep the weapon as he should not be able, most likely stole the sword together with the sheath from one of the robbed nobles. Such robbers often waited, while someone from the noblemen will go into the tavern, and then cut his throat and cleaned his pockets.

Cliché «money or your life» sounded out of time. A purse I did not have, but it was growing confidence that the evil power hidden inside is about to break loose. Until now, it had been waiting for his hour. I tried to handle myself, as once in the alleys under the towers of the castle of my father. But then I was free, and now I was under the power of my curse. My detached view something startled the robber, armed with a sword and yet he rudely ordered to his accomplice.

«Check his pockets, quickly!» he told

«Just look at his hand there is a ring with the emblem,» happily exclaimed the second, eagerly staring at the glittering signet ring. «Is granted to us a curious prince! Infrequently lords favor us with their appearance.»

The nasty laugh rang, in one hand of a villain flashed a knife blade, and the other reached for the intended victim. In a flash, I slipped out from the corner, the sword barely scratched my forehead. I stopped in front of a stone wall of the next building and turned. The robber took aback glancing at me, and he almost dropped the knife, see how the wound on my temple is rapidly dragged with the new skin. On the hand began to break through the golden scales, nails stretched and sparkled. I did not even try to cast, the transformation happens by itself. The right hand is now much more like the golden gauntlet with long claws of dragon.

The second sword blow would hit me on the head, but I just ducked and the blade crashed against a stone wall in millimeters from my temple. One severed strand of hair fell on the wet ground and now writhing in clear puddle, like a golden worm.

Instinctively stretched out my right hand, I slashed with my claws on the neck of disarmed opponent. Blood was gushing from wounds. What will happen now, if someone finds a corpse with traces of the monstrous claws? In a secret society will have every reason to accuse me of a lack of caution.

I did not even have time to turn back to the second scoundrel. With a cry «Werewolf», the tramp rushed away, but a clawed hand did not allow him a step. Percy said that it is impossible to leave witnesses of our reincarnation from simple travelers in supernatural beings. I dragged the bodies on the pavement and then they fell out of my hands straight into the deep ditch. Even if someone finds the corpses of robbers here, it will decide that they became victims of drunk fights. And scars on the neck? Well, after a few nights, the rat and decomposition will make their job. Nobody will know that the dragon was held on this street. The stones of the bridge will not be able to talk to anyone about the presence of a supernatural being here.