Mechanic

– Paco! – I croaked, my voice was still weak, although the warm milk and fern did their job perfectly. – You arrived!

He also was glad to see me. Smiling with a toothless mouth, the hoarder was leading the short horse by the bridle.

– Lodesco. I see it’s a whole homestead. You are lucky, Sherida is kind to your family. The villages nearby were less fortunate. Unfortunately, there are also casualties. Elven healers will save the rest. Since when do you start to wait for me? It has always been the other way around, – he stopped at the gate, throwing the bridle over the horse’s back. – And what do you need so urgently?

He folded busily his arms.

– I am glad you’re in good health. It’s a pity that Ruby does not understand how much destruction and pain it brings. Well! I’ll show them how to behave to magicians who have honor and dignity!

– What’s happened with your voice, freckled green? Is it breaking, or what? – the merchant grinned mildly.

I winced, but didn’t explain anything.

– Paco. I need steel wire and a red pigment, possibly yellow as well. Do you have it? – I hoped strongly in the assistance of the Goddess.

– I have a wire, but the dyes … – Paco thought, and I tensed. – I can deliver pigments in a week.

– In a week later, it will be too late. I will no longer be here, – I answered sadly.

– Sorry, I can’t help you then, – He really regretted it. He took out the wire and handed it to me. – Here you have. This is a gift; haven’t you had a birthday recently?

– Um—hum. Thank you so much! I need it for a very important affair, – I accepted gratefully the gift.

– Where are you going? Far away?

– To the capital, to study – I sighed.

The old man scratched his nose.

– I heard that magicians from ten years of age are called up for military training, and the Royal Academy is not an exception. Our enemies are awake. Many of our people died. The new army will be raised. Only… – Paco hesitated. – You’re not a magician. What will they teach you there?

– I will be a diplomat.

Paco raised his eyebrow.

– It’s a pity you haven’t reveal your talent. You are a good mechanic. Well, of course, negotiating with people – it’s a necessary business. I’m also partly a diplomat, you need to be able to find a common language with buyers.

The merchant tilted his chin in a funny way, simulating to be a very important person. But when I saw his toothless mouth, I burst out laughing.

– Paco, I’m sorry! And thanks for the encouragement. You know, although I will study at the academy, I will not abandon my skills of mechanic. After all, Alice gave me a set of tools, I will take them with me and in my free time I will tinker. Everything is magical now. Nobody fixes what is broken. And here I am. What if I come in handy at the academy?

– You will come in handy. You have golden hands.

– And I have a present for you too! – I took the watch off my wrist and put it on Paco’s hand. – Do you know how to use it?

– It’s a watch! – the old man twisted it. – But a dress-watch. Does it work without magic?

– Yes. But you need to wind up the spring every day so that it doesn’t stop.

– Oh, thanks! This is a marvelous gift! – the old man blinked and closed his eyes, trying to hide the sentimentality. But I knew how he felt. He was deeply moved. – You… In the capital, in the main market, look for a small shop that says «Nedos’s Chest». You will find it in the streets. My cousin holds this shop. He also sells all sorts of junk. I will write him a letter so that he won’t offend you. Nedos – is a foxlike, he knows how to fool people. But what can he do? In the capital, the people are greedy, everyone wants goods for free. But he will not deceive you and will find everything what you need. I promise! Well, that’s all, be healthy! Study well! And don’t forget the old man Paco.

– I won’t forget! See you! – I hugged the merchant goodbye.

I went home upset. Not all phoenix ingredients were clinking in the bag.

I saw Dinah from afar. She was plucking a goose. I suppose she’ll cook it for dinner. Oh! Coming closer, I asked:

– Dinah, save me the largest feathers. I need them.

– How many?

– Ha… Many – I answered thoughtfully and walked to the door.

On the right, in the vegetable garden, grandfather Marash was weeding the beets. Apparently, no one knew about my upcoming departure. They behave as usual. Or maybe they don’t care. I was in their life, and soon I will leave. Big deal. What is special about me? Dina called me:

– And what about your mood? Who messed it up in the morning?

I came to my senses:

– Oh. I need a paint, but the merchant Paco didn’t have it.

– A paint? And for what? What colors? Dinah lifted her head and brushed back a streak of hair that had strayed from her braid.

– Red and yellow. For feathers … – I specified. – Do you know where to get it?

– Yes, I know! The red one grows in the garden bed, Marash is just weeding it. And the yellow one is in the kitchen.

I blinked in confusion.

– Blunt. To fix everything you are so smart, but you can’t figure out with dyes. Beets on a grate and you will get a red one. And to get the yellow one, you need to mix turmeric with water! The girls and I usually paint the ribbons this way, – pleased Dinah continued to pluck the bird.

– Th-thank you! – I muttered in confusion, and a stupid smile stretched across my face.

Now everything I need is here. Happy, I hurried to the room. I poured the contents of the bag onto the table and set to work. The presented tools were incredibly useful. From an oak branch, I carved the skeleton of the body of a phoenix. Carved a compartment on the breast for the ruby. But the chisel slipped off and I hurt my finger. I accidentally stained the phoenix with my blood.

«Ouch… such a sharp thing», – I cursed to myself.

I put some fern ointment on the cut and continued. I put the ruby that Marash had presented in the chest cell of the bird. I secured the wings and tail in a spring mechanism, and lubricated it. The head I also carved out of the wood. In the eyes I decided to inlay the glass pieces that Dinah had presented. But I couldn’t find the same color and size, so the eyes were different. One was blue and the other was yellow. I inserted a black pointed glass as a beak. The bird came out as if it was alive. Now there was turn of the feathers and some magic.

«I’ll ask mom to revive my phoenix», – I thought, and cast a glance at the hill, where there was a black stain of the oak ashes.

I left the bird on the table. I took off an apron and checked my hands for cleanliness before going to mom. They were not the cleanest. I’ll have to wash them. And as soon as I opened the loosely closed door, Dinah burst into the room.

– Did you spy on me? – I squinted.

She was holding an armful of feathers and two cans of dye. I even didn’t want to scold her. The girl lifted her freckled chin and stood up, dusting off her apron.

– Niko, can I help you with the phoenix? I can do it! I have revived some mechanisms before, – she looked as if she was about to cry, although she held on with all her might.

– I don’t mind. Let’s try. Now I will finish it… – I hesitated.

The friend looked so sad. Perhaps my mother told her about my departure.

– Thank you… Do you already know?

Dinah nodded and walked quickly to the table. She put feathers with paint on it and sat down in front of the unprepared bird. She ran her finger along the body.

– There is blood here… – She looked at my hands in dismay. But then she noticed the fern ointment on my finger and calmed down.

– It was no big deal. I cut it with chisel. Well, can you help me to paint? – I smiled, pulling another chair for her.

The feathers came out very beautiful. Turmeric gave a pale-yellow hue, and beet juice – a cold burgundy.

I wire the feathers to the wings and tail of the phoenix. Dinah smiled contentedly, examining the glass of its eyes.

– Can I revive it? – She prepared herself.

– Yea, come on.

Dinah got up from her chair, touched the bird and cast an ordinary spell that gives life force to objects. But then something unimaginable began to happen. The phoenix rose into the air, red sparks were circling around it, creating a subtle energy field. The mechanisms began to transform into living tissues. The body of the bird was covered with skin, feathers, the chest was flushed with scarlet plumage. Claws grew on the paws, the beak lengthened slightly and bent. And the glass of the eyes gleamed so brightly that we closed our eyes from this flash. When the outer transformation was completed, the energy ball around the bird disappeared and the phoenix dropped on the table. Dinah and I looked at each other.

– How did you do it? – I asked in a whisper, touching with my finger that bird which Dinah had conjured.

– I… I don’t know! Honestly! This happened for the first time! You know, this hasn’t happened before. The mechanisms haven’t changed externally.

The bird stirred under my fingers. We both pulled away from the table, but curiosity tied us. I reached for the phoenix. It roused himself and stood up abruptly. The revived bird looked with its multi-colored eyes first at Dinah, then at me. Then it raised its wings and examined the plumage intently. It stamped its paws, jumped up and tried to raise its voice. At first, something vague came out, much like to clucking, but after another attempt, the phoenix burst into a melodic trill. Alice appeared in the open door.

– Where did this bird come from? Where did you catch it? – aunt slowly approached the table, studying the animal of unknown origin. Red-gold plumage, elongated tail of crimson-burgundy color. A tousled crest and multi-colored eyes.

– It’s a strange bird … – whispered Alice.

Phoenix looked at her completely calmly, as if it was a pet and always lived in the house.

– Niko made this bird, and I revived it… – said Dinah whose tongue turned as if she had stuffed cotton wool into her mouth.

Alice looked owlishly and straightened up.

– No, it can’t be! – said the woman. – No magician is capable of doing something like this.

– Listen, Dinah, maybe you should go to the academy with me? If you can do this, then you will surely become an excellent war magician! – I declared enthusiastically.

The friend coughed, and the bird spread its wings and rose into the air. We lifted our heads watching this incredible flight. In the space behind the phoenix, there was a transparent fiery strip that was flickering with sparks and slowly disappearing.

– Oh … – Dinah sat down. – How is it? I need to tell Aphelia. I learned it from her books! Maybe I did something wrong!

Phoenix hovered in flight over me and carefully landed on my shoulder. I froze, not daring to move.

– So, you say that you have revived Niko’s creation? Look, it knows who its master is… Clever bird. Have you already named it? – asked Alice, marveling at what she had seen.

– Inis! – I exclaimed. – It’s a fire in Rubinian. The God of Fire, Rotrad, is worshiped in the first world. When I began to study the languages of the seven worlds, Rubinian seemed to me the most melodic, by the way, the dialects of the worlds are very similar to each other. I am sure that what you have told me is not a fairy tale. Formerly, the worlds did interact.

The nanny nodded approvingly. Dinah liked the name too.

– I don’t know how you guys managed to revive such a living creature, but let me give you an advice. Be careful with unknown magic. And for now, don’t tell anyone about this, except Aphelia, of course.

The nanny went out and returned immediately.

– I completely forgot. Go to have dinner. But first to Aphelia. We don’t know whether this bird can fly around the house. It has such a tail, it shines. Maybe it can cause a fire. – Alice turned around and left the room, in the corridor we could only hear her reasoning aloud. – Kids, well, what did they create…

I exchanged glances with Inis. He tilted his head funnily and chirped something in his language.

– It’s a pity that I don’t understand the bird language, – I sighed and headed for the exit. – Let’s go. Let’s ask mom whether it is possible to create such a miracle with magic.

Dinah followed me, glancing at Inis.

I came to the door. Behind it I could hear the gentle voice of my mother. She was talking about something with Reemay. I pushed the door lightly.

– Mom, can I?

– Of course, sweet. Nicholas, I see your voice is back!

I have just noticed. It’s strange…

Mom seemed as fragile as a flower; it was hard to believe that she was a war magician.

Dinah stepped after me, just from the side where Inis was. Mom narrowed her eyes.

– What’s that on your shoulder?

– Mrs. Aphelia, this is exactly what we wanted to ask you, – Dinah began timidly.

Inis was sitting on his shoulder obediently, looking around.

– Ask me? – mom clarified incomprehensibly and stood up, leaning on the pillow.

Reemay fidgeted in the blanket and attracted the bird’s attention. Inis fluttered and flew onto the bed, leaving a red ribbon of light in the air.

– What? Nicholas, take it away! – exclaimed the mother and intuitively created a water barrier between the child and the bird. The little sister reached for the phoenix, being not afraid of it at all.

– Mom, I created him, and Dinah revived him! – I rushed to my bird and tried to command. – Inis, go back to your place!

Phoenix fluttered back onto my shoulder. I chuckled, not believing that it had obeyed me.

Mom slowly removed the water shield and held her breath.

– But, it’s impossible! You are not a magician.

– I told you, Dinah had revived him! Can she come with me to the academy? Talk to my father, please!

– Okay. And I will ask him to find out how the girl could create a living being, – my mother was at a loss. – Dinara, what spell did you use?

– The usual one. I had breathed life-giving energy into Niko’s mechanisms more than once. They came to life, moved on their own, helped around the house, but only for a while, then they need to be fed again. Well, you know.

Mom nodded.

– But this time… – Dinah waved her hands in the air. – The mechanical bird rose into the air, an energy sphere whirled around it, then Inis was covered with living tissues, flesh, feathers – and here it is. It came to life, just like a real bird, unusual, but a bird, – said Dinah in one breath.

Little Reemay reached out to Inis. It fluttered back onto the bed. Mom was alert, but didn’t put up a shield. Inis strode importantly over the blanket and bent his beak to my sister’s hand. She reached out her fingers and touched him. A thin ray of light slipped from Reemay’s fingers, circling around Inis. Mom gasped and whispered:

– He… he awakened her ability! It’s incredible!

Inis flapped his wings, lifted his head, and then tumbled in the air, and scattered the light. Then he looked at me and fluttered over my shoulder, chattering about something.

– Does Reemay have the gift of light streams? – I choked out.

I don’t understand what’s going on.

– Your bird has somehow helped the gift to reveal. So early! Sherida has blessed us! I need to write to your father urgently! Dinara, call Alice! – mom was so excited that she swallowed the words.

Well, I was taken aback too. First Dinah revived my phoenix, now the phoenix helped to reveal the gift of my sister. I was in a kind of passionate state and didn’t notice how Alice entered the room.

– Aphelia! Is it true? – the aunt smiled.

– Yes! – my mother said, not believing herself.

– That’s news. Miracles, and nothing more. Glory to you, Sherida! – Alice exclaimed, making a blessed gesture in the name of the Goddess, kissing and putting her fingers to the forehead. – So, kid, take your magic bird and step down. Dinara and you too!

We went out. I only heard how my aunt fussed in search of paper and sealing wax. Magic mail is very fast. Within a few minutes Alice found Dinah and me in the library and called to mother’s chamber. Climbing the stairs, I thought. If Inis awakened my sister’s abilities, why didn’t my magical gift reveal? Or am I really a blank? Even Dinara was able to create incredible things. Mom was waiting on pins and needles. She was worried.

– Nicholas, you and Dinara are leaving for the capital tomorrow, to the court. With a bird! – she clarified.

– Does the father know what is the matter?

– No, but he wants to test several hypotheses. Even Pontiar is very interested – she said, either with joy or with alarm.

– K-king? Will we meet the king? – stammering, asked the usually brave Dinah.

– Yes. This is the first time he hears about such a thing. At least that’s what he said. I trust him, but something is bothering me. Okay. Go and pack your things.

My throat completely stopped hurting, and I spoke without hoarseness.

«Could it be because of Inis? – it flashed through my head. – He is a miraculous bird. Perhaps, besides the awakening of magical abilities, he can also heal!»

I shook my head and answered:

– Okay, Mom, we’ll be ready by the morning.

This meant not only the beginning of a new chapter in my life and Dinah’s life, but also that I wouldn’t see my mother and my little sister for a very long time.

I entered the room. Inis was sitting quietly on my shoulder.

– Are you hungry? – I asked my new friend.

My bird bowed his head. I took a nut out of my pocket and chipped it with my fingers. Inis looked at the food and didn’t budge and he tilted his head to the side again.

– So, you don’t eat like live birds? That’s interesting.

I examined the work table, the stand with the tools. The room was small but comfortable. And what awaits me there? I was upset. I can’t even imagine how the magicians of the academy will accept me. I wasn’t worried about Dinah; she wouldn’t let to offend herself. But I’m merely an ordinary person.

I took my bag out of the closet, packed a few pairs of new trousers, I didn’t wear them at home. I would have torn them or stained with oil, for sure. Shirts, sweaters, a pair of spare boots. I put Alice’s present in a wide leather bag. The tools will be useful to me for sure.

I dropped my things by the door and lay down on the bed. The first stars appeared in the sky, illuminating the closest planet to us, the world of Kora, under the auspices of the God of the earth – Zelima. Their world shone in the azure haze of small satellites that circled around each of our worlds, but their colors are different for every world. Pyramid has the golden ones.

I didn’t notice how I fell asleep. Inis was dozing quietly on my pillow. The dreams were troubled. A terrible war. At Ruby. God Rotrad himself came down to earth to destroy us. I fought next to a girl whose eyes I cannot forget.

I woke up in a cold sweat. Inis was sitting on my chest and looking at me with his multi-colored eyes.

– What about you. Do you have dreams? – I didn’t expect an answer.

Inis tilted his head to the side.

– Probably not, – I chuckled and shuddered at the sharp knock at the door.

– Nicholas! – Excited Alice called me.

– Yes, I’m not sleeping anymore – I rubbed my eyes and stood up. I fell asleep in my clothes. Well, now I don’t need to dress. But the clothes were a little crumpled.

Alice came in, examined me, shook her head and ran her hand over my shirt. It smoothed out instantly.

– Thank you – I answered sadly.

In some measure, I felt sad to leave my home, my mother, the people I love. But I want to be a hero, and for this I need to learn, to become… and who I might become? A war magician? But I’m not a magician. Okay. First you need to find out what I’m worth. Can my mechanisms be really useful?

– Babe! I’m proud of you! You will study at the Academy! Show these magicians what your golden hands are capable of! Our world is full not only of magic! I love you! – Alice hugged me, sobbing under my ear. – I don’t want to part with you, but it’s time. The royal charioteer has already arrived for you. He will take you and Dinah to the palace.

I had never been further than the gate of our homestead, and now everything inside me was bubbling with excitement.

– I wonder how will we get there? By horse, by mechanical carriage or by air? – I said the last one and I held my breath. The father seemed to had got with the royal charioteer when he was returning home. I don’t remember, that’s what Alice told me.

– By air. I saw when the charioteer arrived. He is waiting for you below. Aphelia is just talking to him. – Aunt looked at my Inis and sighed. – Let him bring you good luck. I saw that he turned out to be your doctor too…

– What do you mean? I rolled my eyes.

– Even the fern tea does not cure in a day. And after the bird sat on your shoulder, your throat was healed – the shrewd woman smiled.

– I guessed it too.

Alice nodded and patted the bird on the tuft, which made it purr like a cat. I put on my shoes, lifted the bag and threw it over my shoulder.

– Let’s go?

– Let’s go.

Downstairs was standing Dinah, neatly combed, in an emerald-colored linen dress. She only wore it on holidays. In her hands, the girl was holding a brown hiking bag, twice the size of mine. The charioteer turned out to be a thin young magician a little older than me. With long jet-black hair, thin features and equally thin fingers. Surprisingly thin fingers. He saw me and nodded his head in greeting. Mom turned around with Reemay in her arms. Inis fluttered towards them and landed on Mom’s shoulder. She didn’t pull away. On the contrary, she smiled.

– And here is the bird I was talking about.

The magician eyed Inis with admiration.

– Peter, please, tell my husband not to be too strict with Nicholas. And be careful on the way.

– Of course, Aphelia. You will be sorely missed. See you in five years. Perhaps earlier.

Goodbye, – the magician bowed and, offering help to Dinah with the bag, left the living room.

Dinah waved me to join them and followed the charioteer.

I came up to my mother. The little sister was just pulling Inis by the beak.

– Nicholas, dear. If you need money, contact Peter, he will take you to Phaeton’s bank, and you will need to show it there, – my mother took off the neat signet with the Lodesco coat of arms, two crossed swords, and put it on my finger. – They will give you as much money as you need. Love you!

– Thank you! Mom, I will enormously miss you. And I will do my best to make you… and dad proud of me – I took my sister by the finger. – Reemay, although I am not a magician, I will try to protect you. Be blessed by Sherida! Love you!

I kissed both of them. I hugged Alice, approached Varya and grandpa Marash.

– Did you take a ruby? – he asked for the last.

Inis flew over my shoulder, exposing a red breast.

– Yes, I took it, now the ruby will always be with me! – I pointed to the phoenix.

Marash is smart. He understood everything and winked.

– Good luck! Let Sherida protect you and Dinara!

Chapter 3

The charioteer Peter waited until I approached and only after that, connecting his thumb and forefinger of both hands, he created the end rings from them. He cast a spell and under us, right on the ground, a fine net, like a cobweb, appeared. I saw this for the first time, as did Dinah, who froze in surprise.

– Don’t be afraid. You can sit down if you like.

Peter parted his arms, and the net curled around us in a huge ball, slowly lifting up into the sky. I felt dizzy. Is this the magic of the air? It’s amazing. We were getting higher and higher; the homestead remained a toy house below. Fields, forests, lake – everything was as drawn, drawn on the board of the earth. Only the mountains in the distance hung menacingly and seemed larger, as the sun with golden satellites around. The surrounding was incredible, unreal. We were frozen high above the ground.

– Get ready, now we will move very quickly.

Before I even had time to open my mouth, we began to move at a breakneck speed. A light stream of wind penetrated the magic ball that was carrying us. Forests, settlements, cities, rivers flashed below… Cargo ships appeared in the clouds above and below us, moving like lazy celestial whales. Everything would be fine but the miasma left by the ships, seemed black ribbons. The magicians didn’t think about the moment of air pollution by massive mechanisms. But I will try to find a way to fix their shortcomings.