Touching the surface of the copper roofs, the sun rays were broken in great number of sparks. The road looped and twisted between the houses of a small village. The world around changed, not only fashion and architecture. The next era came to replace the suspended and sometimes, looking around, I felt myself a creature from another century. I wonder how much time has passed since I got for the study of magical books. No one could give me a prompting. If I asked a passersby, what year is now, it would cause bewilderment and even suspicion.

Almost forests, golden fields and meadows remained the same. I came on a country road and felt that someone watched me. There was a few people in the village, and I did not notice anyone able to cause an interest. But now it was possible to say confidently that the same creature as I myself is observed behind me.

«Show yourself!» I mentally demanded and, turning around, saw a nice guy. In clothes from green velvet, he looked elegantly. The camouflage cloak allowed him to stay unnoticed in the forest landscape, but now standing around the road, he was not at all inconspicuous, rather similar to the royal courier or the page of a nobleman, and maybe even the son of a nobleman. He just took off on a moment from his head a hat with a buckle, and I managed to notice the ears typical for an elf.

«Do you need a conductor?» He was already standing near my horse. «If you want to have a servant that is faster than wind, then I, Percy, is ready to fulfill all your wishes, Monseigneur Dragon.»

The last words were pronounced so quietly, that even if someone came to us closely, it was unlikely that they could hear them. Percy knew about the sharpness of my hearing and that I can do with anyone who would not like to me, and yet risked his own skin to start a conversation. Friendly and kind, he immediately caused a sympathy. He could be trusted, but the sly sparkles in the eyes sometimes spoiled the impression of ostentatious humility and honesty.

«What benefit will be from such a conductor as you?»

Percy met the attack, as if he was ready for suspicion of the new Mr.

«You are looking for your subjects. I can show you the city, it is empty after the Dragon’s raids,» he immediately answered.

«It would be not difficult to find this place for me,» I really felt not far from me the presence of the same creature, as I myself, only it was gloomy and mean. As if the black cloud enveloped The city’s walls, and behind them on the empty streets crawled something terrible and shapeless. And on the bottom of the dried well there was a collection of rarest jewels. There were also collected both valuable and cheap baubles, selected from the inhabitants.

«Take me with you, I will be useful to you,» Percy has already changed the tone. A bold smile slipped from his face, giving way to concern. «I know a lot about the civilization of people, the location of countries and border forts, can easily get into any accommodation and fool anyone. Believe me, I am worthy of taking a place in a suite of the future ruler.»

I almost laughed, surprised of his naivety. A clever, a pretty creature, standing in front of me in the appearance of an elf, was an ancient and wise, but at the same time he did not know completely anything about the intrigues of the sorcerer. Perhaps he was too impressed, besides stubbornly did not want to see the truth lying on the surface.

«I’m not still a monarch, Percy and it is unknown if I will be,» I tried to enlighten him and give at least some useful advice. «You put not on that card, my friend?»

«No, on that,» Percy was outraged. «Compared to you, I am not so clever certainly, but not such a fool, to notice the obvious.»

I gave spurs a horse and it slowly moved forward. Percy followed me, observing a respectful distance and at the same time no lag.

«A vassal should always follow his suzerain, at least for the fulfillment of small orders or to play the role of advisor in negotiations,» he continued to persist.

Percy relentlessly followed me like a puppy for the owner. There was a short green cloak with gold braid on his thin shoulders. A little squeezed eyes carefully watched all what was happening. It was worth just to look at him and I remembered ballads about how the king of the elves leaves the forest to charm and lure into the thicket to the faithful death some lady Isabelle who was embroidered at the window. I wanted to ask Percy whether all these ballads are truthful or they just came up with minstrels, but I didn’t dare to show him that I had at least something from the curious boy. After all, the elf sacred believed in my superiority over all of his kind. He quickly followed me.

«There is a village ahead, the inhabitants left it, not wanting to stay in dangerous intimacy with the dragon,» Percy reported in a whisper at one of the turns.

The village, which was near the full-flowed river, suffered severely from the spring floods. Most low houses were flooded almost to the roofs, others that stood closer to the hill, too, represented a muddy spectacle. Somewhere water reached the level of windows, somewhere only managed to cross through the threshold. However, the peasants didn’t care, the houses were empty long before the spring.

There was a fortress on the hill, but it was best to visit it in the evening when the monster will wake up and will be ready to meet his master.

Percy found an empty stable, not flooded with water and wrapped the scraper, cleaning the skin of my horse. He stubbornly wanted to prove that even in the absence of important tasks, a diligent servant would get out of it. It was difficult to guess where he learned the work of the groom. With pride, he stated that he could also prepare us a dinner. As soon as the first stars were lit in the sky, I left Percy alone and moved to the castle. It will be better if I’m going there without a scared horse. The rise was not easy, but only I stepped up on the ground slope, I felt the soil left under my feet. The dangerous and delightful magic of the flight returned to me. From the height, I glanced in standing water and instead of my own reflection I saw the golden snake in the rings. Just a few moments of the flight and I was already standing in the castle in my previous guise. There was no soul around, the entire building was empty, the doors of the church clapped in the wind, the main bell was silent. Some bells in general were removed, and on the curved ladder, leading to the bell tower, the dirty trail stretched. The columns that register its roof and the railing staircase were cut with something sharp. I approached and noticed that these are traces from dragon claws.

In silence I heard a heavy breathing, and a wheezing scraping claws on the cobblestones. The dragon crept over the area and was directed to me. He saw me and disappeared, replaced by a bright flash, and a stream of silver smoke on a deserted street. Before me stood a tall gloomy gentleman. His unpleasant appearance and black clothes would not cause so much suspicion, if not violent, maniac gleam in the narrowed eyes. He nearly bowed and took off the hat with gold buckle and a large ruby. In this way, the stranger tried to show his respect, though it was immediately evident that he does it, gritting his heart.

«The highly esteemed gentleman appeared to honor us with his presence,» said he.

«You?» I asked. Own voice seemed to me someone else’s, cold and incredibly cruel. He hit the copper roofs of houses as steel and caused a weak echo.

«Me and those rats, crows and insects, who pounced on the cellars of taverns and an empty mill,» it seemed the opponent wants to fight a duel, but he is afraid to say about it directly.

Remembering the words, once carefully rewritten by me on a blank sheet of paper, I made a thin ray of the moon to lie as the spot next to him. My right hand involuntarily squeezed into the fist, and the stranger wheezed, his body was delayed in convulsions, long wrinkled fingers reached out to the throat. He felt the loop delayed on his neck, and realized that I strangle him slow, but true. In his glance flashed a genuine horror. I allowed him to retreat a little and immediately made a new gesture with my hand, so that the lantern hanging on a copper hook at the porch of the tavern, flared up bright, orange light. The stranger bounced off the burning heat, agile overcoming most of the street. I felt the evil and fear from him.

«You, of course, came for the tribute, Your Majesty,» a rough voice stuck out of the darkness. How fast this cruel killer made me in the kings. With my internal vision, I looked at the bottom of the dried well. There are piles of gems, coins, caskets and chests.

«Tribute is just the formality so that you and those who like you have not forgotten that there is also the highest power over them,» I took a step forward and he backed away from me. I had to follow the rays of the moon so that they would be golden dust about the roof of the houses and illuminated a narrow street.

«It’ll be enough?» quietly asked a hoarse voice. Behind my back there were bags with coins, tiny emeralds, gold and silver bars. «The tax is going to every seven years, it should be enough.»

The shadow, twilight world, to which I now belonged, also waited for the beginning of the next era.

«The ruler does not apply to collect tribute himself,» I said thoughtfully. «Not later than tomorrow I will send my servants here. Try not to scare them with your sudden appearance.»

I was sure that Percy would come out of the situation with honor, gathering on the pavement even a little more coins than he was due. Not that I respected the ancient custom of collecting taxes, but it was the only way to remind the terrible winged reptiles that even they can suffer punishment if they broke the permitted border. Only now I realized how it was profitable for Rothbart to have a tamed sorcerer.

Returning to Percy, I felt unusual fatigue and, nevertheless, I climbed into the saddle. «If we turn to the west, we will come to the hospitably open gate of the city with an interesting name Lara,» the elf’s voice spilled around the night with musical trills. City-dwellers must believe that spirits patronize them. This is true, it is the richest and luxurious of all cities, especially now in the spring masquerade season.

Once I saw the motley masquerades in the native capital, followed how the lush cape of Lady Sylvia flashed in an elegant crowd, felt the burning breath of the pursuer at the back of my head. Memories briefly struck the gap in cold insensibility and immediately retreated to the background. Dazzling fragments of the past now hurt, and it was better not to sort out them. Now I belonged to a different world, and in this world I was just a third-party observer, a magician who decided to make a pilgrimage on unfamiliar cities only to win in the crowd of mortals. Maybe one day I will decide to penetrate to the kings and give them dangerous advises if Rothbart will not cross all my plans. Who knows what the kingdom will not like him next time.

The path to Lara passed by the forest, destroyed by stray lights and pieces of rotten wood. Flocks of the fireflies rushed past us, somewhere deafly hooted a owl, but before opened gates were only a few guards. The boats swam in the narrow canal about city’s walls, a variety of masks created the atmosphere of fun. The whole way Percy slid in front of my horse’s hooves at the same time, without touching with his feet the earth. The horse, which has already been accustomed to the presence of two unusual owners, neither afraid of the elf’s tricks.

Percy’s suit quite fit for masquerade. I just adhered the edge of the cloak to the level of the eyes sneaking through the festive crowd. In order not to attract unnecessary attention to my gold hair, I put on a black velvet hat, which my new friend have already managed to borrow somewhere. Anyway, sometimes surprised glances rushed out of the slots of masks.

«Take a look like his skin is flickering, there is something wrong here,» they whispered in the crowd and immediately kept silenced. I made my way into the smallest crowd, where youth and noble ladies in velvet alone were occupied only with their companions and did not pay attention to outsiders. After a deserted dead city, it was pleasant to be in the center of the festive noise. I noticed musicians on the balcony of the nearest home. From the open door, the girl in the purple domino was slipped and ran around the narrow path past well-dressed citizens. I am not knowing why followed her. Someone called her from the emptiness of the ancient temples and the dungeons.

Florian argued that the carnival was a microcosm, where to distinguish a stranger from the enemy can only be a thin hint, accidentally abandoned the word, barely in the movement of the eye, but, despite the many masks, I immediately recognized a man standing on the main square before the well. I even felt evil, I felt the presence of another dragon. He called a girl to himself.. He also noticed me and made way a little. My look found him, even despite the abundance of the people on the square.

Fast ramp of raincoat and flexible, high figure has noticed between dancing couples, making yourself the road. Where an outdoor area ended and a winding labyrinth of quarters began to get lost was much easier. I felt the presence of a creature similar to me even through the thickness of the stone walls. The girl in the purple domino made her way into the crowd, trying to keep up with the one who silently called her. I felt a thin but durable thread that had connected them, some striking contact between the predator and the victim.

Intrigued, I followed the unusual pair. Some sounds that penetrated the stones of the nearest building forced me to linger. I carefully listened, but at the beginning I did not catch anything but noisy scratch, some mouse clogged near the foundation. The facade of the building was shrouded in a bluish haze, but, looking after, I noticed a low window in a niche. It was raised from it a warm orange light, but its rays did not touch the bridge, as if the radiance was illusory.

I leaned against the wall and looked into the window. In the boiler over fire boiled some kind of liquid. In addition, the walls decorated with lambrequins and carved panels did not resemble the kitchen atmosphere. The skin of a polar bear was laid on the floor, and at a small table sat two men and lazily played cards. The glare from the candles, the hearth and the lamps were danced on the walls, giving the whole room a sinister look.

One of the players who covered the face with the black velvet mask postponed cards and looked around. His eyes were tired.

«Are you afraid of someone, Vincent?» His partner asked.

«In addition to the royal guards of anyone,» followed a slightly mocking answer. «I hope that these hounds will not get in the midst of the holiday to us.»

«You said that I put a spell on the door, which would not allow anyone to enter or notice this house at all.»

«If our so-called colleagues were not aimed to break me in a shredder, then this night we could sleep well. They, like locust, make a raid at the most unexpected hour, and they are able to crawl at least into a keyhole. Envious competitors are always ready to destroy the one who has achieved success.»

«Success?» in the voice of the spoken was heard an indignation. «The former allies are about to arrange the court over us.»

«They don’t arrange, until they caught us, and in this their chances are zero,» said Vincent. «They envy to those who retain youth and independence. Listen attentively, Arno, when I was born, this city has not yet been on the face of the earth. The kingdoms underlying from here began to form only many years after I ran away from our famous school. To have obedient mortal servants is much more profitable than allies from our environment. Among the pirates and smugglers are full of people faithful to me who are happy to serve the sorcerer. Tomorrow at night in our secret harbor you are waiting for boats with a commodity. I go to the fortress and gamble with a lord, who manages this area. Before the midnight he will lose to me most of his possessions.

«And he will give you a lost?» Cynically asked Arno.

Yes, he will,» followed a calm, confident answer.

«How are you going to the fortress. Any guard will recognize you on the scar on the throat?»

«Let’s see,» he grinned and throws his cards on the table. They immediately swayed the fan and swept like a colorful leaf fall.

«I would like to try the happiness of the player at least once in my life,» he laughed. «For more centuries, my fate is moving up and down. There were few next decades when Fortuna smiled to me, and then they began to lay the foundation of this city wall. Already then, my accomplices foresees that Lara will be a picturesque place. Only in those days the city had not yet been the name, as long as before the builders did not appear the spirit, in the place where the quadrangular turret is shoved now.»

Vincent continued to chat. Now his voice rang in my mind, like an alarm bell. Does all this spoke that audacious, self-confident boy, who, leaving the port, promised that our new meeting would fall on the upcoming centuries? I leaned a forehead to the cold wall. How many years has passed since the galleon of prince took me from the flaming coast? The hat flew from the head, I did not even try to pick up it. My raincoat rustled in contact with the wall, and Vincent immediately broke away from his classes.

«Is there someone here?» Arno was alerted.

«I do not know. I do not feel anyone,» Vincent sniffed to the air.

«I hope this is not one of the newcomers enrolled in the school of witchcraft.»

«Oh no,» Vincent interrupted him, «not every champion could compete with me, not the newcomer.»

«Still, it is better to retain the curtains and draw a few more signs,» the accomplice advised.

«You’re right!» Vincent rose from his place and I hurriedly slid away, as fast as it could only make a shadow. I went a little aside and turned around, but I did not notice the luminous window, only a weak orange spot in the shrouded haze.

To spend so many years in the dungeon, someone has been whispered to me this seems to appeal to revenge. Even if the native kingdom had not been drawn to the ashes in my eyes, everything that I knew and loved, now it would be equal to the rush. Familiar places would have changed beyond recognition. I finally understood why Rothbart was aged so fast. One day, having made a mistake, he could no longer focus all the strength on maintaining his young posture and a little attractive face.

And I stayed all the same fearful young man.

Leaving the city, I followed the dragon. As if the silk thread led me on the smell of related, self-turning blood. The winding track slid between the hills, wetlands, where the reed and tiny lakes were crushed. I noticed a small, female shoe, laying in dust. In this place, the dragon grabbed his sacrifice. The trail ended, and I had to go on the wet from the dew grass, while the swamp did not seem. Here lived our mysterious lord.

I did not have to wait long. Knowing that he can take a more pleasant appearance, I mentally ordered him to do it. In front of me appeared a rural nobleman. If there was still no danger from him.

News in our society spread quickly as a forest fire. The marsh dragon preferred at least a bow to express his respect, and not to throw a challenge.

«Where is the girl?» I asked.

«You come a little earlier, and she would be yours,» he rummaged in a vest pocket and removed from there a sapphire bracelet and several carnelian pins. «I’m afraid, that’s all that remains from her. In Lara there is a lot of other girls who will follow you anywhere, and it was just a daughter of the money-lender, and also a cunning pretender who loved to follow at night from her window for drama unfolding on the street.

The brain seems to be lit up a flash, I saw a girl who looks with curiosity and fear how the dragon kills his sacrifice under her windows, and nodded with understanding. It is impossible to leave a single witness alive, people should not suspect our existence otherwise, as then we can get lost in the crowd with our impeccable faces and luminous eyes.

«Did you come for the established tribute?» The question suddenly invaded my thoughts, and I woke up and with arrogance looked at the owner of the swamps.

«Later, my trustee will come to you,» I explained in the harsh tone. «Do you support the connection with others… those who are something like you?»

He understood me and nodded:

«With some, but not with everyone.»

«Everyone is occupied only with his problems and his territory?» I grinned.

«We support the connection, because everyone is destined to serve one lord.»

«So, yell the rest that the laws remained the same. I will not be able to visit everyone in the near future and you will be calmer from this, you will not have to take a dangerous guest. My servant will collect tribute. And then, perhaps, I will get acquainted with everyone in turn.»

«When?»

«For seven years,» the words remembered me from the conversation in the empty city. «Maybe a little later, but I will come to them and make everyone obey my power. And there, let’s see if anyone will dare to disobey. No matter how many years have passed, I will not leave my subjects alone for municipality,» I smiled contemptuously and added. «Time has no longer power over me.»

I do not know if he caught a secret meaning hidden in this phrase. Most likely, no, because he did not know that once I was as mortal and vulnerable, like those people he abducts from the city.

Percy was delighted with the fact that I entrusted him the first responsible task and did not even ask why I went to the walls of the stone fortress, located next the masquerade’s city. I decided to get ahead of Vincent. I had a lot of hours in stock. With his exacerbated hearing, I could catch the conversations that were conducted in distant taverns. From their scraps, it became clear to me that the lord was a gambler and good luck rarely left him. Vincent chose the desired string to, playing on it, and succeed.

For me, it was no longer difficulty, again take the appearance of a golden snake, slip into a climbing ribbon along the night air and squeeze into a narrow hole of the loophole. Updating inside, again became myself, shook off the drops of the evening rain and felt a pleasant warmth from the flaming fireplace. For the guards, I remained invisible, they did not even notice me when I passed just a few steps from their posts.

I acted successfully, although I could not remember most of my witch skills. I was disappointed. The dragons were greed and evil. They were not resembled in any way a fascinating spectacle from the distant past when I have seen the flight of a whole flock of sparkling dragons over a grandiose fire. Now I could behave with them on an equal footing and still did not find any of them neither wisdom nor an understanding, no one with anyone could talk to souls, only animals that were required to tame. It was too early to beat the alarm, because I met only with two representatives of the ancient race, but for some reason the confidence grew in the fact that I would not meet anyone with an outstanding intelligence. Although I can try to visit and the rest, but it is unlikely that such a visit will cause their joy immediately after the news about the hard-hearted ruler will be transmitted by living chain. Their treasures did not interest me. Tribute served as a guarantee that they will obey my orders. About myself I have sworn that I will not give them to plunder the richest and most prosperous kingdoms, to which they are targeted. Let this land has become a stranger to me, but I still loved its splendor. Bustling cities and unhurried for human life reminded me that I myself was once a man. Of gold and jewels, hidden in the recesses of the dragon, on the other hand, it exuded an unpleasant cold. I do not even know why I need to keep any particles of terrible treasures. The same can not be said of Rothbart. He probably already knows everything and requires the lion’s share of the profits. For him the main thing was to divide the booty, not to reflect on where it was taken. If the rate were the treasures, he would have beaten at cards, even the devil. Or maybe he just was a devil. At least, I used to consider him as such.

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.

12 3 Weiter

Dragon’s Empire – 2. Goddess for Dragon

According to fate

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