Kitabı oku: «Elven heritage», sayfa 3

Chapter 8. Sands

In the morning, without waking up the innkeeper, the friends set off on the road.

***

It seems that there is no end or end to the sands in these parts. Then a small series of stones and low rocks, and again sand. The sun is high. I want to hide behind the mighty crown of some tree. But will cactus spines provide much shade? Even the smells faded away in the desert, except for the dry smell of sand. Still kept reaching for the flask. The other travelers also quickly became exhausted on this seemingly endless journey. Lewis and Nermall were more confident than the others. Lewis grew up in Lorraine and is no stranger to these terrains. And Nermall is generally difficult to surprise or scare with anything. Goosebumps appeared before my eyes every now and then. Therefore, it often seemed that there was a small grove in the distance.

– I would give half my life for five minutes in the shadows! – said Duncan.

«And a mug of cold water,» Still added.

«Or kvass,» said Kurt.

«You are weak,» Lewis smiled.

«I now understand why the Lorraineers constantly strive to attack us!» – Kurt said. – Is Lorraine’s entire land a huge desert? Will the sands run out soon?

«Then there will be less sand,» Lewis said. – Then the stones will come.

Kurt lit the cigarette.

– Aren’t you hot, friend? – said Duncan. – Why are you also warming yourself up from the inside?

The wind was blowing tumbleweeds. The horizon turned black. Nermall looked worriedly at the clouds that were approaching faster and faster. And then there was unexpected silence, as if someone had turned off the wind.

«Get off your horses,» said Nermall.

– What?

– No need for unnecessary questions. Now the storm is coming. Cover your head.

That is why trees did not coexist here. A sharp gust of wind seemed to be able to break even a centuries-old oak tree. The sand covered my head. A minute ago the bright sun was blinding, but now it’s dark, like a moonless night. Sand is everywhere. Open your eyes and you may remain blind until your death.

***

The regatta hung over the palantir. She whispered the words of an ancient spell and moved her hand through the air. But then she met someone’s magical resistance.

– Anilix! You! I’ll still kill them! – she said in an empty room. But the sorcerer heard her words in another part of the world. Silver entered the room.

– What are you doing, dear?

– Anilix! This damned sorcerer! He’s always on my way!

– Oh, you’re talking about this old man! «Silver barely touched the palantir, and the magical resistance instantly disappeared. Regatta began to cast the spell again, but Silver stopped her with a kiss.

– No need to touch them. Let them go.

– They are coming for weapons that can stop you. Silver, let’s kill them! Ask! I can’t stand it if they kill you. Let’s stop them before it’s too late!

– Among them is my brother.

– That’s it! Still! Who knows what he is capable of as a sorcerer? You are stronger than any living magician. But the same blood flows in him as in you. Maybe he will be your equal! – Regatta looked at her husband with hope in her eyes. But he shook his head:

– I don’t want them to die. To be honest, I don’t want deaths at all. But I will go to Tivol. I want to look my father in the eyes. And say how wrong he is. If he had not expelled me, I would not have had to resort to extreme measures for this.

Silver began to peer at the image inside the crystal ball. But it suddenly dissipated. He is the strongest of the sorcerers. But there is one spell that is not available to him. How many times has he looked into the witchcraft sphere! Any point in the world is accessible to him. But Silver was never able to see the faces of Still and Dinor. He forgot what his relatives looked like, and some unprecedented magic prevented him from remembering old faces. Silver cursed and threw the crystal ball to the floor.

***

It seems the storm has passed. Still dug himself out of the sand. Then he offered his hand to Lewis. Together they dug up Nermall. A few minutes later all the travelers were saved.

– Glory to the Creator! We weathered this storm,» Duncan said.

«I wouldn’t be so sure,» Lewis said.

– What are you talking about? – Kurt asked.

«It’s better for you not to know,» said Nermall. – After a storm they often come!

Kurt wanted to ask something else, but he was stopped by Murray’s heart-rending scream. Kurt looked back in the direction the writer indicated. A huge scorpion was walking towards them. The friends took out their swords.

«Don’t move,» Lewis said. – He may not notice us.

Scorpio stopped, looking for something. And then he trotted off in a different direction. But then Murray sneezed loudly. Scorpio turned around sharply and rushed towards the travelers.

Still barely dodged the huge sting. Each leg of the huge animal is as thick as the body of the skinny Nermall!

– Aim for the belly. Or to the place on the back where the monster’s tail begins! Lewis shouted. Still tried several times to mount the scorpion, but it shook the hunter off to the ground.

Scorpio suddenly fell. A huge spear protruded from his back. The travelers looked around. Behind stood the leader of the bandits who were attacking a village on the border with Lorraine.

– So you got caught! – he rubbed his hands.

– Don’t be in such a hurry, Jack! – said another bandit… or soldier, how do you distinguish between them? «They will be useful to the king for entertainment.» Let’s take them prisoner.

The friends resisted the attackers. But the travelers were exhausted after a long journey, so they could not give a worthy rebuff.

– Well, are you going to resist? If so, I will order my men to finish you off. Better put down your weapon voluntarily. From today you come into the favor of the King of Lorraine!

Chapter 9. Prisoners

Lush mansions in the middle of the desert. Unbearable heat and dry air. The prisoners, with their hands tied, their mouths gagged and bags on their heads, were brought into the king’s chamber.

– Your Majesty, here they are! – said Jack. – Probably spies. We caught them while walking around the lands.

Derr, King of Lorraine, ate grapes, spitting out the seeds and skins on a saucer. Two maids fanned him. For some time he showed no sign that he had heard what was said. And then he said:

– Into their pit. To the tigers.

Councilor Ezigurd approached Derr and whispered something in his ear. The king smiled:

– Oh yes, how could I not have thought of this myself! Esigurd speaks his mind. Still, I get better with age. Prisoners, I grant you forgiveness. Moreover, you have the honor of taking part in the competition for my son’s engagement!

The prisoners muttered.

– No need to thank me! Derr said. «I know, I’ve been overly kind lately.» Jack, take them in a kama… to the chambers of other applicants!

The bags were taken off them and the damned gags were taken out. The heat is unbearable, there is nothing to breathe. They even untied their hands. Only the prisoners were left without weapons – everything was taken away. Duncan immediately tried to rush at Jack, but the bars slammed in front of him. Then the man spat and hit the soldier right in the face. He wiped away the spit.

«We’ll meet again,» he said.

They looked around. There were mattresses on the floors, but there were clearly not enough places for everyone. There were about fifty people here, no less. Other prisoners looked disapprovingly at the new arrivals.

Everyone curses the villains, forgetting how much good they brought in between their vile deeds. Before the First Antimonian Empire, each settlement had its own language. But Antimonik burned out words other than the Common Speech. Old dialects remained in some places, but even commoners knew the Common Language, at least in general terms. Unless the inhabitants of the Unknown Continent and the newly developed Ddraigha may not understand you.

As the sun fell below the horizon, the guard brought food. This is unsalted porridge, a piece of stale bread and a glass of stagnant water for each prisoner. One of the prisoners approached Nermall:

– Old man, you still don’t have long to live. Give me your portion, and I won’t touch you! I need a lot of strength for tomorrow’s fight!

Duncan clenched his fists, but Nermall stopped him with a gesture. The old pirate was used to this kind of place, so he was not at a loss. He silently stood up, walked up to the bully and punched him in the gut. He twisted himself into a ram’s horn and fell.

– Will there be any other contenders for my portion? – Nermall looked around at those present. Everyone pretended to eat, not paying attention to what was happening. – Well, fine! Bon Appetit everyone!

The porridge is disgusting, to put it in decent words. But after a hungry day, even Still, accustomed to luxurious dinners, ate it like a heavenly dish.

When it got dark, we decided to talk about this and that. But one of the prisoners said:

– Guys, have a conscience! There’s a battle tomorrow morning, but you won’t let me sleep!

The guards played dice behind the doors, laughing loudly and chatting, but this did not prevent the unwitting guests of the inhospitable Lorraine from falling asleep.

Chapter 10. Arena

The sun had not yet had time to heat the sand, but the stands were filled with people. When Derr appeared, the crowd cheered.

– Hello, friends! – said the king. – I think you know perfectly well why we have gathered today! Yesterday the long-awaited engagement of Prince Manstead to the Morellian Princess Lydia took place.

– Where is the prince himself? – someone shouted from the crowd. Oh, if Derr knew everything about his son!

– He will be later. As expected, extraordinary Games are being held in honor of my son! The first stage is declared open!

The crowd applauded and screamed, in anticipation of blood and other people’s pain. Behind someone else’s suffering, one’s own is not felt so keenly.

«As you know, gentlemen,» said the king’s dwarf assistant, «in the first round, our dear guests,» the host smiled wryly at the last word, and the crowd laughed in unison, «will meet the best fighters.» Guards, lead the first participant!

The first «volunteer» had to be pushed into the middle of the arena. He grabbed the bars of the bars, but the muscular guard was stronger. The crowd applauded.

– And he will come out against him… Who do you think could be the opponent of this brave fighter? – the audience laughed. – We can’t insult guests by offering them weaklings to fight?! So who is this man?

– Scull? – was heard from the podium. Derr smiled mysteriously. Watching the dwarf presenter.

– Will there be any other options? – asked the dwarf.

– Squall?

– It’s hot. But not him.

– Is it really Bonecrusher?

– Exactly! – said the presenter.

– Bonecrusher! – the crowd chanted. – Bonecrusher! Bonecrusher! Hooray! Bonecrusher!

A huge muscleman came out, over two meters tall, with a bull skull on his head with huge horns. He raised his mace-free hand up.

– Bonecrusher! Bonecrusher! Bonecrusher!

The prisoner was not even given a weapon. The giant threw a ball, tied at one end to his hand, covered with spikes, and hit him in the chest. Scarlet blood flowed. The «volunteer» groaned in pain. The crowd cheered louder. Bonecrusher hit him again, this time with his fist in the head. The poor guy fell on the sand. The dwarf turned over the hourglass and began to scrupulously count the grains of sand. When the last one falls, the prisoner’s fate is sealed. We are all in her hands. But the fighter did not give up. He tried to get up, but was hit by another blow from the Bonecrusher. When the last grain of sand fell, the dwarf looked at Derr. There are two pictures above the royal box. One depicts a smiling man, the other a hanged man. The king pointed to the one on the right, and the leader turned the long arrow towards the doomed man. Derr nodded in agreement. Bonecrusher lowered his mace onto the prisoner’s head.

– Bonecrusher! Bonecrusher!

– What kind of savages? – Still asked, watching the fight from behind bars, «We ended with these wild customs about five hundred years ago!»

«People always remain beasts,» said Nermall, «Even if they play at being noble.» Once hypocrisy is removed, the animals come out.

– But are these people? Herd!

– This is true. It doesn’t hurt me to talk about this.

– Nermall, we’re not like that, are we? I hope we don’t end up like beasts?

The former pirate remained silent. He’s already done it, and not just once. But there was something human left in him. What forced me to pull myself together and return to human form. But Nermall guessed how these kinds of fights usually ended. But Stilla did not want to upset him ahead of time.

– Bring another one! – Bonecrusher growled in a broken voice.

– Guards? – the dwarf squeaked.

They brought out another prisoner. This one was more courageous than the previous one. He raised both hands up, copying the Bonecrusher gesture. The crowd applauded.

Bonecrusher threw a spiked ball, but the fighter dodged. He ran around the hulking thug from behind. Pouncing from behind, he bit her ear. Everyone was silent, waiting for how this bloody race would end.

Bonecrusher hit the impudent man on the head with his mace as hard as he could. The guy swayed and fell on the sand. Derr pointed to a picture of a hanged man, thereby sealing the fate of the loser.

– Next! – Bonecrusher shouted.

This time the lot fell on Nermall.

– Teacher, you are… Be careful.

– We are all in the hands of Fate. If you are ordered to die, you cannot escape death. And I’m lucky in this regard – I’ve already stayed alive forty times, you see, and this time fortune is on my side!

The audience laughed – it seemed that the fate of this prisoner was predetermined. Bonecrusher has twisted other people into a ram’s horn!

But it was not there! The old pirate met larger enemies, and in greater numbers.

– What, the bull’s skull put on its own face, I suppose? And the horns are adorable! How often do you leave your wifey at home? «Bonebreaker roared, his knuckles turning blue with anger. – I know, often. I have two news for you. Good: your wife is doing great. And the bad one is about the horns.

The flexible Nermall easily dodged the flying ball. With unprecedented agility for his age, he ran behind the big man. Nermall threw a stone and hit the thug in the ass. He roared even louder. He is clumsy, so while the big man was turning around, Nermall again found himself behind him.

– That’s right, not «Bonebreaker», but «Cuckold»

– I’ll get you, you old asshole!

– Or «Unicorn»? although there are two horns. Still, «Bull» would be a better fit.

– I love you!

They circled like this for a quarter of an hour. The bonebreaker triggered an invisible mechanism, and several spikes flew out of the mace. One of them hit Nermall in the leg.

– Now you won’t be so fast!

The big man was spinning his mace. Nermall, meanwhile, bent down to take the spike out of his leg.

– And you and your wife can only use a mace? I’m not surprised that she cuckolds you. Look, the longer you stay here, the longer the horns will grow!

– Yes, I can see you without a mace! I’ll get it with my bare hands! I’ll strangle you!

The crowd screamed. Bonecrusher dropped his mace onto the sand and walked towards Nermall, clenching his fists. Nermall plunged a spike into Bonecrusher’s leg. Crawling, he reached the mace. The big man barely had time to come to his senses when the mace hit him. He fell on the sand. Nermall stood on his back. The dwarf immediately turned over the hourglass.

– Bonecrusher! – lonely voices are heard from the crowd. The others shout:

– Old man!

The crowd loves the heroes while they’re on the horse. It’s better not to trust the smiles of fans, they sometimes betray. When the last grain of sand fell, the king pointed to the hanged man. But Nermall dropped his mace and hands. The dwarf whispered:

– Come on, kill him!

– Kill! – shouted from the crowd. – Kill! Kill!

Nermall shook his head.

Derr stood up from the throne and said:

– What’s your name, hero?

– They called me different things. For example, Nermall, Storm of the Seas!

– Oh, that same pirate! I know I know. In our area they called you Pain in the Ass. But this does not change the essence. You will earn forgiveness for all your misdeeds if you emerge victorious in the Tournament. Kill Bonecrusher, he doesn’t deserve to live.

– And you don’t deserve his death!

Silence reigned in the stands. The dwarf whispered in the king’s ear:

– Order him to be killed for this insolence?

– Not yet. Today he is the hero of this herd,» Derr whispered. Then he said loudly, for everyone. «Well, noble warrior, I offer you a reward for your generosity.» And what could be a better reward than another battle? Enter the Skulls!

– Scull! Scull! Scull! – shouted from the crowd. A frail, short black man came out, his face painted with the image of a skull. He is nimble, but Nermall only needs one blow with his mace – and the Skull falls to the sand. And then the old man threw away the mace again and smiled. Derr stood up from the throne and walked away from the podium. And the crowd shouted:

– Nermall! Nermall!

Today the old man is their hero.

The dwarf said:

– Well, Nermall turned out to be a good-natured person, he forgave two innocent souls. Guards, take them to the chambers of the participants in the competition. They are no longer heroes, let them fight equally with others for the right to live. I don’t think they’ll find a better way to manage their lives. The first round of the Competition is declared closed.

***

– Nermall, you did great! – friends patted the old man on the shoulder. And the rest of the prisoners gathered around him. The bonebreaker threw the bull’s skull onto the floor. His face is disfigured with scars and burns.

– Why didn’t you kill me?

– Should you?

– The king will now do everything possible to bring you to the next world.

– I do not submit to the will of kings. – Nermall glanced sideways at Still. – Except one.

«Thank you,» Bonecrusher extended his hand.

– Sorry, if anything happens, for the horns and all that.

– Nonsense. Guys, only one should survive. Such rules have not yet been made exceptions. I am the winner of the past Games. The Skull won the year before. Worms await us in the second round.

– What kind of worms? – Duncan interrupted.

– Giant worms tamed by desert magicians. If they could move not only on sand, then the whole world would belong to Lorraine. And so the worms protect the slaves. Why do you think slavery still exists here?

– What about the third round? – Lewis asked.

– In the third round, the surviving prisoners fight among themselves. Only one remains alive. There were cases when fighters became friends and refused to kill a damaged comrade. Then both died.

– But we must all survive! Still said.

– Fate grant, we are all in her hands and we trust in her.

– Let’s get out! And this was not the way out at the last moment! – said Nermall.

– Damned Morellian princess! Because of her wedding, these damn Games!

– What? – exclaimed Still. – Why, Suthering will be between Morelia and Lorraine, like between a rock and a hard place! We must not allow this!

Nermall began to sing an old pirate song, and several men joined in:

Yo-ho-ho! We are not afraid of the dead

We love mermaids, we are bottomlessly drunk.

We will be hanged – we will be finished!

But while we are alive, you are doomed!

Don’t hide your fins from me,

We are pirates, we are good people,

I am not a coward, not a villain, not an executioner.

There are no women – so a mermaid will do!

Yo-ho-ho, the bottomless expanse sleeps,

We know no peace, only rum and robbery,

We don’t want to die here

Have fun, friends, our motto is simple!

Yo-ho-ho, I’m dreaming of the blue distance,

We’re burning bridges and our pockets are empty

But I don’t feel sorry for the past at all,

Gallows or bonfires await us!

– Okay, guys, let’s go to bed. Tomorrow we have a hard day ahead of us.

Chapter 11. Worm

Still woke up from unbearable pain. Dawn. The guards woke up the slaves with lashes. A little more and it will crack. He will shout that he is the crown prince, I can’t treat him like that.

And then what? Will Derr go to his father to apologize? What nonsense. Instead of this cell, where he spends the night with his faithful comrades, he will be put in a golden cage. Friends will die. Maybe Duncan will stay, or Nermall. But others will not survive the arena. And Derr will exchange his own life for something very expensive. Maybe even Tivol’s crown.

«No, Still, you shouldn’t think like that. Be stronger. Not long left. We are all in the hands of Fate, and we trust in it. If you think about it, death isn’t that scary. Do you remember the fairy tales that your grandmother read to you at night? In them, good always triumphed over evil.»

But things didn’t get any calmer. «Life is not a fairy tale,» whispered a second voice, somewhere in the depths of my soul.

They brought food. Still endured the tasteless mess without pleasure. «We don’t even feed pigs like this,» he thought. The prince is unaware that for some Sutheringians such dinner was the main dish. On holidays, the poor prepared the same porridge, but fresher. «You wanted to know how ordinary people live!»

Bonecrusher snatched the bowl from Nermall’s hands.

– Better take mine.

Nermall raised an eyebrow.

– Do you think the king has forgiven you for your freedom yesterday? – Bonecrusher asked. – I don’t think so. Most likely, your portion contains poison or sleeping pills.

– But why do you want to eat it?

– I owe you my life. Moreover, I’m not hungry. I don’t like to eat in the morning.

And then they were taken to the arena. Still found himself in the fresh air for the first time. He spent the last two days in a sweat-smelling, stuffy cell.

There were stakes on the ground. Everyone took one.

«Remember,» said Bonecrusher, «worms have one vulnerable spot – their belly.» Aiming at the back, head or anywhere else is useless. Hit the belly and the creature is dead.

– Ladies and Gentlemen! – shouted the dwarf presenter. – The second round of the Games has begun!

The crowd applauded. Derr sat silently on the throne and did not take his eyes off Nermall. Then he glanced at the other slaves. When his gaze fell on Lewis, he almost jumped in surprise. His son had disappeared years ago, and he believed Lewis to be dead. And he is here, nearby, among the slaves! He reached for the eyepiece to get a better look at what was happening. This short glance is enough for Councilor Ezigurd. He didn’t need an eyepiece to see the face of the king’s illegitimate son. There was another person in the crowd of spectators who, without magnification, would have recognized the bastard at any distance. This is Carewyn’s stepfather. He beat Lewis’s mother when she gave birth to someone else’s child. And Lewis himself often had to hide in the desert or on the streets of the city so as not to fall under the hot hand of a drunkard.

– Let’s greet the desert sorcerer, the snake and worm charmer. Advisor Ezigurd!

The advisor whispered words in an unfamiliar language. Four black ribbons appeared from his hands and rushed deep into the sand. He pulled the ribbons towards himself, as if using them to urge horses. First the head of a monster appeared from under the sand, and then the worm blocked out the sunlight. The monster looks more like a dragon without wings. The same elongated head with a crown of spikes and scaly skin, the same fanged mouth. The monster roared and lowered its snout, killing two prisoners at once. One of them turned out to be Skull. Esigurd concentrated all his strength so that the worm would not inadvertently attack Lewis. The Bastard could be useful in his political plans. The worm looked around. The prisoners ran here and there to avoid being eaten. However, Bonecrusher was dizzy and seeing double. Well, Nermall beat him yesterday. Or is there poison in the food? And the worm was just waiting for that. Nermall said:

– Duncan, you have always been better than others in using a spear. Can you handle the stakes?

– I think yes.

– We will distract him, and you hit him right at the pink spot on his stomach!

– Fine!

Everyone except Duncan gathered in one place. The monster began to lower its head. It suddenly seemed to Nermall that Lisa was standing next to him. Lately he had often seen this, and not always in his dreams. She beckoned him along:

– Come with me, Nermall. There is silence and eternal peace. You deserve it!

«Lisa,» the old man whispered. Still managed to push the teacher onto the sand, and the worm’s mouth closed in the air. The monster began to rise, and then Duncan drove the stake. The worm roared and fell onto the sand.

The crowd applauded. Victory! But why is there such devastation in my soul? Still counted the survivors and fifty people entered the arena. And now twenty, or even less.

Lewis clenched his fists. This city has always been the most inhospitable place for him. He will survive. And he will burn it to the ground, and then scatter the stones so that there will be no memory of this damned place. And he will give his father to be eaten by a worm. Together with a nasty dwarf who, smiling, made a speech:

– The second round of the Games is over. The final round awaits us tomorrow!

***

Lewis was woken up in the middle of the night and taken away somewhere. In the corridor the air is not half as musty as in the cell. The guard brought the guy to Derr’s chambers.

– Hello, son. Long time no see.

Lewis was silent.

– I buried you a long time ago. I didn’t know you’d be here! In slavery!

– You’re a beast. How can I be the son of a monster? Tomorrow they will force us to kill each other!

– You don’t have to kill. I’ll let you go.

– Am I left to watch my friends die? No thanks! I’d rather die next to them!

– I can’t stop the games! How can you not understand! I sit on the throne, wear the crown, but I have no power for a long time! I didn’t even notice how power passed to Manstead. He killed Reeve and San. He killed both younger brothers! I would be dead too if he considered me competition. And you won’t survive if he finds out about you. I can’t stand another death of a loved one. I raised a monster!

Derr managed to forget that he himself, on the way to the crown, killed six princes. Everything gets paid sooner or later. The later, the more expensive the gifts of Fate are.

«You need to run urgently,» Derr said.

– I won’t go without friends. Take me to the cell.

– Jack! – Derr shouted louder. The guard entered. «Release the prisoners whom this slave points out.» They are now free.

«I received no orders from Prince Manstead.

«From Prince Manstead, then…» Derr whispered, lowering his eyes. And then he took a dagger from his sleeve and cut the soldier’s throat. Then he handed a bunch of keys to his son.

– Thank you, pa.

– Good luck, son. Take care of yourself.

– Will.

After some time, Manstead entered Derr’s chambers, accompanied by Carewyn, Lewis’s stepfather.

– Where is he! – the prince looked under the bed, then opened the closet. – Tell me, where?

– If i knew.

Manstead looked at the soldier’s corpse and struck his father on the cheek.

«If you do that again, I’ll strangle you.» I promise I will do so! Chasing them, immediately! Bring me Lewis’s head!