Kitabı oku: «Amaranta-2. Captive of Elf’s King», sayfa 3

«There are such girls as they need to withdraw with poisonous solutions, «Amaranta said as quiet as possible, so that the arahni did not hear her.

«The poison does not work on them. The first lady at the court of the elves Ivein also dislikes them, but uses with the benefit of themselves. After all, she is in the dresses donated by them, the mind does not lose. They only actually act on mortal. I think if you are a favorite of Dagda, then he sent them here so that they decorate the castle. For example, they can make tapestries.

It would not be superfluous! After all, Spark and his friends walked holes in all existing tapestries. But the ability to enchant the castle a little frightened, because under it you can understand any cunning magic trap.

The golden cobweb above is slightly covered with ice. Arahni was excited about cold.

«Frost! In summer!» Even Cannes was worried.

«According to rumors, Ice Army comes to the king of Ilior,» Amaranta admitted reluctantly.

«Then hence it’s time to fly away!» Cannes was worried. «I do not want to hold the next millennium frozen in the block of ice.»

«Maybe still not so bad.»

«You can easily speak. You have an elf patron, and I have anyone.»

«And what about me? Do you not live in my boudoir?»

Amaranta wanted to console her, but Cannes have already bothered. As if the Firefly, she swayed in height and instantly lost in the labyrinth galleries and arches. Spark giggled over it. If the fairy was afraid of ice, then the spark feels himself as hero. After all, upon the occurrence of an ice horde, who, besides fiery elves, will be able to protect the county?

Golden Shield

In the beginning a hunter then a blacksmith brought an alarming rumors into the castle that strange mechanical beings crawl out of Rodolite. The peasants from the nearest villages planned to arrange a riot. Angus dismissed this news. The threat of war for the whole Ilion was much more considerable than the petty riot of farmers. A few knights is enough to disperse the rebels in the surrounding area. But the war is so easy not to win.

Angus tormented the thought whether he could enlist in the future war the help of the king of elves. Dagda himself did not visit him yet, but sent his servants to make the tapestry as a gift to newlyweds. Now the creatures, called the Arahni, were crawling around the hall for feasts and worked on a bizarre machine brought by elves.

The church, built by Finodirries, as a place for worships remained inactive. But the Finodirirries settled next to it and even built a wall so that none of the people would dare to go on their territory. What they did there, remained a mystery. It seems to be treated the fields. Once, passing by, instead of the seeded fields Angus saw only thickets of turf.

For him it became a bad omen. After all, this is the temple where they were married with Amaranta. If it is the truth, then the wedding seems to be terminated.

Their marriage gave a crack. Amaranta was constantly near, but the feeling was as if she was far away. What Angus did not ask her, everything received only mechanical answers. And Amaranta had very many fans. All his knights suddenly began to care for her alone, as if they had conspired.

«Men like only empty-headed dolls,» laughed Spark on this topic.

Angus did not think so. After all, the fiery elf determined very accurately. Amaranta has become similar to a mechanical doll. In her eyes there is no shadow of intelligence. She did everything, as if on whose will. Maybe some elves were guilty? Angus heard stories about people who physically remain in this world, although their consciousness is captive by elves. Only a physical shell sits at home.

Could this come out and in the case of Amaranta? It will be necessary to ask Dagda when he will apply a visit again.

Angus even tried to call him, pinning his blood to the peace agreement with elves. Instead of Dagda, a beautiful lady came in a wreath of golden leaves, which was called Ivein. She was accompanied by the page, or the younger brother named Ivor.

As far as Angus understood after a brief dialogue, Ivein was the first lady at the court of Dagda. To discuss with her whether Amaranta was winned, Angus did not dare. In addition, Ivein tried to seduce him. To keep the temptation was extremely difficult. After Amaranta she was the most beautiful woman, which Angus saw in his life.

Ivor looked at her attempt to flirt with a big condemnation. Golden leaves ranked in his hair, wings trembled in a short green cloak.

«Dangerous black creatures are sitting in cages in your poultry house,» he noticed gloomily. «You would like to burn them, until they broke out.»

Angus understood this as a hint. So, those monstrous birds, which once caught his grandfather, is to blame for Amaranta. Theobald also assured they tried to influence her when she walked around the birds. He was already warned that these creatures are very dangerous, and he left them from the vanity in the collection. All due to the fact that he was proud of his bird collection, the largest not only in Ilion, but also in all surrounding countries. Those black birds did not die almost a hundred years. To release them is a risk. It is better to burn them with their cages.

«You could profitably sell them or exchanged, if you turn to her majesty Medea Shai, the queen of black fairies,» tactically advised Ivein. «At the same time, it can help in hostilities, if those are expected.»

«It’s not necessary to contact her,» Ivor immediately said. «Her services are expensive than any benefit that she will give you.»

«He is a joker,» smiled Ivein.

Ivor showed a whole golden twisted tongue. Angus shuddered at the sight of it.

«And where is she to find?«Angus was interested.

«There are several ways,» Ivein has bent the fingers, crumpled gold leaves. «Send with a message someone who you would like to sacrifice, at the intersection of roads at midnight. Fill the bowler with the blood of your enemy, boil it on the fire and call her. The easiest way is to get up at night in front of the mirror, taking a large red gem and pronounce her name thirteen times. The stone will have to give her, barely she appears. Otherwise, she will take you yourself. In general, it is a risk to call her, but the risk is justified, because she is very powerful.

«I will take into account!» Angus said. Probably, from the very beginning it was necessary to call an ally-woman from the magic world, not an ally-man. Ivein gave a good advice. – And Dagda will not be against the fact that I will call her?»

«In no case! He does not know how to get rid of her society. You will not be in a burden. You have only one human life, but to endure the company of Medea Shai many centuries turned out to be very burdensome. Dagda will only be grateful that you distracted herit from him.»

Ivein picked up the train, ringing golden leaves, and was already preparing to leave, but suddenly remembered something.

«Oh yes! In no case do not meet Medea Shai with his wife, if you want to protect Amaranta from trouble. Medea Shai cannot tolerate beautiful mortal women.»

Probably, therefore Dagda and did not lead her to our wedding, Angus thought. Ivein has already come out, right in the window. Ivor followed her. Angus would have been frightened that both guests would break up to death if the wings did not flush behind both of them.

Arahni were making tapestry. Amaranta watched them, standing in the doorway of the Big Hall. They made tapestry as if from nothing. Where does the Golden Thread come from? The bizarre patterns are not finished tapestry in familiar places: the arch at the junction of worlds, the temple, built by Finodirries, forests, full elves, bridges from rainbow and a black tract, followed to the kingdom of Fairies. The last place Amaranta has not yet seen with her own eyes and hoped never to see. As Quentin said, if she once gets there, she will die by sophisticated methods of the queen of fairies. Therefore, it is better not to see.

The tapestry, woven by fairies (even if they are spides, but still fairies) made an impression. It has not yet been completed, but it was already possible to determine that it shows not only earthly kingdoms, but all the lands of Tuati de Danan. Even the black tract of Medea Shai has been born in the lower left corner of the tapestry. Next to it, the pink thread portrayed a red stone, like Corundum. Wrapped with green forest threads alternated with silver and gold groves. Next to the tiny figures of people were embroidered large silhouettes of dragons, giants, goblins and trolls. Does all this evil dwells somewhere outside the county. Amaranta was looking for white silhouettes of ice elves at the tapestry, when in the hall came Thobald and Ambrose. They whispered about something. And it seemed to her what they would say right at her ear. The rumor suddenly aggravated.

«The delegation of elves and fairies in the castle is too big,» Theobald insisted in a habit. «They behave very suspiciously. Why do we need some kind of tapestry from them?»

«They just want to make a gift,» Ambrose turned out to be not so suspicious as his interlocutor.

«Gifts from them are impregnated with magic. And magic is unacceptable for people. My head is spinning near this tapestry.»

«My isn’t. Only all these patterns on the tapestry are blurred, barely concentrate on them. It seems that all these disinanted figures begin to move.»

«It’s all the tricks of fairies!» Theobald clenched fists.

«Maybe no,» Ambrose suggested. «When I look at the candles in the candelabra, I sometimes have the impression that their flames forms fiery figures that dance.»

«And you too!»

«And you don’t have the impression that the Countess is not alone one,» Theobald spoke first. «Now she stands and watches the work of these terrible fairies, as if they were not able to hurt her. And I saw her in the garden, when I looked out of the window. She can not move so quickly, as if she had become the fairy with wings.»

Now Amaranth has already been alerted. They noticed her copy! It is necessary to be more careful in the future. Dagda did not call her on a date so long that she began to wander near the golden roses, waiting for him.

«No matter how bad things came out,» the sounds of the knights dialogue were still coming. «Magic folk at the court of people are dangerous guests.»

«We’re now seem to allies,» said Ambrose.

The procession of elegant ladies and cavaliers, which recently walked in the garden, was promoted to the hall. He headed her, of course, Angus and her own copy. That’s it! Amaranta did not know where to go. It is necessary to disappear until Angus noticed her. One of the Arahni shows with her paw to tapestry. There was nothing to do. Amaranta stepped to her, immediately confused in colored threads, and a miracle suddenly happened – it turned out that she was no longer in the hall with a tapestry, but in an empty poultry house. Blimey! It wondered through the door, and not through the tapestry.

The heart was still alarmed. Does Angus noticed? And what to keep a magic copy in the castle if she herself does not go from the castle? Although who makes she be in the castle? She can walk along the meadows and groves in the hope of meeting there again the king of elves. Or look for a bridge from a white rainbow to go to Belladonna for advice.

Instead, she approached the cage with the fire-bird. It needs to release it! To keep the magic bird in a cage in the castle of people isn’t right. The door latch at the bottom of the rods immediately succumbed. Fire-bird feathers slightly fell her fingers, but the burn on the skin was left. The bird squeezed gracefully from the cage and flew into a large window. Not even nodded as a sign of gratitude. Amaranta watched her anyway with delight. Magic birds are amazingly beautiful and majestic creatures. They are not intended to sit in cages.

But ordinary birds did not want to fly away. They are accustomed to dwell in the poultry house. There are more food here than in the wild.

«Come to us! We missed you!»

Nasty hoarse voices hurt ears. However, Amaranta moved to sounds. For some reason, there was no strength to resist the call. And now she again sat in front of the cage, in which a terrible creature was sitting.

A wonder in a cage! Otherwise, you won’t call it. And it is not one here. Dozens of these monstrous birds. All of them are a bit different, but equally ugly. Evil red eyes sparkle because of the rods. From their sight the goosebumps running through the skin.

«You know who we are?»

Amaranta shook her head.

«The bones of our fathers could contact the dust in the family crypt of this castle, but our mothers are nor more, no less than the fairies from the kingdom of Medea Shai.»

«Then why don’t they come for you?»

«Fairies always throw away their children from mortals.»

«It looks like nonsense.»

«When do you have something similar to us from an elf, you will put it in a cage too?»

«The keys are at Angus,» she recalled.

«They are no longer needed. You can open the cage if you want.»

«How? With bare hands?»

«Just touch and wish! It will open itself.»

«I’m not a wizard!»

«But you are a favorite of king of elves. Such girls are sometimes more powerful than the magicians. While he can’t throw you, you can all.»

And where is the guarantee that Dagda still did not throw her? He did not meet her for so long ago. In the world of elves, of course, the time stretches quite differently than by the people. It is possible that for him and the whole century is not the term, but for people, alas, everything is different.

«What will you do when you find yourself in the wild?» She asked the monster, who led a conversation with her..

«Fly back to Corund.»

«To Corund?»

«So called the kingdom of Medea Shai.»

«I thought it was called a black tract.»

«No, the black tract is areas around her kingdom, where such creatures are nesting like us. And the Corund itself is only to the elite: fairies, elves, dragons. In the kingdom of fairies, too, not all subjects have privileges. Some have to crawl on his backyards, even though they are nothing worse than others.»

«Have you been born there, in Corund, or here, in the castle?» Amaranta began to believe the Monster.

«In Corund.»

«And how did you get into the poultry house?»

«We were invited on the night feast to the great-grandfather of Angus. We ate, drank, and woke up already in the cages.»

«It’s cruel!» Amaranta agreed.

«Probably, it was not worth to eat the servants in the feast,» another bird grumbled.

«The owner of the castle suggested himself,» Amaranta’s previous interlocutor amended. – He wanted to allay our suspicion. For this, it was possible to sacrifice a pair of servants. Fairies ate only flower petals from the garden, which they were served on porcelain plates, knights – a deer grilled on a spit, and we ate raw meat of young servants.»

«Do you not eat me if I release you?» She joked.

«You? In no case! From the meat of the beloved of Elf you can easily be poisoned.»

«Do not bite other people in the castle too?»

«I promise!» answered the bird immediately for everyone.

«Are you sure that in the outskirts of Corund you will be happy more than here?»

Even if their mothers are truly fairies, they will not be glad to see again such monstrous offspring. Although who knows these fairies? What is their magic morality? How do they relate to their loved ones?

«Open!» insisted the feathered monster.

Amaranta’s hand trembled. It was scary to release something such a terrible, similar to the nightmare.

«We are the same living beings as you,» the monster insisted. «We are reasonable! We can not keep in cages like simple birds. This is the same as planted in a cage you for what you sleep with an elf.»

The monster was not restrained into the language. In addition, he was strongly nervous.

«Let me go!» He demanded. «Otherwise, they will burn me right in the cage! I heard that this is how they plan to do with us. I all hear what happens in the castle and even beyond. From me there will make a handful of poisonous coals.»

«Who?» Who could be such a villain. Is it really settled in this castle! Surely, this is Theobald, he hates everything magical.

«Your husband!» He admitted, looking around, as if he had heard someone’s steps nearby. «He has already agreed to do it. His knights incite him to do it. And he is too stupid to think with his own head.

Looks like the truth. Theobald always was against the magic. The creature in the cage certainly could hear other people’s conversations even at a great distance. Sorry for him! Yes, it is a monster, but it’s too monstrous! Amaranta tried to open the lock, and it was easily to open.

The bird monster escaped and described the circle over the whole room.

«It is good that the sun sits down. I do not like bright light,» he said. «And now let go others.»

But Amaranta did not hurry. He was too demanding.

The creature understood his mistake and hastily crouched, adding nursing:

«You are welcome!»

However, the first impression was already spoiled. On an intimidated victim, the liberated bird was not at all like. He showed steel teeth, sharpened in the form of needles.

«I will bite all the local knights,» the flying freak boasts.

Maybe, however, it was better to burn it with a cage. The view of him was awesome and aggressive. With wings and claws he began to twist everything that would turn. A knight came running to the noise. The bird threw on him from a height, clung to the throat, gripping the pieces of the flesh with the challenge.

It can be seen, no one’s promise is alive, it turned out to be a lie. Amaranta was pleased that she did not have time to let go other sinister birds, but the locks on their cages suddenly fell.

«This is Medea Shai goes!» The pointed monster, who faded a knight, broke away from the meal and listened. «When the keys on her belt ring, all the locks unlock themselves. It was necessary to wait a bit, and I would have cost without your help.»

The bunches of the darkness really stretched on the floor, as if someone’s claws. If we assume that the queen of Fairies is a thick black fog, it has already penetrated all the cracks. Together with it there were some creatures. They squeezed, jerked, jumping on the floor. They had spikey backs, claws the size of knives and tails. On fairies, something is not at all like. Unless on servants of Fairies, who crawled out of the outskirts of Corund.

«Better run from her!» The liberated monster gave a good advice. «If she finds you, then I will not come to your bones to keep in memory.»

His tribesmen who escaped from the cages did not touch her. But the monsters, stuck under her feet, stored scratch, bite or grab for the train. Some of them screamed, having burned about the Golden Web, a handkerchief, wounded by Arahnia. Amaranta never managed to tear it from her sleeve. But from the uninvited guests, it became a good thing. They pushed it as if they could go blind from the golden radiance of the threads, and turned away.

Outside came the sounds of struggle, swirls, ringing of weapons, whistle of arrows. Did they really attacked the castle? It is unlikely that the knights began to give such a serious rebuff of the lowest freaks. Even to the roar of guns.

Amaranta understood that she was stupid, and still stuck to the tower to see what was happening. The black sea of monstrous bodies and horned heads unfolded below. This is not at all ice armies. But they are all armed and militant, and she represents a good target for them. But it was too late to leave the tower. The monster below was superimposed on the theater instead of hissing snake arrows. Fairies with black wings twitched to parapets to attack archers.

This siege! But where did all these monster troops come from? Clear case, not from the kingdom of elves. Lightweight servants of Dagda monsters were certainly not. Unless other than Finodirries, but not a single Finodirry in the black crowd could be seen. But among the monsters, were fairies. Are they all really led by Medea Shai here?

Someone aimed with a bow at Amaranta. An arrow of the snake was made right in her. It would have worked to death, if something similar to the golden shield did not grow between it and Amaranta.

This is Luellin! How suddenly she arose! As if the bodyguard. The snake spiked and twisted, sticking to her golden shoulder. It could not harm Luellin, but it also could not free itself. Amaranta noticed that the snake was unusual. Its skin was red and sparkling. Luellin grabbed it with two fingers over the head and squeezed so that it had smashed. From the snake left only a wet place.

It turns out a copy and really could serve her with a shield. Just do not believe that it will protect from everything. From the tower it’s time to leave. Others already aimed at the bottom. Luellin could obscure her from arrows, but not from the hostile fairy, which flew to the tower parapet. Amaranta with difficulty learned the fairy, who headed the magic procession in the forest. The beauty has a face twisted from anger, and the wings sparkling before that fenced like a night.

«Here she is! I found her!» The fairy wanted to attack, without looking at the golden shield of Amaranta.

Amaranta remembered the dragon fruit, which from recently she began to carry with her like a ball for games. Probably, all his abilities for ignition have long exhaled, but she had no other weapons. It was worth to reject at least this attack.

The fairy shuddered from the surprise when the scaly fruit hit her chest. All scales on it were lit. Amaranta realized that it was a real dragon apple. The fairy, soaring over the tower, from contact with him flashed like a match. And it was not all. Flaming Dragon Apple fell down, and several cohort of monstrous troops exploded with fire from it.

The water elves intrigued to the emerging from the lake, hastily dived back. It was obvious to fulfill their duty and fasten the attackers, they clearly did not want. Lazy and panties! It was necessary to drive them from the castle to all four sides. But Spark that appeared unexpectedly wanted to help. He pulled out several snake arrows who were sucking for Luellin, and burned them. From contact with his fingers was burning and melted absolutely everything.

«Dangerous things,» he commented. «If they sticked you, you would have been dead. These viper from the kingdom of Medea Shai. They are used as poison arrows.»

Amaranta and herself had already guessed it.

«What do they want?» She pointed to the army.

«I do not have the concept. I generally did not understand where they came from. Nothing heard. Usually I caught all the sounds for a lot of miles. Such a feeling that they were called magical here, and not through the fields and forest.»

«What is it like?»

«There are mirror paths.»

Amaranta did not understand what he meant. It was too risky on the tower, but it was impossible to leave it. At the bottom under the stairs crowded black creatures. The same as those that stood the shelves under the lock. How did they manage to penetrate the fortress itself? So far, their claws and alabards slid along the Golden Body of Luellin, covering the path to them, but it cannot continue for a long time.

Spark also tried to fight back. His friends joined him, damaged from all sides. Initially, they managed to discourage the attackers, but the rain from the sparks was not enough for a long time. The monsters were difficult to burn, besides, they began to cover with black shields. Previously, these shields were not exactly. They got them, as if from the darkness itself.

Soon Spark will disappear, as well as the water elves, and she will remain alone. Only with her copy. By the way, the monsters did not think to attack Luellin. She herself fell on them.

From the outside of heaven, a loud noise of wings rang out. Dragons will continue now! Amaranta all squeezed.

«How to call here the king of elves?» questioned she Spark. «Could you fly to him urgently? Or send someone who is most promoted from your buddies?»

«Dagda will not interfere,» Spark said.

«Why?»

«He has a pact with the Queen of Fairies, like with you.»

Looks like a trap! Dagda could help, but he has agreements on both sides.

«This is your chance,» Spark pointed to the dragon, flew up to the tower. Its scales sparkled, as polished emerald. Amber eyes were not evil. Even if it is the Dragon of the Queen of Fairies, it does not proceed either anger or rage. It could only wave a silent tail and demolish the entire tower, but instead just steam her over her. It seemed to be invited to sit down on its uplift. Amaranta leaned about a large spike on his ridge, rose to the parapet and moved to the back to the dragon. It immediately fell off the place and flew away from the castle, highly rising over the monstrous armies below.