Natalie Yacobson "Dragon’s Empire – 4. Rose for dragon"

What is the main thing inВ battle?

The branches ofВ the fir-trees clung toВ the clothes, scratched the face when IВ went past them.

IВ tried toВ not pay attention toВ scratches, they still would heal soon. All forest livestock and birds and animals realized that it was better not toВ disturb me. Even the hungry wolves were embarrassed, because they understood: aВ more terrible predator appeared even hungry than they. The wolves themselves could overnight become food forВ him.

For me, the difficulty was familiar. The most difficult thing was toВ protect the girl from wounds. The golden dress has burned my fingers. It was necessary toВ be careful, because if some kind ofВ dry branch scratched the skin ofВ the girl, which IВ carried inВ my hands through the whole forest, then IВ myself would have toВ treat it. Somewhere nearby there was aВ hut ofВ forester, but it was not easy toВ reach it. IВ went on feet toВ the very boarder ofВ my empire, and here it always was aВ strong frost. The cargo, which almost nothing weighed, began toВ pull my hands.

That’s hut. I almost with joy rushed there, and did not immediately feel someone’s gaze. I turned around. Behind us was only the snowfall. Not a single wolf attracted by the smell of blood would risk getting closer to me than a few meters.

В«If you are unable toВ accomplish justice, then IВ will do it,В» said aВ familiar voice at my shoulder. В«Give me aВ girl.В»

В«Go away,В» IВ almost hissed. В«You will not cross the border at all wishes. Your justice is deaf and blind, but even if it was different, the prey belongs only toВ me.В»

В«So it will be the war? Do you want toВ fight?В» The powerless rage caused the prince toВ increase the voice.

В«As soon as you want,В» IВ explained with cold courtesy. It did not even give me aВ pleasure that he trampled at the most borders and was unable toВ cross them. IВ left him behind the threshold, and IВ myself bowed my head inВ order not toВ knock on the threshold and disappeared inВ the doorway. The door itself slammed with noise, as if it separated two worlds.

The hut ofВ huntsman was long empty.

One pure bed immediately became aВ bed for Rose.

Some creature appeared outside the door. It creaked and opened. Someone sniffed to the air and, apparently, having revealed me, rushed away. So, the new tenant will not be disturbed. Well, it’s even good.

Rosa managed toВ frozen much, but IВ knew that IВ could save her. My blood can return toВ her vital warmth. IВ looked around the sides inВ search ofВ aВ knife and not finding it, without aВ ceremony bit the veins at my wrist and put aВ bleeding brush toВ her mischievous lips.

В«Just do not die,В» IВ mentally asked. В«Who, besides you, will be able toВ divide my dark addiction toВ ancient magic with me. Maybe if you are near, IВ will understand all the ancient manuscripts.В»

In the hut was even colder than in the forest. It seemed to be an icy wind in all the cracks. I could tell the fire to burn, but instead of it for some reason I began to look for firewood. Empty hero did not give hopes. Nor fire, nor firewood was found. I broke down a couple of unnecessary chairs, quickly clicked my fingers, carving a few sparks, and hastily turned on Rose, hoping that she had not woke up yet. And if she woke up, it would be strange to appear in front of it – the magician made the flame from nothing and broke off the chair with such ease, as if it was a thin twist. Nails from broken furniture fell on the floor. Their chime could wake up and dead, but Rose did not wake up for a very long time.

В«Who are you?В» The voice ofВ Rose brought me out ofВ stupor.

В«Do you not remember?В»

She just looked at me with beautiful, empty eyes. Eyes inВ which there were no memoirs left.

В«Where is the dragon?В»

В«Where is the dragon?В» IВ almost laughed, stupid, deaf, lost, but instead ofВ it IВ only shrugged and lied. В«IВ do not know.В»

And it is instead ofВ toВ honestly admit: В«He is inВ front ofВ you.В»

I listened to the inhuman whisper of my subjects in air height, to quietly cautious steps of wolves in the snow, to the spiders in the cracks and thought what from these sounds Rose could catch, and what not. Perhaps she also heard the echoes of the conversations of the elves in the snowy storm, as some spirit laughed, looking into the pipe, and this laughter echoed in chimney. Whether she looked attentively to me in search of the angel’s halo over my head or tried to consider a black double satellite, which, remembering the past, broke out of the shackles of the human body and again, like a shadow, standing behind me.

В«You also became his victim?В» Rose looked at me with regret.

«Yes,» at least once I answered the truth. Once upon a time, my life was brought to the sacrificial altar so that my shadow satellite – the dragon gained the highest strength. Now he is an integral, dark part of me. He is no longer a separate monster, but only a black soul in a beautiful body. He was a master, and I am a servant, until I was able to tame him. He is dark, and I am his bright reflection, his shell, his mask.

Remember that mask IВ left you on the windowsill and you will understand what my essence is, IВ tried toВ say it Rose with one glance, but she either did not understand or interpreted everything inВ her own way. And does she remember any mask? Does she remember something atВ all?

В«Rose?В» IВ cautiously called. It seemed toВ me that even she was here, but her soul was somewhere far, perhaps still inВ the dragon claws.

В«Do you know my name?В» She was alerted.

Great, she at least did not forget her name. She forgot only me and, obviously, everything connected withВ me.

«Do you remember the evening in the „Marionette“ and the fearful play by author named Camille?»

В«IВ remember something,В» she said. The motive was the murder ofВ aВ marquise inВ Viniena. Now IВ know who ruined her, but the author from where he could know that the dragon killed her?В»

В«Maybe he himself saw,В» IВ mumble uncertainly.

В«Or maybe he killed her himself, and he wrote the play toВ make the dragon guilty,В» Rose said. В«If he saw it, he would not write aboutВ it.В»

В«Yes, yes, probably,В» IВ hurriedly confirmed.

The fire has danced inВ the furnace.

For the first time IВ had toВ shoot aВ deer, not toВ take revenge on Odil, but toВ provide aВ princess aВ dinner. IВ never knew how toВ cook food and prepare hot drinks, so IВ had toВ rely exclusively on witchcraft. It remained toВ hope that Rose would not think about from where the bottle ofВ wine and glasses suddenly appeared on the empty table.

«Tell me, can he return for his victim?» Rose did not break her eyes off the fire. She didn’t want to pronounce the word «dragon.»

В«If he wants toВ find you, then the locks are not aВ barrier for him.В» IВ struck with such aВ force with the fist along the wall, that it seemed the house was itself shaken. InВ aВ smooth masonry there was aВ dent, and IВ did not even feel pain. Fingers are just aВ little bit ofВ numb.

«You can lock behind the steel doors, in the dungeon, in a dried well on the edge of the world and still he will find you. He will arrive on the smell of your blood, because…»

IВ started toВ nauseate from the fragrance ofВ fried meat. IВ would be bad from the smell ofВ any meal, because IВ was hungry. My hunger did not have anything inВ common with human food, he demanded victims.

В«So you need quickly toВ run away from here,В» IВ finished the phrase and hastily put the wallet ofВ gold on the table. В«Take the crew on the road. If things go quite badly, came into any church.В»

At least, there my subjects and the prince will not be able toВ touch you, IВ almost added.

As soon as she fell asleep, I went out in a frosty night, wander around the forest. It was better to kill the deer than the princess. That night I didn’t meet any small animal to buy her life with its blood. Even the wolves were hidden from me. But if a person met me on the forest path, he would not even suspect the danger. Any oncoming offered me his company and would be careless until he noticed in my eyes an obsessed shine and did not understand that he was going next to his own death.

One deer still came upon my claws. Until then than the rage did not subside after the successful hunt, I didn’t even notice that some strange beast would steal behind me. When I left the carcass in the snow, I heard someone with claws watched with greed for each my movement. There were no footprints in the snow, but the pursuer himself was. It was possible to swear in the fact that this someone, contrary to all the laws of nature, has imagined himself as a predator, and I was a victim. For him, the game was full of sharp sensations. In addition, I was so desperate that I did not even notice him. Let him crawl or flies through the forest, anyway any predator is powerless in comparison with me.

I could not let go Rose on the will. In the morning, in an hour after she left, I realized that the danger would steal behind her along the trail just like the faceless clawed pursuer after me. In addition to the Henri’s soldiers, who noticed Rose in a small roadside tavern, other, invisible enemies chased for her. I could only be patient, prepare the sledge and wait on one of the forest’s roads. When Rose lost hope to save from the pursuers, I again kindly offered her help. She took my hand offered to her and climbed into the sledge, like many before her. How many girls have already done with me the same way in the sledge to the castle and they all stayed there in a silent marble gallery.

During the trip, IВ wondered for aВ long time, from what old-clothes dealer Rose had time toВ acquire aВ well-minded form camisole, breeches and high boots. The clothes were obviously aВ little bit alone and were not intended for cold weather. Every one strip ofВ brown fur stretched around the collar, too tough for gentle skin ofВ the neck and cheeks. Rose seemed toВ feel inВ all this quite convenient. The most amazing was that she looked even more beautiful than before. Perhaps the boyish outfit emphasized her fragility. InВ any case, the beauty again managed toВ touch me and for this she did not need toВ cry or complain. She did not even say anything, she only raised her beautiful, tired eyes and IВ immediately began toВ feel sorry for her. Even gave her aВ cloak so that she did not freeze.

В«The storm is coming,В» IВ said. В«It is better toВ be inВ the castle inВ the bad weather.В»

В«What kind ofВ the castle is it? Is there aВ castle inВ this wilderness?В» InВ aВ charming voice, disdain was heard.

В«What kind ofВ empire is without aВ castle?В» IВ grinned, thinking that without my own fortress, IВ would not make aВ proper impression on the subjects. Rose did not say anything, but looked at me like aВ madman. She still saw only forests and aВ wretched hut, and IВ suddenly spoke about the empire.

В«What is your name?В» After aВ pause, she asked.

What is it to say? I was already used to that no one asked for my name. I heard only the offensive shouts: «Dragon», «Demon». The peasants who went to me with the forks and knives didn’t care about my name. The name was given with the baptism. So where could it be by the dragon?

В«Edwin,В» said I, and immediately thought with aВ mockery, the unfortunate handsome Edwin, it would be better for him if the royal advisors cut his head before the prince came with his fire, his demands, his dark legion.

«What’s next? What is your title? What is your Family’s name?» Rose with difficulty could understand me, but I only smiled coldly and allowed generously.

В«It is just Edwin.В»

She would know that toВ call the emperor byВ name inВ any country it is aВ rare honor, not only inВ the empire ofВ shadows, spirits and fairies, inВ one word, damned and unusual creatures.

«Look, we are almost at the goal,» I pointed to the patterned teeth of the towers, raised above the forest on the background of an amazing-bright blue sky. Before that, Rose enthusiastically watched the annoying birds circling about me, waiting for orders, and did not believe in the existence of the castle. See – it means to believe. And the towers, the gate and bastions were quite tangible. True, there were neither guards nor gatekeepers. Witchcraft is the most reliable watchman, the most complex lock without a key. Rose didn’t understand what kind of fortress it was.

She felt uncomfortably only when she noticed inВ the courtyard the semicircle ofВ stakes stuck inВ the ground. That spectacle was usual, simply on the top ofВ each ofВ the stakes was aВ severed head. My enemies, traitors or unwanted guests who accidentally invaded the territory ofВ the Empire were long beheaded, but it seemed that they still lived and the dead would tell about their torments. Human persons eventually decomposed and turned into skulls, and the faces ofВ inhuman creatures always remained unchanged, suffering and aВ little surprised. As if they did not want toВ believe that the end was still coming. IВ hoped that the next stake would decorate the head ofВ the prince.

The castle’s doors were opened, but Rose was not dare to enter. The horses in the sledge beat about the ground with hooves in such a rage, as if they wanted to stamp and the girl, and coachman and all who would meet on the path.

«What’s the matter?» I asked without words. The punished elves perfectly understood me. I had to stand between one horse and Rose.

В«Your death is behind you,В» inВ aВ short rye you could distinguish and bitterness, and laughter. IВ myself was ready toВ laugh, because IВ had only Rose behind my back.

В«She will destroy you,В» again aВ short laugh.

I turned to Rose and immediately reproved myself for it. Of course, she did not understand anything. She simply could not understand a horse’s neighing.

The apartments for Rose have long been prepared, the necessary things and the best outfits, which only managed to find. I did not hope that someday I would be able to lure her in the castle, but I still dragged all the things from all sides what I thought she could like. My heart rejoiced, Rose would remain in the castle. Why did I need her sculpture’s copy now? I wanted to laugh in the face of each statue found on the way, in the face of my own reflection in countless wall mirrors, but my laughter in an empty castle would be inappropriate.

It was necessary toВ disperse creatures, nesting inВ the dungeons, strictly ordered each harpy and chimera, so that they did not dare toВ get closer toВ my guest. And IВ still really wanted toВ visit Vincent. Not inВ order toВ boast before him, and toВ check: whether there was no more unusual inВ Lara. The city, after all, IВ was already used toВ consider as mine.

Vincent was pale and something frightened. He was waiting for the appearance ofВ someone else, but not me. Were there the secret spirits inВ my house? InВ the rooms on the second floor everything was inverted, the furniture is overturned, the frame ofВ the paintings were broken.

В«Take it from here,В» Vincent, instead ofВ aВ welcome, pointed toВ the only non turned over round table inВ the room as if there was on it the source ofВ all his troubles.

«Don’t ask me about anything,» Vincent himself looked with regret at the torn canvas, broken vases. «I’ll clean it myself as soon as I am convinced that I am safe.»

В«What aВ danger can it be here,В» IВ tried toВ calm him like aВ child, but Vincent was inВ rage.

В«Do you think that IВ myself scratched the walls, broke paintings and my own books?В»

«Well, if you went to a witches’ sabbath before it…»

«I didn’t go out of the house for a couple of days,» Vincent was justified, or blamed. «How long have you not walked. I thought that I had to watch this damned thing all my life. I swear, no one night I’ll spend alone with your violin.»

He expressively pointed toВ the table again. Now IВ also saw that there was aВ bundle on the table top, which IВ had ever kept inВ my hands and brought home myself. Only blood spots on the taffeta looked more fresh and thick than that night. It was not necessary toВ deploy the fabric toВ guess that the violin was wrapped inВ it.

From the street came some kind ofВ sound. Vincent swore, jumped toВ the window and closedВ it.

В«And what should IВ do with this violin?В» IВ picked up aВ bundle and felt like durable strings even through the fabric rub about the skin as if they want toВ cut my fingers.

В«Throw it out! Dig somewhere inВ the forest, inВ the cemetery, inВ the desert, inВ general, away from human settlements, where she cannot harm anyone.В»

IВ did not understand who Vincent meant saying В«sheВ», aВ violin or someone living. He spoke about this cracked instrument as if it was alive. IВ myself remembered the bloody tears that dropped out ofВ cracks, and IВ immediately felt them inВ my fingers. IВ became somehow not inВ my own. From the extensions ofВ Vincent, the atmosphere around became depressing, as if fear was punctured inВ the room.

В«Okay, IВ will burn it inВ the forest, you can not worry,В» IВ promised and immediately forgot about my promise.

В«ByВ the way, did you not see the hunchback under the windows?В»

Vincent was tired, he shook his head negatively.

В«Even if he was here, IВ did not pay attention.В»

В«And Henri did not bother you?В»

В«He has full ofВ his problems. They say he wants toВ dig aВ whole city underground.В»

В«And what do you think about this?В»

The expressive, radiant eyes ofВ Vincent flashed.

В«IВ can say one thing for sure, he will not be aВ king,В» he predicted and grinned, as if he was always ready toВ apply his hand toВ overthrow from the throne aВ not clever and sickly heir.

«Your scars are not healed,» I regretfully looked at Vincent’s throat. «If I could heal them…»

«Unlikely. She is still too strong, «Vincent raised his hand to the collar, as if he wanted to fasten it, but he had changed his mind. «Do not worry, I’m already used to the fact that I am marked.»

He was used to. And IВ could not get used toВ the deep stripes with torn edges, which cut his perfectly white, gentle skin. It seemed that some dark strength, with which he concluded aВ contract, waved with its claws and left its stamp on him. But it was not right, IВ too went into the study ofВ dark sciences, like him, but one Vincent had aВ stamp on himself. I, as inВ life, remained impeccable toВ the first explosion ofВ rage, until the first awakening ofВ the Evil. As soon as someone managed toВ arouse anger inВ me, the dragon brokeВ out.

«Rustle, scratch… I still think that someone scratched into the window.» Vincent tried to laugh but the laughter came out bitter and weak.

В«IВ won it, Vincent,В» IВ suddenly wanted toВ share my joy with him, aВ moment ofВ my triumph. В«You can not even imagine. It also seemed impossible for me, but IВ won, IВ saved aВ girl designed for execution.В»

Vincent stumbled incredulously. From his chest broke out the quiet hysterical laugh.

«Edwin, you… Do you decide to substitute your beautiful immortal head for an ax because of some girl. I understand, for me there was no evil in jokes with death, I could climb ten times on the scaffold and escape, my life was nothing worth. And you achieved almost everything and now you play with fire.»

Vincent began to remind me of a concerned, charming Florian, who, instead of doing something of state’s importance, told me to pinch shutters. He also didn’t even dare to explain that the window I should close not from birds, enemy arrows, spies, but from Debora.

«I don’t play with fire, Vincent,» I explained strictly. «I myself create a flame and the prince should pray that one day it did not hit his head. I hesitated too long.»

В«You think that becoming aВ deliverer ofВ one victim, you will cross the entire black list ofВ the prince. Be sure he will be replenished.В»

В«It is impossible! The ring remained with Rose and at the first opportunity IВ will destroy it. No ring means no shackles.В»

В«Rose? She is now visiting her cousin. IВ know for sure, IВ asked for reliable people.В»

Vincent could not believe that for the first time, the reliable informants were not right.

В«IВ was sure,В» he shook his head and chestnut curls fell on his forehead. Over the past time, they have become aВ little longer and with the slightest movement climbed into the eyes, so Vincent constantly had toВ tidy his hair.

В«You can not believe anyone, especially me,В» IВ decided toВ mock at Vincent, but IВ said the pure truth. IВ was such aВ dangerous creation. Rose did the right thing that concerned toВ me with suspicion.