Svetlana Mirrai "The Ghosts of Mandrake. Fantasy"

– Philip, my boy, are you at home?

– Y-s-s grandmother, you must not know anything, – Philip took Celestine by the hand and led him to his room. – Stay here for now.

The boy left the witcher alone for aВ while and went toВ his grandmother.

«Granddaughters, you’ve done your homework, because you have to go to school tomorrow,» she said softly

– Don’t worry, Grandma, everything is fine. Can I go to my room now?

– Go, honey, go, and I’ll take a nap for now.

Philip found the witcher inВ his room, looking at aВ painting that depicted aВ castle and aВ girl with aВ candelabra inВ her hands and burning candles.

– You draw beautifully, you are a very talented young man, I want to tell you, – Celestin said without even turning his head in his direction.

– And how did you know that I drew it?

– Who did you invite to your place? The Witcher! But you doubt his abilities yourself. Why is that? I know for a fact that this is your job,“ he said. „Now let’s get down to business. Since your grandmother is not sleeping right now, I will not be able to perform this magic ritual at the moment. Therefore, I give you this vessel, in which there is a decoction.

В«What am IВ supposed toВ do with him?В» Philip asked, confused.

– You have to do everything yourself.

– I’m not a witcher. «That’s why I won’t be able to do magic,» Philip said softly so that his grandmother wouldn’t hear him.

«You don’t have to do magic. I brought a decoction, you will lightly apply it on your wrists, forehead, smear your temples and add two drops of tea, compote, jelly to the drink. But I crushed this bag of herbs and roots, and you put a pinch in a metal saucer, hold it over a burning candle and walk around the apartment, but not for more than a minute.

– What if it’s longer?

– Don’t do that, there is a mandrake root added.

Philip did not understand what kind ofВ root it was, he was not interested inВ it at all and he did not ask anything else.

– Well, how much will I owe for your work?

– And in return, I will only ask for a picture, I need it, which is hanging on the wall in your room.

В«Take whatever you want, but not her,В» the boy said.

– Since she is so dear to you, then draw me a similar one.

«I’ll try, – Philip said.

At that moment their eyes met, and Philip realized how strong and domineering the witcher’s character was.

– I’ll go, if you need my help, call. «And don’t forget I’ll be waiting for the painting,» Celestine said, hiding behind the front door.

Her voice came from Grandma’s room again:

– Philip… Philip…

– I’m coming Grandma.

Philip quickly put away everything that the witcher had given him and went toВ his grandmother.

– I just now saw in my granddaughters’ dream a huge, beautiful palace, and in the circle of this palace, right on its walls, huge scary birds were sitting, they looked like gargoyles. Another black crow circled in the sky. And the palace, despite all its splendor, for some reason seemed alarming and dangerous.

«Whatever Grandma dreams about, they’re all dreams and don’t pay attention to them,» Philip tried to calm her down.

«That’s right. Yes, that’s just not the first time I have this dream.

– Grandma, well, where in our city is such a palace, and even with gargoyles? «Well, tell me from where?» asked Philip with a smile on his face.

– Yes, what are you? I didn’t say he was from our city. Our houses are crookedly built, what magnificent castles there can be. The one that I dreamed about, it’s like a fairy tale. And I’m not ready to tell you anything reasonable about it yet. But one thing I can say is that he is fraught with some kind of danger.

«You’re my grandmother’s storyteller,» Philip laughed.

– Go, granddaughter, it’s already late. And you need to get some sleep, get up early tomorrow and go to school again.

– Good night, Grandma.

– Good night, granddaughter.

The next day Philip came home from school, Grandma was lying quietly on the bed, apparently asleep.

He took out the hidden vessel inВ his room inВ the table and quietly approached his grandmother. IВ dripped liquid on cotton wool and anointed it everywhere.

Then he took a pinch of the mixture out of the bag and put it on a metal saucer, lit a candle and walked quietly around the apartment. Philip walked around his grandmother’s room, then he slowly wandered into his own and stood by his favorite painting.

Suddenly, aВ purple mist appeared inВ the room, it completely covered the floor from below, and then began toВ rise even higher and soon it just covered Philip.

The smoke penetrated his lungs, he felt aВ burning pain at first, and then it became easier for him and the fog dissipated.

Before Philip appeared aВ huge forest, with its tall, sturdy trees and mighty branches.

– Where am I? Philip said unexpectedly to himself, he was so confused that he even began to talk to himself.

«You’re a young man in Elbrus,» someone from the forest immediately answered him.

– Who’s here? The young man croaked in fright.

– Turn around,» a voice answered him.

Philip turned around, but there was no one around.

– What kind of jokes are you having,» Philip said sternly and took the stick that was next to him.

– Yes, what kind of jokes can there be, look in front of you and you will see me.

The young man was taken aback when he saw aВ huge living eye inВ front ofВ him. He was looking right out from under aВ large root ofВ aВ tree that looked like anВ oak.

«Wow, how did you get in there, – Philip said.

– And you, young man, think less, eat more. In our country, it’s only like that. And this place is called the Kingdom of Shadows, which is located in the city of Elbrus.

– That’s how it is. Even the castle. It turns out that my grandmother predicted me correctly.

«Is Grandma here too?» – the eye was surprised.

– No, I’m alone. And you’re generally who and how you talk to me, you only have one eye sticking out from under a tree.

– My name is Wise Zri and I am already two hundred and ten years old.

Philip laughed.

– And don’t be afraid of the inhabitants of the castle. Go straight down the path, you’ll see a small bridge, cross the road, and you’re already there.

– Thank you, – Philip said.

But the Wise Man did not answer him, he lowered his eyelid and became completely invisible.

Philip confidently went on and then he felt lightness inВ his body, the old stooping posture was gone, his body obeyed and it was easy toВ breathe.

I’m not a hunchback anymore! – it was spinning in his head. I’m not a hunchback!

CHAPTERВ 2

SHADOW CASTLE

Philip walked along the path that led toВ the river, it stretched along the high and dense grass. As the Wise Zri said, she led him toВ aВ small bridge that connected the two banks, and on the opposite side stood aВ gloomy and majestic castle.

OfВ course, Philip immediately realized that he had fallen into the picture that he had painted, and not so long ago hung it on the wall inВ his small room.

Here inВ this environment that now surrounded him, only one thing is missing, his beloved girl with aВ candelabra and burning candles. Philip, despite the soul-searing cold that this place exuded, went forward toВ be closer toВ the lonely, gloomy castle.

The young man walked up to the castle and raised his head high up. It was a high castle, it consisted of a donjon – a high tower and several small towers. And on the walls sat like living gargoyles made of steel.

– Well, well,» said Philip in amazement. – How could it happen that I ended up in my painting?

But most ofВ all he was struck byВ the silence and silence that reigned next toВ this strange and frightening castle.

Philip passed byВ small towers, between them there was aВ drawbridge on chains with aВ falling lattice. Then he walked along aВ smooth stone path that led toВ the main entrance.

He took hold ofВ the handle and pulled the huge, iron door towards him, it creaked loudly and began toВ open slowly, obediently. The door was so heavy that he had toВ put aВ lot ofВ effort.

When the young man went inside, he opened his mouth in amazement, so luxurious was the castle inside. But in all this fabulous splendor there was only one thing missing – life.

В«Is anyone here?В» The young man shouted, looking around.

And only his last words echoed.

– Anyone…

AВ huge table with many chairs attached toВ it stood inВ the center, aВ crystal chandelier hung on the ceiling, it was turned on and illuminated the hall.

– The owner of the house or the hostess! Philip shouted loudly again and went forward, there was a white door at the end of the hall, he easily opened it and entered the room.

There was no response.

There was aВ cozy bedroom inВ the other room. The bed was covered with aВ dazzlingly beautiful pink bedspread and the room itself was inВ artificial colors. The owner ofВ such aВ bedroom had exquisite taste.

Alerted inВ all this decoration that it was not at all cozy.

And aВ huge spider web hung inВ clusters inВ the corners, and the spiders were the main owners ofВ the castle.

The young man saw aВ staircase at the exit ofВ the room, which led toВ the second floor. He slowly climbed it and froze.

There was aВ picture ofВ him on the wall next toВ the stairs, but his clothes were not the same as they are now, but old, similar inВ style toВ the 18th century.

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