ISBN 978-5-0055-5932-6 (т. 2)

      ISBN 978-5-0055-4050-8

      Created with Ridero smart publishing system

      According to fate

      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,