Angry pixies sprang from the pits and flashed in front of Clements face like a flock of fireflies.
«They say you owe them compensation for bringing down the earth walls of their new dwelling,» Raymonda translated.
Dwelling?! Those are wheel marks! But Clement didnt dare argue with the tiny magical creatures. They might cast a spell again! And to break the spell on his own, he was not yet experienced enough. His uncle had never been able to get him to be diligent in his studies.
«Tell them Ill pay for it when Im King,» Clement promised.
Strangely enough, the diminutive folk calmed down. Probably because Clement forgot to make it clear to them that its not that easy to banish invaders. He might never be king.
Grim Population
The pixies were already having their housewarming party in an empty, cracked jug someone had dropped in the woods. Raymonda had pointed out the place to them. She herself had tamed an owl and spoke to it in the birds language. She knows the languages of woodpeckers and quail, even the owl understands her. But he didnt study very well. He had hoped to inherit the throne and had not heeded his uncles advice to chew on the granite of science, that is, the granite of magic. Magic is also a science. Or is it pure magic? Clement was confused. Besides, seeing someone as beautiful as Raymonda made serious thoughts to vanish from his mind. As long as she was near, he thought nothing of the danger of pursuit. And yet Shais lord might be peering at him in the magical mirrors right now.
«Youd better not go back to the gamekeepers hut,» she advised him. «Its too risky to live there.»
«Dont even tell me! I found the bones of a dead gamekeeper in a hole near the house! I wondered what had happened to him.»
Raymonda hummed something dismissively. Clement himself would have guessed there was a gang of outlaws in the woods, but the bones were black as if theyd been burned. Surely they were the marks of dragon fire.
«Lets walk to town,» Raymonda suggested.
«But itll probably be a couple of days walk into town!»
«I know shortcuts,» she snapped her fingers, flicking out sparks, and suddenly there was a thin trail of light in the thicket. It was the only bright one in the dark night forest. Somethings wrong here!
Magic! Clement realized. His uncle had told him about the secret paths that were hidden from the eyes of travelers. They could be followed in a matter of hours to the other side of the world. The main thing is not to get lost on them. By the way, only a magical creature can lead them. Even with a magic spell, you wont be able to find them on your own.
Clement had been convinced from the start that Raymonda was magic. She was too ethereal. Even now she was hovering over the path, not walking on it.
By morning they were at the gates of one of the larger Aluars cities. It was certainly not the capital. Surely Raymonda knew he couldnt return to the capital because of the invaders. After all, the elves knew everything.
The trail disappeared as soon as Raymonda stepped off it. Clément couldnt believe hed been so bold as to enter the big city for her. What he wouldnt do for a pretty girl! Or a beautiful elf! Its time to stop acting like a rabbit.
«Theres a fair!» Raymonda saw the colorful flags from afar. A sack of beige silk and swan feathers appeared out of nowhere in her hands. She wasnt going to town for shopping, was she?
She was looking for something in the bag. Some shiny things spilled out of it. Clement helped her gather them up. It was a strange amulet, elves doubloons of pure gold with marvelous chasing, and a crown like in his dream. It had been owned by Raymonda, and consisted of spikes, monograms, and claws of gold ripped from the claws of a dead dragon. Clement whistled. What a piece of jewelry! It was too ominous for a lady. It was more befitting a witch.
«Give it back!» Quickly she took it and put it back in her sack.
«Why arent you wearing it?»
Raymonda ignored the question. She wore a thin hoop on her forehead, with the insignia of a linked moon and new moon. Only a witch could wear that, too. The moon and new moon, united in one circle, symbolized nighttime sorcery.
As Clement pondered, his companion strode into town. The guards at the gate didnt notice her hem hovering over the gravel path.
Clement had no choice but to follow her. He noted with horror that most of the guards had been replaced by monsters from Shai. They were a head taller than ordinary people and wore black armor. Their horned helmets looked something like dragon heads.
There was very little of the human population left. Mostly the city was flooded with various supernatural beings. They were all dark, clearly coming from Shai, as were the monstrous warriors.
They did not notice Clement. Only the squads sent specifically after him discerned the prince beneath his simple peasant shirt. They were clearly endowed with clandestine vision. The local monsters paid no attention to the young man.
«This place is full of invaders!» Clement turned around looking for Raymonda, but she was no longer there. He found her after a moment by the colorful tents at the market, where they were selling many beautiful trinkets.
Raymonda had gone out to buy hair ornaments. This surprised Clement. Why would she need wreaths of paper flowers and cheap beads when she had a crown of gold? Are fashionable women greedy creatures? So be it. If he becomes king, hell buy her trunks full of ribbons and hairpins. It is as long as she stays with him. Clement peered out into the yonder crowd of rivals, not pursuers. What infatuation does to boys! His father had warned him not to be captivated by windswept women, lest he ruin the kingdom. And it died anyway, caught in the claws of magical invaders.
The heads and disemboweled bodies of those executed on staves made him uneasy. There was the former mayor, the heads of the mint that had already been looted by the monsters, the warriors, and even the merchants whose goods had apparently been taken. Their remains were hung up in bloody pieces on stakes and poles as an admonition to others who had not submitted. The crows did not dare to peck at them. They did not dare to fly close to the monsters of the Shai, who were on patrol on the walls. And he dared to come out here to amuse Raymonda! Hes out of his mind! Shed practically trapped him.
Clement shuddered as he saw the powerful clawed paw through the gaping holes in his armor catch a raven at the meat of an execution and squeeze it, blood spattering on the sidewalk.
At the sight of the blood, some creature on a pole suddenly opened its eyes and appeared alive. He looked like a foolish prophet, dressed in rags and necklaces of bones. Such often wandered the paths leading to the Shai. Into the Shai itself, only a select few were admitted, for some reason needed by the local ruler. The roads were only visible at night or in fog, when everything else is covered by a veil of invisibility. Some daredevils who had studied magic looked for these trails, but Clements uncle warned not to venture into them.
«Would you like a prediction of the future?» The creature on the pole grinned. Dirty and shabby it looked like a shabby owl.
«Thank you, but I have no money to pay for it,» said Clement diplomatically. Fortune-tellers usually back off after that answer, but this creature, on the other hand, clung harder.
«I most willingly accept payment in blood.»
«Is it in human blood?» Clement got a bit agitated.
«It is not in dragon blood. It makes everything burn like a match. I dont want to burn. But youre not a dragon.»
«No, Im not.»