Nevertheless, he has the right to your crown. And behind him is the huge army of Morelia. He is already approaching the borders of Suthering.
Take the scoundrel away! Dinor shouted. Darsu looked at Valin. The soldier understood the commander at a glance. He grabbed Jims hand.
«Lets go,» said Valin.
Execute him at dawn! Dinor said.
You promised! Jim groaned. «They promised me that if I told the truth, they wouldnt touch me.» I have a wife and three children!
«And I have one son,» Dinor said. And you made an attempt on his life. Take me away!
No sooner said than done. When the door closed behind the criminal, Dinor spoke:
Councilor Wind, report on the situation at the borders.
Ive been hearing disturbing rumors for a long time. Im not ready to give the king unverified information. But Morelia has long been preparing for an attack on the borders of Suthering. I underestimated the rumors I heard. After torturing Jim, I realized that we had been underestimating the enemy all this time.
You will answer later for hiding information from the king, Councilor. Colonel Darsu, report on the readiness of the army.
Darsu didnt have time to say a word when Advisor Anilix interrupted him:
Your Highness, Silver is a powerful sorcerer, and you know this very well. They say he hobnobs with evil spirits, he is a strong rival. His wife, Queen Regatta, is also a witch!
The Inquisition will also participate in this war! said Gvirtel, head of the Anti-Witchcraft League of Suthering. This was the first time this had happened for the court magician and the anti-magician to come to a common opinion. The king noticed this and was on his guard. Silver is a powerful magician, and he challenges the Anti-Witch League.
Dinor does not need to explain that Silver challenged not only the Inquisition, but also Gvirtel personally when he declared Morelia a country without anti-mages. And the head of the Anti-Witch League will not leave this just like that, without an answer.
What are your suggestions, advisors? asked the king.
Anilix was the first to speak:
I heard rumors
Rumors are reaching all of you! the king boiled. «They just reach me late.» Dont pull the horses bridle, advisor. You better not test my patience!
I know where the Elvish dictionary is! Anilix said, and absolute silence reigned in the hall for a while. Even Dinors jaw dropped. He patted the adviser on the shoulder:
Good news is reaching you. If we could get our hands on a book, what would be a significant trump card in the game with Morelia!
You cant, Your Majesty! Gvirtel shouted. Dont listen to Councilor Anilix. Better yet, throw him in prison! This is not why the Anti-Witch League fought against sorcerers for so many years, in order to bring back the original magic to our educated age! I appeal to your reason, Your Majesty!
«The Anti-Witch League lost a long time ago,» Dinor raised his voice. On the day when the Empire of Magicians collapsed. The inquisitors probably did not understand that they were anti-magicians as long as there were sorcerers. And now you are ridiculous and useless.
What about the period of the reign of Emperor Hellenius?
How did it end, Gvirtel, have you forgotten the story? Moreover, already at that time Beelzuvik did not have any power over Suthering. I will give the anti-mages a chance to restore their former greatness. I will return your antipode real magic!
Your Mightiness! Gvirtels eyes glowed. If this were a simple man in front of him, and not a king, the adviser would now glare at him.
You are forgetting yourself, Gvirtel. Dont test my patience. Jesters and minstrels sing obscene songs about my hot temper. But I forgive them they are jesters to distract people from real problems. And I will not forgive you, adviser. The meeting is over for today!
***
Still walked through the garden with his mentor Nermall. The old teacher taught the prince everything he knew. Nermall has seen the world; any warrior would envy his experience. He taught Still how to fight with fists and swords, how to navigate the terrain and find a source of power even in an impassable desert.
A strekquil, a huge dragonfly, flew from a bush, and Still turned his head in fear.
What worries you, student? asked Nermall.
Yes, nothing
Ive known you since you were a child. You know that you can trust me completely.
Still could trust the old man with his life. Nermall, the son of a Belzuvian nobleman, received a good education, even studied for several years at the University. But women broke the fates of many. So at twenty-four he found himself on a pirate ship. In four countries, he would have faced a death sentence if he had been caught, of course. In two more countries he would have spent the rest of his days in prison. That is why he spent most of his life in the ocean. But Dinors people managed to catch the old robber. Dinor was then suffering from terrible back pain, and Nermall was a doctor on a pirate ship. He just happened to have zaneeris lying around, a medicinal plant from the Unknown Lands. In gratitude for his health, the king gave the man life. Dinor made him a court physician, and then a teacher to his youngest son.
Dinor is generally a strange person. Usually hot-tempered, in moments of insight he did noble deeds. So, for example, he picked up a bastard boy during the attack on Lorraine, and in general more often he chose officials based on real talent, and not on noble origin.
So whats bothering you, student? asked Nermall.
Teacher, tell me about the elven dictionary!
I dont know much. Maybe its just a legend? Who knows!
Tell me everything you know!
Okay, listen!
Chapter 3. The Legend of the Elves.
They say that elves came down from heaven. They once had wings and roamed the clouds. Then there was a war between the high elves. It was led by Zaymond, a fallen elf. He declared himself equal to the Creator. Some joined him, others went against him. There were also those who realized in time the mistake of joining the army of the fallen. They stopped participating in battles. After the war, those who swore allegiance to Zeymond were overthrown. And the elves who remained on the sidelines were exiled to earth to serve their punishment until the end of the human race.
So they lived in the forest, which is now called Clearings. The ancestors called it the Magic Forest. Their village is hidden behind trees from prying eyes; no one disturbed their peace.
Until one day, a Morellian, General Dartel, wandered here. There is no end to the war between Morelia and Lorraine. It began in those immemorial times, and ended literally half a century ago. And that truce can be broken at any moment.
The elves picked up a thin man, in rags and scars. Dartel was hungry and dying of thirst. But you cant stop the enemies were on your heels. The elves had never met people before. They did not know about the cunning of the human race. Herberolden, the king of the elves, gave the man the juice of zaneeris and applied leaves of the medicinal plant to the wounds. Then he whispered magic words, and the wound instantly healed.
Dartel watched the elves for a long time. He tried to understand their language and customs. The words spoken by the elven priest immediately became the truth. The words of a rare person carry weight. You can promise anything, swear by your health, your father, brother, mother, and even the immortality of your soul, and then betray. We have lost the habit of believing words. But not the elves, they remembered the true power of words, so they did not waste the seeds of words to the wind. But when they say, the earth shook and new worlds arose. They gave birth to true magic; it has long been absent from our lands. All the greatest magicians of past eras are only a shadow of the elven priests, in terms of strength and greatness. In the elven language there are no such words as «pain», «death», only «love», «light», «joy» The dark side of elven magic was invented by people.