Dragon’s Empire – 1. Curse of the younger Prince

Snow flakes were spinning in the air. The winter cold penetrated to the bones. From the forest side I heard noise, sounds of movements, crunching dry branches. After a few hours it will break. The wild boar returns to his refuge. I first noticed it and realized why the locals were so afraid of him. More than predatory and frightening beast I have not had to see. Its barbed wool, a stupid muzzle and sharp fangs could make an unpleasant impression, but feverishly glittered red eyes, indeed, attached to it like a militant demon. Without thinking, I released the first arrow and got a beast to the ridge. Wild roar swayed above the clearing. Claude took a combat position, and I reached out for the second arrow. I will not miss anymore and get right in the animal’s heart. But I did not have time to recharge the cross, the wild boar rushed to me and fell to the ground. I felt the back on the ice cold of the frozen earth, and my face burned to the hot poisonous breath. The boar slowed, as if someone had forbidden him to break my throat, as if someone was invisible and domineered told him to leave me.

I felt a heavy carcass fell away from my chest. The wild boar chose another sacrifice, and even the sword of Claude could not save him from deadly fangs. I quickly rose from the ground, snatched the sword out of the sheath. The weapon seemed to me light and useless. Claude’s sword was reversed in half. How it happened, I did not notice. The monster wanted to beat him to last, like a minute ago.

«Step aside!» I shouted Claude.

He obediently jumped to the nearest tree. No one has yet escaped from the battlefield with such ease. And in me, on the contrary, a predator, a gloomy, fierce creature with two black wings, woke up. I swamped with a sword and hit the beast along the neck. The first time the sword only slid over a thick skin, splashed a thin trickle of blood, but from the second strike I managed to cut off the head of a wild beast. I was tired of falling on the ground next to the decapitated carcass. It was hard for me to breathe after the struggle, after two blows that took all the forces with me. And at the same time I was sure that my strength is not enough to kill such a beast. I almost felt that in the last moment someone invisible grabbed my hand and helped put a decisive blow.

Claude approached my horse, took out a flask with wine from the saddle bag and handed me. Above the gloomy silhouette of the mountains cut the first rays of dawn. The night passed, as in hell. And the morning revived the former beauty of the faded forest.

«You fulfilled your promise!» Claude said this phrase solemnly and with respect. Does one heroic act really transformed me in his eyes.

On the other hand, we were in a distress. On one frightened horse, you will not go far together. I suggested Claude to take my horse and go for help at the next village.

«Yes, the baron should know that you saved him from this beast,» Claude kicked with his boot a heavy carcass. «I hope that in honor of the hero, at least a feast will arrange.»

«I would be glad just with a good dinner in the tavern and buying two rapid horses. I hope you won’t get lost, looking for a village and do not make me wait a long time.»

In fact, I was pleased with any pretext to get rid of Claude and alone go to the gorge, thereby proving that there was no evil in the vicinity. According to the old knightly custom, I cut out a tongue from the mouth, so that in case of the appearance of impostors to prove that the winner am I and no one else.

I rose from the ground and shuddered from the surprise. Directly in front of me stood a tall, static gentleman, from his head to the legs he was in black. Even the lower part of the face was tied with a black, silk scarf. Only eyes glittered, shimmering a multitude of mixes under the fields of hats with a gold buckle.

«Good morning, my prince,» a stranger greeted me.

«You worked nicely!» He pointed to the defeated beast.

«I just performed my duty,» I answered briefly, by tone of my voice you could to understand that I do not want to join the conversation.

«Yes, of course, your duty is take care of the good of loyal subjects. After all, you will soon become a king. The throne of this country belongs only to you.

– What about my older brothers? «I stared in surprise at a stranger, really he accepted me for the senior prince.

«I said that this country will either belong to you or lie in the ruins,» is patiently, as to a stupid student, began to explain the stranger. «The king will be either chosen one or no one will take this place.»

«What do you have in mind?»

«And why do you need this poor kingdom,» the stranger continued.

To think only, he called one of the richest countries in the world the poor kingdom.

«Why do you need these people with their eternal discontent and fear? Why do you need to have a power close to your sunset? After all, the magic empire is waiting for you!»

He laughed calling, turned away from me and headed for the forest.

«Stand!» I shouted, but he already was disappeared.

I heard the ringing of the bells. A rich, silver sleigh was rolled through the glade. It stopped next to me. A little man, more like a gnome, jumped out of the sleigh, removed from the head a hat decorated with colored feathers and bowed to me. Horses impatiently beat the ground with their hooves. Two charming ladies were sitting in a sleigh.

«Hello, Monseigneur,» greeted me one of them. Her face was covered with a veil, but under the folds of lace it was possible to consider the outline of the pink lips and a gentle chin. She was dressed in fur coat. Her girlfriend was dressed in a luxurious purple cloak with a hood, she covered her face with a veil before she greeted me.

I reservedly answered a greeting.

«I wanted to ask you, my lord, how do we get to the gorge?» asked the lady, which turned to me first.

«In the gorge?» I was amazed.

«Yes, today we are going there, Monseigneur. Didn’t you know?»

Her question surprised me even more than the fact that two ladies were going to go to the place with bad fame.

«You confused me with someone else, ladies.» I answered hastily.

«No that you, Monseigneur, I would not confuse you with anyone,» she quite sincerely objected.

«Do you really not honor with your presence our meeting. After all, we are so long… waited for you, – almost dare the second lady, making a pause before the last words. It seemed to me that her lips under a veil had a delighted smile.

«So you will show us the way,» the first lady insisted, and her voice reminded me of a ringing of small bells.

I waved my hand aside, where, as it seemed to me, there was a gorge. I was more than confident that I see her for the first time in my life. None of the court lady had such a proud posture and the grace of the waiting predator.

«Thank you, Monseigneur,» sounded a silver voice. The sleigh drove off. The ringing of the bells ripped frosty silence with unpleasant music. A few minutes later, the same note «Dzin – Dzin – Dzin» was repeated, and silence came again. The sleigh disappeared behind the rotation of a narrow, dangerous road, which fastened the abyss.

I was confused and stunned and, nevertheless, I decided to get to the gorge. What meeting did this lady talk about? Are the black crows going to circle over the gorge? And maybe there really live fairy, elves and other dangerous unearthly creatures, but as far as I know, they love summer, streams, flower beds and thickets of wild roses. So what do they do here in the kingdom of winter? I laughed at my own thoughts. It was stupid to think that at the depth of the gorge, the fairies will arrange a ball. But the reception in the father’s castle will begin tonight. But I no longer have time for him. But I had a sword with me, arrows and crossbow, and I could safely go to the gorge. I went the same way as the ladies went, and, to his surprise, did not notice the traces of the hoofs, nor the usual slim traces in the snow, as if the sleigh flew, without touching the snow.

Just in case, I charged the crossbow and kept it in my right hand all the time, in any moment preparing to shoot. But on my path no longer met any dangers. There was no soul around, only sparkling snow, pebbles, rolling down the cliff, and the sullen wall of the trees.

As I move forward, the road narrowed. Soon it was a narrow, winding trail, descended down. Fat crust ice covered the ground. I had to go ahead carefully, so as not to slip and not fall into the black splitting of the abyss. Despite the fatigue, I got to the foot on the mountains, climbed the trail looked over the cliffs and felt an inexplicable fear. Yes, indeed, this place was too gloomy. Probably, I climbed into such a height, which would not be solved by none of the locals, but to go deep into the gorge would be a suicide. I looked into a black emptiness. The rays of the sun did not penetrate there. Over the gorge hung a sinister silence. I had a long time in one place, not deciding to go down and unable to turn back. Suddenly, the sounds of mandolin came to me. Pleasant, quiet music. In this wilderness, it resembled the paradise tunes. But who can play mandolin among mountains and frozen paths? I was so fascinated that only after a few moments I realized that the sounds come from the depths of the gorge.

I went a little further and saw that the steps were cut down right in the mountain, they left the straight staircase down, right in the dark depth. I began to descend on solid steps. Just on the moment I was in complete darkness, but without difficulty, descending down, I saw the daylight again. Joyless, cold rays lit a high stone arch. The intricate ornament, as if bought it with the whole single-flowers garland from the flowers carved on the stone surface. On the frieze of the arch was engraved some inscription. The letters decorated with many curls seemed unfamiliar to me. As far as I could judge, the inscription was made in one of the ancient, now forgotten languages.

Passing under the arch, I was on the shore of a small reservoir. The rapid flow of the river brought to the shore a small shuttle. It seemed to me that I was sleeping. Does the bottom of the gorge can be so light and beautiful. I climbed into the shuttle, which as if was waiting for me. The course of the river itself suffered it forward. The shuttle sailed past gray monoliths and stony shores, then dived under the arcade. The river proceeded under the arches, as in a tunnel, at the end of which the light suddenly cut. Yes, at the very end of the arcade, the coast was seen, more precisely the wide of the staircase leading to the cave, the entrance to which was closed by a heavy velvet curtain. The folds of purple velvet rolled down, at the likeness of the tent, decorated with golden tassels.

I jumped out of the shuttle, ran up the steps and stopped in indecision. What awaits me there inside the cave? Maybe the people of Baron have not been afraid of this gorge without reason. After all, I hoped to come here and prove that there are no spirits here? But who then sent to me a shuttle? What if the robbers were in this cave? The last thought liked me more. likely. Robbers are just people from flesh and blood. With them you can fight on swords. It is better than a senseless fight against essential, malicious beings, which by legends are looking for a shelter in abandoned places.

I pulled the heavy curtain. The tassels swung with the rustle, the smoke of golden dust was swayed, and a small room appeared to my sight, from the floor to the ceiling trimmed with marble. I went inside. On the wall hung a carnival mask with elegant openings for the eyes and thin bulging of the nose. I removed it and tried out. The mask smoothly fell on the face, as if it was intended only for me.

In addition to the first entrance, there were three more arched openings with heavy velvet curtains decorated by the countless number of tassels. There was a n mirror on one of the walls. In front of it on a round console stood a slim elegant girl. She was dressed as if she was going to the ball. That’s just the lush rollers of the pink dress too much emphasized the deadly whiteness of her skin. In her right hand, she held an oval mirror and with a flirty smile examined her face in it. She had such thin, elegant features and at the same time, despite all the affectedness of her posture, the girl seemed lifeless. I approached nearer. Around the console stood candlesticks in the form of golden hands holding candles. Another step forward. The light fell on the elastic women’s curls, and I realized with horror that they were made of marble. Did I accepted the cold sculpture for a living person? Yes, and to whom it occurred to put on the statue of real muslin dress and stick into the marble fingers a manual mirror. This clothing was just a mockery above the talent of sculptor. In addition, near of it the statue looked sinister. A live smile on marble lips was washing the border between animated and empty. The sculpture again seemed to me alive. Probably located on such a manner of mirrors and candles it can create visual illusions.

«You have a similarity with the goddess,» I said the phrase from the poems, turning to the statue, and in this moment someone hurts me to elbow. I turned around. No one. Only from one of the aisles came the hurry steps. Raising the curtain, the boy slipped into the passage, most likely the page, although he was dressed too smart. In his hands he held a small mandolin. I was ready to swear that the strings were jerked by themselves, making a long-distance sound.

«Do not wake her!» came to me a frightened boyish voice. «She will wake up only tomorrow.»

The page dragged me from the statue. I continued to look at the sculpture. The boy pulled me over the sleeve.

«Let’s go, everyone already gathered in the hall,» he said.

Thin features of his face were somehow strained, a fold was laying between his eyebrows. The hair was assembled under the velvet beret. I noticed that his ears with pointed to the top ends were too long and do not combine with an elegant face.

«Come on!» He grabbed me at the lapel of sleeves and pulled insistently behind him. «Do you really want to skip such an event? The prince himself will take us today with his presence.»