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«I’m a bit of a magician myself,» said Teddy. – So I may also fall out of favor with the Anti-Witch League. After all, I don’t have the right to magic. Who will be executed this time?
– Children of the local clerk Herold.
– These impudent inquisitors have completely loosened their belts! There is no peace for them! – Teddy hit the table with his fist.
– And most importantly… hmm.. the king… hmm… will not protect! – Dil said, raising his head from the table.
– And I thought it was a sinful thing that you fell asleep! – Willie laughed.
– Henry will protect! – said Teddy. – He doesn’t care about us! It’s called the king! Who needs nothing but science! A great magician is a useless ruler! I think even our clerk would become a better ruler, and no less a scientist!
In a heated conversation, the regulars of this establishment did not notice how Suzanne and a gray-haired, mustachioed, wiry man approached them.
– Greetings, Halfrid! – Willie said, but the innkeeper did not notice the outstretched hand. He looked at his comrade with eyes full of anger and hatred.
– Teddy! You’ve been harassing my daughter again! I have already warned you more than once!
– You misunderstood everything!
– Get out! And never cross the threshold of my tavern! I’ll see you one more time, and you won’t waste any more air intended for honest people! – the angry father grabbed the drunkard’s collar. And he flew away, hitting his back against the corner of the table – Teddy was a sorcerer, albeit weak and illegal. Three more strong guys ran up to the lout – the sons of the old innkeeper. The three men, who had recently been quietly chatting about public policy issues, jumped to their feet. Dil began waving a knife, Willie – a fragment of a broken bottle, and Teddy had a weapon of enchantment invisible to others.
– Get Teddy alive! – shouted Halfrid. – He is an illegal magician! He must be handed over to the Anti-Witch League, as the Law says!
One of the innkeeper’s sons grabbed a knife from Dil, who could barely stand on his feet, and now crossed him with Willie’s broken bottle. And the careless owner of the bladed weapon fell to the floor and tried unsuccessfully to get up. Two other strong guys tied Teddy up. Then the three of them grabbed Willie and threw him out into the street. Dil also flew after him.
– Throw Ted in the closet! – Halfrid said.
And so every day: beer flows like a river, new gossip pours in from all sides, the bored sons of the tavern owner have something to occupy their fists in peacetime. Everyone is having fun, there is bread and circuses, everyone is happy.
But one guest is not having fun today. An albino with red eyes sits silently with a friend, lost in thought and finishing more than his first mug of intoxicating drink. But even beer haunts him from bitter thoughts and memories.
***
A huge hall made of white marble. In the center of the hall is a long stone table. At the head of the table sits a long-bearded old man – the Master of the Brotherhood of the Defenders of the Crown. Behind him flies the flag of a secret organization:
Two people entered the hall.
«We’ve all gathered today…» the master of the brotherhood began, not paying attention to the newcomers. The rest of the meeting participants remained silent.
– Congratulations, master! You have joined us again! – one of the new arrivals shouted in joy.
– What are you talking about, Ilan? I am always with you! I will never leave you! – the elder absentmindedly looked around, seemingly taken by surprise by this simple question.
– But you, Master Avinius, returned from prison today! Two hours back talked with you in the mirror.
Any, even the weakest, magician could bend the bars without much effort, so special prisons were created for sorcerers. The condemned person touched the enchanted mirror and found himself in a separate world. And everyone could see the prisoner using a special object in the form of a coin, which must be brought to any mirror. But real freedom could only be given by a magician who entered the world through the looking glass or the king personally.
– By the mirror? You are probably on Sun overheated! Today like this heat! – Avinius playfully waved his palms near his face.
– What’s wrong with you, Ilan? I spent the whole morning preparing the meeting with the master! – said Sorenius, one of the brotherhood members. – So who were you talking to in the mirror?
– I already said: with Master Avinius. Eleon, my student, also saw it. I still have the key to the prison with me.
At these words, Avinius’s face changed:
– Who are you listening to, gentlemen! Ilan has gone crazy and deprived his student of his will! Or maybe they also became faithful?
He tried to snatch the key coin from Ilan’s hands, but Sorenius was ahead of the head of the brotherhood.
– We must investigate the case before we think about conclusions!
– Sorenius, I order you! Give this item to me! – the old man extended his bony hand.
– Sorry, master, I respect you, but I can’t do this! We’ll just see what kind of key my brother brought to the Council!
The old man rushed at the careless subordinate, but Sorenius was able to easily cope with the master. Then he brought the round object to the mirror, where the image of Avinius appeared. All those gathered gasped at once, looking from the old man in the hall to another, looking through the looking glass.
– Who you are? – Sorenii took the initiative, turning to the reflection.
– I, dear Sorenius, master Avinius, Master of the Brotherhood of Defenders Crown, member which, as I remember, you are too,» the reflection in the mirror made some manipulations with its hands. Avinius, the one who was in hall meeting, fell to the floor. Everyone present knew that the old man mastered the Light spell perfectly, so hundreds of white wands were aimed at the impostor. Instead of the old man, a young man was already sitting there.
– Tion?! You! After all, the teacher trusted you! He must be killed! Immediately! – Sorenius commanded.
– Please, don’t kill! I can still become useful! I’ll tell you everything I know! – Tion was almost sobbing, crawling on his knees.
– And what do you know? How betray? To your workshop betrayal we already believe. We also know that those who once betrayed will repeat this again and again,» said Sorenii.
– I don’t know much. But please! Just don’t kill,» the actor kept crawling on his knees.
– Who put me in prison? – asked Avinius.
– Don’t know!
– Is it true?! – Sorenius asked indignantly.
– OK! OK! This Khan! Khan ordered the thugs to imprison Avinius. He appointed me instead of him in parliament and brotherhood.
– Who?!! – asked the surprised Sorenii.
«Royal Advisor Khan,» the prisoner repeated again.
– What is he talking about! And why do you think he needs all this? – Ilan asked.
– He needs a crown!
– What? While alive king! – Sorenius smiled incredulously.
– He will kill Henry at the Autumn Festival!
– You know, friend. Even Khan can’t do it. – It’s Ilan’s turn to smile.
– Already under strength. Day before yesterday he stole a black staff from the Vault.
Panic ran across the faces of those present.
«You don’t joke with such things,» Sorenius said seriously.
– I’m not joking! And further. None of you will live until the morning! Now…
Pseudo-Avinius did not finish speaking. He began to frantically scratch his shoulder, then pulled off his sleeve. The letter «B» was blazing there, and the impostor’s body turned to ashes in a few seconds.
«This is a seal of loyalty,» said Sorenius. – Such magic beyond the power of any sorcerer. We are indeed dealing with a conspiracy. We must inform the king about the black staff!
A sharp knock on the door. Then another one. The next blow shatters the door, and an entire army rushes into the room. At the head of the soldiers who entered was Simon, Head of the Royal Guard. The man appears to be about fifty years old.
– Hello, Simon! To what do we owe the appearance of such an important person? – Sorenius asked.
«In the name of the king, all members of the brotherhood are declared outlaws,» Simon said impartially, not paying attention to Sorenius. – Hand over all weapons. You are sentenced to life imprisonment.
But there are many more soldiers than members of the brotherhood!
Ilan, with an imperceptible movement, grabbed the key coin and handed it to Eleon.
– You must convey to the ruler everything that you have recently seen. Avinius will be your witness. You will find a map of the Country in my house. Don’t hesitate! You have a little more than two months, but time will not stand still!
He made a barely noticeable movement, and a portal appeared behind the albino. Ilan pushed Eleon, and he fell onto a plane that was supposed to move him many miles away.
***
A small house in the middle of the forest, which always smells of myrtle. Here he spent several years under the supervision of a teacher who made him a powerful magician. Eleon grabbed the card lying on the table. He collected food in a bag and mounted his horse. The road is not close, but time is running out.
Just a few days ago he again entered the hall where that fateful meeting of the Brotherhood took place. And I found here only the corpses of true friends. Now he is the last one left from the Brotherhood of Defenders of the Crown, and who, if not him, will protect the king? But among the other bodies he did not find Ilan.
– Maybe he’s still alive?
***
Eleon ordered himself another glass of beer. After a long story, everyone went deeper into their thoughts. Dorian kept remembering his beloved, and Eleon remembered his murdered comrades.
The sunset spilled colors onto the endless canvas of the sky, and suddenly it became possible to take a break from the annoying heat.
The central square was filled with people.
– Lord, what does all this mean? – Dorian was unable to hide his emotions.
«Watch in silence,» said Eleon.
Surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, stood five people in black cloaks with hoods.
«The law states that illegal magic must be punished with all severity and without delay!» – said one of them.
– He used magic illegally! – said our recent acquaintance – one of Halfrid’s sons, and pulled Teddy into the center of the circle, trying to resist.
– No, please, he’s lying!
– There is only one way to check this! – said one of the inquisitors, removing his hood and smiling ominously. Silence suddenly reigned in the square. – The ancient spirit of Justice will help us judge. ILLIGULUS! – he shouted, throwing his hands up. Teddy suddenly fell to the floor, writhing in pain. He tried to cover his face with his hands, but the spell knew no barriers. Not even a few seconds had passed before the poor fellow was no longer moving.
– Oh my God! Isn’t this a dream? – Dorian closed his eyes, then opened them again. Blinked. He pinched his elbow. But the picture hasn’t changed.
– May the Great Spirit of Justice be glorified! – the five inquisitors shouted in one voice. – Lead the next one!
The young man now stood in the center of the circle. One man emerged from the crowd.
– NO! He is not guilty! This is all slander!
– Don’t be humiliated, father, I beg you! It doesn’t affect them.
– The Spirit of Justice will judge! – said the same one, in a black cloak. – He never takes innocent people! ILLIGULUS!
The guy remained standing where he was. Nothing happened.
– The Spirit spared you – that means you are innocent. He only takes magicians who do not have the right to practice witchcraft. But now we need to check your sister, is he as innocent as you?!
The young black-haired girl was thrown at the feet of the executioners. She stood up proudly and spat in the face of the inquisitor who had so short-sightedly removed his hood.
«I hope you pay with your life for this,» he said, wiping his face.
Eleon already realized that the girl was guilty if an innate gift can be considered a sin. He had a personal account with the Anti-Witch League. After all, thanks to them, he ended up in this foreign place!
– Dorian, I’ve only known you for a short time. But tell me, will you stay with me? My path is thorny and full of dangers, so I would advise you to leave the square. But if you go, will you be with me to the end, earth?
Dorian, speechless, could only shake his head.
– Great. Then go towards the forest, we’ll meet you there. Get ready to run.
I didn’t have to repeat it twice. Dorian took small steps towards the endless line of trees.
The wolf raised his hand, and the two in black hoods fell to the ground, as if from an invisible blow. The chief has already raised his hands. But he didn’t have time to say the cherished spell. He grabbed his throat, as if someone was strangling him with an invisible rope. Eleon, taking advantage of the general confusion, threw the girl over his shoulder. Pushing aside the crowd, he squeezed into the forest, where it would be more difficult to find the fugitives.
– Stop them! – shouted the inquisitor in an imperious tone, who never took revenge for the spit on his face. But the crowd suddenly closed in, preventing the order from being carried out. Everyone in the village loved the clerk and his family.
– You pathetic people! Do you even understand who you are contacting? Move away quickly!
The five inquisitors extended their hands forward, and red lightning streamed from them. The crowd parted. The executioners began to make their way through the resulting passage, but their path was blocked by the brother of the condemned woman, who was given life.
– Move away! – said the one without the hood.
– Only over my dead body!
