Иван Жолудь
Shadows of Alletria. Child of Mountains
To my beloved and only Elizabeth. You are my Sun and without you none of the worlds I have created can exist
Chapter I.Touch the clouds
The clear mountain wind, skirting the branches of the lonely rock juniper trees, gave off a slight coolness, complementing the already calm atmosphere of the Gaela Monastery.
" Huona, watch your breathing.Elder Valn, the abbot of the Monastery and current high priest, commanded as he passed his novice. Without proper training, you won't be able to maintain the balance of life and magic power in your body, and that's"
Yes, yes. I remember: "The imbalance leads to certain consequences that only a true master or great sorcerer can reverse, namely, absolute loss of control over the body, release of energy and painful death," the girl interrupted Valna, who had already memorized the tedious instructions of the priest.
In theory, you've memorized everything, which is commendable.The old man said, causing Huona to smile faintly. But it still doesn't excuse you from practicing. As he finished, Valn turned to the monk standing at the entrance to the Monastery, who was beckoning the priest with a wave of his hand. OK. Classes are over for today. Huona, you are free until tomorrow morning.
Vladyka, what about the evening practice? What is it? " the girl asked as the abbot hurried away.
There are too many things to do today, so you can take care of your immediate problems. Let's take a short break from practice.
Huona shrugged her shoulders in disbelief and watched the monks enter the Monastery with an incredulous grin. She knew where the monks had taken the abbot, knew what the high priest would be doing, and that was what kept her busy, taking up all the soaps on the way home. Huona, lost in thought, walked without looking back along the dark stone mountain paths that led to the magnificent flower gardens, to the stone monuments, to the altars, to the local lake, and finally to the homes of the elves who lived in the Monastery grounds. For the mountain elves here, such scenery was commonplace, so Huona did not even pay attention to the beauty of her native settlement. Norg monasteries have never been as luxurious as any other Norg architecture can be compared to Elven, and the Gaela Monastery was not created for the purposes that savages pursue when they build such structures. Even without going into the structure of this place, you can understand that the Monastery is only a name, but in essence it is a mountain town, built away from the Norg and dwarf eyes, so that they do not disturb the local inhabitants; the houses are built on a level lower than the Temple buildings the Altar of Gael, the dragon of the winds, is built on the top, very close to the Monastery, where monks and priests spend the night and perform their rites, there, in the courtyard by the main garden, the abbot and some monks teach their subjects to novices, to teach the younger generation literacy, herbalism, and magic.
Everywhere the flower beds were fragrant, and the fragrance of the rhododendron, the most beautiful flower of the mountain rosewood, just about to bloom, was carried by the wind into every house, enveloping every street with its delicate sweetness. Lost in her own problems, Huona had not even noticed that she had reached her home.
In the garden, Yuona and Zarri's mother Leta was working, pruning the arched vines and thick white rose bushes. Dressed in a light sky-blue dress, white elf sandals and a thin blue ribbon braided in her hair, Leta absorbed the full component of the image of a true mountain elf. The woman looked much younger than her peers, which surprised many residents of the monastery, and even the priests tried to extract from her the secrets of eternal youth, which Leta herself, to her great regret, also did not know, although she did not need such secrets, even with a cursory glance, you could understand that eternal youth was granted to the elf by nature itself at birth soft, pale skin, like Her hair was thick and thick, and her expressive gray eyes glittered with the fire of life.
Huona opened the gate that led to the courtyard, and Leta, hearing her eldest daughter, greeted her with a broad smile and an embrace. Fixing her daughter's bangs that fell over her face, the elf carefully led the girl into the house, while not saying a word.
Tired?Only after placing a bowl of sweet, fragrant, and warm herbal concoction on the table in front of Yuona did Leta ask a casual question.
No, there weren't any particularly difficult exercises today. And no one let me into the Monastery.The girl replied vexedly, taking a sip from the bowl.
I'm sure there were reasons for that. You know what day it is, so maybe that's why?Trying to lighten her daughter's mood, the elf continued.
Yes, I hope so. Nothing could have happened today, right? Not on this day " taking a sip of the decoction and pausing for a moment before each new sentence, Huona looked very tense and agitated.
No, I'm sure it's all right. If something had happened at the monastery, we would have been one of the first to be notified. And since you've been released for the day, would you mind spending some time with Zarri?" She's definitely up to something, and I doubt she can handle it without your help.
Nu-uu, " Huona said, hoping to think of an excuse for refusing."Okay, maybe it's really important. I'll just wash my face."
I'm so glad you're willing to help your sister. I'm going to keep working in the garden, or our roses will wither away completely. Zarri is probably waiting for you by the lake, on the rocks.
Huona nodded affirmatively as Lethe left.
Outside in the backyard, she went to the spring and doused her face with cool water from the mountain spring, then looked up at the mirror hanging on the wall. Strands of straight, slightly wet, dark brown hair stuck together, sticking to the sun-tanned skin. After arranging her hair behind her short, elven ears, Huona once more passed her spring-wet hand over her fair face, which left her rosy cheeks with drops like morning dew reflecting the rays of the sun above the mountain peaks. Her clear, light-brown eyes, framed by a greenish border, also reflected sunlight that glinted like sunbeams flashing on their lenses. Droplets of water, flowing into the hollows of particularly attractive, reddish lips, gave them volume and moisturized the dried skin. Adjusting the light blue-and-green tunic that covered the girl's light and slender figure, Huona tied up the curls that fell over her face with a ribbon and, brushing away the last of the water with a soft towel, moved away from the mirror.
After hugging Leta goodbye once more, the girl left the courtyard and slowly walked towards the lake. When she reached the edge of the residential area, Huona stopped and looked at the small group of acolytes and altar guards standing to her right. A plump, short elf with black hair caught her attention it was Kait, a good friend of Huona's and another of their mutual friends, who was whispering to the other guards in the dungeon. She couldn't catch the conversation the words were barely audible at this distance, but the mere presence of the guards here, when they were supposed to be on duty in the casemates below the monastery, made her very nervous. Having learned nothing from the conversation of the elves, Huona calmly went on, determined not to interfere with the affairs of the temple servants.
****
A young elf woman was sitting on a low rock formation, her feet dangling down to the azure lake water. The girl tilted her head thoughtfully and sadly, so that her long and fair hair, swaying in the wind like ripe wheat shoots, lightly touched the surface of the cold stone. Her gaze was so sad that it seemed that if you looked into her gray eyes for even a moment, you could feel the freezing chill brought by the chilling wind that came from the image of the elf. From a distance, it looked like a statue of a slender and twisting aspen branch, the heroine of ancient elven legends, who in empty expectation, hopelessly lowered her eyes to the freezing water of the lake. In her hands, the girl tightly clutched a carved box, painted with bright and bizarre patterns and a little shabby with age. Straightening her greenish tunic, the elf adjusted her hair slightly so that it wouldn't slide on the stones, and went back to her thoughts, clutching the precious box even more tightly.
Zarri.Huona, who had been standing at a little distance, watching her sister's thoughtful face with a smile, suddenly said. Why is it so gray?"
" Huon!Zarri exclaimed happily, turning to her older sister. I thought you weren't coming." Today is a special day
That's why I was released early. I see you wanted to do something?"Huona sat down next to her little sister. So why are you so glum?"
I really need your help. Can you come up to the Wards with me to fill the phylacteries?"
Why do you need to fill your phylacteries?The elf asked in surprise as she glanced at the box.
Need."I've started preparing for the Day of Eire, and for one of the rites I'll need the energy of the wind ward.
" Hmm." Well, at least it's clearer now. Rising from the stone, Huon answered-Well, if it is necessary, then let's go to the Amulets.
Hurray!jumping up from the rock, the young elf exclaimed happily. I knew I could count on you!"
After descending from the lake down the path to the mountain ranges, the girls slowly walked along the wooded part of Temple Peak, and talked about abstract topics. During this month, huge rose trees and averin bushes were beginning to bloom in the forests, and on small bushes and just above the grass, strawberries, cranes and sugars were already ripe, the sweetness of which was not inferior to the taste of huge and complex desserts served in palaces and at balls.
Can I ask around about Dragonborn?Zarri plucked a pair of bright blue sugar berries from a nearby bush.
Don't call him that. "He has a name," said Huona, slightly offended, " So what do you want to ask about Trion?"
I have a lot of questions. You're one of the lucky ones who managed to spend a lot of time with him.
I think you'll have a chance to meet him in person tonight. calmly and briefly answered the girl.
Yes, but your relationship is much closer, so I'd like to ask you around before we meet in person."
" Hamuch closer," Huona whispered, smiling.
The whole monastery is already buzzing about the fact that you are in love with each other.Smiling sarcastically and with interest, Zarri seemed to expect her sister's violent reaction.
I was actually hoping you wouldn't hear me whisper.Huona continued calmly, ignoring her sister's words. Yeah, it's hard to hide your love for the Son of a Dragon but maybe it's just as well.
You are now the beloved of a local deity.Zarri said dreamily.
" Ha, ha," Huona giggled, and like a modest girl, her cheeks turned a little pink. In a way, that's true. Okay, stop embarrassing me, I thought you wanted to ask questions.
yes. I've been wondering for a long time, is he really a dragon child?Running closer to her older sister so that she could see her eyes, the girl asked.
" Yes, his father was one of the priests of the Order of the Temple Archmagisters.
You mean the Order of the Five Talons?"Zarri corrected her sister.
I see you've delved into the history of the Ancients and the culture of the Dragon Pantheon.Huona said, turning to the girl in surprise.
You have a lot of books on this topic.
Did you go through my stuff?"Huona asked, sounding even more surprised, interrupting her sister a little angrily.
No, you just left one of the books on the kitchen table. So I took it to read.
Damn it, I'm so absent-minded."It's good to be in the house," Huona said. Please don't forget to give it back to me." These are Trion's books.
I know there's still half a book of his notes near the end. I didn't expect to understand anything from this book, but thanks to his notes, in which he deciphered almost the entire history of the Order, I was able to read the original.
Have you read the whole book? How long did it take?
Not for long, two days. dozhivaya sweet blue berries sugar, answered the elf.
There's also a thick volume! You've mastered a huge book in a couple of days you barely had enough time for ten pages before that!
It's never too late to start improving, especially since the book is very interesting.
Well, you can't even argue with that.She confirmed Huon's sister's words.
The girls came to the cliff, the bridge over which led further on the way to the Amulets. Old and rotten logs were attached with frayed ancient ropes, which made it scary to step on the bridge even with one foot, let alone cross to the other bank. In the days of the Ancients, there were unprecedented beauties here, but only now only the ruins of unimaginable architecture remind of the greatness of the civilization of the first elves. In the old days, the water in the current cliff lapped like a huge and raging river, passing through the entire Gaela Range and falling in a high waterfall almost at the top of the Temple Peak. The river was crossed by a wide bridge built of dark stone, which the Ancients extracted from the very depths of mountain mines, for the construction of especially beautiful architectural monuments. On this bridge, at one time, caravans and scientific expeditions passed, the path of which ran through most of the lands of Alletria, not even skirting the territory of the Norgs, and all that remains of it now is a few pillars that did not collapse, resting on the bottom of a small river barely visible below, on which mosaics and sculptures based on ancient legends are carved, barely distinguishable and
When Huona had taken a step and made sure that the bridge was still in use, she took her sister's hand and walked cautiously across the river. The tree crumbled with each light step, and Zarri squeezed her eyes shut, clutching her older sister's hand tightly as she walked with her eyes closed, still afraid to open them and see the bridge falling with them. Fortunately, everything went smoothly, and Huona held her little sister by both hands so that she could safely get off the bridge, and then went on along the wooded path.
So, what does it look like?Zarri broke the silence."Does he really look like a dragon?" With fangs, animal eyes, and a tail?
Don't-her-t, what are you.the girl said, laughing. He's just an elf like everyone else, just more agile and has stronger magical abilities.
What about the scales? Everyone said there were scaly growths on his hands
"It has no scales," Huona answered, laughing even louder, and each time surprised by the stories of the young novices. He has extraordinary drawings on his hands that resemble scales. But I do not know where they come from.
The books don't say anything about it?Zarri asked, wanting to know more about Trion.
There is no exact information, except that most of the members of the Order had such drawings, only each one has its own meanings and patterns. I'll ask Trion about it, see if he can tell me anything about such rites in the Order.
All right, all right. One last question for now. We're getting close to the Wards anyway.
Indeed, because of the conversation, I didn't even notice that we had come a long way through the forest, " Huona added quietly, pleasantly surprised by the circumstances.
How does he kiss?Zarri asked with a wide smile, her eyes darting to her older sister's face as quickly as possible.
" Zarri!Huona drawled, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. What kind of questions?"
" Hee-hee " the young prankster laughed loudly, straightening her curls in the wind."La-aa-bottom, I was joking. You don't have to answer, but tell me about his magical abilities, since they are so powerful.
No one else has such magic, not the mountain elves, not the sun elves that Trion belongs to, or the Norg shamans. It has something to do with his father and being a member of the Order of the Five Talons. He has incredible fire and wind magic, which he can effortlessly combine to form even more powerful spells, and he can also talk to various draconids-wyverns, hydra, and, of course, dragons. He can also make contact with other monsters, I've already heard a couple of stories.