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The Verge Of An Empire 48
- So, - I shook the blade from side to side, peering into the slits of the mask, - your nightly visit is solely for the purpose of caring for my well-being? Is that what you were guided by when you blew up Scoalt Yard when I was supposed to be there? Is that what you were guided by when you tried to kill my friend? Or maybe this most incomprehensible concern for me made you put me in a wheelchair and unleash a monster on me, the likes of which I have not yet seen?“Recent incidents were accidental, my friend. Coincidence.- I'm not your friend, and, therefore, the first were not accidental!- Justifying myself, I can only admit my guilt in the fact that I am not able to keep track of all my hands. Please, Brian, drop it all and go! You will not be harmed...“You are mistaken, sir, if you think,” I raised my voice, “that my own safety or my own life are paramount values for me!” I have the honor! I have a debt! Let's lie down with bones, having only fulfilled our duty! So say we, el'
The Verge Of An Empire 49
This is my job and I can do it myself. Sebastina, get my clothes and weapons ready.- Listen, master.And now we are already riding in the belly of a metal monster breathing hot steam. Silently. Usually we are not very talkative, I order, Sebastina confirms that she understood the order and immediately obeys. The ideal relationship of master and servant. Sometimes I talk out loud about something and ask her opinion, but this is the same as talking to myself. And otherwise, Sebastina is perfect, so we didn't have moments when she managed to do something wrong and then feel guilty.- Stop it.- Master?“We got passed by a move or two. He knew that mind-clouding spells and other debuffs didn't work on you, and he prepared better than we could have expected. Damn it, I didn't expect anything like this at all! All of a sudden, he showed up at my house! Did you hear what the experts said? The bastard burned the best protective seals, cut them... Are you listening to me?“I failed you, maste
The Verge Of An Empire 50
- I'll be brief. As you may know, a victorious parade of regiments of the colonial army will soon take place, after which the banners of the defeated rebels will be laid at the imperial tribune. My hosts, the Emperor himself in particular, want this glorious event to go off without a hitch. In connection with this, I sent away from the city many of your ... hmm ... soldiers. But I'm not so naive as to believe that they have all been removed. Before I make my proposal, I would like to thank the audience for ... cooperation. And for the fact that you did not try to kill each other, despite the fact that there are heads of competing ... organizations here. In particular, I want to thank Mr. Oscar Bainley for coming here voluntarily today, even though my people could not find him.The sounded name sharply cooled the emotional background, strengthened and nurtured the flowers of sincere fear. They began to turn around, looked at each other with even greater suspicion, tried to peer into th
The Verge Of An Empire 51
I counted many familiar faces, pleasant and not so pleasant. Basically not so much. In addition to members of the imperial family, such prominent statesmen as the Supreme Chancellor of the Parliament, the Supreme State Prosecutor were invited to the podium; yes, there are many supreme in our system of power; gentlemen from the Orst-Malda trading company, dressed up luxuriously and tastelessly, several high-ranking military men, including the head of the capital's military district. The well-born representatives of all four clans gathered next to the supreme overlord, the heads of the most important services, such as, for example, the head of Skoalt Yard. I do not know many of the elite guests personally, which does not prevent me from knowing a lot about them exactly. About some even everything. Of course, the Silver Sentinels were also nearby, four of them. It is strange to see Carnyris el'Calyps next to him, but not his brother. The impeccable thane is missing, he was not invited. N
The Verge Of An Empire 52
- For nothing ... Only by fulfilling a duty ...I put my left hand under the blow, choking with rage, and slashed at the neck of one of the three remaining enemies. A terrible pain pierced my stomach.- I'm here, master!Sebastina grabbed the last two and jerked them aside, and I, dropping my sword, rushed to the helm. Although rushed, it is loudly said! I had a dagger sticking out of my stomach, my left hand was not cut off only by a miracle, and I was very, very hurt ... and scared! However, fear breeds anger in tenkris, and anger gives us the strength to fight! I grabbed the captain by the shoulder and pulled him off the shiny wooden wheel, threw him on the dashboard, grabbed him by the throat! Looking into his emotionless fish eyes, I squeezed my fingers tighter.“Behold my wrath!” Behold the wrath, creature! – not remembering myself, I yelled, and his body arched.My emotions, my rage flowed into him like a stormy river, and if I'm right, he must now feel hot knives piercing his
The Verge Of An Empire 53
From everything it turned out that the two-faced thane did not want to miss the opportunity and raised my dead body to the banner of the fight against the so-called disease that corrodes Mescia from the inside. My spies have reported to me that el'Zornaza attended the funeral and personally offered his condolences to the old cobra."Brian el'Moria, son of the Southern Clan, Supreme Interrogator of the Night Watch, Lord Keeper of the Night of the Great Mesk Empire, rests on a stone bed today! Having passed the path of life in battles, he will be sung in great honor and great glory! And the empire mourns him!” - these words sounded over a stone slab with a body wrapped in a silvery cloth, which everyone considered mine. The slab was immersed in the ground and covered with earth according to the custom of the Mesk tenkris. None of the relatives, of course, hinted at plunging the body into the cold darkness of the family crypt. Then el'Zornaza said a few words about how he would find and
The Verge Of An Empire 54
- Quiet. The house is full of my people. Do something stupid and we'll kill everyone. Every single one, we don't need any witnesses. Now step back carefully. Be careful, el'Calypsa.The impeccable dance did not think to do stupid things, he reacted to what was happening in cold blood. So we entered his office, large, excellently and tastefully furnished. The only decoration in it was a silver shield with the coat of arms of the el'Kalipsa family, all other items had a purely working use.- Close the door and keep an eye on the situation. I must speak with the thane of el'Kalips in private.The door closed.“So, my thane, you can sit down.“In this house, I give out such permits, not you.- In this room I have a revolver in my hand. However, you can stand if you like.- What did you come here for? Except weapons and killers, of course.“They are not murderers, and I… Although, of course, they are murderers. Got excited. And I came today to ask you. There are suspicions, very dirty and
The Verge Of An Empire 55
Are you ready, Sebastina?Always, master.- Let's go.Hooded low, limping and leaning on a cane, I stepped out into a filthy patio and walked through the narrow streets of Little Zankog, hung with red paishoan lanterns hanging from the arched corners of pagoda roofs. Unlike most other areas of Starkrar, life in Little Zankog never stops at night. Noisy short people with a characteristic crease above the upper eyelid walk everywhere, bargaining loudly and tastefully.We walked to the canal. Arrived ahead of schedule, so I took the liberty of sitting in the noodle shop. I involuntarily remembered the explosion that had deprived me of my legs for a while. Silly, of course, but it seemed to me that after the next portion of noodles, something equally painful and unpleasant would await me again. It's not that stupid though.- It's time.We headed towards the warehouses, but suddenly I felt a prick of something unusual, something ... It was as if I had swallowed a small sea urchin, and it b
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- The Verge Of An Empire
Epilogue
In the evening of the same day, when the carpenter's hammers continued to rattle throughout the capital, I sat opposite the Emperor and told him everything I knew about the past crisis. Although not all, of course. I left out some details, I didn't say a word about John Darksad, or Zolan el'Cha, or who and what helped me set up a forgery to start a riot, I didn't say how exactly I was connected with the first enemy of the empire, in my retelling, he was simply the Persistent, who broke into our world and wanted to crush the great Meskian Empire. If the Emperor knew I was lying, he never showed it. After all, during our conversation with Authurn di'Anshwar, he was near death and could not hear everything that we said to each other.“Thus, after all of the above, I tender my resignation and express my readiness to accept any punishment that Your Majesty deems appropriate.”I laid out a sheet of petition on the tabletop.Hmm, punishment? the Emperor drawled. “Hmm, what punishment should
- The Verge Of An Empire
83
- Hurt.- Sorry…“It hurts to see what an ungrateful and stupid young man my son's son has grown up to be. Boy, I am a great black-tongued, I do not die from a wounded perishable blade, I forge perishable blades myself!With these words, he tore the sword out of his stomach, causing the purulent masses to flow out, and let out a loud roaring scream! His appearance changed dramatically and almost instantly, his clothes dissolved, his whole body acquired a matte black color, dozens of thin tentacles appeared instead of legs, forming something like a long skirt, huge black wings opened behind him, from which numerous eyes looked, his arms lengthened and received the second elbow, instead of fingers, terrible blades jingled on them, and a white bone mask without eyes and nose, but with a wide, toothy mouth, covered his face. A large wound on the stomach that was supposed to kill a person was quickly healed on this monster!“Look what you got me into. Are you satisfied now? I had to uncove
- The Verge Of An Empire
82
“I was forced, Brian. Even my spell can be removed, and the puppets, although they are not able to act on their own, see and understand everything.“You destroyed him, and at the same time you tried to kill Tromgar el'Rumar to protect yourself from possible testimony from the grave.- It's like that.“I still don’t understand why you stole Yaro Wolfeld’s body from Volchie. Is it really just to abuse him for the last time and turn him into a vile running piece of carrion?- A burst of inspiration. A particle of chaos in an ordered stream of consciousness. Besides, I was hoping to set you on another false trail.“Using charmed Lups soldiers from the missing battalion?”- Exactly. They did not stand out on Volchie, and lups are by nature a close-knit people, they do not suspect their own.- I understand ... In principle, if the execution of a grandiose plan was perfect, you would have succeeded. You removed your creature from the statue before the statue reached the museum, and all this
- The Verge Of An Empire
81
“You were right, cousin. As always.“See the skinny shadows walking in front of the front door?- The enemy was spotted in the amount of fifteen combat units.“These are Asmoderians, immortal creatures from the Darkness. They are very fast and strong, and they also have weapons that destroy any armor, stone, metal, wood.“My task is to attack and distract while you get inside.– There may be more, and even your car does not guarantee you victory.“I fight to fight, not to win, cousin.Chapadeau rushed across the square turned into a battlefield, took out the front gate with a kick and opened fire. The Asmoderians scattered like frightened water striders, but they weren't frightened!- Now!Sebastina made a dizzying leap and ran forward. The shooting stopped, a huge iron fist grabbed me and threw me forward like some kind of ball, and the maid caught me!- Run, cousin!The last thing I saw before I ran into the palace hall was the figure of a steel giant, plastered with skinny black bo
- The Verge Of An Empire
80
The tashshar's horseback ride turned out to be a surprisingly convenient and fast way to get around. Skinny looking and very hard to the touch, these furry monsters have long, strong legs. They rushed at great speed, made long jumps and easily maneuvered in the stream of evil spirits flowing through the streets. Smaller monsters did not stick to the tashshars, they had an order to get out and add new oil to the subdued fire of terror, and they breathed it, they breathed the will of their master! Every few seconds I looked up and peered into the darkness above our heads, expecting that the ceiling of the cave, invisible to me, would crack from a hail of artillery shells and multi-ton slabs would bury us under them! We broke out of the city and began to break through the tunnels filled with evil spirits, up into the predawn winter night, and hope even began to arise in me, that we will have time to get out when the whole world went crazy at once and a grandiose roar knocked us down! The
- The Verge Of An Empire
79
It ended abruptly. The Tashshars simply crushed the Asmoderians in bulk, crushed them and deprived them of their heads. After that, the bodies of the invincible guardsmen literally evaporated. The armor was empty and scattered in many segments, swords fell to the floor. The crazy spree is over. It seems that one of the survivors addressed me. Some kind of lups with a crazy muzzle. Simon was saying something, but I didn't hear them. I was snapped out of my stupor by the sight of Arren el'Calyps writhing on the floor. Raising my saber as I ran, I struck with all my might at his arm, chopping it off at the elbow. Noble silver blood spattered, and the severed forearm literally in a few moments turned into a piece of fetid meat exuding poisonous pus.- Bandage him! Calculate the personnel, provide assistance to the wounded, if any! Don't touch the dead! Rest… I… Perform!Sebastina was already seated next to Incival.- Is he alive?- Yes, master. But it is very difficult for him, as far as
- The Verge Of An Empire
78
He sighed heavily and sadly.“Listen, boy, I will go against my rules and extend my hand to you one more time. You have come a long way, you were able to find me and you were not afraid to come here, taking only a maid. This is worthy of encouragement. I extend my hand to you again and say, join me! The next morning will be the first morning of the new age! And this century will belong to me! On the ruins of old Mescia, I will build the palaces of a new empire, and, what the hell is not joking, you will sit on its throne!"Are you offering me the imperial crown?"“That little thing doesn't matter, my boy. I offer you the whole world!- Interesting.- You deserve it! Believe me, I know that in all this rotten aristocracy there will never be as much grandeur and dignity as there is in one of your fingers! Help me today, and tomorrow your path to the top of the world will begin! This is not the ravings of a madman and not a sweet lie, this is my promise to you! Get close and...- No.- W
- The Verge Of An Empire
77
We moved through the streets of the ancient city, expecting danger from every shadow. And there are many, many shadows! Tower, castle, palace or temple, whatever it was, the building seemed incredibly majestic and hung over us the closer we got. We soon approached the first crater.“The impact came at an angle of twenty-five degrees, demolished two houses, left a furrow, and went out right here.- What could hit like that? Spell? The stone is melted.The Emperor did it.- What?!- I saw something like that. Traces of destruction. Huge. And this sand under our feet - it is everywhere - not sand. It is the ashes of hundreds of thousands of living beings whose bodies have decayed over the past ages. This is Meskiah, thanes and gentlemen.“You mean the same city, el'Moria?”“The city that gave the name to our empire. The city that became the first letter in the new history. The Emperor came here and swept from south to north like a hurricane, demonstrating the power of his Voices. He dest
- The Verge Of An Empire
76
Gantsaros remained himself, ruthless and purposeful, the one who steps over the corpses, grinding them into mincemeat, and opens fire on any moving target. I see his receding back and a plume of hot steam, white as milk in this cold and bitter night. And I have no doubt that the royalists have put an end to it. For some time, the new weapon will show its power, and the number of victims will exceed tens of thousands, total extermination. Then the time limit will be released, and the surviving prisoners will appear. Mesquia's new weapons will prove to all countries of the world that their armies are outdated. We will remind you again how powerful we are. And we will make them remember how ruthless we can be to our own people. What will we do with them if they dare to anger us?“Truly… The Emperor is prudent and ruthless as always… Now I understand why the threat of rebellion did not frighten him. Moon, have mercy on us.I looked at the creator of these new war machines and felt his del
