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Time Of Traitors 53
Do you need a vampire hunter? You are late with this, father. All vampire hunters were rooted out by the vampires themselves long before your great-grandfather was born, may the ashes of the d'ahi be preserved forever and ever."It's not the vampire that needs to be killed," Khalsa said. “A witch who lives in the swamps. Can you?- A witch? Swamp or what?Khalsa nodded.- Have you heard?“I heard some talk, but I didn’t think she bothered you, d’ahger.“Witches always get in the way. They cause damage and confuse the souls of those of little faith. Did you know witches who help people?- It's different...- Are you kidding me?- A little. It's all wine. Let me ask you, why haven't you yourself killed that witch who bothers you so much?“There are too many links between us and her for me not to fall into a trap on the outskirts of her dwelling. Believe me, not only the weak in spirit dance to her tune, but many forest creatures obey her orders. So going to her as part of an armed detac
Time Of Traitors 54
If only she knew where this "sunset" is!The weather was disgusting, it already seemed to Nitsiri that she had seen the sun in a past life. The loose layer of snow that covered the forest did not make her task any easier - under the heavy branches of the reefs, even on a sunny day, twilight reigned, and now a haze of gray clouds lay in the sky. She walked almost blindly, constantly risking falling somewhere, stumbling and chipping her hands with thorns. How much time had passed since the moment when she talked with her "guide", she did not know - for some reason it seemed that Nitsiri was wandering around this wind-blown forest for almost an eternity, and would still wander until the end of her days. When darkness nevertheless descended on the branches of the trees, Vikta could not really distinguish ahead even her palm, which she brought directly to her face. Before eyes loomed some kind of pale spot.“Freaks,” she hissed under her breath, once again clinging to another prickly root
Time Of Traitors 55
At first, the khamer kept showing up between the trees, and Vikta often felt his empty eyes on her, but at some point the monster decided not to show up at all. Nitsiri walked in the indicated direction and did not see the freak for a whole day, but in the evening he appeared again to laugh at her and tell her how much she had deviated from the right path. Khamer was obviously upset that he had to mess with the nitsiri shrew, adapt to her steps, and not deal with more important Khamer affairs.Vikta was not particularly upset that the shorty began to meet her less often - the sight of the Khamer did not cause anything but dumbfoundment, but each time Nitsiri began to worry when the sun began to set over the tops of the trees, and she was left alone in a dark, unfriendly forest.- What are you slow, kralya. Just awful! he complained, growing out of the ground.“You can pick me up and carry me if you’re so worried,” Vikta threw at him when she was getting ready for the night. During the
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- That's it - fluff! he spread his paws. “There was also a cat that pricked up its ears at him. We thought that a stupid animal would at least throw itself into the bushes, and then we would devour it. But he didn’t, he ran under the wall, the bastard. Then your friend began to get hysterical, he sparkled all over. Pooh! – and disappeared. Apparently the cat was important: he himself wanted to eat this, so he was upset.Where could he have gone, do you know? Vikta didn't understand.“Anywhere,” the Khamer chuckled. “But I personally think that he entered Barandarud in such an original way. And now it could be anywhere.“I don’t understand anything,” Vikta shook her head. She just cracked from this nonsense. “How can you enter a city but end up anywhere?”“And Barandarud is anywhere, krrral,” the freak purred. - Only Karakyrzhyrak and his brood know where the city will appear next and when it will happen. Barandarud does not like to wait and he is bored to stand in one place. He may or
Time Of Traitors 57
Sleep did not come. She got worse and worse. There was no hope left in my head, but only bitterness and anger at myself. Nitsiri will never find her brother. And there is no Barandarud, there are only stupid tales with which this khamer has powdered her brains. And Sareth was not there. Just because of his usual negligence and pride, one cold evening, the brother did not throw grass into the fire and woke up already from the fact that the Khamers were gnawing at his legs.This is how she ends her days. Now nitsiri will close her eyes and fall asleep, and when she opens, her friendly companion will tear pieces of meat from her. And his brothers, who are probably now hiding right under the ground, will be friendly to hold her hands and lick their lips.She didn't even want to light a fire. What's the point? It will only help cannibals soften her meat. The philosopher's stone warmed her palms so pleasantly, her talent warmed her insides, reaching her heels with its warmth. She will prote
Time Of Traitors 58
When he and Khalsa appeared in the courtyard, where a dozen dog-heads were honing their combat skills, the training was immediately cut short. Those present at the appearance of d'ahger moved to a respectful distance and bowed respectfully as one. The only ones that did not move were tall wooden idols, trowels carved from solid trunks, but not as cyclopean in size as the one on which they were now located. Large, dirty red patches marked the sand under each of the wooden slabs, adorned with bizarre features. Menacing eyes followed Kres every step as he and Khalsa walked along a path flanked by poles dug into the ground, at the top of each sticking out the head of a wolf, a bear, a rok'hee, and some other fanged creature. There were also freshly killed rat and human skulls,Train in the very center of a gloomy temple? It was quite in the spirit of rock'hi.Once again the metal rang out from all directions as the rok'hee tried to make up for lost time.“That's all,” Khalsa grunted, look
Time Of Traitors 59
That "you" the boy did not finish, but allowed himself further. Cres, grinning impudently, ran after him. Vassa moved so easily and noiselessly through the forest that Kres felt like a drunken barefoot in a shop with crystal. Now he tried to step as softly as possible and once again not to disturb the bushes, which were here in abundance. He did not take his eyes off the distant branches, expecting to see a “nest” with a vigilant sentinel on each.- Pied Piper!- What? - Cres almost ran into him, the kid stopped so abruptly.- Quiet you! - the boy pulled him by the jacket and whispered in his ear. - Over there in that tree...Vassa squatted down, and they crawled a couple of steps to the side. Then the wolf cub gently lowered a branch of a thorny bush and stuck out a finger in the direction of a sweeping giant. Cres narrowed his eyes and peered painfully into the cloud of gray leaves that the boy pointed to, but he could not understand what Vassa was pointing to. He never complained a
Time Of Traitors 60
The first sign of the close refuge of the forest witch was a human face. It was half buried in the ground and emerged from the soft, swampy soil with a long, crooked nose and magnificent mustaches. Kres at first took him for an ugly stone and wanted to sit right on it, but in time he noticed a huge, evil eye staring at the sky.- And why is it so? Kres asked, looking at the buried giant.- He was rude, probably. So they dug up uncle.“Poor fellow… How much longer?”No, we're almost there. Maybe at least now tell me why you go to Bolotikha?Cres looked doubtfully at the gigantic face, but still allowed himself to sit down on the very tip of his nose. Vassa preferred to settle down on a fallen tree.– Khalsa needs women to stop going to the swamp. And no one went. Never.- You mean never?- In direct.- Are you going?- Yeah. Remove the curse of the Swamp.Vassa immediately haggard and turned pale. It seemed that a sudden gust of wind would blow the boy away. He sat with his eyes fixed
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- Time Of Traitors
Epilogue
Cres rose with an effort. All of his muscles were curled into one tight knot and were reluctantly relaxing now. The wind roared in the head and in the corners of the hut. He raised his head and only then saw the second dog-head dying on the floor in a foul-smelling puddle. And above him, Leshy's eyes burn with primal malice, illuminated from within by some kind of silvery sheen. In the dim light, the herbalist looked less and less human.- What are you standing for? Grab your grandma and tick!He said, turned on his heels and, as if nothing had happened, went to the door, wiping his bloody palms on his trousers.Cres threw off his stupor, felt for the half-dead Ada and climbed out the window. Vassa followed him.“I’m already tired of sharpening laces with you, wanderer! shouted outside. - If you don't want it to be good, we'll be bad!Footsteps thundered. Closer and closer.“Wait, what if he still has my shava?” - whispered somewhere very close. Cres recognized that voice: it was Golg
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- Are you serious?! The messenger is already over a hundred, and I have nine winters and one summer! - Vassa could not stand it and shook all over. - A good defender - he could not even kill that bastard who killed his father in front of everyone. You protected your mother, now you are responsible for her!“Shut up,” said Kres, unwinding the whip in front of Vassa. - You do not understand anything.– I understand everything! Father is gone now, and there is no one to protect mother. You are a coward who only cares about himself!- And this is what the one who climbed into the house with a knife, where the defenseless girl is sleeping, is telling me?“She is not defenseless,” Vassa gritted his teeth in an attempt to hold back tears. - That's all she is. She is to blame! Because of her, Yuvasa died, because of her, rats attack us. She bewitched everyone - Khalsa, father, mother, Messenger, and especially you! You talk about her all the time.- How are you concerned about this? I am sitt
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Khalsa and Musa were burned after sunset, right on top of the Sacred Tree. Kisha herself brought the torch to the feet of both, loudly and distinctly uttered all the necessary praises and appeals to the d'ahs, and did not leave the raging flame until the bones of the warriors turned to ashes. Her children were surrounded by monotonously howling former Khalsa dog-heads - they crowded in a circle, wiping their tears and shifting from foot to foot, because they had nowhere else to go. Vassa soon disappeared somewhere, and Cres did not see the wolf cub all night, which seemed to him too long.Keisha collected the ashes left from both fallen warriors, without anyone's help she climbed onto a branch of the Sacred Ref and scattered the ashes in the wind.Cres wanted so badly to drop everything and run to the Skin House, where he left Ada in the care of an eccentric he barely knew. What's wrong with her now? Did this Leshy offend her? He sent Ieassa and Shuna to them - to find out what and ho
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Vassa screamed terribly, as he had never screamed in his life. But his cry was quickly drowned out by the outburst of indignation that exploded in the audience. The circle of d'ahs has not seen such a disgrace in many winters and years. To the cries of indignation, he, not remembering himself, rushed across the sand to his already dead father.- Fool, come back! - belatedly exclaimed, but it was too late.A blade flashed in Vassa's hand. Baring his teeth, Asa raised his hand with the sword, covered in the blood of his father.It rumbled as if a huge leather string had been torn. The knife fell out of the fingers of the wolf cub, buried in the sand. Vassa ripped open the bloody mass of sand with his face. The crowd sighed in one breath, exhaled, choked on their own cry, when Vassa was abruptly dragged back, away from the blade, which only missed his head by a finger.Going through all the curses with which Senches filled his brain over the past twenty-eight winters, Cres quickly pulled
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The people still rejoiced, but somehow out of tune. Certainly not such a reception was expected by the newly-minted d'aher.“Before you name him d'ahger,” a small old man in a flowery robe kept shouting from the crowd. – Is there anyone among you who dares to challenge the right of Asa?!"The D'ahs have spoken," Asa declared, not looking at anyone. Then he dropped his shield and suddenly met the eyes of the Messenger, who was trying to put his foot on the sacred sand. It felt like a fire was going to ignite between them. The old man finally twitched his cheek, looked away and took a deep breath.- Of course have! - sounded over Vassa's ear. Too close, and the wolf cub turned its head in disbelief, not believing its ears. The crowd seemed to rush to the side. She darted in one impulse, trying to find out who dared to challenge the one who had just killed Khalsa himself.Musa stepped out of the crowd and froze with his arms outstretched.- Here I am, Musa, the son of Barik, I want to ch
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The sun was looming in the pre-morning haze and slightly outlined the black refs, slightly powdered with snow, and people were already flocking to the top of the Heart-House, heading straight for the temple, where preparations for the sacred duel were already in full swing. The people lined up along the edges of the sand circle, right under the wooden faces of the d'ahs, carefully watching each villager. When Vassa and his family climbed to the upper platform and stood directly under a huge statue with a bear's head, snowflakes were flying in the air, it was fresh and quiet. The cub shuddered and began to rub his palms. The day promised clear and frosty.My father closed his eyes and whispered something silently. Prayed, I guess. Noticing the attentive look of his son, Musa smiled and tousled his hair. The mother whispered something to the father, and the smile instantly faded from his face.“I told him not to twist the tail,” muttered Musa. “But he never leaves the d'hanka.It only m
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The pebble rolled across her palm like an apple on a saucer. His eye beckoned and frightened at the same time. A light yellowish glow emanated from it, and if it becomes even brighter, then you can naturally fall into it and get stuck there forever.Give him blood to drink and urgently! If they don't hurry, then Sareth's torment in Barandarud will go down the drain.“Mine was better,” Vikta said, handing it back to her brother. She grimaced and said it more out of spite. Her ears were stuffed and for a moment the light faded in her eyes, as soon as the little thing fell into her hands. It was just breathtaking. Brother's Philosopher's Stone was strong. Very strong.Sareth didn't answer, didn't even raise his head, didn't make a single move to take his jewel."He's yours," he replied, poking his wand at the fire.Victa thought she had misheard.“Take it,” she said, handing him the stone.Is he yours, deaf or what? he muttered.- Like this? she couldn't believe her ears. - I already loo
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“I remember the darkness,” Sareth was saying. “And some prickly creatures. I remember how they purred contentedly and pinched me painfully, as if I were a calf that they go to slaughter. Abomination - I do not want to remember! I know you might think I'm crazy..."No, I don't think so," she cut him off. - This is true. The Khamer saved you."Saved" and "Khamers" in one sentence. She couldn't help but smile bitterly.- The ones that Ryzhek spoke about ? Looks like Les is really a wonderful place.“I'm already fed up with these miracles of his,” Vikta turned away. “We were supposed to spend a week here at the most and return home, and everything stretched out almost ... Senches knows how long! And the end of all this promises to be not at all happy, as in your stupid fairy tales. Well, that's why, it happened to you? Where did you go, fool? What have you achieved?“I don’t know,” Sareth grimaced, as if from a headache. - I haven't checked yet.– Yes, what are you talking about? Vikta ex
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Akai left them almost at the exit. Victa hooted as the weight of a heavy body rested on her frail shoulders. She clenched her teeth and tried to take a step, and flopped to the ground.“What a clumsy you are, Vikta. - Complained her escort. “Better drag him by the armpits.” It's too heavy for you to carry in your arms.Vikta, puffing from the effort, did as the underground inhabitant advised. In the same way, she once dragged the dead Apol out of the cave in order to give the Khamer for the profit. There was still nothing to be seen around, but she felt that gradually her eyes began to pick out separate outlines from the environment. Akai was here too, although she couldn't see anything clear beyond a vague black spot. And only once in the emerging light two menacing eyes seemed to flash."Don't get distracted and don't look at me," he advised her. Vikta immediately lowered her eyes to the ground, and continued to drag the man to the surface. Akai didn't say another word, didn't even
