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Time Of Traitors 80
Vikta, beside herself with a sudden surge of fear, pressed herself into his skin and thought that she would not be able to stay on her back after his first jump. But, flattened on his back, she did not move back an inch, but to make sure, she squeezed her coarse hair even tighter in her hands. Feeling the work of huge, iron muscles with her whole body, Nitsiri involuntarily imagined what her new acquaintance was like and shuddered. No, Akai, if it was him, was definitely not human. Something four-legged and hairy was running under her.Before she even had time to marvel that, it turns out, just huge spaces were dug underground, hidden by eternal darkness, as their sudden run began to slow down and very soon her guide froze in place.“Get down, we’ve arrived,” the monster said under her in Akai’s voice. Vikta obeyed - blindly lowered her legs and tried to find support under her, but her toe met only with emptiness. Then she gently slid over his skin, but the feet of the earth did not w
Time Of Traitors 81
The man seems to was unconscious and had a fever. Nitsiri touched her hair. They were soft and vaguely reminiscent of her, but then another discovery pricked her wrist - they stretched almost to her shoulders. Too long. Something, but hair can't grow that fast. She remembered that her brother wore a haircut just below the temples, and these were more like dog-headed hair. However, the facial features were correct and Vikta, running her fingers over his eyes and nose, imagined the familiar oval of the face, but everyone doubted whether this was a hoax, or a stupid joke? Knowing the nature of the underground inhabitants, they will begin to throw a stranger at her and quietly make fun of him, and then pounce and swallow when they get tired. Too long. Something, but hair can't grow that fast. She remembered that her brother wore a haircut just below the temples, and these were more like dog-headed hair. However, the facial features were correct and Vikta, running her fingers over his ey
Time Of Traitors 82
For the next few days, if Ada woke up, then for a short time, she slept more. She often cried in her sleep and groaned at some of her nightmares. Very soon she developed a fever, and the girl was terribly shaking all night long. Cres did not remember if he slept at all these days or if he only imagined it. Perhaps he, too, disappeared into oblivion, and when he opened his swollen eyes, he did not remember how much time had passed and whether he was alive at all. The disease soon took possession of his weakening body, at times he was unable to move even a finger, let alone care for someone else. In addition, the new scar ached more and more every day. The neck was swollen and burned with fire, causing great discomfort during rare meals. The body only now discovered the deceit and demanded that everything be according to the rules, with terrible pain and torment.The owner of the Skin House was constantly disappearing somewhere, and until late in the evening Kres and Ada were left to th
Time Of Traitors 83
"Shut up, you bastard!" I see that you can barely stand on your feet, and look to the d'ahs yourself go. Go get some water and don't get in the way! she ordered.Kres did not need to be asked twice - he was already rushing with all his might to the river with buckets. Outside, he was greeted with a frightened squeal by the children who came to say goodbye to their grandfather. Sosha and Alka wept bitterly, Vassa tried to look stern, although his eyes were wet. The rest of the company, led by Ieassa, froze a little further away, their eyes wide open to the limits allowed by nature. From one look at the new inhabitant of the Skin House, a couple of guys immediately took to their heels, the rest were simply nailed to the place out of fear. When Cres, swearing to himself with the very last words, returned with full buckets of water, the kids were already helping Kisha with Ada.“If only I knew what… I would have brought…” Kisha muttered, wringing out a rag and laying it on Ada’s forehead.
Time Of Traitors 84
“You now have the hard part of tending to my father until he expires and appears before the d'ahs. He himself persuaded me to take him to this kennel, where there is only a place for ghosts. We don't have a house anymore, thanks to the rats. I am glad that he will not die alone and that the Khamers will not get to him, otherwise he would have to be tied to a tree in general, as in the old days. Properly guide him to the Path when the time comes. For the time being, I will do my best to ensure that none of the hottest heads are dragged here for your precious tail, while some will prepare for the duel, while others will see off the dead and restore what the rats destroyed last night.- Leshy and I sat in ambush all night. Many dead?I don't know, I didn't think so. But there will be even more... Oh, in a lousy time, we decided to change d'ahger, and, I feel, this will come out to us in pain, blood and death. This is the stone that this one of yours was talking about ... how is it, bitch
Time Of Traitors 85
But Malga spat again and wandered after his friend. Keisha followed him with a stern look and went to the doors of the Skin House.Kres lifted his grandfather with some difficulty and tried to take him inside, but Barik did not give in:“Look at the dogs, how quickly they change kennels,” he complained, sitting back on the bench. - Even yesterday, with Musa from one brother, they drank honey! Today there, tomorrow here, where it smells better. They will sell their own mother, only to be smeared with fatter. Ugh!Kisha and the kids were sorting out something in the hut.- Asked for it - do not interfere. Go to the yard, to the grandfather.- What are you doing? Kres asked as the door closed behind the children.- Don't you see? - threw Kisha, sorting out her belongings and changing linen. - I don’t want my grandfather to die of hunger here and bathe in shit. Let him die in peace here.Silently she shoved a pouch into his hands.“You forgot,” she grumbled.Cres opened it and found what
Time Of Traitors 86
- Naturally, he's a Harger. I'm pretty sure he'll try his luck too. Well, after either Asa or Khalsa stained the weapon with blood. Then the next one will take over. One of them will be Musa, I give a tooth.- What if he loses?- Then ... - Goblin was distracted. “The new d'ahger will slaughter his entire family so that some Vassa, when he grows up, does not think to take revenge on him. They will definitely kill you, do not hesitate, you are like a thorn in their eye, and your beloved will be taken away. I heard that Malgas Golgoi had already been here while I was gone: they came and looked at what and how, in order to come later and do the job. So you can wait for guests in the evening, and I went.- Listen. I can't go anywhere until she regains consciousness, and I can't be sure she's okay.“Well, then you’d better go to the show so that you at least know whose guys you have to fend off. Do not be afraid, on this day they are strict - hands must be clean before sunset, so if you st
Time Of Traitors 87
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
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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
- Time Of Traitors
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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
- Time Of Traitors
92
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
- Time Of Traitors
91
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
- Time Of Traitors
90
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
- Time Of Traitors
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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
- Time Of Traitors
88
“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
- Time Of Traitors
87
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
