Читать книгу Faculty of Dragon Riders - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 4

And it all started so well! Although I’m lying: it all started disgustingly too.

Today was the first solitary practice of the third year of the faculty of dragon riders, so each of us was given a laorta and final coordinates, which we hammered into the portal arch. But my portal on the other side turned out to be damaged, already on the go he built a random route that threw me into the mountains of the Eternal Ridge, on the border of Drakmar. Lands of intelligent dragons, demon tear them apart!

People are not allowed to enter there, at least without special permission, so if any of the intelligent dragons caught me, then trouble would not be avoided.

However, this is all in the past! Here and now, the Dartan Dragon Academy awaits me!

When I left the portal, I immediately fell into the spotlight: the curator Laeri and several other mages on duty watched the arches, and behind them the girls from my course crowded. Seeing me, the curator rushed towards me.

– Alicia! Glory to all forces, you are alive! The archway you stepped into from the academy has been externally magically damaged, so we…

– Externally? I was surprised. – Is that possible?

Usually arches break from the inside, mechanisms are damaged, or spells get lost, but what about external magic? Who needs it and why?

– They are already doing this, – the curator dismissed and looked at me. Behind her stood my fellow students, who probably did it faster and more efficiently than me. – I see you’re fine. Oh, laorte… Wonderful! You tamed the dragon! So where exactly did you get thrown?

– Not far, – I lied. – I saddled the wild one, he delivered me to the nearest working arch, and I went to the academy. But how could that arch be damaged?..

«That’s all later,» the curator interrupted me again. «I will notify the search mages that you have already returned. But an examination by a healer will be necessary. So go straight to the infirmary.

Nodding, I straightened the strap of my backpack on my shoulder and turned to my fellow students, who had huddled in a flock. Ahead of all and everything was, of course, Siena. The girl stared at the darkened laorte on my chest.

– That can’t be, – she muttered. – You must have cheated. And the broken arch was just staged.

– Think as you wish, – I replied with a shrug, and looked at Adin, my roommate and only friend, a dark yellow pendant hung on the girl’s chest. – Congratulations!

– Mutually, – Adin beamed, then grabbed my arm and walked with me to the main building.

The portal arches were in the center of a vast square in front of the academy. It was on it that we now walked: the time was approaching evening, and in the shade of the trees it was refreshingly cool. As soon as we moved to a safe distance, Adin laughed, wiping her tears.

– Oh, I will never forget the expression on Sienna’s face when you stepped out of the portal with the darkened laorta! – exclaimed the friend. – At first, there was only superiority on her face, and then how she broke off!.. Siena became all green, as soon as her eyes fell on the blackest laorte! Wow, I will never forget this! Adin rolled her eyes dreamily, then frowned and looked straight at me. – Only, Fox, I still don’t understand why you didn’t get to the academy on a tamed dragon, like the rest of the girls, but returned through the portal? – What happened to this arc anyway?

– I would like to know. I entered the route, stepped into the portal, and along the way it rebuilt and threw me at another point. Luckily, there was a wild one nearby that I was able to summon. It was he who took me to the nearest arch. And what didn’t fly on it…

I bit my lip, not knowing how to put it mildly. Let’s say Siena would be very, very pleased if I were delivered in the paws of a black dragon and thrown right at her feet. That would be laughter! For her, of course. Rider in the clutches of the wild! Who tamed who?

Brr!

– It all happened so unexpectedly, – I decided to translate the conversation. – A saber-toothed tiger attacked me as soon as I left the portal. We recently passed them in zoology, remember? Magically gifted creatures that are found only in the mountains of the Eternal Ridge and in the territory of the trolls, on the island of Yeju.

– I remember, – Adin confirmed in a hoarse voice. But how did you manage to escape?

I thought about it. Unofficially: I used my mother’s artifact, which provided me with some kind of shield so that they would not find me. I drained his reserve to the bottom, creating a dome around me and in the meantime shouting out to all the wild dragons that were nearby, in the hope that someone would respond. And he did respond! Someone very arrogant and self-confident, and also completely uncontrollable.

– I was saved almost immediately by the dragon I summoned and tamed, – she said half-truth aloud, and Adin nodded.

– Lucky! Your abilities opened up at a critical moment. I heard about this. But now that the barrier to taming dragons has been removed, you can easily turn in subsequent practices and not worry about being expelled!

Hooray! Probably. But that wild one confused me.

Now I doubted more and more that this dragon was wild. But how is it? Why am I able to tame him, even if only for a moment? Why wasn’t he afraid of me, like so many before him? Why did the laorte finally take on an onyx color? Obviously it’s no accident!

What, exactly, is the difference between savage and intelligent? They say that once, very, very long ago, some bisexual dragons went crazy with grief, having lost their true mate, then they became «wild», lost their minds and flew away here, to the mountains of the Eternal Ridge. They were not much different from ordinary animals and aroused only pity and some disgust in their intelligent relatives. So the Wild ones multiplied and bred, becoming a kind of isolated species. A species that eats people, flying out of the mountains into peaceful settlements. But in the magical universe for any action there is a reaction: so over time, in magicians, more precisely, in magicians, the gift of taming dragons began to manifest itself. People like me could ride dragons, make them obedient and use them for their own purposes – for example, for passenger and cargo transportation, because portals are not available everywhere and cost an order of magnitude more expensive than such trips. The gift of taming is manifested mainly in girls – someone explains this by the fact that the beautiful half of humanity is more prone to empathic communication, compassion and understanding. Therefore, the dragons obey only us – riders.

Okay, okay, specifically, I always had problems with taming. More precisely, they were easily tamed, they obeyed me, but to let them touch them – this has never happened before. And so I flew!

In the paws, yes. But why such pettiness? She flew well.

– You did it, Fox, you understand? Adin brought me back to reality and put her arm around my shoulders. – Done! Uela and Siena, and the rector. I give two darts to the fact that he was already preparing documents for your expulsion!

– Well, what are you, Adin, he has already prepared the documents on my expulsion for a long time, – I grinned. He keeps them in the top drawer of his desk so he can’t reach.

Adin laughed infectiously. The fair-haired classmate was distinguished by a cheerful disposition and talkativeness. Her face was generously strewn with freckles, especially her plump cheeks. She was one of the best riders – the dragons obeyed her, even the most formidable and implacable.

They let me out of the infirmary closer to lights out, when they made sure that all my insides were in order and there was no exhaustion. Therefore, I came into the bedroom exhausted, went to the shower and, having changed into a nightgown, immediately climbed into bed.

– Good night, Adin, – I said, and turned off the magic lights.

– Goodnight. Fox… But you did it, – the friend exclaimed joyfully again. – I did! So it’s not about weak magic.

I shrugged. No, it’s not about magic, as everyone thought. After all, in fact, my reserve was not bad, but I had my own motives to hide it. I couldn’t ride the dragon for some other reason unknown to me. Yes, they obeyed me, I had an empathic gift, but when it came to the saddle, all the dragons bucked up, did not let me touch them. No one knew why this was so, but the teachers at the academy put forward the theory that everything was due to the low level of the gift. And the rector diligently referred to this fact in order to expel me.

I tossed and turned for a long time, remembering the strange black dragon. For some reason, his image did not want to leave his head, giving rise to inexplicable vibrations in his body. I wanted to meet him again to such an extent that I already began to think of a plan to sneak away to the domain of the Black Dragons…

Do you hear that, Fox? Adin whispered, then lit a magical nightlight.

I listened: voices and trampling were heard in the corridor. Something fell. Adin and I jumped out of bed at the same time and turned on the lights. And on time!

Right out of the picture, which depicted a cute spring landscape, a pig jumped out at me!

A small one, a piglet, jumped right out of the picture, clutching someone’s notebook in his teeth. Screaming, I recoiled. Adin tried to faint, but it didn’t work out – the boar collapsed on her bed, so I had to quickly drive it away.

– Hold him! He must be here somewhere! – came from the corridor, and the doors of our bedroom swung open. – Yeah, got it!

The castellan, Madame Macy, smiled ominously at the grunting pig. Well, it’s definitely going to be hot! But a magical creature, since it moves through the pictures, it’s impossible with it like that, it’s absolutely impossible!

– Oink!

Piglet, as if sensing my pity and compassion, turned abruptly towards me, spat out a gnawed notebook – by the way, belonging to the nerd of our course, Harriet, who almost fell ill with a heart attack when she saw what had become of her notes – and with all her legs, or rather, hooves, rushed at me. I tried to get out of his trajectory, but what is there! The magical beast created a wave shield around itself, which easily threw me… into the painting!

– Oink!

– Ah! – it’s already mine.

We quickly migrated from the spring meadow to another picture: a cozy living room with a leather armchair and a tea table, behind which a man in expensive clothes sat. He put one hand on his side, and the other leaned on the table, looking at the viewers of the real world with some superiority. I didn’t recognize this picture.

This is a portrait of the rector Ingvar in his own office!

– Where have you taken me, you bastard? – I hissed at the boar, which was slowly making its way to the tea table, currently littered with various deli meats and fruits.

The rector himself, fortunately, did not notice us. And none of them. Neither the one that was in the picture, nor the one that was in the office at the table. But if they were similar in face, then in physique they differed colossally: Rector Ingvar, in his still fairly young years, was a flabby man with an emerging bald head, but the portrait frankly flattered him. There was no talk of any baldness, and the figure was distinguished by the article and the width of the shoulders. For this, he certainly paid a lot to the artist!

While the wild boar enthusiastically ate the food, grunting rather, I became interested in the actions in the office. Opposite the rector stood a young tall man, fit, with dark straight hair falling to his shoulders. In black leather trousers and a dark green jacket, he looked imposing and defiant. Aristocrats do not dress like that, but for some reason there was no doubt that this man was an aristocrat. Everything about him was too… magnificent?

– I am so glad, Mr. Dan, so glad that you are willing to share your knowledge with the students of our academy. This is a real honor for us! Can’t express in words…

The man raised his hand, demanding silence from the rector. I saw few people who aroused such obsequious feelings in the rector.

– I perfectly understood you, Master Ingvar. For me, it will also be an interesting experience to work in this academy. May I inspect it?

– Oh, it’s already night now… maybe tomorrow?

– I would like it right now.

A voice that brooks no objection. Odd man. Why did he need to inspect the academy at night? If this is a new teacher, then he will still have time to get acquainted with every corner, laboratory and audience, and most importantly – the dining room! Oh, the dining room here was the most wonderful place…

The grunting of the boar knocked down all the romantic mood on Madam Humphrey’s pies.

– Now? Hmm, I think I can show you everything except the girls’ dorm.

– From what? Mysterious Mr. Dan was suddenly surprised.

The rector hesitated to answer, which is no wonder – I was also stunned by the impudence of this gentleman!

The boar, apparently having eaten all the provisions, began to lick my hand. I pulled it back and shushed the wretch, but then I suddenly realized that something had changed. She turned slowly towards the office and froze. Swallowed. She almost hid under the table, but held on, but blushed from head to toe.

He looked straight at me. Eyes to eyes! And tear apart the demons, what eyes they were! Black, mysterious, as if darkness itself swirled in them. Now I was able to appreciate the correct features, straight nose, thick long eyelashes and thin lips that curved into an ironic smile. And that smile was meant for me!

– Master Dan? – the rector called him, but he did not even look back.

– We have guests, rector, – the man said calmly, but with some kind of hidden mirth, after which he moved his fingers.

A second – and the space in front of me dissolved, and I fell out of the picture. They didn’t let me fall, strong hands picked me up and pressed me against an equally strong body. I swallowed, clutching at my broad shoulders, feeling the cool skin of my dark green jacket against my palms. Laorte, hanging on his chest, warmed up so inopportunely, contrasting with the sensations on the palms.

Mr. Dan smiled. Slight, but promising.

– The ability to be in unexpected places without permission is your habit, Mrs. Wilt?

While pondering the answer to a strange question, I suddenly remembered that I was in one shirt, and she just pulled up, opening her ankles. This thinnest protection of coarse fabric seemed insignificant. She tried to cover her chest, but in return she received only a mocking look from her dark eyes.

How did he even know my last name?

– Wilt? the rector was surprised, finally recognizing me. – Alicia Wilt?

Is there another Wilt in the academy?

– Gotcha! This time you won’t get away, – Master Ingvar added, almost rubbing his hands.

Gotcha! And how. For peeping. It’s not my fault, it’s all a boar!

– You seem to want an excursion to the women’s hostel? I can arrange it, – I suggested in a frightened whisper to my unexpected savior, trying to hide behind his broad shoulders, because the rector had already risen from his seat. And I was afraid of the last one even more than the first!

Dark eyes gleamed unkindly. I realized that I was stupid, literally inviting a man to my place… oh demons!

– I’m not at all…

No excuses, my charm is hard to resist.

Yes, he!.. I suffocated either from indignation, or from admiration for the unjustified complacency of a man! No, of course, he is certainly good, but to be so arrogant!..

They put me on my feet while I was completely confused. Mr. Dan turned away, as if he had been staring at me for too long. It’s like he paid too much attention. For some reason it hurt. What difference does it make to me?

– Thank you, – I whispered, remembering the propriety. Although should I remember them, standing in one nightgown in front of two unmarried men?..

Mr. Dan looked at me slightly surprised, but only nodded. The rector approached us. Well, if it was not possible to escape, then the enemy must be met face to face!

She wanted to bypass Mr. Dan, but froze, keeping her gaze on the dark pools of eyes. That look… seemed all too familiar to me.

– Student Wilt, would you mind explaining why, if something happens at the academy, is it you all the time?

Blinking several times, as if throwing off an obsession, I took two steps to the side, shrugged my shoulders uncomfortably and stubbornly looked at the rector. Mr. Dan also looked at him, but with interest. There was a feeling that this man was used to everything going according to his scenario, and now he is just watching the dolls, deciding whether to punish them for disobedience or wait until they change their minds?

We need to get out of here as soon as possible before I agree.

– Rector Ingvar, I would love to study this issue with you, but it’s autumn now, and they don’t heat at the academy. It’s cold for me to stand barefoot on the floor, and even in one shirt. I can inadvertently get sick, and the cost of treatment will fall on the academy. Could we discuss this issue tomorrow? Let’s say, during the appointment of a new punishment: the old one is coming to an end, and you usually do not leave me free days, – I answered and innocently batted my eyelashes.

The rector turned purple and opened his mouth.

– Oink

Unfortunately, it was not the rector, although it is quite similar to him. We all turned to the picture and… I could hardly contain my laughter. The boar tried to escape from the painting, but was stopped by Mr. Dan’s magic. Is it that I, too, could hang like this, half falling out of the picture? Horror!

Now the beast is hovering in the middle of the canvas, namely exactly in the place of the rector’s face!

Mm, and this new role of a pig suits the rector. I would even say the perfect replacement!

The rector also quickly assessed the whole curiosity of the situation, blushed again, only this time not from anger, but from embarrassment, and waved his hand: the wild boar jumped out of the picture and somehow took with him the clothes from the portrait: now a completely naked master was looking at us Ingvar in his best physical shape!

If I thought that the rector would blush, I was deeply mistaken: he even drew himself up, they say, yes, yes, this is my figure! Which was an outright lie of the artist.

– Ahem, student Wilt, it seems that it’s customary for decent girls to turn away, – Mr. Dan commented, looking at me with a mocking look, after which he turned towards the real master Ingvar (the worst version of him, unfortunately). – Master Ingvar, I propose to consider this incident settled. The student will freeze if she stays here a little longer.

– Yes, yes, – the rector said in confusion, carefully studying the new picture. Or rather, the best version of yourself.

The pig, by the way, has evaporated somewhere. I tried to look over Mr. Dan’s shoulder, but I never succeeded.

We made eye contact again. I pretended not to be embarrassed at all! As if every day I stand in one shirt in front of an attractive man. What a shame and disgrace! If daddy saw me now, he would whip me! Okay, okay, not whipped, he actually loves me, but he would give a lecture on the topic of inappropriate behavior for a lady.

Quickly retreating from the rector’s office to the waiting room, I noted with pleasure that Madame Jabot was not there. She shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably, thinking about how to walk in one shirt through the entire academy.

Although…

– Ahem, Mr. Dan, don’t take it as impudence, but could you borrow your jacket? – I asked. – I wouldn’t want to walk across campus in… negligee.

The last word was hard to come by. Cheeks reddened treacherously. The man looked at me in astonishment and – such a bastard! – moved it to the neckline. It was decent, without any frills, in general, the fabric of the breech shirt was quite coarse, and the style was chaste, but I still felt an unexpected heat that ran through my body.

– Student Wilt, believe me, you don’t have any outstanding features for me to undress for you, – this impudent replied. And before I could blush and slap the insolent fellow in the face, he added, – Don’t get me wrong, I meant that there’s nothing to cover with a jacket here.

This… this… this is even more cheeky! How dare he?! I… yes, I have a pretty good figure! Yes, thin, but it is now in vogue!

While I was looking for words for a proper answer, this insolent man grunted and picked me up in his arms.

– It’s not worth making such sacrifices, Mr. Dan, – I said caustically and tried to get out, but they pressed me closer.

«Miss Wilt, let me deal with my own… mouths,» he answered and opened a non-stationary portal right from the office.

To say I was surprised is an understatement! This is such waste! It’s so easy to use so much magic!

From amazement, I did not immediately find what to answer, and a second later we were already in my room. Once you know which bedroom is mine?

– Alicia? Adin exclaimed in surprise, jumping out of bed as soon as she saw me.

– Eh… hello, – I couldn’t find an answer, so I froze stupidity.

– H-hi, – her friend stammered.

Fortunately, there was no one in our room, so the audience had dispersed. Hooray!

The stranger’s gaze fell on the laorte, which had slipped out of the neckline and was now dangling over the shirt.

Was it hard to tame the dragon? the man suddenly asked.

I hesitated. On the one hand, it was easy to tame, it had never been possible to reach the stage of securing control through the laorta before, and on the other hand… it was not possible to tame it to the end. What a paradox!

– Not really, – I shrugged, relaxing a little. – I even liked to fly on his broad back: the wind fluttered my hair, and I felt the freedom of flight! That dragon is such an obedient boy!

The stranger’s face fell. He opened his mouth, but seemed confused. Like me a minute ago. In the end, he will never know that I did not fly on my back at all, but in my paws, like real prey, and not a rider…

– You are just amazing… – he couldn’t find the word, for some reason he thought that – liar – was perfect, but he nevertheless completed the phrase: – … girl.

– Thank you, – I thanked.

The man was in no hurry to put me on my feet. For some time he looked at me with such a look, as if he wanted to punish. But still, he took control of his emotions and, taking a few steps to the side, put me on the bed. The shirt, which was pulled up as usual, finally covered her ankles.

– So that your beautiful legs do not freeze, – the man commented caustically and moved to the middle of the room.

– Sir, did you really find something beautiful in me? I quipped.

– Don’t be fooled, student. It’s just a courtesy.

Ah, courtesy!

– Only my husband has the right to discuss the beauty of my legs, – I said. Nothing nervous.

– You know, you broke all the records for the speed of possible attempts to drag me down the aisle, – the man was seriously surprised. – First they fell into my hands in one shirt, obviously intending to seduce, then they asked me to undress, now you are hinting at marriage. I will have to talk to the supply manager so that the boiler room will start working as soon as possible, and these attempts to drag me down the aisle have stopped.

Cheeks flushed. My friend coughed, but Mr. Dan did not even turn to her, continuing to look at me with the interest of a snake that has caught a mouse.

– As I understand it, not a single attempt was successful? I asked, lifting my chin proudly.

– As you can see, no, – the man grinned. – So give up your hopes, Mistress Wilt.

What other hopes?! Yes, he… yes I… yes, I myself run away from the wedding with special zeal!

– I sympathize in advance with the one who still succeeds, – I answered, for a moment forgetting that I was in a student dormitory, in a single shirt, standing on a bed in front of a barely familiar man. – It’s necessary: to endure your conceit all your life.

Next to this stranger, I felt at least in a ball gown at a social event. Amazing man! Surprisingly cheeky.

– Ahem, – her friend coughed louder, finally drawing attention to herself. Alicia, can you explain to me what’s going on?

– BUT? I woke up and shivered. – Thank you, Mr. Dan, for the escort. Now you can be free. The tour is over.

We looked at each other for a while, after which the man grinned, turned to Adin and bowed his head slightly, but before he said anything, the girl hastily asked:

– Who are you?

The question escaped her by itself, from confusion and misunderstanding.

– I am the new master, – he announced suddenly. – I’m teaching Dragon Etiquette from tomorrow.

And at the same time he looked at me. With interest, with a hint. I almost opened my mouth. Draconic… what?

Could it be a coincidence that just today I was going to teach a wild unintelligent dragon etiquette?

Yeah well, some kind of nonsense!

– Good night, students.

– Good, – the friend replied in confusion.

I kept silent. Not out of spite, but simply out of amazement. When the portal collapsed, I sat up on the bed, and the neighbor came up to me and put her arm around my shoulders.

Lisa, what exactly is going on?

– I wish I knew it myself, – I answered quietly and looked for some time to where the portal had recently been opened, only a minute later I woke up and told everything to my friend.

She opened and closed her mouth, not daring to comment until I had finished the story.

– And what happened here after I… m… got into the picture?

– Never mind. That beast didn’t steal anything, just ruined a couple of notes. Madame Macy promised to speak to the rector to make amends. With that, we were all sent to bed.

Hmmm, it’s good that we left on time, otherwise the wardrobe woman would have also witnessed the scene in the office. No, she is very good, but I would be ashamed in front of her.

When we went to bed, Adin suddenly said:

– Fox, didn’t it seem to you that Mr. Dan is a dragon? – In the sense of a real intelligent dragon.

– The Dragon? I asked in surprise. – Some kind of nonsense… why would a dragon go to the Dartan Academy?

– I agree, – said her friend. «But it still seemed. Although if this is a dragon and he will work at the academy, tomorrow we will be announced. The rector will burst with pride, he will not be able to keep this information in himself.

What’s true is true.

– Good night, Adin.

– Good night, Lis.

I dreamed of someone’s steps. Seems like my own. And the altar where the priest was waiting. He smiled. And on the red cushions in front of him lay two crowns…