Читать книгу The Pearl Diver - - Страница 3

During his years in exile, Tram had become accustomed to the fact that it could be cold. He is used to basking in the sun in the warm Dragha. And his native Dream greeted him with torrential rain, which seemed to have no end or edge. Clouds covered the skies with a gray blanket, and nature did not want to crawl out from under the warm shelter into the cold world, like a gentle princess on a winter morning. The wind blew and a bright yellow leaf hit Tram in the face, and with it the sand, making him sneeze. It smelled damp. Crows croaked and dragonflies, huge dragonflies, scurried back and forth. Tram pulled his hood lower, hoping that this would help against the ubiquitous sand, which even the rain could not force to lie on the ground. The familiar walls of the temple were tinged with silver. In such weather he would happily sit at home and not show his nose outside, but the local residents were not afraid of the rain. They scurried back and forth, pushing, shouting, quarreling. Someone was kissing, someone was stealing apples from under the merchant’s nose, someone was chasing her husband with a club in his hand:

– Cattle! How could you meet with that woman secretly from me!

Life was in full swing, the city was alive, and he did not yet suspect what danger awaited him.

Tram approached the white walls of the majestic castle.

– Wait, who’s coming? – at the entrance there are two: one is still quite a youth, even a mustache has not appeared on his face, thin as death itself. The other was an old man with a belly almost to the ground. But they are somewhat similar – either son and father, or the eldest – the uncle of another guard.

Tram took off his black glove, and a silver ring with a special rune appeared before the eyes of the guards. Then he took off his hood.

– Take me to the king. The matter cannot wait.

A man on a black horse rode up to the guards. He got off his horse and whispered something in the older man’s ear.

– So-so! You are welcome! His Highness has ordered that everyone associated with the Soul of the Corsair be brought to him personally, and our honorable informant claims that you sailed on that damned schooner. How much did these thugs drink our blood!

Tram was hit painfully in the stomach, and then his arms were twisted from behind and tied up. Oh, this is not how he imagined returning home! Not at all like that!

He was led through urine-smelling corridors. There was a completely different smell in the hall – a mixture of fashionable perfumes and the same urine. In the viceroy’s castle, hygiene was more carefully monitored than here.

King Leslie the Unsociable sat on the throne. To his right sat the Princess of Syria.

«She looks like me!» – Tram noted to himself.

On the right was Queen Esteri. She has become haggard and aged. Hubby is still a tyrant.

– They say they found one of the corsairs? Although, I see that everyone on your schooner doesn’t give a damn about the law. I expelled you from the lands of Eldoras forever, has anything changed since then? Why did you decide to break my will?

– This is a special time, Leslie. We must put aside our personal grievances to unite against a common enemy.

The king snorted contemptuously:

– If this common enemy is pirates, I will gladly!

– Pirates are not the worst problem that the Erin Sea conceals. To fight this, I am ready to unite with the corsairs – they are saints compared to Chamon.

Everyone present gasped. A hundred frightened eyes were directed at the guest.

– Shamon? You’ve probably been hanging out with savages for too long. Shamon was killed two hundred years ago. And the ancient city of Antimonikos was destroyed so that no stone was left unturned.

– They didn’t kill, but only put to sleep. You know – the Dark Lord is practically unstoppable.

His ancestor had such an opportunity once. But he got scared and did not complete the ritual to the end. Shamon could be dead forever. But he wasn’t.

– And what do you propose, Exile? – the king did not hide his hatred and contempt for the guest.

«We must reassemble the Order of the Seven.» We must restore its former power in order to fight the great ancient evil on equal terms.

– Ah, so that’s what you want. The robbed ships are not enough for you. You also want to take away the power from the king.

– I don’t need your power! Why do I need her? The Order of the Seven – it was not created to rule!

– You tell me your fairy tales. I didn’t call you. If someone tries to attack Eldoras, the king will cope on his own, without the advice of the Exile. Therefore, take this offender to jail – let him think about his behavior there.

The king had his reasons for doing this – Tram understood that. For many years, duty forced him and his beloved to stay apart. Her father chose her future husband. She was from a noble family – and who is he, the son of a monk? Yes, once the Order of the Seven had real power, but then the kings deprived them of power, fearing competition. Esteri married the king. Vows of fidelity meant too much to Tram back then, and he tried never to meet her gaze in order to resist the temptation to speak.

But one day he returned home from the battle ahead of the squad – with other wounded. And then he met her for the first time in years. Love broke the dam and flowed like a river.

One witch told the king that he would not be able to have children. But, returning from the battlefield, Leslie found his wife in labor. Tram was driven out of sight. If there had been someone else, he would have executed, but Tram is one of the Seven – people would not understand, why does the king need unrest?

Tram had not seen his daughter until that day. Leslie recognized her as a princess. He couldn’t have children, but he needed an heiress. They say that the old kings recognized power only in boys. But new times mean new laws. The king did not want to admit his weakness to anyone. The wife knew that he, as a husband, could not do anything. For this he took revenge on her all these years, which is why she grew old before her time.

– Get out! – the king yelled. – Do you, raszyavs, need to repeat it twice! Put the pirate in a cage!

Soldiers approached Tram. Among them was Stewart, an old comrade in arms. Together they ate a ton of salt and shed a river of sweat in battle. They cut down the enemy shoulder to shoulder.

– Sorry, Jumper!

How long has it been since he was called by this battle nickname! Tram even shed a tear, remembering the past. Once you make a mistake, your whole life goes awry.

He was thrown into a damp cell, and the door slammed behind him.

The men sat in a semicircle and looked at him, studying him.

– New guy? Well, hello, peer,» said one of the prisoners. The one sitting in the center. – Or lord, I don’t even know what to call you, in such noble clothes. Stole, perhaps, from the king himself?

Everyone laughed in unison.

– Take off your ring. I need it more – it’s a beautiful thing, there’s no point in putting it on for such a lackey.

In the first minutes, you shouldn’t give in to slack in such places. Of course, life in Eldoras will soon end when Shamon comes here. But Tram did not know how long he would spend in this place where inveterate people gathered. On a pirate ship, Tram witnessed how a young, thin guy periodically replaced female affection with unshaven corsairs, and did not want to share his fate. The rune-covered sword was taken, but Tram had a dagger in his bosom. He quietly took it out and placed it just below the prisoner’s stomach.

«If you touch me again, you nit, I’ll cut off my balls.» Believe it! Understand? One more fucking time and you’ll be singing in the choir of inquisitors!

– Okay, why are you doing so right away! So I would say that it’s my own. You know, we don’t like nobles here. And you are one of your own, you are not one of the nobles. «My name is Sam,» the «leader» extended his hand.

«Trem,» the Exile shook hands with caution.

– Will you have makhorka? There is little entertainment here – shag, cards and dice. Well, sometimes we fight, but so as to stretch the loaves.

Tram had a special gift. He was unsociable and very rarely spoke to anyone first. But he always had comrades everywhere. And now he has become the soul of this team, with whom everyone took into account and asked for advice.

The days passed in a monotonous sequence. Tram glanced warily at the street through the bars. He was taught to play poker. They played, of course, for shag.

One day the door to the cell opened. Stuart entered.

– Has Leslie come to his senses?

«Not really,» said the guard. – Let’s go, I’ll tell you along the way.

The door behind Tram creaked open and he was finally free. Fresh air! This is what is missing in the musty, sweat-smelling cell.

«Tell me what happened while I was away,» said Tram.

– Many things. Much more than in all previous years. Let me start with the fact that Shamon’s return is now no secret to anyone. The combined forces of Dragha and the Ennians burn cities and villages from the south. Morelia and mercenaries from the far west are burning our northern lands. According to my calculations, Shamon in all his grandeur will be with us in a week. And the king… He is still blind. He doesn’t see obvious things. Doesn’t want to see.

We walked down the street without meeting a soul. How strange, even ominous for Dream – an empty city.

«The merchants and rich townspeople have left,» Stuart commented.

We entered the castle and the meeting room. All six of the Seven stood around the throne.

– Oh, and you are here too, Exile! – said Leslie. – When you appeared in my city, I immediately realized that something was dirty. CONSPIRACY! And you can’t trust anyone. But you won’t overthrow Leslie that easily! You will not take away my crown. Guards! Capture these traitors!

The soldiers hesitated – the Order of the Seven was something sacred and inviolable for them. Since childhood, their parents told them legends about the Battle of Antimonica.

– Do I have to repeat orders twice?

Some soldiers pulled their swords from their scabbards and walked towards the seven monks. Other soldiers pulled out their weapons and blocked the first one’s path. A fight broke out between supporters of the order and supporters of the king.

– I thought so! – shouted Leslie. – Traitors among the walls! Damned traitors!

He made a strange sound:

– You? And you!

Tram turned to see Esteri, his old lover, pull the dagger from her husband’s back, and the king fell to the ground.

– Stop! In the name of the queen! I order! – Absolute silence hung for a while, no one dared to move.

– I’m not ready to sacrifice my dear Dream for the whims of my husband!

A strong woman, Tram thought to himself. She became haggard and aged, but Leslie could not extinguish in her through years of tyranny what the Exile loved her for.

– The Order of the Seven receives as much power as it needs to fulfill its goal. We have lost the country, but we will not give up the capital to the enemy. Everyone else is now preparing for defense. And we will defend!

– Do your duty, Exile! – the king hissed in his death throes. «I hope you go to hell after this, you fucking asshole!»

These were the last words of the most cruel of the kings of Eldoras. Or maybe the last king, who knows how history will turn in a week?..

Chapter 4. The Fall of Eldoras

For the last two centuries, Eldoras had to defend its right to a place in the sun with blood and blades. A country rich in ore and fertile lands is always a tasty morsel for a greedy neighbor. Not a trace remained of the luxurious forests of Morelia after the reign of Chamon. Antimonik cut down forests and built mechanisms. The war of those times is long over, and instead of the legendary Magic Forest there is a scorched desert. The oak trees withered, the animals became extinct. And Eldoras, with its fertile black soils and access to the Sea of Erin and the appendage island of Ddraigh, became one of the richest countries in Seisilla.

Therefore, in this war, Morelia the envious woman again took the side of Evil. Two weeks ago, the guards saw signal lights to the north. A day later, the southern signal light was lit. Trouble was knocking at the gate. But the king didn’t care. He was too carried away by searching for traitors within the castle walls. When Queen Esteri came to power, it was too late to liberate the provinces. Dream went on the defensive. All efforts were devoted to this.

* * *

Tram walked through the streets of Dream. It was hard to believe that the city was under threat. Everyone is also running and fussing. The market is full of people. A drunk woman invites you to buy fresh fish, another offers silk. Fruits, vegetables, wines, furs, silks, jewelry. Everything is the same as always. Dream was drowning in luxury and did not look for a way to salvation.

A detachment of guards was leading some people shackled. A whole convoy. At first Tram thought they were being taken to a slave market. But then I looked closer and saw the familiar face of Liton.

– How are you here, captain?

– Looks like the old sailor has had enough of a swim. We are all mortals. Something seems to me that this time was the last voyage!

– So what happened? – Tram was wearing black clothes, so the guards did not notice how someone was talking to their prisoners.

– We were hanging out with the men. And out of drunkenness they decided to attack one ship. At first this was one thing, and then several more ships appeared. The royal bloodhounds decided to fish with live bait. And here we are, being led to trial.

Queen Esteri sat on the throne. The maids brought her dishes with fruits and sweets. It smelled of orchids and incense. The musicians played violins, a busty blonde sang soulfully.

The guards brought a tall, dark-haired man in a tattered suit into the room.

– Your Highness, we have finally caught Liton! – said the old guard.

Silence reigned in the hall. Everyone, including the queen, looked at the arrival with curiosity. The fame of the captain of the «Soul of the Corsair» spread to all directions of the world. The crew of the infamous schooner claimed the lives of hundreds of sailors.

– Well, Liton, now you’ve had your fill.

Tram ran into the throne room:

– Your Majesty, Please save the life of this man. He saved me from certain death. I want to thank him…

«He saved the life of one of the Seven, praise be to him for that.» But it took the lives of hundreds of other people. One good deed will not correct a thousand crimes.

– Your Mightiness! Soon Morelia’s troops will be at our gates. And then every man who knows how to carry a sword or other weapon will count.

– Yes, you’re right, Tram! Let’s save the lives of the pirates. We need people who will go in the front row.

«She has changed. Not at all the girl I loved!» – Tram noted to himself.

Life has made Queen Esteri cruel. When everyone left, the queen and the monk were left alone.

– Do you remember that spring? – said Tram. – The lilacs were blooming and the fallow deer were chirping. It smelled of myrtle and malt. We lay under the belly moon near Lake Sturel. We looked at the stars and dreamed about how good everything would be. That everything will be the same as before…

– Years will not erase this from my memory. They made me an old woman, but they will not take away my memory.

– You are not an old woman. But something has really changed in you. Where did that dreamy girl I once loved go?

– Leslie took her to the grave with him. I’m the only one left.

– Please, Esteri, Liton saved me. I have to repay him.

– I already pardoned him, what else do you need?

* * *

– Queen Esteri! Guests are coming to you! – the butler reported.

– Who?

– His Holiness, Head of the Inquisition, Lord Rendell!

– Bring him here! – the queen commanded.

A gray-haired old man entered the room.

– Your Majesty! – he said. – Glad to meet you. And I’m glad that an adequate person was on the throne.

– Thank you, Rendell! But let’s get down to business. Why did you come to Dream at this difficult time?

– I want to propose an alliance to Your Highness. The Anti-Witch League will march under your banners against the troops of the Ennians and Morellians.

– Your Grace, allow me to say! – Tram spoke. – The Inquisitor personally revived Shamon. He is the main culprit of all the troubles of Eldoras.

– Rendell, is this true? «What can you say in your defense?» asked the queen.

– I have evidence to the contrary! I believe that Tram is to blame for Shamon’s life. He was a guest in my domain, and performed a terrible ritual. Shamon is alive and thirsts for power, but it is not my fault that he is revived. I will give you irrefutable evidence, but only face to face, Your Majesty!

– Okay, let’s go to the next room.

The Queen and the Inquisitor left.

– Speak. You have three minutes, and if you do not prove your innocence, I will give the order to execute you!

Rendell whispered words in an unknown language, and the queen froze.

«Ochre…» the queen croaked, but the words were very difficult for her.

– Sorry, Your Grace, but this is necessary. I had to deceive you.

– What are you planning? – the queen whispered, because she didn’t have enough strength for more. – If you kill me, you will be executed!

– Why should I kill you? I need you alive. Tram didn’t lie – I brought Shamon back to life. But I didn’t have a reviving stone. I don’t know if the same recipe that the Necromancer came up with remains somewhere. Therefore, I only revived the spirit of the old dark magician. But he needs someone else’s flesh to live. At the moment I am Shamon! – The old man grinned ominously.

– You! – the queen looked with horror into the villain’s face.

«I didn’t even expect that I would be able to capture the entirety of Eldoras so easily.» As soon as I whispered to Leslie the idea, he would withdraw his troops closer to the capital, and now almost all of your lands are under my control, now it will not be so easy to return them back. But here live those who can still harm me. Seven. I don’t remember how they killed me last time. Death erases part of the memory. But I know for sure – they must die. And then this world will fall before my feet. Your Grace, please open your mouth!

The queen complied. The Inquisitor opened his mouth and black smoke poured out, which Esteri inhaled. Then Rendell sat down in a chair, exhausted. And the queen laughed:

– Well, Rendell, you’ve served me well. Now Esteri will be my container!

Tram, standing in the common room, shuddered in horror and whispered in the ear of Linder, the head of the Order of the Seven:

– Something irreparable has happened. We’re in trouble. Mortal danger awaits us. I can feel it. We must run.

– What are you talking about? Tram?

– I put the queen under surveillance before she left the hall. I think, teacher, there is no point in hiding my feelings for the queen from you. They’re not the same as before, but I haven’t cooled off at all. So, somehow Shamon took possession of Esteri through Rendell!

The Queen opened the door.

– Grab the Seven! – Esteri commanded.

The guards hesitated for a split second. This was enough for Tram:

– Let’s run! Immediately! Brothers, come with me!

And they ran. A crossbow bolt flew near his ear, but hit the wall. They ran along the corridors of the castle, barely stopping to take turns, but the guards overtook them. Tram gestured to one of the rooms, and the fugitives ran there.

– From here there is a passage to the dungeons. We must free Liton and his people. We need good security now more than ever.

– So what happened, can you explain in human terms? – asked Linder.

– Shamon has just captured Dream in his hands. Now Eldoras entirely belongs only to him!

– But how is this possible? He won’t be able to overcome our defenses!

– I already could. Now Queen Esteri is Shamon!

– But this is impossible! This can’t be true!

– This is true. Master, take a look at her. My observer spell hangs on her pendant.

Linder closed his eyes and stood silently for a while. And then he opened his eyes, filled with horror.

– This is true. Esteri is no longer with us. Dream fell today.

They went down to the dungeons. The security guard was hit on the head with a flower vase. They took the keys and unlocked Liton.

– I was not mistaken when I saved you, Tram! – said the pirate. And he hugged me like an old friend. Others from the crew of the «Soul of the Corsair» followed.

– Let’s run! – said Tram.