Читать книгу Elinor. The Deserted Valley. Book 1 - Mikhail Shelkov - Страница 45

As Kawa was getting closer and closer, Ulari began to see the differences. Tokana was made of huge stones and built on majestic peaks, whereas Kawa was small and compact like a toy and stood on the river. The Kawa houses were made of wood and the city was surrounded by a high hedge of tall pine trunks, pointed upward. Master Nao called this hedge a fence. He explained that it protected against wild forest animals and robbers.

Nao, like everyone else, was seeing the Valley for the first time, but had already read almost everything about it in the information about the remaining nations brought to the Tokana by Rogue Azir. Having learned the local language, Rogue Azir translated many books about his people for them, and also wrote several of his own in the Ulutau language. The Ulutau were taught the Common Language using his books.

Ulari never understood why they needed to learn the Common Language until he met the Vedichs. And it turned out to be very convenient! How would the Vedichs know the language of the Ulutau, and vice versa if not for the Common Language? The Vedichian people spoke it terribly, as if they had just learned, and it was Wey-Leya who spoke the most. Fao and Ina had to be asked to repeat what they said several times to understand what they meant.

At the entrance to the city, their squad was met by a strange man with long blond hair wearing a leather suit with steel heels – an outfit which obviously didn’t resemble armor. The Ulutau themselves didn’t wear armor either, but in Tokana’s libraries there were many pictures of the Taurs and one could immediately understand that armor was needed to protect against demons. This stranger’s clothing would not help in battle; the cloth was sewn chaotically. And on the bridge of his nose the man wore a metal frame with transparent glass circles.

“He’s from the Tuasmatus people,” Nao explained.

“What’s on his face?” Ulari inquired.

“It seems that it helps him to see better.”

Tuasmatus! Or Mechanicum, as they were also called. This nation was related to the Ulutau and the Itoshins. However, if Emperor Tosho blessed the mountain people, then he cursed the Mechanicum! Itoshin Kunu-Lau left the city of Shohan without the knowledge of the Emperor, and afterwards with like-minded people he founded his kingdom in the west.

Mechanicum, according to stories, are strange people. They are smart and inventive, but don’t share their secrets, so information about them is very contradictory. They say that Mechanicum can use their technologies to create people from stone and revive them, they can build special devices to swim in under the water, they can almost build the second Celestial Staircase.

But who in Tokana believed such stories?

“Master Nao,” said the same Mechanic, “It’s good to see you!”

“You know me?” the Master asked with surprise.

“They sent me especially to meet you!” The stranger smiled, but that smile was cloying and disgusting. Ulari’s attention was immediately drawn to this. After all, any Ulutau feels sincerity. The smiles of Vedichs were sincere!

“Who are you?” asked a clearly puzzled Nao.

“My name is Eoamit Asmalou. I am the representative of the Reyro kingdom, a glorious Tuasmatus people. The burgomaster of the Great Cities has instructed me to meet you and lead you to the Valley with all the honors.”

“It’s not worth honoring,” Nao waved him away. “Our people do not accept this. However, I am grateful for the warm welcome.”

“The leader of the city of Kawa is already aware of your arrival, and has prepared the best chambers for you in his own home.”

“It’s not worth it! We’ll stop at the guest house. What’s it called?”

“The inn? What are you talking about?” the Mechanic spoke heatedly before the Master. “It is extremely uncomfortable in there! Hard loungers, meager food.”

“On the journey, we slept on rocks and ate what we had,” the Master interrupted. “Thank you, but we will choose an inn.”

“And you will not visit the governor of Kawa?”

“Does he relate to the Valley?”

“He fulfills the will of the Burgomasters of the Great Cities.”

“Does he know why the Valley was deserted?”

“Not at all, just like everyone else. Neither I nor the Burgomasters.”

“In that case, we’ll go to the inn if you have nothing more to say.”

“Then until tomorrow… come to the pier! The river ship will take you to Eavette in a couple of days!” Asmalou held out a heavy bag, “A gift from the Burgomasters! This is money! We are aware that it is not being used in the Ulutau country, but here you will have hard times without it. By the way, they simply don’t allow you to go into the inn.”

The Mechanic quickly disappeared from sight, and the Master remained standing, holding the gift in his hand, which he either did not have time to, or just could not, refuse.

This Eoamit Asmalou is insistent indeed, you can say nothing else. What will be next?

The wooden city struck the Ulutau. And the inn, scolded so much by the Mechanic, seemed to be an abode of ancient fairytales. It was so unusual inside! In a separate outbuilding stood tall beautiful animals that looked like mountain deer. They were called horses and people rode them.

Inside the tavern, there was a delicious smell of roasted meat and fragrant vapors from drinks that sharply warped the mind. Master Nao said that people in the Valley drank such drinks which turned them into fools. Why they drank them, he did not know.

The dinner was just amazing. Ulari and the other Ulutau never ate such delicious and unusual food but praised it. However, at night almost all their stomachs twisted. Some spent the morning in the special rooms, and when there was no more space there, others were right behind the inn.