Dragon’s Empire – 2. Goddess for Dragon. Natalie Yacobson

boat after them.

      «Turn to the shore!»

      After another order we sailed in silence until the boy dared to speak.

      «You promised to reward me,» he said.

      «So what? We have not even reached the shore.»

      «You can everything?» Quietly sounded the question, full of hope.

      «What do you want to ask?»

      «Only the love potion.»

      I had a short laugh. I thought he would ask for one of the gold bars hidden in the chest.

      «For this, they usually turn to the witch. You are the first who asks such an uninteresting trifle from a more powerful creature.»

      He recoiled, noticing dangerous shine in my look.

      «Well, okay, who is this beauty? Probably from noble?»

      «No, a lace-maker,» he whispered.

      «A lace-maker!» I grinned, then still threw him a coin, which he cleverly caught. «Buy a sheet of paper in the hotel, a feather and a little ink. I will write you a recipe.»

      «But I don’t know how to read,» he protested.

      «Well, wait for me in the hall for card games, I will bring you a potion,» the petitioner has already started to bother me.

      He nodded gratefully.

      The boat stuck to the common shore, on a decent distance from the hotel’s yard so that even the visitors of the tavern could not see us.

      «You have to wait an hour, maybe more,» I warned the rower, who immediately jumped out of the boat and rushed towards the tavern

      In an hour I had to have time to take the chest to the crypt and go into the nearest forest to get the necessary potion. Although the dragon could successfully cope with this, but the aid of Percy would not be a bad thing. I found him near the crypt. He devotedly protected my new ownership. He had nothing to explain. When the chests were fell on the stone floor, and the doors were locked again, Percy followed me to the nearest forest.

      Leaving him to wait near the edge, I deepened in the thicket. There was no full moon in the sky, but a new moon also gave enough light. Finding a century-old tree, grew up on the crossroads of a few paths, I took out the dagger and plunged a sharp blade deep into the tree. Dull lights running through the fresh cut and in the pre-substituted flask, drove a thick wood juice. According to the old habit, I decided to fulfill the promise. There was a little more time. Little glowing balls flew low above the bushes, disappeared and again appeared in the most unexpected places. A few minutes have passed before I realized that these are wandering lights. How often they knock down the trails from the road and lure deep into the forest or in a swamp.

      However, this time they called me for a certain purpose. After all, before them was not a simple traveler. Tightly clogging the flask and waiting until the cut in the tree dries off and stop shining, I succumbed to temptation and followed the wandering lights. They had fun danced, overflowing with all the colors of the rainbow, looped and flew to the level of high branches. They tried to tell me the way to another treasure. I myself carefully followed the road and counted the steps. I got to the old oak even earlier than the dozens of colored lights had time to take place. They rushed on branches, shifting with pink, purple and purple tones, and I viewed the thick roots of oak, discovering from under the ground. I needed a shovel, but it was not there. However, it was too early to lose heart. It was necessary to find a stick and whisper a spell. In my hands was a useful tool for the job.

      Soon the edge of the shovel clanged on forged lid of the chest. I jumped into a deep hole, knocked down a rusty lock and flipped it open to see if it is not a hoax. The chest was full of precious stones and jewels. A handful of gold, sapphire and pearl necklaces are mixed into one glittering mass. It costs to open the chest and on the brightness of the set of priceless items beginning dazzle the eyes.

      Percy took the responsibility to deliver the box to the door of the tomb, and I came at the appointed time to the yard in front of the hotel. In the window could be seen the hall where the audience ordered strong ale and shuffle the cards. Only one visitor sat at a separate table with a strained view of peering into the faces of guests, seemed to be waiting for someone. He immediately stood up when he saw me and warmly whispered words of gratitude when I slipped into his hand a sealed bottle.

      «I’m grateful to you,» once again he said.

      «Why do I need your gratitude?» I took the liberated table and watched how the happy fraudster hurries to his friends playing cards.

      Several guards crossed the threshold and headed straight to the table, behind which my acquaintances are located. Of course, they did not pay attention to the young nobleman, which with the most innocent appearance, was located at the window, although the danger proceeded from this side.

      The owner of the hotel moved to me. A minute ago, he saw me talking with one of his visitors, now causing the attention of the guards.

      «Do you need a room for the night?» He asked uncertainly.

      I nodded:

      «Yes! I need a key to the room,» I grinned. The prince would not have come to mind that his former student of noble blood suddenly decided to spend the night in such a dirty hotel with robbers.

      The owner jammed was clearly not going to remove one of the bundles of copper keys, chatting on his belt.

      «What’s the matter?» I asked strictly.

      «Sorry, but we never let guests who came after the sunset,» finally said the owner.

      So what’s the matter. I wanted to get offended, but I just got up, pushed the nervous suspicious person from my road and slowly said:

      «Good!»

      Even without turning around, I went out on the night. The door itself slammed after me. It seemed that the moon over coal-dark water was flooded with a bloody color.

      I was in rage, and the transformation happened faster than usual. A kind of curious visitor who looked into the window did not see the young nobleman. in the courtyard. Of course, the winged sparkling silhouette, which rose to the roof level, was also not able to notice. Panic in the tavern began only when the smooth dragon wing was demolished part of the roof. Those who managed to figure out what was the matter, rushed into the street, and the others in horror observed how the building easily flashed from the first breath of the dragon.

      Feelings of dragon

      The dawn, illuminating the picturesque forest’s glade, smoothed the latest memories of the night fire. Most visitors, of course, managed to carry their feet in time. The burning hotel is not a whole huge city, but the inhospitable owner lost his institution.

      The shore of a small forest lake was fenced with a border of flowers. Water, as a mirror, reflected the flexible branches of willows’ and wild roses’ bushes. The sounds of music came from the far edge of the glade. It made me alert. There was something unusual in this music. The traveler who heard it would certainly turn off from his way and would run to a deceptively calm lake. A pleasant colder freshness came from the water. Another would hear in this melody all his dreams, but I caught a hidden catch. The sounds were too clean, measured, but without a single fake note. A musician must have very long deft fingers, person can not have those fingers. Through thickets of the reeds I moved to the side where the singing of violin came from. I did not immediately realize that this was a violin.. It is impossible to get used to such perfection during visits to theaters or holidays. Even if the nyx hides in the crowd, he will not work on the stage to entertain the people. The only exception to this rule was Camille. During the service, accustomed to tolerate the adversity, he did not want to miss the opportunity to have fun and deserve at least someone’s approval.

      As