dragon exhaled in amazement. – Not a bad office you’ve got here!
Not bad? The main hall is the jewel of our world! The greatest creation of several generations of Guardians! A magnificent example of the symbiosis of magic, technology, and architecture!
But as I inhaled to start my tirade, the sorcerer managed to derail me again.
– Why did you bring me here, by the way? – he asked innocently.
Why?! To help, of course. But… what help can he offer if even I don’t know what to do?
– We need to check the records of the duty chroniclers and inventory all the artifacts.
– All of them? – Altair asked suspiciously, eyeing the numerous shelves with magical relics.
Yes, many. Or rather, very many. But what can we do?
– Will you at least make some coffee? – the dragon resigned to his fate.
Now that’s a good idea. I didn’t even have lunch today. And they’re probably serving porridge with butter at the academy now… But coffee it is.
Leaving Altair to wander among the rows of artifacts, I leisurely strolled towards my office, enjoying the silence and peace. I don’t know what happened to my colleagues, but I liked this atmosphere in the headquarters. The main hall had transformed from a noisy office into a very cozy library. No one was rushing between the rows, carrying stacks of books, or chatting on the work phone. Beautiful!
I was so relaxed and lost in thought that I hardly noticed a loud explosion somewhere deep in the building. But I did notice the next one. And the third as well! What’s happening there? I dashed towards the loud sounds, remembering whether I had warned the dragon that magic couldn’t be used here…
Apparently, I hadn’t warned him. It seemed so obvious that I didn’t think to mention it! And evidently, I should have. The frenzied sorcerer was running towards me, shouting something. What, I wonder? The colorful explosions behind him completely drowned out his voice. But I immediately understood the meaning of his shouts and turned to run as well.
I’ve been running too much lately. Away from a dragon, and now because of a dragon… Well, I’ll have time to scold him later. If, of course, we survive. But why are we running?
I stopped abruptly, and Altair crashed into me, nearly knocking me off my feet. Grasping his arm tightly, I wove a transition spell. In an instant, we were standing on the shore of an azure sea.
– Damn it! – the dragon cursed and collapsed onto the scorching sand. – Why didn’t you say that magic can’t be used?!
– You could have figured it out yourself, – I reproached him. – Who uses magic in an artifact repository?
– But we teleported right to the shelves! – Altair protested. – I thought they were protected somehow…
– How do you teach magic students if you don’t know such basic things? – I wondered. – Any spatial movement spells leave residual traces only at the point of transition! Therefore, you can teleport into the main hall, but it’s strictly forbidden to teleport out! I only pulled us out now because there was nothing left to lose!
– So, what now? – Altair looked at me guiltily. Seems like I did shame the retired dragon. – Will all the ancient relics be destroyed by a chain reaction? – The protective weavings should work, – I shrugged uncertainly. The enthusiasm to save colleagues from an unknown trap suddenly waned. Just thinking about what awaits me when the bosses see the destroyed main hall and hundreds of ruined artifacts and books is terrifying. Well, we’ll deal with that later. Hopefully, something in the headquarters will survive.
– Hey, where are we? – the sorcerer suddenly asked, looking at the bright sun. – Wasn’t it evening? – Bermuda, – I replied proudly, observing the dragon’s surprised expression. – You mean to say that… – Yes, – I nodded in agreement, interrupting my friend. – The Bermuda Triangle still hides many secrets from people. I sat down on the hot sand next to Altair and gazed at the calm sea. The Guardians vanished, and the headquarters, possibly destroyed along with a bunch of priceless artifacts, relics, and books. Well, it could be worse.
***
I practically ran through the gloomy corridors of the State Academy of Magic, Sorcery, and Witchcraft. Why must magic schools always be located in ancient castles? In the past, it was understandable, constantly defending against inquisitors and pagans, but now? A tribute to tradition? At least they installed central heating in the dormitories. I can’t imagine how everyone lived here a hundred years ago with such drafts. Surely, they all had a perpetual runny nose…
The wizard’s office welcomed me with pleasant dimness and silence. Altair was peacefully studying something, sitting at his old desk right under the canopy of a mighty oak. He really looks great here! I hope the dragon remembers to water it. The teacher tiredly raised his eyes to me and lazily motioned me over with his hand. Yes, these clueless students have exhausted the poor reptile. I even feel a bit sorry for him.
– Hello, – I cheerfully nodded to my comrade. – Why did you call? And so urgently at that? Altair’s call caught me just as I was about to take a shower and relax. After all, Guardians are humans too. And constantly jumping around the world is quite energy-consuming.
– Well, here, – the sorcerer indifferently nodded towards the table, – take a look. Hmm, what do we have here? A world map? And why is it all in white spots? Did he spill milk on it? Dragons are such strange creatures. Wait a minute! I took a closer look at the map. Volga Bulgaria? Khazar Khaganate? Rus’? What year is this map from?!
– Is this what I think it is? – I looked suspiciously at the teacher. – It’s a dragon’s map of the veil, – Altair condescendingly explained. Well, I had already guessed that. – And the white spots are breaches. The protective veil of this world is unraveling. What do you mean the veil is unraveling? I suspected such a scenario, but it stood as an unbreakable wall for over a thousand years, protecting our world from hostile incursions from other worlds. Occasionally, some curious and cunning dragon might slip through unnoticed, but they were always caught, and the holes in the defense mended. But now, judging by the map, only about half of the veil remains.
I felt uneasy. I cautiously sat down on a wooden chair opposite the sorcerer. He wisely remained silent, allowing me to grasp the scale of the tragedy myself. What does this mean? No Guardians, no combat artifacts, no headquarters, and the veil nearly gone?
– Now all the dragons will flock to us, – I looked at Altair a bit bewildered. – And we won’t even be able to hide them. Imagine what will happen? People will notice them, start killing them. And your kin are vindictive, they will seek revenge. A war between humans and dragons…
– Are you serious right now? – the teacher looked at me as if I were an idiot. – We dragons are very curious, but, as you know, not fools. None of my kind will venture into this world after the fall of the veil. First, it’s uninteresting to walk where it’s allowed, and second, they will understand that the veil didn’t collapse for no reason. And we really don’t like meddling in other worlds’ problems.
– So you’re saying the fall of the veil doesn’t pose any serious threat? – I was surprised, but Altair’s words considerably reassured me.
– Are you a Guardian or what?! – the sorcerer suddenly roared at me. – Do you really think the veil protected your world from dragons? Does your incompetent generation consider our kind the highest threat?!
– Well, actually, yes… – I cautiously responded, trying not to further enrage my friend. – We mostly protect against you. Sometimes there are outsiders from the spirit world or kamikazes from minor parallels, but it’s always small fry.
– Alright, –