one day, a Morellian, General Dartel, wandered here. There is no end to the war between Morelia and Lorraine. It began in those immemorial times, and ended literally half a century ago. And that truce can be broken at any moment.
The elves picked up a thin man, in rags and scars. Dartel was hungry and dying of thirst. But you can’t stop – the enemies were on your heels. The elves had never met people before. They did not know about the cunning of the human race. Herberolden, the king of the elves, gave the man the juice of zaneeris and applied leaves of the medicinal plant to the wounds. Then he whispered magic words, and the wound instantly healed.
Dartel watched the elves for a long time. He tried to understand their language and customs. The words spoken by the elven priest immediately became the truth. The words of a rare person carry weight. You can promise anything, swear by your health, your father, brother, mother, and even the immortality of your soul, and then betray. We have lost the habit of believing words. But not the elves, they remembered the true power of words, so they did not waste the seeds of words to the wind. But when they say, the earth shook and new worlds arose. They gave birth to true magic; it has long been absent from our lands. All the greatest magicians of past eras are only a shadow of the elven priests, in terms of strength and greatness. In the elven language there are no such words as «pain», «death», only «love», «light», «joy»… The dark side of elven magic was invented by people.
– Don’t you see, Herberolden, your strength? – asked Dartel. «You can rule the world if you want.» People will fall at your feet. They won’t be able to do anything against your strength!
«Don’t say such words,» said Herberolden. «Otherwise I will have to expel you.» One of us is already rotting in hell for such words!
They forgot about this conversation. But Dartel never parted with parchment and quill. He caught every rare word of the priests, tried to understand the meaning of the shade of each emotion in order to better translate it into the language of people. He created the elven dictionary – a tome. It contains a huge collection of elven spells.
And then Dartel persuaded some of the priests, and they went with the man. Dartel with a handful of elves conquered Morelia, then with a small army of soldiers trained in magic, he conquered all of Eldoras. His empire expanded, but his thirst for power could not be quenched so easily. He captured two-thirds of Sanem’s lands and almost all of Enni’s lands. I wanted to move east, but again I came across an abandoned elven village.
– Your Majesty, we cannot leave unconquered lands behind. The empire must be intact! – one of the advisers said to Dartel.
– Gerberolden, obey me, the only true ruler of these lands! – Dartel said then. But the elven king laughed in the man’s face. What can a self-taught magician do in a battle with a native elf? Maybe he would have stood on equal terms against one of his children, but Herberolden is a true elf, he was born somewhere in the upper world.
Then the war between elves and people began. The forest was burning in magical fire. On that day, the magic of people was born. Elvish words did not disappear, like human ones, having fulfilled their purpose. They solidified into a viscous substance among the trees and saturated the air. After that battle, the forest became magical, enchanted.
There is no trace left of the elven settlement. Elves and human sorcerers tormented each other. And those who survived decided to hide the book in a place where no one would find it.
– Maybe we shouldn’t look for the book either? – asked Still. – She carries so much evil within herself!
«It’s not that simple,» said Nermall. – Who knows what Silver found in the ruins of Antimonik? But now he is one of the most powerful magicians on earth. If he’s not stopped, who knows how far he’ll go? And the book can give us a chance in the war with Morelia.
– Nermall, how do you know so much about this book?
– I read a lot. I have traveled and heard many stories.
– Hey, Still, what are you doing here? – Lewis shouted out of nowhere. – Everyone is preparing for a feast in your honor, and here you are walking in the park! You know, friend, I don’t have much good. But I want to give you a gift for coming of age.
Lewis took the pendant from his neck and placed it around Still’s neck.
– This is the little that remains of my mother. This amulet should protect you from many problems!
– Truly a royal gift! – said Nermall. – This pendant cannot be stolen or taken away by force. It can only be received as a gift!
– Thank you friend! – Still hugged Lewis.
– Happy holiday to you!
The friends did not know what surprise Fate was preparing for them.
Chapter 4. Feast
Thousands of candles and torches were lit, so that not a trace remained of the usual twilight of the castle. The musicians played pipes and lutes. The dancers danced. The aroma of meat baked in spices wafted through the hall. Incense was lit.
Servants carried baked geese with apples and roasted wild boar on silver trays. Trays of meat and fruit emptied faster than cups of wine.
Then Damgam, the court jester, came out. Most jesters are dwarfs, but this tall fellow is as thin as a pillar. He pulled a coin from behind Still’s ear. The guests applauded. Then, to the sound of a lute, he sang:
Glory to you, great one, our fat king,
This is your unenviable role.
You are angry like an animal, well, always drunk!
The wolf is evil on the inside, but the boar on the outside!
Absolute silence reigned in the hall for a minute. Even the musicians stopped playing. Hundreds of eyes are directed at the impudent jester. Dinor broke the silence. He laughed loudly:
– I wouldn’t forgive anyone else! Long ago any minstrel who dared to sing such a thing, even in a whisper, would have burned at the stake. But I forgive you. Sing some more! Cheer up the old man!
The jester sang again, without hitting a single note:
The eldest prince lives in a distant land,
He sold his soul to Satan,
His soul obeyed the witch,
He is slowly making plans for the battle!
– Enough! – Dinor hit the table with his fist in anger. – You need to know when to stop! Go away!
The jester laughed evilly. Each time the meeting between the king and the jester ended with Dinor driving Dangam away in anger, but then calling him again the next evening to sing a new song about some nobleman or about the king himself.
– Or what, Dinor? Will you cut off my balls?
Dangam was castrated by a nobleman when he found him with his wife. Since then, Dangam’s jokes have become angrier. And he began to fear less for his life, which is why he allowed himself liberties that others would have been afraid of. He would be happy if he were hanged. What kind of life is there without women?
– Get out! – Dinor shouted.
– Okay, okay, I’m coming! But don’t call me today! – said the jester, closing the door behind him.
For some time there was silence in the hall. But then Dinor said, smiling:
– We have gathered today on a joyful occasion: today Prince Still turned seventeenth spring. Let’s drain the cups to the bottom!
All the guests put cups to their lips.
– But that’s not the only reason I gathered you. Dangam is right. There will soon be a war with Morelia.
The