that this was an honor to those who had been taken away by the battle. Dinah and I grew up in a cozy, but small box, and now we were in a world that we have only heard of. We looked with full attention. The houses were similar to book illustrations. Dinah hid and wasn’t even breathing. I understood her, my head was spinning too. We drove into the palace town. On every side street there were guards: golden armor, halberds in the hands. There were black ribbons on the roofs.
– This is a military city. This is where the war magicians of the Royal Guard and their families live – explained Peter.
Really. On the streets, behind the backs of the warriors, we watched children playing with metal rings, someone flew long kites. The flags of the seven worlds hung everywhere as a homage to our history. But not all children had happy faces. Some babies clung to their mothers. Those, wrapped in dark robes, looked like stakes of a burnt forest. Lonely, hopeless, scorched from within. They hugged their child like the only spark of Sherida that kept them in this world.
I swallowed, realizing the pain of their loss, and sank into the seat. Dinah sighed heavily, frowning. A floral scent would normally be intoxicating, but not right now. There was the scent of lavender among them. Mom’s smell. There was a squeeze in my chest, an unpleasant feeling was painfully pulling and curling up into a stone ball, approaching my throat. I was lucky, my mother was alive and my father too. And some of these kids had no one left. Absolutely.
Three-story stone buildings were towering on either side of small streets. There were also small groceries, which were empty now. And here there was, the royal residence, just looking at it, I didn’t feel joy.
– Is this an elf? – Dinah poked her finger at one of the war magicians, distracted from heavy thoughts. He seemed to wag his ear.
– Yes. Elves – are hardy and courageous warriors. They don’t even need to attend the magic academy; they are perfectly trained in everything in their forests. But you will surely meet them among the magisters, as well as among the students – Peter replied.
– I wonder where will they assign me? – Dinara asked and blushed under Peter’s gaze.
– Are you a fire magician?
– Yes – my friend shyly lowered her eyes.
It was the first time when I saw this beast behaving like that. Where did the roughness go? No, well, of course, she embarrassed sometimes. But this time, she was very strange…
– So, to the Firemen’s faculty – answered the charioteer.
Dinah’s eyes flashed with delight. Inis perked up, and I looked out the window. We drove up to the palace. In close up it seemed incredibly tall and monolithic. Arched windows with floral ornaments, colored stained-glass windows under the main dome. Fountains on both sides of the steps, above which spheres of water were circling in a wondrous dance.
The carriage stopped. We went out and looked around. The palace was on a higher ground, and there were incredibly many steps. No end of steps. Dinah and I exchanged glances and started a steep ascent. The sun was striking down my head, my boots were causing a blister, rivers were flowing down my back, tickling my shoulder blades. Honestly, after the hundredth my feet were falling off. I looked back. Dinah stayed behind, trying to catch her breath. We didn’t get over even the halfway. I wanted to help her, but Peter got ahead, going down after Dinah, and… he picked her up. Just think, he was so thin in appearance, well, so weakling, but he turned out to be hardy and strong. Yeah… Appearances can be deceiving! I drew conclusions. Passing by, he had time to whisper:
– Keep up, Nicholas Lodesco.
I did my best. When the last steps were conquered, I allowed myself to sit down. What a beauty! From a height, the territory of the royal palace looked gorgeous. Among the green vegetation appeared the orange roofs of a military city. How interesting it is to learn and see something new. It was as if I was looking at a picture.
– Lodesco! – Peter called me.
– I’m coming.
Phoenix took off and made a couple of rounds. He didn’t fly far. A red ribbon of light was sliding behind him, as if it was putting on a painting, a mark of our appearance. Two magicians, standing at a high double door, opened it to us, looking with interest at the bird. Peter wasn’t an exception; he stopped for a moment, admiring the flight.
Sail vaults, arches, colonnades and an ample dome in the center. At its base, we could see the same multi-colored stained-glass windows that we had observed from the outside. The echo of our steps was heard, it seemed, in every corner of the palace. It was uncomfortable, I felt I was a stranger here. Dinah tugged at my sleeve to get my attention. The wall frescoes were depicting the seven elements, as well as the seven deities of the magical worlds. We turned our heads, looking at the surrounding beauty. And the statues! They were a hundred times higher than us! Only magic can create such a thing. The gods were glorious in these marble sculptures.
– We came. Don’t speak until you are asked, answer shortly and to the point, don’t argue and don’t talk back – Peter instructed.
Dinah lowered her head. She is a housemaid and knows how to behave in such cases. But, I don’t.
Guardians at the throne room door crossed their halberds.
– Peter Orro has delivered Nicolas Lodesco and Dinara Lezy. His Majesty Pontiar is waiting for us.
The guardians removed their weapons and parted. Golden armor gleamed, as the war magicians’ eyes did. Apparently, they were elves, judging by the long white braids on their backs. Arrah! Evidently, they really are in honor of the king, since they are serving at the throne room. So close to the ruler. I was eager to see Pontiar. The door flew open.
– Leave your things here! – one of the magicians ordered in a stern but pleasant voice.
No sooner said than done. We left our bags in the corner by the door and slipped inside.
A long hall – several rows of columns, a painted ceiling, a marble floor, in the reflection of which one could thoroughly see oneself. I straightened my tousled mane. Inis helped a little with his pointed beak.
– Thanks, my friend – I stroked the chest of the phoenix. He rumbled contentedly and raised feathers, as if he was preparing for the defense.
There was a throne at the very end of the hall. Headboard had the form of the sun, the rays of which went to the sides. But the place was empty. There was no one here at all.
– Where is the king? – I asked in a whisper.
– Did you think he would be here all day waiting for you? – Peter chuckled.
I couldn’t keep from smiling either. Well, yes, even the fool understands that he wouldn’t.
– Don’t worry, they’ll inform him now.
Dinah was silent, she was looking around with her huge green eyes.
There was a smell of books and, for some reason, sand, probably because there was a lot of stone: marble, columns, walls, a vault.
We stopped about fifty steps from the throne and we were waiting. I looked
