Asya’s physical form is up to the task, otherwise… I don’t even want to think about what might happen.
Here, I need to turn and… yes, there it is. A huge black dragon lay in the middle of the large hall, peacefully reading a book by the light of the sparse torches. Quite a sight, I must admit. But there was no time to admire, it was time to act. And boy, was I scared!
– Hey, you! Overgrown lizard! I’m talking to you! You’re a fake, not a dragon! Can’t even keep hold of a girl!
Seems like he finally noticed me. And got very angry! Very angry indeed! Okay, now to run! Run and don’t look back, shedding adrenaline by the handful!
I tried to encourage myself as best I could. But in a situation where a gigantic fire-breathing lizard is chasing you, it’s hard to focus on anything. I think I just ran past the right turn… No, here it is!
Bursting into the sorcerer’s office, I stopped opposite the colorful tapestry, honestly stolen from the director’s bedroom. To hang this artwork, Altair even had to get rid of several bookshelves. Why did we need the tapestry? Its purpose was quite obvious – it covered a huge hole in the wall.
As soon as I stopped, my friends took positions around me. Unfortunately, the dragon was not far behind, and I didn’t even have time to catch my breath.
– Tsk-tsk-tsk, – hissed Zheka. – Come here, my little bird!
Yes, this guy could get on anyone’s nerves. Roaring, the dragon lunged at us, forgetting all about magic. Well, his loss.
The portal to the spirit world, hidden under the tapestry, received us very gently, as if we had landed in the arms of a loving aunt. This kind of transition worked with completely different substances of our universe, so the veil of despair was no barrier to it. This step was a Last Chance, we took it out of desperation. The chances of returning from the spirit world were very slim. Especially for a dragon.
However, there were certain pluses to such a transition.
– Hooray! – someone shouted to my right as the portal fog cleared. – I’m back in my own body!
And there’s the first plus. Crossing the threshold of reality removed all spells cast on a person. And I must admit, being back in my own body felt great. I could feel the strength again, sense the energy flows, catch the whispers of magic. And judging by the happy exclamations around, my friends were also happy with the astral return.
– And who are you? – Zheka suddenly yelled, staring at me suspiciously.
Ah yes, crossing the threshold removes absolutely all spells. Including illusion magic. How did I not think of that!
– Vsevolod. A high-category mage, master of the Order of the Guardians of Secret Knowledge, and your classmate, – I introduced myself modestly. – I came to the academy to prevent an impending disaster. Just having some trouble with illusion magic right now.
– Seva? – Asya asked in surprise. – You’re quite handsome!
So I was ugly before? Thanks!
– And by the way, – the girl continued, her eyes twinkling mischievously, – after what you’ve seen and done, – she meaningfully ran her hand over her body, pausing briefly over her chest, – you simply have to marry me!
Indeed. How else? Especially since she’s offering herself, so I should take the opportunity before she changes her mind.
– Agreed, – I nodded seriously. – As soon as we get out of the spirit world and deal with the end of the world, we’ll get married. I promise.
– Relax, I was just joking, – the student smiled.
– Too late, young lady, – the sorcerer laughed, having also successfully restored his body. – You just made a magical contract. You should think before saying something to a Guardian. Asya snorted and turned away, not believing the teacher. No matter, she’ll have time to come to terms with being my bride. For now, we should look around. Where have we ended up? And where, by the way, is Kazimir?
The place we found ourselves in resembled someone’s living house from our world. High ceilings, expensive carpets on wooden floors, crystal chandeliers, paintings on the walls, and luxurious leather furniture. You wouldn’t immediately say it’s a completely different world.
– Be careful, – I warned. – The world of spirits lives by different rules. Our magic doesn’t work here, and even physics is different. I hope they understood me. We walked through the spacious hall but found nothing interesting. The sorcerer suggested splitting up, checking the whole house, and then regrouping. Well, said and done.
I took Asya by the arm and pulled her towards the staircase leading to the second floor. Now that she’s my bride, we need to spend time together. But seriously, I was just worried about her. After all, her body had become almost as familiar as my own over the past week.
– It’s beautiful here, – she whispered in awe. Before us was a spacious, bright room with a huge panoramic window and a white grand piano near it. Along the walls were sturdy leather sofas and beautiful live flowers. There was even a neatly arranged fireplace! And the windows offered a view of a well-kept garden with emerald-green trees. It was indeed very beautiful. Someday I’ll build myself a mansion and have a room like this for music.
Asya approached the piano, carefully opened the lid, and ran her delicate fingers over the keys. A beautiful musical ripple sounded, and several glowing lights appeared in the room.
– Oh! – the girl exclaimed. – What’s that?
– Those are spirits, – I shrugged. – Everything in this world is under their control. Music, physics, magic. I flicked the light switch, lighting the chandelier. Miraculously, the room filled with myriads of tiny glowing dots.
– These, for example, are spirits of light, – I continued explaining. – And those you summoned are spirits of music. Don’t try to understand this world; just accept its rules. We’re just guests here.
– They’re beautiful! – my bride exclaimed, looking at the glowing dots, each a separate spirit with a beautiful face and translucent wings. – Can you show me something else? Easy. It’s hard not to find a spirit in the world of spirits. I approached the fireplace, took a box of matches from the shelf, struck one, and threw it onto the logs. The wood blazed brightly, forming a red fiery creature resembling a small human.
– That’s a fire spirit, – I said. – Quite dangerous, but only if you feed it. Wood, for example.
– Can you talk to them? – Asya asked curiously.
– Theoretically, yes. But only shamans can do that, – I nodded. – Unfortunately, I don’t have that specialization. These are just lower spirits, something like our insects. But there are higher ones – they are quite intelligent beings.
– What about technology? Internet, television, phones, social networks? Do they exist here? – the girl asked, genuinely interested.
– Everything exists here, – I smiled. I liked
