put to sleep. You know – the Dark Lord is practically unstoppable.
His ancestor had such an opportunity once. But he got scared and did not complete the ritual to the end. Shamon could be dead forever. But he wasn’t.
– And what do you propose, Exile? – the king did not hide his hatred and contempt for the guest.
«We must reassemble the Order of the Seven.» We must restore its former power in order to fight the great ancient evil on equal terms.
– Ah, so that’s what you want. The robbed ships are not enough for you. You also want to take away the power from the king.
– I don’t need your power! Why do I need her? The Order of the Seven – it was not created to rule!
– You tell me your fairy tales. I didn’t call you. If someone tries to attack Eldoras, the king will cope on his own, without the advice of the Exile. Therefore, take this offender to jail – let him think about his behavior there.
The king had his reasons for doing this – Tram understood that. For many years, duty forced him and his beloved to stay apart. Her father chose her future husband. She was from a noble family – and who is he, the son of a monk? Yes, once the Order of the Seven had real power, but then the kings deprived them of power, fearing competition. Esteri married the king. Vows of fidelity meant too much to Tram back then, and he tried never to meet her gaze in order to resist the temptation to speak.
But one day he returned home from the battle ahead of the squad – with other wounded. And then he met her for the first time in years. Love broke the dam and flowed like a river.
One witch told the king that he would not be able to have children. But, returning from the battlefield, Leslie found his wife in labor. Tram was driven out of sight. If there had been someone else, he would have executed, but Tram is one of the Seven – people would not understand, why does the king need unrest?
Tram had not seen his daughter until that day. Leslie recognized her as a princess. He couldn’t have children, but he needed an heiress. They say that the old kings recognized power only in boys. But new times mean new laws. The king did not want to admit his weakness to anyone. The wife knew that he, as a husband, could not do anything. For this he took revenge on her all these years, which is why she grew old before her time.
– Get out! – the king yelled. – Do you, raszyavs, need to repeat it twice! Put the pirate in a cage!
Soldiers approached Tram. Among them was Stewart, an old comrade in arms. Together they ate a ton of salt and shed a river of sweat in battle. They cut down the enemy shoulder to shoulder.
– Sorry, Jumper!
How long has it been since he was called by this battle nickname! Tram even shed a tear, remembering the past. Once you make a mistake, your whole life goes awry.
He was thrown into a damp cell, and the door slammed behind him.
The men sat in a semicircle and looked at him, studying him.
– New guy? Well, hello, peer,» said one of the prisoners. The one sitting in the center. – Or lord, I don’t even know what to call you, in such noble clothes. Stole, perhaps, from the king himself?
Everyone laughed in unison.
– Take off your ring. I need it more – it’s a beautiful thing, there’s no point in putting it on for such a lackey.
In the first minutes, you shouldn’t give in to slack in such places. Of course, life in Eldoras will soon end when Shamon comes here. But Tram did not know how long he would spend in this place where inveterate people gathered. On a pirate ship, Tram witnessed how a young, thin guy periodically replaced female affection with unshaven corsairs, and did not want to share his fate. The rune-covered sword was taken, but Tram had a dagger in his bosom. He quietly took it out and placed it just below the prisoner’s stomach.
«If you touch me again, you nit, I’ll cut off my balls.» Believe it! Understand? One more fucking time and you’ll be singing in the choir of inquisitors!
– Okay, why are you doing so right away! So I would say that it’s my own. You know, we don’t like nobles here. And you are one of your own, you are not one of the nobles. «My name is Sam,» the «leader» extended his hand.
«Trem,» the Exile shook hands with caution.
– Will you have makhorka? There is little entertainment here – shag, cards and dice. Well, sometimes we fight, but so as to stretch the loaves.
Tram had a special gift. He was unsociable and very rarely spoke to anyone first. But he always had comrades everywhere. And now he has become the soul of this team, with whom everyone took into account and asked for advice.
The days passed in a monotonous sequence. Tram glanced warily at the street through the bars. He was taught to play poker. They played, of course, for shag.
One day the door to the cell opened. Stuart entered.
– Has Leslie come to his senses?
«Not really,» said the guard. – Let’s go, I’ll tell you along the way.
The door behind Tram creaked open and he was finally free. Fresh air! This is what is missing in the musty, sweat-smelling cell.
«Tell me what happened while I was away,» said Tram.
– Many things. Much more than in all previous years. Let me start with the fact that Shamon’s return is now no secret to anyone. The combined forces of Dragha and the Ennians burn cities and villages from the south. Morelia and mercenaries from the far west are burning our northern lands. According to my calculations, Shamon in all his grandeur will be with us in a week. And the king… He is still blind. He doesn’t see obvious things. Doesn’t want to see.
We walked down the street without meeting a soul. How strange, even ominous for Dream – an empty city.
«The merchants and rich townspeople have left,» Stuart commented.
We entered the castle and the meeting room. All six of the Seven stood around the throne.
– Oh, and you are here too, Exile! – said Leslie. – When you appeared in my city, I immediately realized that something was dirty. CONSPIRACY! And you can’t trust anyone. But you won’t overthrow Leslie that easily! You will not take away my crown. Guards! Capture these traitors!
The soldiers hesitated – the Order of the Seven was something sacred and inviolable for them. Since childhood, their parents told them legends about the Battle of Antimonica.
– Do I have to repeat orders twice?
Some soldiers pulled their swords from their scabbards and walked towards the seven monks. Other soldiers pulled out their weapons and blocked the first one’s path. A fight broke out between supporters of the order and supporters of the king.
– I thought so! – shouted Leslie. – Traitors among the walls! Damned traitors!
He made a strange sound:
– You?
