Dragon’s Empire – 3. Countess and Dragon. Natalie Yacobson

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      From where can Vincent achieve such stage of perfection, as experience and practice, he likes to do everything as soon as possible and makes mistakes.

      Vincent preferred to hide in his attic. He shook my hand as a sign of gratitude and whispered:

      «From the northern port, tomorrow morning swims off the ship called the „Song of the Wind“. The countess sails with the first passing wind. And then you will decide.»

      Why did he say that and immediately disappeared in the darkness of the attic staircase, as if fearing further inquiries. The flight of Francesca was not a surprise for me. There were series of warnings and threats, she was afraid of them. That’s just, I decided that she wanted to go to Viniena again, visit the bookshops, could even achieve an audience with the king and complaint him on the neighbor, who turned out to be a robber and a killer. I did not expect that she would decide to sail in the sea, maybe even cross the ocean and all this is just to be as far as possible from me. A lovely lady did not understand that if I wish, I can overcome any space lighter than the high speed ship.

      Just one phrase of Vincent was able to awaken a long-awaited beast in me. Now I have already regretted that I allowed the countess to leave. Surely, my all-knowing subjects also silently condemned this act, simply from respect and fear they did not mind. If Francesca was one of the students of the School of Witchcraft, for her it was advantageous to comply with the vows of silence and do not disclose the secrets of her fellows, then the road for her would be open. But she was not the owner of a dangerous, witchcraft gift. She was strange for sorcerers, and tried to become more informed than they. I myself did not notice that I had already dragged the cord of the raincoat and went out in a cold night, in search of some empty, where I can turn into a dragon and fly ton a ship, which will be sail at dawn. I didn’t even know what I was going to do, and how I would explain to Selvin my next long absence. He was so amazed by the fact that I found time for such long absences and I didn’t want to spend only half a day on the road to the royal residence. Dawn found me on the road. From the ground it was almost impossible to notice the one who rapidly flies across the sky. There were many ships, barks, boats, frigates and flagship galleys in the port. It was a whole forest from wooden masts.

      First of all, I was interested in high-speed sailing ships. Francesca most likely neglected trading ships. They were to slow. She needed a light and rapid ship to leave her native shores as soon as possible. I managed to notice the name of the ships, but I didn’t find the ship «The Song of the Wind». I had to fly further and overlook the marine space, an immense water surface, where it was difficult to find one small moving point. I overcame some more airspace and sank just below. The port has long remained behind and now I could watch the big, but changing caravel, which is easy and smoothly slid along the water. The nose of the vessel cut the ripple on the sea surface. The desired letters proudly glow on board. What an excellent target can be this fearless ship for the dragon flying over the sea. In the last second, I felt sorry to turn such a wonderful ship into wreckage. Because of one Francesca, its whole team did not deserve death. I turned out into a flexible sparkling snake, easily slid for the sail and dropped on a main deck already in my human appearance. The team engaged in their everyday work did not notice the new passenger, even when his boots were blindly hit on the deck board. An unpleasant impetus is the consequence of the jump, but I still stood on my feet. Francesca must be located in one of the best cabins and believed that now she is in complete safety.

      I covered eyelids and mentally imagined the whole ship. The screams of the sea-gulls dropped away in the distance, the birds did not want to be flown to the ship, on which the predator was present. In this case, the birds were more susceptible than people, they did not believe in legends, they just knew that it was not worth flying there, where was a stronger predator.

      It was necessary to look into the captain’s cabin. From there was a ringing of dishes, a knock of plates and glasses about a wooden table. There, most likely, the most honored passengers gathered to the late breakfast. They were unlikely to be on board. The search for Francesca will not be long. It was possible to hear the cry of a parrot in a cage, swinging under the cabin ceiling, to catch the vibration of furniture, weakly screwed to the floor, the clinking of spoons and cups, and one single phrase spoken by a clean female voice:

      «You don’t think that we float too slowly, captain?»

      An awkward pause has come, during which the captain thought about how to explain the lady that everything depends on what direction the wind blows. He wanted to say that all the sails are raised and there can be no more speed, but then he remembered that he had already spoke about it a couple of times before breakfast.

      «I apologize, milady, but I can only manage the ship and the team, and not the weather. I don’t order the wind,» he finally said.

      «And if you could manage the weather?»

      «What did you say?» He asked with bewilderment.

      «You see for me all this is new and interesting. I don’t know anything about the ships, but I want to know,» Francesca immediately understand that it was necessary to be more careful. «For example, what will happen if the wind is stronger? Does this bring some favor to our movements? Does it somehow accelerate our swimming?»

      «In the event that the wind is not so strong to break the sails.»

      «Excellent,» the lady muttered with a gloomy humor, «it means that it is equally bad for me a calm and a hurricane. Well, I pray that in the open sea it will not find a storm, «she added louder.

      «Yes, the storm is always better to meet into the port,» confirmed the captain, taken for the next portion of the food. «We have to swim many days before entering some kind of harbor or bay. It will be fine, if this time things will turn out all right, because from one continent it is not near to another. And the oncoming vessels will be a bit.»

      «And of course it will be good if these oncoming vessels are not pirates,» said the lady.

      «Well, on board there are enough guns and muskets, but it would be better not to risk,» the captain answered. Already from the conversations I could conclude that he is just a nobleman, protected of someone from the courtiers, but not a sea wolf. Yes, the usual captain could not get the ship, equipped and decorated with such screaming luxury.

      «The path of the Lord is unknown,» the lady said sadly. «Someone is afraid of robbers, but an attractive, young gold-haired aristocrat may be more cruel than all pirates together.

      «Do you mean any events at the court?» the captain lowered the voice to one – two octaves.

      Quiet rustling of curls and a ringing of diamond earrings – it means the lady has shook her head negatively.

      «I meant that there is a danger much worse than an attack of pirates,» she patiently explained. «Someone sells a soul for other people’s treasures, someone for only a friendly look. In any case, at the court of the king, everything can happen,» the lady said.

      «There are many strange things at the court now. It is better not to talk about it. Dark silhouettes, unusual rustles and music in the locked rooms are not dangerous. The most important news is that the king has already chosen a heir who has not seen anyone, except one viscount and several courtiers. They swear that this heir is the most real sorcerer, but nevertheless young, handsome and gold-haired.

      The captain tried to hint that even in the open sea should not insult the ruling monarch, СКАЧАТЬ