Unconquered Sun (48 page)

Generally, there was no wish to leave this cheerful community, but Prinze still in captivity for now it so - the Fairy never feels quiet …

And therefore next morning hospitable winged monkeys saw them to an exit from caves, a nadavala it a decent stock of dried apples and pears, peanuts and other vegetarian food, and also a decent water-supply in leather fur, and helped the Fairy to transport Animals down to save time on descent.

The tower of the Invincible Sun was very close, it could be seen with the naked eye - "pursuit" of Animals strongly brought closer travelers to an ultimate goal of their travel. Apparently, it was necessary to go practically nothing - two, at most three days.

Monkeys with fear glanced at the Tower. And the former captive even approached the Fairy and began it to tell something, pointing to surrounding rocks, but the Fairy did not understand what she means. But in the opinion of the monkey the fear reigned …

The fairy only waved away.

"It is clear and so that these mountains teem with any monsters. But there's nothing to be done? Here if after all fight against the Invincible Sun ends with a victory of fairies, we will quickly make the reserve of this place, and already nobody will dare neither to offend you, nor to intimidate", - the Fairy thought. But how all this can be explained to monkeys?

And therefore the Fairy once again smiled, stretched to monkeys on a brilliant button from the tunic - to them, it is necessary to tell, - took the greatest pleasure Animals under mice and resolutely walked on a gorge bottom forward, directly to the Gold Tower which is seen in the distance - to heart of the wild and not touched by a civilization yet prehistoric Rocky Mountains.

1.

Transition followed transition and the gorge on which travelers made the way became everything already and already approached cold and dark above and above

its walls. It seemed that they go on some man-made labyrinth which it is narrowed only in order that in one

the fine moment will end with the deadlock …

On a lodging for the night settled down in a small hollow at the right side of the gorge. The fairy took care of fire - only it could frighten off dangerous newcomers -

also conjured magic airbags (instead of the air-beds lost in a cave) for all three - to sleep on

naked cold stones even the Puppy could not! And after friends have hastily a bite monkey dried fruits, the Puppy and the Kitten instantly fell asleep, rocking in air, as in an invisible hammock. And here to the Fairy it was not fallen down again...

Night was surprisingly silent and dark - the moon and stars were closed by dark clouds. At heart it was restless, disturbing and it is sad.

As the Fairy grieved for Prinze! Here, how many weeks passed since

it was gone, and hopes for its rescue every day became more illusive and are more illusive. The future is gloomy. Though to monastery of the Invincible Sun no distance, but the outcome of its duel with it very is also very doubtful. Eventually, if even their Knowledge at the head of all Community of fairies could not overcome this yellow sorcerer, in due time what one can make the fragile, though very strongly loving, ordinary fairy! The fairy tried not to think of it. It is better to grieve for Prinze, than to fear the forthcoming difficulties!

The fairy thought wistfully as they, happened, all night long, lying on

beds, holding hands, told each other interesting stories

or walked under the full moon on the river bank, especially where grew

dense thickets of willows, whose leaves so gently exchanged words with each other,

when the warm summer breeze blew. It were unusual, unforgettable

minutes.

Only now, when the Fairy was one, all weight of ten thousand

years of loneliness pulled hard on her breast.

Why eternal immortality and youth of fairies if you are one? Yes, of course, there are children, and she missed them too, but children are another …

Such sad reflections tormented the Fairy when she shook on air

to pillow, not in forces to fall asleep. Suddenly she felt some strong

concern though at the same time she did not hear and did not see anything

suspicious. But the habit to trust the intuition worked. The fairy got up and looked round - nobody and nothing. Any noise, any movement …

Suddenly, as if on some suggestion from above, she looked up at almost vertical stone wall of the gorge and - oh, horror - noticed some black shadows which are going down on a steep steep slope!

"It is probably some terrible insects", - the Fairy thought, - "only they have an ability to move on vertical surfaces!"

The fairy quickly murmured a spell and the fiery sphere operated by her look, departed up, towards to strange beings. Monsters zafyrkat and

recoiled, but for a while. Soon black lumps continued to go down

down.

However bright light of a magic sphere allowed the Fairy to consider them attentively …

Oh, to what they were disgusting!

Of the size of a large sheep-dog, they at the same time reminded both a cat, and a spider, and a scorpion. They had a back as at a black cat -

curved, mobile, black. Paws - as at a spider, only them was six, but not eight. The tail with a sharp sting as at a scorpion is raised over a trunk. But worst of all their muzzle seemed to it: small, as at a cat, with a disgusting mouth of which continuously reduced nasekom of a zhval, and the terrible, in a deathlike way flickering in darkness compound nasekomy eyes stuck out.

Meanwhile creatures, having thought that their impudent plan to attack sleeping it is opened, sharply increased descent speed.

- Animals, well quickly wake up, sluggards! - quiet and

by equal voice the Fairy as though they were threatened not by monsters called Animals,

and just it was time to have breakfast. - Hide for me, for a back and do not lean out!

Dozing Animals, without understanding anything yet, hid for the Fairy, and the Fairy

prepared for fight. The fairy wanted to kill nobody, even these vile creatures, despite the terrible state, they were only animals! And therefore she just decided to frighten them.

She aimed, and branchy blue lightnings struck the first two beings. The fairy saw how the sparing jolts of electricity ran on their black bodies. Force of a spell was sufficient to frighten an animal and to force to escape. Even volkolak because of the Limit would not be solved on attack after such blow …

But what surprise of the Fairy when these creatures only sniffed was, frowned and continued to go down further indifferently!

Then the Fairy increased charge power, then also

still, but all was vain! And such categories would be enough in order that monsters of the Limit would lose an opportunity to move, not to mention less large animals. But for these creatures, probably, the law was not pisan. On the contrary, after each blow they, let and screwing up the face, increased descent speed. The impression was made that the energy which is let out by the Fairy just was absorbed by them and did them even stronger!

At first the Fairy could understand nothing, and then

the cold needle of fear pierced her heart: "Here silly, without stick

all my sorcery is just harmless fokusnichestvo, and these monsters

probably are very steady against magic! But, - the Fairy stopped herself, - unless there can be animals steady against magic? Same it is impossible! Means, these are not animals, and …"

But to finish thinking about thought was once, creatures dispersed outright and were all in one hundred steps from the Fairy.

- So, Zveryatki, seemingly, to us is time to clear out! - the Fairy tried to joke. And having taken them under pads, dragged far away from a wall. But also other party of monsters went down from an opposite wall of the gorge!

The fairy picked up Animals under mice and departed forward as soon as possible. It was inconvenient to fly with two Animals, and therefore it was not succeeded to gain big height, but it left the dangerous place quickly enough. Pauko-skorpiony remained somewhere away behind, and the Fairy sighed with relief. But, as it became clear, too early …

When, a little later, it reached the narrowest part of the gorge as a neck of the bottle locking an exit to the mountain valley, she disappointedly screamed. This place was partitioned by some sticky network from whitish threads. It was the trap!

The fairy struck a web with a liquid flame with which even the wet tree will be burned completely, but the network did not even smoke.

- Proklyatye! It would be necessary to guess that it not a biological origin …

- Hostess! Look! Look! - in eager rivalry Animals screeched.

The fairy it is disturbing looked round - creatures went down from both walls of the gorge, and the way back was barred. It was necessary or accept battle here, having put a magic board, or to try to fly up higher than the level of rocks. Other exit was not.

To accept battle with such number of enemies, especially so steady against magic, it was fraught. Well, and board … How many it will keep it? Hour, two, five? It is necessary to break, and immediately!

- So, Zveryatki, strong we hold me, we fly up! - and itself for fidelity clasped Animals more strong and, having loudly buzzed wings, began to gain height promptly.

But there was what she did not expect at all. One

from those creatures that went down on the right side of the gorge and was closest to the Fairy, suddenly very much made a start from the rock and at once jumped directly on the flying-up Fairy. The fairy instantly began to lose height as the creature stepped it the pads directly on wings, and plummeted to earth. The benefit, rather highly she did not manage to rise! But the blow all the same turned out such force that she fainted.

Animals dropped out of hands of the Fairy and head over heels swept on the ground. When they jumped on back pads, with horror saw how this disgusting creature saddled the fainted Fairy as all six thin and dexterous pads stuck into her gentle handles and shoulders, twisted a body, the long scorpion tail pierced in the right leg slightly above a knee...

Animals, having screamed for horror and loathing, rushed on a creature, but at this time the others followed the example of the first - making a start from the rock, they landed directly on backs of the Kitten and Puppy. The kitten and the Puppy and to peep not

were in time as everything was over. Though poison did not act on them, but sticky jellylike whitish swill entangled their top and lower pads and they appeared in absolutely motionless state as the fly entangled by a web. And then both Zverenk fainted for horror and loathing …

2.

The kitten regained consciousness from cold and from the fact that something

beat him the head. He hardly opened the eyes which are closed up with some sticky muck and thanks to the cat's ability to see in darkness, was convinced that

really something beats him the head. More definitely not something beats, but it

itself the head fights about a wall! It hung head over heels, attached by something sticky to the cave arch, and cold wind from its dark belly strongly shook a rope, as led to the fact that it hit against a wall the head.

- "Where I?" - the Kitten puzzly thought.

- Where where, at us on a visit, a fluffy creature, - odious began to grind

vile golosochek.

The kitten bewildered looked to the right and saw that on a ceiling, also "head over heels", one of the creatures attacking them sits and vile whitish eyes of an insect looks at it with some mean desire.

- You what - you can read my mind, perhaps? - the Kitten thought again.

- And as, and not only thoughts … You that thought, we are insects perhaps

what? Ha! Yes we it is more reasonable than you, moustached creatures, we not only thoughts

we can read...

- Why you then captured us? - drowsily the Kitten thought about himself what, however, did not prevent it to include "logic" (this word Kitten somehow overheard, being present at a meeting of Council of fairies). - If you are reasonable beings, then why you attacked us? And if you such angry what attacked, then why you did not gobble up us?
Not logically
somehow …

- Curiosity killed the cat, - spitefully prosipet golosochek. -

The order for you is, and that you would be gobbled up for a long time with giblets and much for

you it is promised.

- And - and-and! - with relief the Kitten thought, - means, us
will redeem
... - And here he remembered that the Fairy told it. Once very long time ago, in Dark centuries when there was no Commonwealth yet, human kingdoms often arranged among themselves wars which target as much as possible captured knights that then it was possible to receive for them this
repayment
were to lock on. The truth many millennia passed since then and during an era of the Order and Prosperity of war stopped. All fighters were lulled in the Flowers of Oblivion and re-educated. But all the same at thought of
"repayment"
to it calmed down somehow, and he fell asleep again.

… The consciousness to the Fairy came back pushes - she saw a piece of the cloudy sky over the head, felt whiff of an easy breeze, heard scraps of some voices, again fainted and some terrible sticky vile beings with feelers, zhvala and whitish nasekomy eyes seemed to it.

How many these transitions lasted there and back, she did not remember, but suddenly the strong blow in a temple brought her consciousness into clarity. She opened eyes and saw that she shakes here and there, attached by something sticky for legs to a cave ceiling. The cold draft which escaped from the chasms hidden by eternal darkness shook it, forcing to be up against a blank wall.

The fairy tried to stop rocking, but could not - hands were strong pasted (yes, are pasted) to a torso by some mucous and whitish nasty thing. The head terribly hurt. Blood flowed to temples. It was intolerable!

- Hey, somebody, untie me, to me it is painful!

The voice turned out unexpectedly silent, forces to shout were not. The echo picked up and repeatedly strengthened a sound. But the answer did not follow.

- Somebody hears me, a-a-a?

But also now the death silence was the answer it.

To the fairy it became insufferably sad and lonely. To die here it is so silly, in some filthy dark cold hole with disgusting draft, two steps away from Prinze - what can be worse?

Tears - tears of despair and disappointment gathered in the eyes of the Fairy. She looked back on the parties and saw that near it two more "paper bags" - her plush friends wound by mucous rubbish shake. "And them did not rescue …" - with bitterness the Fairy thought, having remembered yesterday's fight with arachnoid creatures. "Now they will come here - and all will be over" …