История Королевы Эльфов / The story of the Elf Queen: Эпилог

Epilogue

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 18:58

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Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 18:59

To his shame, Cyrill managed to completely miss the arrival of the long-awaited rescuers. In his defence, he could say that at that moment he was already exhausted to the limit and was barely able to stand on his feet, relying solely on his word and stubbornness. The events of the last few days had been difficult, to say the least, and since that ill-fated dinner at the restaurant, there had been no opportunity to rest properly. Escape from the Dark Brotherhood assassins. Battle on the outskirts of Kardarot. They find themselves in an ancient vault. A crazy ride on a dwarf tank through the Underworld. It's an even crazier finale when Cyrill seriously believed everything was over! Undir's battering ram breakthrough through a passage too narrow for the Tough to the surface almost ended in group suicide, and the magotank generator did not explode from the overload of protective barriers and fields, which was nothing short of a miracle from some deity.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:13

The breakthrough was immediately followed by a hellish descent from the mountain, during which the crew and passengers only managed to avoid breaking everything possible thanks to the stabilisation field. But no sooner had this attraction, which was far more thrilling than any roller coaster, come to an end than the water procedures began. More precisely, they swam into a crowded gallery filled with God knows who, against the backdrop of a raging monster that had caused a local Armageddon and awakened an entire fucking volcano! A monster that refused to calm down and continued to try to kill them, suuuuuka! When the cobblestone he threw landed next to the ship, Cyrill once again managed to say goodbye to life. Because he would hardly have been able to repel such a fuck-up, even if he had been fully prepared, in the centre of a ritual circle and with a direct channel to a magical source.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:14

All this was complemented by messages from the System that subtly weighed on his mind, demanding to be read, which he desperately ignored. When the local Sea Goddess appeared, and then the Heralds of the Sun God, and Balrog switched his attention to them, Cyrill felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Well, not a mountain, but a boulder weighing a hundred and fifty kilograms. But when the terrifying monster, which had clearly escaped from the set of the first Lord of the Rings film, returned to its native depths, sending everyone to hell one last time, a mountain fell from the young man's shoulders. And almost immediately, the fatigue, both physical and psychological, that had been building up all this time made itself felt. More than anything else in the world, Cyrill wanted at that moment to just lie down, right on the deck, close his eyes, and sleep. For about twenty hours, and then another twenty. It is possible that he would have done just that.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:16

But who would allow him such joy? As soon as he fulfilled his mentor's sudden request, depicting a symbol he did not fully understand, the galley of lizards was rocked by waves, and Cyrill felt a powerful disturbance in the magical background behind him with all his delicate bodies. The feeling, to put it bluntly, was not the most pleasant, as if he had been hit by a gust of both icy and scorching wind at the same time, and on top of that, it felt as if his ears had been struck by a pressure drop.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:17

Before he could comprehend what was happening, someone abruptly pulled him back toward the galley's side. Simultaneously, Cyrill felt himself being enveloped from head to toe in several layers of powerful protective barriers. A moment later, the young man found himself separated from the rest of the crowd of willing or unwilling passengers on the lizard galley by a living wall. A wall clad in silver-green armour that sparkled in both magical and ordinary vision, with weapons at the ready. At the same time, the young man was gently but firmly taken by the arms on both sides, preventing him from taking a step to the side or moving in any way. For a moment, Cyrill was even frightened, as there was no one but Armina next to him, and the maid did not touch him.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:19

But then First's half-blurred figure appeared next to him, and his quiet but impertinent voice sounded in his ear:

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 19:00

"Calm down, you have Secret Guard agents covering you. Just keep quiet and do nothing!"

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 18:59

//‘Well, I wasn't really planning on it,’ Cyrill might have replied, but he didn't have time. From somewhere behind him and above him, a voice amplified by magic commanded everyone in pure Elvish to freeze and drop their weapons. The vast majority of passengers did just that. And Cyrill understood them perfectly. It was difficult to argue with several dozen clearly formidable elven warriors, who, as it turned out, were supported by dozens of renowned elven archers from a huge white ship that had appeared out of nowhere. All the more unexpected was the hissing of the lizard captain, who demonstratively refused to obey the elves who had boarded his ship. For a moment, Cyrill even thought that the stress he had experienced had clouded his mind.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:20

And then something flew over the ship at tremendous speed. Looking up, the young man barely managed to keep himself from opening his mouth and shouting in surprise. A dragon! A real one, damn it, a dragon! Not nearly as huge as Smaug from Peter Jackson's film, no more than ten metres long, even with its long, flexible tail. More graceful than massive, and very beautiful, with emerald scales and some kind of golden bracelets on its paws, it flew over the ship of elves and lizards, immediately making a sharp turn. In a magical vision, the dragon sparkled no less than the elven warriors. A moment after it flew by, another lizard galley appeared from the other side of the lizard galley, directly opposite the elven ship. It appeared out of nowhere, raising a fountain of spray and a new wave of magical turmoil that rolled unpleasantly over the slender bodies. It was several times larger than the galley on which Cyrill was sailing. It literally dwarfed it in every respect: width, length, height, and luxury of decoration. A real luxury cruise liner against the backdrop of a river pleasure boat.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:20

Although it was more like a battleship compared to a corvette. Because this galley had many more different types of weaves, including clearly combat ones, than the same Tough that remained on shore. A real floating magical fortress, shimmering with dozens of weaves in a magical vision. And these were only the ones that Cyrill could distinguish, and there were certainly others hidden for the time being. But right now, the young man's attention was drawn not to the magical power of the ship that had appeared, but to its crew. More precisely, several real monsters almost instantly disembarked from this fortress onto the deck of the smaller galley, where it was impossible to squeeze through, but around them an empty space formed instantly.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:21

Well, this is just crazy... No, Cyrill had seen images of representatives of the lizard warrior caste; his mentor had shown them to him during lectures. But seeing images and seeing them in real life, as it turned out, were two very different things. Damn, they were like crocodiles on steroids that had learned to walk upright! And somehow, Cyrill really didn't like the looks and expressions on their openly malicious faces as they stared at everyone. The young man was suddenly glad that a living wall of elven warriors separated him from them. The Secret Guard agents holding him, hidden by invisibility, tightened their grip, and Cyrill felt someone hurriedly replacing the discharged metal amulets in his clothes with fresh ones, fully charged. Damn it, not another one...

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:22

Cyrill did not have time to finish his thought, as an emerald dragon landed with surprising grace on the bow of the giant galley that had appeared. Carefully folding its wings, which significantly reduced its size, it bent its long, flexible neck and growled something. Or rather, he spoke, as it was clearly not just a roar, but meaningful speech. However, Cyrill did not understand a word of what was said. And, judging by the fact that Diantrel's Google Translate did not work, his mentor did not understand the dragon's speech either.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:23

But before anyone could explain anything to the young man, a third ship appeared out of nowhere next to the long-suffering gallery of reptiles, where it had become quite cramped and generally uncomfortable. Once again, the subtle bodies were showered with disturbances in the magical background created by the movement of such a machine. However, this time they were almost completely compensated for by the protection surrounding Cyrill. Blinking, the young man immediately recognised the giant that had appeared, surpassing in size both the elves' ship and the lizard galley. The palace ship of the Eastern Emperor's envoy. And, judging by all appearances, he was with his guards and entourage. Thanks to the diadem, the young man easily distinguished a solid-looking man of Asian appearance in bright red and orange clothes standing on the top deck, surrounded by a numerous retinue, also dressed quite brightly. A moment later, his voice, amplified by magic, rang out over the waters of the Elven Bay:

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:24

"What a wonderful spectacle. May I ask, sirs, why you, who were just fighting side by side, are now going to fight each other?"

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 19:00

Personally, Cyrill understood perfectly well the reason for the elves' overly nervous behaviour, which had led them to disembark on this unfortunate galley. Or rather, who. But for obvious reasons, he had no intention of voicing it, even if First, still blurred due to active camouflage, had not directly ordered him to remain silent and not reflect at all. And even if Diantrel had not repeated the dark elf's words a few seconds later via mental communication.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:21

Therefore, Cyrill, surrounded on all sides by magic and invisible agents of the Secret Guard, remained silent. And he was not the only one. Complete silence fell over the ill-fated galley, broken only by the splash of water against the hull and the distant cries of seabirds. Several dozen people and various non-humans from the coastal settlement, who had rushed aboard the galley after Cyrill and the other passengers of the Tough, were silent. Some of them, who were on board with small children, even covered their mouths with their palms or pressed their faces against their stomachs for safety. The dark dwarves huddled in a tight circle were silent, almost the only ones who, upon the appearance of the elven warriors, not only did not drop their weapons, but on the contrary, gripped them tighter and bristled with them. The steppe dwellers huddled together with the Caliphate soldiers, and a couple of unfortunate restaurant workers who had joined them were silent. The dark elves, who were supporting their compatriots who had somehow managed to get to their feet, froze tensely. The latter was clearly not easy for them, but apparently their pride did not allow them to show weakness in front of so many representatives of the younger races. Everyone was silent, constantly casting tense or terrified glances at the elves and lizards who were ready for battle.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:24

And all this against the backdrop of mountains ablaze with forest fires and a new volcano continuing to spew lava. It's so beautiful, you could start shooting a disaster movie right now.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:24

And so, in this, let's say, frightening and tense silence, several seconds passed. The elf warriors, with their weapons at the ready, stared at the lizards. The lizards, bearing their toothy jaws, crouched slightly and spread their paws with monstrous claws, staring back at them. Then, from the elven ship, a firm, calm voice, enhanced by magic, rang out, clearly that of someone accustomed to giving orders and commands:

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:25

"Stop it!"

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 19:00

At that very moment, the living wall of elven warriors that had shielded Cyrill from the other passengers simultaneously and almost synchronously took half a step back and lowered their swords and battle staffs. But they did not put them away. Turning around awkwardly, Cyrill saw several elves slowly approaching the side of the huge elven ship. And along the side, it turned out, stood a neat row of elven archers ready to shoot. But upon receiving the command, they also lowered their bows. But they did not remove the arrows placed on the bowstrings, whose tips glowed brightly in magical vision from the weaves embedded in them. Four of the archers moved aside in unison, letting the newly arrived elves pass.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:25

First came the tall firstborn, with long, perfectly straight blond hair, a young but extremely authoritative face, and cold grey eyes. He was clad in magnificent silver plate armour, covered with filigree patterns of foliage, which looked surprisingly elegant rather than bulky. The elf's shoulders and back were also covered by an emerald cloak embroidered with golden patterns of the same leafy theme. His armour glowed distinctly in magical vision from the magic embedded in it, even despite the camouflage that such an important elf must have had.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:26

But shone most brightly in his magical vision the golden crown adorning his head, clearly the equivalent of a magical diadem. His right hand, clad in a gauntlet, rested on the pommel of a long sword, which was still sheathed at his belt. In his left hand, resting on his belt, he clutched a short carved staff made of white wood. And if Kirill understood anything about magic, it was that this was a controlling amulet to which all the weaves of the elven ship were tied. Weaves that were in no way inferior in power to the galley of the lizards and were only slightly inferior to the floating palace of the envoy of the Eastern Empire.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:27

Behind the crowned elf walked two of his kin, clad in similar silver plate armour, but in addition to the filigree patterns, it was also generously encrusted with precious stones and crystals, some of which glowed distinctly even to the naked eye. Both clearly gifted firstborns leaned on tall carved staffs made of light wood, decorated with large faceted crystal finials. They wore classic diadems on their heads, whose precious stones glowed like magical fire, and short wands hung from their belts in holsters.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:27

When this trio appeared, followed by several more elves clad in armour, a wave of surprised sighs and whispers swept through the gallery, which, however, almost immediately fell silent in fear. Stopping at the side of his huge white ship, the elf with a golden crown on his head slowly scanned the grey eyes of everyone on the deck of the long-suffering galley of lizards with a steady and heavy gaze. For a moment, his gaze lingered on Cyrill, which made the young man feel uneasy, and a chill ran down his spine. It was as if he had been X-rayed by some kind of magic. It is very possible, by the way, that this was indeed the case. Fortunately, it lasted only a moment. The elf looked a little longer than the others at the emerald dragon sitting on the figurehead. His face was completely calm and even impassive.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:31

The dragon did not avert his gaze from the enormous yellow eyes with vertical pupils, which also glowed noticeably, but bent his long neck slightly more. Turning finally towards the representative of the Eastern Empire, the elf looked at him and the numerous entourage surrounding the envoy for a few seconds. Then he turned back to the dragon and spoke in classical Elvish:

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 09:31

"The Forest Warriors who fight under my command never thought of raising their weapons against those who had just joined them in repelling the terrible enemy that had emerged from the depths of the earth. They merely responded to the call for help that came from this ship, which sails under your wing, honourable Gyar'Skalashass. To the call of those who are under the direct protection of the Forest. And therefore under my protection."

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:25

The elf spoke absolutely calmly, unhurriedly, and clearly pronouncing each word.

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 19:02

"And so I ask: are there any here who wish them ill?"

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:26

The question was asked in an exceptionally polite and matter-of-fact tone. But the tension in the room suddenly rose sharply. Personally, Cyrill had no doubt that all the passengers on the long-suffering galley, whether individually or collectively, were ready to declare right now that they had no ill will, even in their thoughts, towards the elves or those they protected, that they had never had any, and that they had always recognised their superiority, unattainable greatness and all that sort of thing. Just drop us off somewhere. Anywhere. Please...

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:26

It is quite possible that similar thoughts were in the minds of the lizard crew members. But certainly not in those of the lizard warriors who had disembarked on the small galley, or their kin, frozen on board the larger vessel, waiting for a single command from their fire-breathing master to rush into battle. They all had yellow eyes with vertical pupils and openly bared their terrifying mouths with huge fangs. Most of them did not have their usual weapons or armour, except for a couple armed with brass knuckle bracelets with something like claw blades. But with his magical vision, Kirill could clearly see the combat weaves embedded in the ordinary metal bracelets that adorned their huge paws. Or rather, they looked relatively ordinary, but in fact were variants of combat amulets. And the skins of the lizard warriors even looked extremely durable and resistant to both magic and weapons.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:27

They ignored the question of the crowned elf; none of the lizard warriors uttered a sound or moved from their places. The lizards who were members of the small galley's crew remained prostrate, not daring to raise their heads from the deck. But the dragon, or rather, as it turned out, the dragoness, clearly heard the elf's question and obviously understood it. Flashing her eyes, which literally glowed with magical fire, she snorted loudly, then, without taking her eyes off the crowned elf, she waved her hanging tail briefly.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:27

At that moment, her emerald body began to glow brightly and change rapidly, eventually taking on a humanoid form. She did not turn into an elf or a human, remaining covered in scales of various shades of emerald green, but her form was definitely humanoid. Her appearance now reminded Cyrill of an Argonian from the legendary Skyrim. An Argonian who was almost two metres tall. But let's be honest, she was quite pretty and had very seductive curves, which could be fully appreciated, as the dragoness had no clothes on after her transformation. However, she did have numerous gold decorations covering all the most interesting places. And behind her back were two membranous wings, folded like a cloak.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:28

Clicking her powerful claws on her feet, she confidently took a few steps across the figurehead, jumping off it onto the galley's deck with one deft movement and continuing to walk straight across it, maintaining perfect balance. All the while, her eyes, burning with magical fire, were fixed directly on the crowned elf. Reaching the middle of the side of her galley-battleship, she stopped directly in front of him, folded her arms on... bulges suspiciously resembling breasts, and said something short but distinct. True, her words were more like a hiss.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:29

At that very moment, the captain of the small galley, who, like the rest of the lizards in her crew, had been lying with his snout buried in the deck and dared not raise his head, literally jumped to his feet with unexpected agility, considering his well-fed figure. Quickly bowing three times to the dragoness, he burst into loud and rapid hissing mixed with growls, once pointing his clawed paw towards Diantrel, who had somehow managed to appear next to Kirill behind the backs of the elf warriors. The captain's speech did not last long, no more than half a minute. When he finished speaking, the captain of the lizards froze in place, bowing his head respectfully and not daring to look up at his mistress. She turned away from the crowned elf for a moment, barked something briefly, and the lizard immediately bowed three more times, then stood up proudly, turning towards the elves. The expression on his face was openly malicious.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 15:26

Just like a schoolboy who was beaten up by his bully classmates, but was suddenly rescued by his strict and stern father. Turning back to the crowned elf, the dragoness unexpectedly spoke in a powerful but pleasant female voice in classical Elvish, with virtually no accent:

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:30

"The sorceress who walks by your hand, the venerable Iardal Blade of the Forest, threatened my faithful servant with death and seized by force the ship entrusted to him. My ship."

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 19:02

The malicious expression on the lizard captain's face became even more obvious. The crowned elf turned his head slightly, glancing briefly at him. The elven archers lined up along the side of the white ship, followed suit. This somehow caused the malice on the lizard captain's face to diminish sharply. Turning back to the dragoness with a completely impassive expression, the crowned elf said in a perfectly calm voice:

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:12

"Knowledge of the noble language of those whose veins flow with fire as well as blood, as well as the language of their servants, is not among the many talents and skills of the honourable Diantrel. I am confident that the words that your humble servant..."

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:12

The elf did not seem to emphasise the last phrase, and his tone did not change, but there was more contempt in it than Lenin had felt when looking at the bourgeoisie, which caused the tip of the dragoness's tail, which had taken on a humanoid form, to twitch slightly.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:14

"... took as threats to ршы life and your incomparable dignity, honourable Gyar'Skalashass, were merely requests for help. Perhaps they sounded overly hasty and harsh, which is why they were not entirely understood correctly. But the reason for this was not the honourable Diantrel's intention to offend you in any way, but solely her desire to save everyone currently on your ship from a painful death in the flames of the earth's depths. Including your servants, even the most insignificant of them."

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:14

After once again casting a cold and heavy gaze over everyone in the small and large galleries, Iardal stopped at the dragoness and asked:

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:15

"And so, I will ask again. Is there anyone here who wishes harm upon those who are under the direct protection of the Forest?"

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:15

The question was asked, as before, in an extremely polite voice. But once again, all the passengers, both voluntary and involuntary, felt somewhat uncomfortable. Really uncomfortable. They wanted to be somewhere else. But the captain of the small lizard galley felt most uncomfortable, as almost all the passengers, the elf warriors, and even some of the lizard warriors looked at him at the same time. To his credit, he managed to keep a straight face. Although perhaps the fact that the scaly creatures cannot turn pale in principle played a role here. It seemed... Turning slightly towards him, the dragoness growled something briefly. The captain, jerking his tail sharply, immediately returned her bow and hissed something rapidly in response, bowing again at the end.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:30

Turning back to the crowned elf, the dragoness said in Elvish:

Camrad_RIP 21.06.25 в 19:02

"The language of your folk, honourable Iardal, Blade of the Forest, is as exquisite as it is difficult to understand. Few of those who walk under my wing have mastered it to the required level. And my loyal servant, to whom this ship is entrusted, is not among them..."

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:31

For some reason, Cyrill was absolutely certain that the captain of the lizards, despite speaking with a strong accent, understood Elvish perfectly. But, of course, the young man did not share his suspicions with anyone.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 11:31

" ...and since the venerable sorceress who walks at your side..."

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:17

With these words, the dragoness turned to Diantrel, staring at her intently with her yellow eyes.

Camrad_RIP 22.06.25 в 17:26