История Королевы Эльфов / The story of the Elf Queen: Глава восьмая. Кирилл. Предвиденная находка Героя Королевы Эльфо

Chapter Eight. Cyrill. The Foreseen Discovery of the Hero of the Elf Queen

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:25

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Camrad_RIP 08.07.26 в 11:24

The sensations were quite... unusual. Cyrill was acutely aware that he was dreaming right now. This had happened very rarely in his life when he realized he was dreaming. And usually, after that, the dream ended very quickly. In fact, he could end it at any moment now; thanks to his studies with Andarial and the knowledge he had gained from the Tablet, Cyrill understood perfectly well how to do so. He also understood that he could perform simple manipulations within his dream, such as moving, adjusting the "background," or individual elements of the "decoration." However, he had to be very careful, as any overly abrupt, harsh, or energy-intensive action could very easily disrupt the stability of the dream. Which, in his case, would also lead to awakening.

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:28

Although right now, there wasn't much to do, as Cyrill was literally in the middle of endless darkness. And where to go or what to do was a matter of determination...

Camrad_RIP 08.07.26 в 13:44

//"Don't do anything, Kiriall."

Camrad_RIP 25.07.26 в 08:33

Andarial's voice, coming from somewhere off-screen, immediately made Cyrill freeze in place in the middle of nowhere.

Camrad_RIP 08.07.26 в 19:46

//"I'll do everything myself. All you have to do now is not interfere with me. Freeze and don't do anything."

Camrad_RIP 25.07.26 в 08:33

"Okay, most honorable."

Camrad_RIP 08.07.26 в 13:44

At this point, Andarial fell silent, and a few moments later, a man appeared out of nowhere in the vast darkness next to Crill, looking him straight in the eye. For the first few seconds, the young man was frankly stunned, not understanding who stood before him. And then it dawned on him that he was looking at himself. Himself before the elves had worked on his appearance. Dressed in earthly clothes. The very clothes he had worn when he left the apartment, before he was transported. Wow, how unaccustomed he had become to his former self; he had almost forgotten his old face, so familiar had his new appearance become. And, frankly, much more pleasant and attractive, thanks to the elven artisans who had worked on it. Cyrill studied his past self for a few more moments, and then realized, felt, that it wasn't he who was looking at his past self. Or rather, not only him. Not even that.

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:30

Andarial looked at the current Cyrill, scanning him with her artifact-like eye like an X-ray. To illuminate his appearance, to see the very essence of how Cyrill arrived in Beriadon. To create, in essence, a point of support from which to launch her further search. At the same time, another young man appeared next to the past-Cyrill. Dressed in neat and expensive clothes, similar to those worn in the Confederacy. He had an aristocratic, haughty face and short dark hair, neatly combed back.

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:34

A very familiar young man, one might say, almost painfully so. Master. Or rather, that's how he introduced himself to his accomplices. There was no guarantee this was his real appearance, as the elves emphasized more than once when they briefed Cyrill on the depths of trouble he'd gotten himself into, either immediately upon arriving in Beriadon or almost immediately.

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:35

\\"Ciriall, stay calm!"

Camrad_RIP 25.07.26 в 11:41

Andarial's voiceover made the young man flinch, and he realized he'd been clenching his fists at the sight of the damned Master's projection. Relaxing with an effort of will, he continued to watch and feel how the seer was now pouring literally everything the elves had managed to learn about the damned Braniak into the projection (or was it more like a phantom?). Saturating it with this knowledge to the brim, creating not just a point of support, but a goal for the search. And judging by how quickly and easily she did this, pouring a considerable amount of energy into the projection (which Cyrill felt quite distinctly), Andarial had done this many times before...

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:40

//"Eleven times, if you count my attempts to see him immediately after the failure in Iyastar, during the pursuit of him through the Underworld and the subsequent searches," the seer confirmed the young man's guess.

Camrad_RIP 25.07.26 в 11:42

\\"Now, I ask you again to completely relax, Ciriall, and do nothing without my command. Do not be afraid of anything; you are in no danger."

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:46

\\“Okay...” was all the young man had time to answer when, in the middle of the endless darkness, a female figure appeared, surrounded by a bluish glow.

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:46

And then, a natural anti-aircraft searchlight flared on the figure's forehead, blinding Cyrill, shining through him, piercing him, rushing toward the image of Cyrill-the-past, and then from there toward the image of Master. Master instantly dissolved in this blinding beam, absorbed into it, becoming a part of it, while the beam itself rushed onward, into the endless darkness, searching for a trace of the absorbed image.

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 16:34

The sensation of the power coursing through him and the gaze of the seer completely washed all thoughts from Cyrill's head, consuming him completely. It was as if he were peering through the darkness, searching for his intended target. And finding nothing. Cyrill only managed to vaguely comprehend the images that appeared before his gaze amid the darkness. A city by the sea. A ruined estate next to it. Another city, also by the sea. A wealthy mansion in its center. An entrance to the Underworld, explored and well-known, where hundreds of humans and non-humans descend. And nothing. Andarial's gaze scanned all these images in a matter of seconds and literally instantly sifted them out, casting them aside. All wrong... Empty... Empty... Not the slightest trace... Nothing to cling to...

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:47

Master was here, in each of these places. Cyrill felt it, or rather, Andarial felt it, but she couldn't find anything beyond the sense of his presence. On and on...

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:47

Several underground halls followed, emerging from the endless darkness and disappearing back into it. Nothing. Not a trace. The final hall. Master's last known location, where the pursuit following him ended in tragedy. In fact, it was precisely this moment, this moment of tragedy, that Andarial had foreseen, though it was difficult, as Cyrill sensed very clearly. The underground hall was filled with the rumble of stones collapsing into the abyss, shrouded in thick black smoke. And then a breath of heat blew into the young man's face. A familiar heat. So fucking familiar!!!

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:51

Against his will, the image of the damned Balrog and the unforgettable underground afterburner on the dwarven tank surfaced in Cyrill's mind. It became difficult to breathe; the air became hot, scorching, and at the same time heavy and stifling. The roar of stones crashing into the abyss grew louder and louder in his ears; the hall was collapsing somewhere into the very depths of the earth, and it became increasingly difficult to watch.

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:48

The image is monstrously clogged with interference, caused first by the fierce battle that had just taken place, and then by the appearance of the Terror of Diyarten—a realization dawns on the tense Andarial. The Seer has filtered out most of it, but there are more than enough left to complicate her work to the utmost. But she watches. She sees. She tries to find something connected to Cyrill. Or rather, someone specific. Find him. Find the trail that was broken off here. Understand where it leads.

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:52

The heat, the suffocation, and the roaring noise become simply unbearable; the underground hall has almost completely collapsed into the earthly abyss, and the clouds of smoke make it almost impossible to see anything. Against this backdrop, Cyrill would never have noticed the barely audible, indistinct whisper. But Andarial caught it. Spotted it. Pinpointed it. And immediately, she latched onto it, like a bull terrier, experiencing a surge of wild excitement. There! Finally!

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:49

A trace! Not the image of a presence, but a trace! Where to?! From where?! There it was! The hall, collapsing into the abyss, froze, as if someone had pressed the "stop" button on a remote control. The suffocation from the almost completely engulfing black smoke, the searing heat of the crimson flames, and the thundering roar of falling stones, however, did not disappear, continuing to press. But Andarial's beam-gaze, ignoring the interference that could not be cut off, aimed precisely at one of the side walls. The floor of the underground hall before her had almost completely collapsed, and she herself had begun to crumble, crumbling into the depths in enormous... But through the cascade of falling debris and rocks, through the clouds of choking smoke, the melted and shattered passage through which the damned Balrog had emerged was still visible... And from somewhere, through the roar and rumble, came a quiet, but now distinct whisper...

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 19:53

Andarial's passion flared with renewed vigor, and with renewed vigor, at the very limit of that force, her gaze rushed there. Into that nearly collapsed, dark and smoke-shrouded passage, to pierce that darkness and smoke, to overcome those damned obstacles, to see... to see... Come on... NO!!!

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:50

The young man didn't have time to comprehend anything at all, only to realize that as soon as the beam-gaze shot into the passage and pierced the darkness and smoke, it immediately plunged further into nothingness, back into the endless darkness. The underground hall vanished, along with the roar, the flames, the suffocating smoke, and the roar of the damned Balrog. In their place, there was once again an endless void. And Cyrill was overcome by a wild mixture of anger, resentment, frustration, and an unwillingness to accept his defeat and oversight!

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 20:14

Again, the image of the collapsing underground hall. Again, attempts to find, to see the passage, to hear, to feel, to sense the whisper-trace. But all was in vain; all the seer's attempts ran into a literally solid wall of interference, perceived as the energies of the damned Balrog and the natural background of the Underworld. The feeling of anger, frustration, resentment, and rejection of defeat intensified to the limit, as did the sensation of a gaze penetrating Cyrill. The Andarial anti-aircraft searchlight, casting aside the image of the underground hall, began searching the endless darkness with redoubled intensity, now searching for anything connected to the image of Cyrill-the-Past. Trying to find, to see, to cling to anything...

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 20:40

The sudden music was barely louder than the previous whisper, but Andarial reacted instantly. Her beam-gaze shifted, and almost immediately, as Cyrill realized, "locked on." In a flash, the endless darkness gave way to a seashore on which a city sprawled, the sea before it filled with various ships. Her gaze lingered on it for only a brief moment, confidently recognizing it, and then moved on. Beyond the fields, villages, and smaller towns surrounding the city. Even further. To where the villages and towns became noticeably fewer, as did the fields, and the forests more numerous. Even further, to where there were no longer any fields or villages, only small fortified settlements fortified with walls and moats, surrounded by forests that had become noticeably denser. Even further. To where the forest became even denser, and even the fortified settlements were no longer there...

Camrad_RIP 12.08.26 в 20:41

The music, which seemed vaguely familiar to Cyrill, grew clearer and clearer until it sounded absolutely pure in the midst of a dense forest. It was a small clearing surrounded by centuries-old trees. There was nothing around but forest, but the music, the vaguely familiar music, the music Cyrill clearly knew, resonated especially powerfully here... And then everything suddenly vanished, plunging back into darkness...

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 16:34

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Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:50

With great difficulty, Cyrill opened his eyelids and struggled to focus his vision, staring at the ceiling of Andarial's sanctum sanctorum, its dimly glowing crystals. His head felt heavy, and he couldn't think clearly. His body felt like it had been filled with lead. He was thirsty; his throat was dry, as were his lips and mouth. Cyrill was soaked with sweat. Ugh...

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 16:54

Trying to sit up made his head spin and his vision blur. So awful... And yet, barely a quarter of his reserve was used up...

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 16:56

"Welcome back, Cirial."

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 08:50

Turning carefully, Cyrill saw that Andarial had already woken up and was standing next to his chair. The elven seer looked, judging by her appearance, little better than the young man himself. Her hair was matted and tangled with sweat, her housecoat was rumpled, and her pale face was gloomy and tired, with not a trace of her former smile remaining. But only the silver goblet of water in Andarial's hand, which she held out to the young man, caught Cyrill's attention.

Camrad_RIP 13.08.26 в 10:36

Nodding gratefully, he barely resisted the urge to grab it, but he began drinking greedily. The water was beyond praise! Cool but not cold, delicious, and yet saturated with the most neutral magic. Just what he needed to restore his strength! Surely from some special source.

Camrad_RIP 13.08.26 в 10:37

"From the Crystal Spring, one of the best sources of magic-infused water, flowing in one of the Reserve Groves of the Forest,” Andarial nodded.

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 17:00

Cyrill froze for a moment in surprise: had she read his mind? But a second later, he mentally slapped himself. Of course, he was speaking with one of the best clairvoyants in the Forest; such classic mind-reading was completely unnecessary; she could probably anticipate such questions even before they were voiced.

Camrad_RIP 31.07.26 в 11:04

"Not always and not everything, but simple and insignificant questions do not require much effort to gain insight,” Andarial nodded again.

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 17:02

Having drained the glass in a few gulps, Cyrill nodded gratefully and returned it to the seer.

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 17:02

"Thank you, most honorable."

Camrad_RIP 30.07.26 в 19:45

Glancing at the table between the two chairs, where a pair of crystals was glowing, the young man asked.

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 17:17

"Did you manage to see anything? I mean, you did manage to see something; I remember that, I mean..."

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 17:21

"I have achieved certain results," Andarial nodded, but her expression remained just as grim as she took the crystals with imprinted images from the table. "But not the ones I was hoping for. Come, Cyriall. We need to get ourselves together and then report to the High Hierarchs, who are already languishing with impatience, awaiting news."

Camrad_RIP 13.08.26 в 10:39

Without even thinking of arguing with the seer, Cyrill rose to his feet and followed her out of her inner sanctum. Nodding to the companions who had greeted them and were waiting, the young man headed to the washroom, while Andarial went straight to the bathhouse. While Cyrill simply rinsed off, which made him feel better, the seer soaked in the tub dragged into the living quarters for nearly an hour. But to her credit, she emerged from behind the screen fully dressed, her hair neatly combed, and noticeably refreshed. Just a couple of minutes remained before the last of her five spent time-stretching tokens expired.

Camrad_RIP 13.08.26 в 10:40

By this point, Diantrel, Armina, and Gata were already languishing with curiosity, but they barely showed it outwardly, and they didn't even bother asking Cyrill any questions. Nodding to them, Andarial said, heading for the door.

Camrad_RIP 31.07.26 в 11:03

"Please follow me, honorable ones. We are about to speak with the High Hierarchs of the Forest, and afterwards I invite you all to dine with me."

Camrad_RIP 30.07.26 в 19:46

"We are pleased to accept your offer, most honorable one," nodded Diantrel, following the seer

Camrad_RIP 30.07.26 в 19:47

Andarial opened the door with a light touch and stepped outside. The majordomo was already waiting for her in the corridor by the wall opposite. Regnold immediately bowed, pressing his right hand to his heart and said:

Camrad_RIP 30.07.26 в 19:48

"Mistress, welcome back."

Camrad_RIP 30.07.26 в 19:48

"Regnold, I need to conduct some important conversations. Order dinner to be served in..."

Camrad_RIP 29.07.26 в 18:04