Laylith flew on Kundaminokh, enjoying herself, holding on tightly to the bird's strong plumage. The southern air was warm, but she was so strongly blown by the wind that it made her eyes cry, but she did not pay attention to this, experiencing great delight from the flight. Suddenly, from somewhere, three yadonagrishes, nimble flying creatures, about six or seven feet tall with the heads and bodies of Earth cobras and the wings of giant butterflies, appeared. They began to attack, spitting acid, but Kundaminokh managed to dodge in flight, folding his wings. The snow argiphone decided to gain altitude and flew up. Yadonagrishes almost kept up, but it was hard for them to spit acid during the upward flight, and it didn't reach the bird. Laylith held onto the plumage with all her strength, fearing that some feather would slip out and she would fly down, right into the sandy and rocky terrain of the Iltazrishal Desert, which was in the southeast, near the Belt of Twilight.
Kundaminokh flew higher and higher, but the yadonagrishes did not lag behind him, then he sharply turned down and folded his wings, falling like a drop to the ground, and then again spread his wings and began to wave vigorously, carrying Laylith further and further east. But the yadonagrishes were close to the bird. And flying low above the ground, Kundaminokh suddenly changed trajectory, and the half-elf woman couldn't hold on and flew, falling to the sand. She immediately jumped up and took a fighting pose. Argiphone went further, this time to the north, he was pursued by two yadonagrishes, and the third turned its attention to Laylith and flew towards her.
"Kiyal Farus Fiyas Dracal," she cast a fireball spell, and a spherical blast of fire flew toward the yadonagrish. But the butterfly-snake was able to dodge and spit acid in Laylith's direction. Arqilunian was able to avoid being hit, "Rakhom Kus Kadukh!" and a fiery spear appeared in Laylith's hands.
The girl saw a small rocky hill and ran towards it, realizing that it was harder to fight on the sand. Yadonagrish released poisonous spits that hit the stony-sand surface and corroded it. Laylith wanted to get closer to the yadonagrish, but it flew and turned quickly, spitting out a lot of greenish-brownish viscous liquid.
Lisandra had tried to teach Laylith the spell of fire arrows yesterday while Kundaminokh was supposed to take Slu to Edelmer, but the half-elf did not succeed, although Laylith had always found magic very easy to learn.
Laylith ran away from the yadonagrish as much as possible and began to cast the spell,
"Plar For At Skar Khat! Damn you!" Laylith cursed when she failed, and she barely managed to dodge the next portion of the acid.
"Kras Vos Dracal! Kras Vos Dracal!" the girl cast spells, releasing magical orbs into the flying butterfly-snake, but the nimble creature kept avoiding being hit.
Suddenly, someone launched three fireballs into the yadonagrish at once and the butterfly-snake couldn't dodge one and fell dead on the sand. Three tukhtaashes ran up to Laylith, and at first, they spoke something in an incomprehensible language, and then the man tukhtaash spoke in the union language.
"Get up, you'll come with us," said the tukhtaash, he had a braided beard, brown eyes and a short haircut.
"Are you from Itskel-taash?" Laylith asked.
"No," answered the tukhtaash woman with brown eyes and long cornrows braids.
"Then where are you from?" Laylith wondered.
"We are from Taashtar," another tukhtaash young woman answered. She had a short haircut.
"Taashtar? Is it around here somewhere?" Laylith asked in surprise.
"Let's go, stop talking," said the tukhtaash with a beard.
"I'm not going anywhere with you!" Laylith said suddenly.
"Girl, you will either go with us in a good way or in a bad way," the short-haired tukhtaash woman said.
"Girl?! I'm so tired of this!" and Laylith took a fighting pose.
The tukhtaashes suddenly laughed.
"Tyksha amark samsha kyzhym!" said the tukhtaash man, referring to the short-haired woman.
"Conjure yourself a weapon, let's see what you are capable of," the short-haired woman said and drew her sword, the other two tukhtaashes stepped back.
"Rakhom Kus Kadukh!" Laylith said, creating a fiery spear. She lunged, but the tukhtaash woman not only struck back with lightning speed but also hit her shoulder with the flat side of the sword. Laylith lunged again, but the tukhtaash woman repelled it again, and then the outlander grabbed the burning part of the spear and pulled it towards her with all her strength, that Laylith lost her balance, and the tukhtaash woman, throwing the spear, jumped back violently, and Laylith fell to the rocky surface. The short-haired woman cast some kind of wound healing spell and her burned hand instantly healed.
Laylith jumped up.
"Kiyal Farus Fiyas Dracal!" the half-elf said, but the fireball flew past the targets.
"Kras Tash Arch Kan Fah Danus!" the tukhtaash woman with long cornrows braids cast.
Instantly, an improved magical cage formed around Laylith, only it was floating in the air, about one foot above the ground. A glowing rope extended from the cage.
"Who's going to pull this time?" the tukhtaash man asked.
"It must be Kyatkhi's turn," replied the tukhtaash woman with long cornrows braids.
"No, it's your turn, Nigshi!" the short-haired woman said.
"I see," the man said, "I'll drag it then."
Laylith in the magical cage unsuccessfully tried to cast spells.
"It's progress!" the man said. "We now use the union language more often."
"This is our land, Takresh," said Kyatkhi.
"But it is not our language. Do you think that when we completely conquer the continent, the king will not issue a law banning a union language?" Nigshi asked.
"Of course not!" Kyatkhi replied, "We will not exterminate the entire population, but we will need to communicate with them somehow."
"Why won't we?" Nigshi was surprised.
"Maybe we'll have to slaughter every man and rape every woman in this land, or maybe not," Takresh said and looked at Laylith, "I can take her for the night."
"You may not have time to tie her up, and you will be left with fried dick," Nigshi said.
"But my fried dick will go well into your dry hole!" he said with a laugh. Kyatkhi laughed as well, and Nigshi muttered something angrily.
Three tukhtaashes headed east, while Takresh dragged the magical cage-prison behind him, Laylith remained silent, she sat with a displeased look, realizing her helplessness, remembering how she had lost in a duel with a short-haired one.