***
-We need to run after him! - after a couple of seconds, as she recovered from the shock, Sol shouted. - Ed is in trouble! He needs our help!
The professor was silent. He didn't seem to notice the elf's screams, but simply stood and looked at the horizon, where the dead dragon had flown. Finally coming to his senses, the goblin slowly turned around. Looking at the elf with a serious look, he said:
- No.
- No? — She repeated after him, somehow shocked, but quickly came to her senses. - No?! How could you say that! — her body was enveloped in a fiery aura. The eyes and hair changed their color, literally starting to burn. - He's there! One! And here we are!
"I said no," Flitwick repeated again, but in a more serious voice. - We can't do this now.
- Why? — with each new word her speech became less and less human-like, becoming like the growl of a wild animal.
- Look around.
As if realizing something, the elf jerked as if from a slap in the face. The fire went out, her hair fell on her shoulders, they somehow hunched over, and the girl herself looked at everyone who was here with a haunted gaze. Croco, Susann and Og are unconscious, each exhausted. The fox was still lying on the ground - she couldn't come to her senses. Al was sitting on the ground, wincing from the wound in his hand. I was next to him, helping with his treatment.
Only Sol and Flitwick (probably the werewolf could also, but this is not certain) could somehow stand up for themselves at the moment. And even then, each of them is already showing signs of mild exhaustion.
- But how? - The lost elf whispered barely audibly, without moving her lips. - What to do? - Raising her head up, she asked in a crying voice.
— The first thing is to rest. The second thing is to wait. "The third thing is not to worry," the professor said in turn, but under the uncomprehending glances he decided to explain. - This dragon is definitely intelligent. He didn't kill us all on the spot, but decided to take one of us. I don't know why, but the facts are clear. He definitely needs a vampire, or someone present here. And you don't need to worry too much about Ed. "If I wanted to be killed, I would kill," Flitwick said in a soft, soothing voice. When he finished, he looked at Sol expectantly.
The elf, in response to his words, only lowered her head to the ground, biting her lower lip. Her hands struggled against the straps of her bag. Finally deciding something, she nodded her head.
- I understood. Will wait.
Her voice was weak, but there was no longer any hostility in it, only sadness and doom. Having looked at her guiltily, the professor turned his gaze to her sister. As if she understood something, she sat closer to her sister and hugged her. She, in turn, pressed her head to her chest and silently cried.
The werewolf and I watched all this. But if Al just looked at her sympathetically, then I was worried along with them. Their emotions were too intense, too thick. Passing through me they made me suffer too. Only with an incredible effort of will and concentration did I manage to control myself. How unpleasant it is to feel exactly the same as other people. Only the amulet helps me, and even that is useless now. Spent all the "charge" on protecting the dead from hunger. This was the only thing they could feel, but how "brightly."
"Kol," after I helped Alistair, the professor called me.
"Yes, professor," I said wearily, approaching him.
- As everybody? - he asked worriedly.
- Alistair is fine. The wound did not damage the bone. "I helped with the treatment, and with his regeneration, in a couple of minutes he will come to his senses and be as good as new," I tried to joke slightly, to defuse the situation. - Og - still unconscious. Physical and magical injuries. He just needs to get some sleep. Mana has already begun to recover, so he should wake up by morning. But with Susan and Croco everything is a little more complicated...
- What's wrong with them? — Concern was splashing in his eyes.
"As I understand it, during the attack on the camp, Miss Crystal fed the barrier from her source. The last blow, which most likely struck the dragon, depleted him several times, and also captured part of his vitality. For a necromancer this is not critical, but she will come to her senses in at least a day. And also rehabilitation after injuries for at least a week. "If it's over, she doesn't have a way to deal with it faster," noticing that the anxiety in Flitwick's eyes had not disappeared, I sighed tiredly. "You don't have to worry about her." All will pass. I could try to help, but working with a magical body is much more difficult. I don't have the strength for this at the moment.
"Then take care of her tomorrow." She is our eyes and ears in this snowy desert. It will be difficult without her," the professor gave me orders. I just nodded understandingly. - What's wrong with Croco?
- Severe magical, physical and mental exhaustion. I can't imagine how he was still alive. I attribute all this to his body and equally strong soul. Transforming into a dragon took a lot of his strength. Who already has such a long flight...
"It worked out," the professor said wearily. I just looked at him in surprise. - You see, every time he turns into a dragon he has to fight the animal part. After all, although the heavenly lords are intelligent, much smarter than people and other races, they are still predators to some extent. This hits the dragonite's mind hard. If you overdo it, you can die. But apparently this time everything worked out, since he was just exhausted.
I could only nod at his words. If you look at it this way, then Croco got off poorly. It's better to suffer for a couple of days than to die.
"Here," the goblin said, handing me his bag. Taking it, I stared at it in confusion. — Bag with extended space. It contains reserve tents, just for such cases. Set up the tents, while I take care of the protection, signaling charms, and the fire.
Nodding to each other, we each went about our own business. Setting up the tents took half an hour. With the help of telekinesis this was a breeze. Having finished with the arrangement, he began to drag the patients into one, common tent. Having transfigured three beds, I put unconscious bodies there. Once again making sure that everything was okay with them, he headed out.
While I was busy with the tents, the professor managed to complete his own and now settled down opposite the fire. I approached him and sat down next to him. There was no one else around the fire. Apparently everyone had gone to their tents.
"Professor," he turned to Flitwick.
- M?
-You said that the dragon is intelligent. Could it be that he is the Lich?
"Maybe," he nodded slightly. "And if this is so, then we have much less chance of confronting him than before."
- Why?
- Liches are intelligent creatures that have become undead, while retaining their intelligence. During the transformation, their mana source, whatever it is, changes towards death mana. It's one thing if an ordinary magician, even a grandmaster, becomes a Lich. His reserve is finite, and, therefore, it is much easier to kill him. It's a different matter if a dragon becomes a face..." he drawled instructively, still looking into the fire. — Dragons by nature have a reserve much greater than that of other gift holders. What does it say, adult wyverns that have no intelligence have the reserve of a grandmaster. Now imagine a creature whose reserve is several dozen times greater than that of a wyvern. Did you imagine? Now add to this the fact that dragons do not abandon their gift, but continue to develop it throughout their lives. Much more diligent than the magicians," realizing what he was driving at, a herd of icy goosebumps ran down my spine. "I see you're moved." If this dragon became a lich and was not raised by him, then we will get a giant death machine. With a simply titanic reserve and incredible skill in magic.
Fear. At that second I felt it. It's even difficult to imagine such a huge thing, but here we saw it. And unlike the professor, I am sure that the dragon is the lich. Why? The answer is simple. Even at the beginning, I noticed that there were a lot of draugr. There are thousands of them. Then I attributed it to a spontaneous rise, saying that they themselves rose from the dead, due to the concentration of mana in the air, but the last day rejected my idea.
When all the dead rushed away from us in one impulse, I realized that they were all under control. Perhaps it was the archmage who had become personal and for a brief moment took control of them at that very moment. But then it becomes unclear why? Why would he do this, and besides, spend a considerable amount of energy on this action? However, the filling of the camp, the appearance of the dragon, and the professor's story convinced me of this.
- I must disappoint you, professor. The Dragon is that same Lich.
- Why?
- I think you would understand yourself, you're just tired and distracted by other thoughts. Everything is simple here. Massive retreat of the undead, filling the camp, the intelligence of the dragon. Couldn't this be clear evidence of this theory? Yes, perhaps the archmage Lich is behind all this with simply incredible reserves and control, but I doubt it," I expressed my idea to the professor in one breath. Right during the story, I felt the blood, without my will, flowing from my face, making it much paler.
Fear. I haven't felt it for a long time. It becomes clear from the face of the goblin that he also knows this feeling.
"That's probably how it is," said the professor after a few minutes. "But we will not retreat." Ed is there. We must save him. And you, Calder, will help us with this," he said the end of the phrase to my face.
To be honest, I was puzzled. How can I help you? I'm just an apprentice.
"I didn't quite understand you, professor," I honestly admitted to him.
"I somehow happened to get a very interesting piece of equipment," Flitwick began from afar. - It is used for only one thing - camouflage. The idea is simple - change Mana to the surrounding manaphone. It was originally developed for assassins who had the gift of space in the school. After all, the mana of space is everywhere, isn't it? — I nodded carefully. Does he really know about my gift? But from where? "But recently I noticed," he began again, and my heart literally sank to my feet. "During our escape, you used ice magic." And there is a lot of this mana in the surrounding space. Therefore, this technique will suit you perfectly. Of course, you can use it here, or in other places where there is plenty of ice mana. But at least this is something," he finished confidently.
During the story, the half-goblin immediately perked up. Apparently the prospects gave him additional energy. And at the same time, it was as if a stone had been lifted from my soul. Human magic is good, ice magic is wonderful. And the fact that the technique was invented for space magicians is even better.
- You'll help us, Calder? — the professor asked me somehow pleadingly.
"Of course, professor," I nodded affirmatively. The techniques of space magicians are not lying around on the road. - We are one team.
"That's great," he smiled at me. "I think it's time to rest," the professor said, turning his gaze to the sky. - Go sleep. Once everyone gets back on their feet, then we'll start training.
"Okay," nod. "Good night, professor," I said, getting up from my seat and heading into the tent.
- Calm.
Entering the tent, I found myself in an empty room. Well, of course, I didn't do anything here. Quickly creating a bed and a blanket with a pillow, I undressed and went to bed.
Even though I tried not to show it, I also didn't feel very good. He hadn't moved away from the last race, but the second rush march came after him. And maintaining telekinesis for several hours is also not very easy.
As soon as my head touched the pillow, darkness enveloped me. Finally a rest.
*****