The Labyrinth of Inter-Time

– Great. Then go towards the forest, we’ll meet you there. Get ready to run.

I didn’t have to repeat it twice. Dorian took small steps towards the endless line of trees.

The wolf raised his hand, and the two in black hoods fell to the ground, as if from an invisible blow. The chief has already raised his hands. But he didn’t have time to say the cherished spell. He grabbed his throat, as if someone was strangling him with an invisible rope. Eleon, taking advantage of the general confusion, threw the girl over his shoulder. Pushing aside the crowd, he squeezed into the forest, where it would be more difficult to find the fugitives.

– Stop them! – shouted the inquisitor in an imperious tone, who never took revenge for the spit on his face. But the crowd suddenly closed in, preventing the order from being carried out. Everyone in the village loved the clerk and his family.

– You pathetic people! Do you even understand who you are contacting? Move away quickly!

The five inquisitors extended their hands forward, and red lightning streamed from them. The crowd parted. The executioners began to make their way through the resulting passage, but their path was blocked by the brother of the condemned woman, who was given life.

– Move away! – said the one without the hood.

– Only over my dead body!

– You’re welcome! – said the judge, and lightning from his hands killed the young man. Here the exclamation of the father of the family was heard:

– After all, he was innocent! You promised him life – and killed him! This is how you serve your spirit of Justice! – lightning from his eyes pierced the killer’s head, and he fell to the ground. No one in the village knew that the clerk was such a powerful magician that he could defeat the anti-mage centurion alone! But coping with five is an unprecedented thing, so the man had no choice but to run deep into the forest, following in the footsteps of his daughter and her saviors.

And his enemies literally stepped on his heels, not giving him a second of rest…

Chapter 3. The secret of Advisor Khan.

One single window among the cold stone walls of the castle. Near the window there is a wooden table, a lit candle on it sends an uncertain light to the bored walls.

Royal Councilor Khan, the head of Parliament, sat in the room and studied the new denunciation under the rhythmic crackling of a candle that filled the whole room with a burning smell, and his little daughter played in the next room. He is not tall, he looks like he is fifty years old, but there is not a single gray hair on his jet-black curls.

Nobody liked the Advisor, not even the ruler. He was born into a poor family, but his tenacious mind quickly gave him a path to life. Khan is cunning and uncompromising, so he quickly surpassed his comrades. And luck is always on his side. Avinius at the last moment refused the post of Royal Advisor, tormented by remorse for raising Dell, a dark magician. But in vain! When it comes to power, it is better to go all the way. There is no place for being too sentimental in politics!

The years went by, but Khan did not change, he only became more cunning and resourceful. Even the death of his wife did not become a reason to be kinder and more compliant. (Although there were persistent rumors that he himself killed the poor woman – people love to talk). He always worked tirelessly, trying to find those who wanted to screw him. The paranoia probably came from the former king.

There was a guard outside the door. It was ordered not to let anyone in. Therefore, nothing could prevent the head of Parliament from working.

It was early spring, and the evenings were often still cold. But he, all in his thoughts, did not even notice how it became even colder, even for March, although the windows were closed: Khan was afraid of being struck by a spell of lightning or other death at the hands of enemies. And there was a reason: many hated the Advisor. There was a noise behind the door.

– What is there again! – the Advisor was indignant.

Suddenly, a black-haired young man of strong build appeared before the eyes of the head of Parliament, as if out of nowhere.

– I ordered: not to let anyone in! Security! – Khan turned sharply to the door.

– Don’t fuss like that! – the uninvited guest spoke, blocking the path to the exit. – I won’t delay you for long. I just need to talk to you.

– There is a specially designated time for conversations. Sign up for an audience. And now I’M BUSY! Security!

«I would love to come another time, but I’m afraid that I will disappear forever.» And the conversation will be informal.

– Introduce yourself! – the angry Advisor almost shouted.

– Of course, my friend. «My name is Dell,» said the guest.

– Dell… Dell… I don’t remember that name.

– After the War of Troubles, no one dares to name their son that. I am a ghost. Until today I was invisible, if you refuse my offer, in an hour I will disappear into oblivion. Fate is inexorable, and everything is in its hands!

Once upon a time I alone dealt with an invincible army. And now I bring the cold with my presence, and I can only cope with the flowers on the windowsill!

***

This story dates back to the reign of the last king, Leonard. Then the Order of Glory was able to awaken Darkness in its purest form, and ancient demons burst out of the depths of the universe. Their army, consisting of people and ghosts who could not be killed with an ordinary sword, surrounded the Sorcerer’s House.

People fought bravely for their homes, for the king, but courage is not always a strong weapon, especially against ancient magic. The walls of the city collapsed and a black cloud poured in. Fifteen ghosts from the whole army were killed, but for each enemy there were three hundred lives of Leonard’s warriors. The castle gates did not last long, and the king was captured by evil spirits.

And when there seemed to be no hope, one of the students of Master Avinius appeared. The young man possessed the rarest gift – the spells of Darkness. Few people could see the Forces in their original form, but even fewer people had power over them. Avinius, for example, ruled over the Light. And this young man, with the power of thought, was able to disperse an entire regiment of the enemy. The ghosts disappeared into oblivion, only their armor and shields remained to decorate the nearby lands. The war has been won. Everything would be fine. But Leonard became extremely paranoid. He strengthened his security so that no one would take him prisoner again, as during this war. Then the madman ordered the young man to be arrested, too, because he was afraid of the powerful magician. They say that he even ordered the death of the queen, accusing him of conspiracy. It is impossible to say whether this is true, but she was no longer seen within the castle walls.

***

– Avinius found me. He called me the Chosen One. And I saved the kingdom from certain destruction! – Dell continued to tell. «And ended up in prison because of it!» Such is the king’s gratitude for freedom! You know, Khan, the world is not fair. I was only remembered as the villain who tried to attack the king. And not as a savior! After the feat, I was left completely exhausted, and did not even try to resist when the guards grabbed me. But the Element, which endowed me with Strength, filled me with hatred and malice, making me stronger. I broke the prison into a thousand pieces and was freed. And along with me – other powerful magicians who were outlaws. Together we went to the royal castle, in the name of revenge!

***

But Dell, of course, didn’t tell everything. He forgot to mention that the spirit of Antimonik came to him in a dream and offered him Power. And Dell did not reject the offer.

He awakened the Dark Army of Spirits again. The All-Powerful Element endowed him with a new talent – he became the new Dark Lord, the embodiment of Evil and Horror in a human body. The gates had not yet been completely restored, and collapsed again under the onslaught of the rebels.

They say that Avinius personally killed the student when he had already raised the black staff cursed by the Darkness over Leonard’s head. Dell died, but his shadow wandered for many years: first, Leonard was found dead in his bedchamber with a hole in his chest. Then many others who participated in the persecution of the caster of Darkness died from unknown causes. They said it was the spirit of a black rebel.

***

– Dell, Black Rebel! This can’t be! – Superstitious fear was visible in Khan’s eyes.

– Don’t believe me? – with these words the guest grabbed the Advisor’s wrist. But the Head of Parliament did not feel anything. The hand went right through.

– You really are a ghost! But this cannot be. I dream about you! The dead cannot meet the living!

«It turns out they can,» the ghost’s face was adorned with a demonic smile that would make anyone tremble. – An hour ago, members of my order performed a ritual, and here I am in front of you. But I’ll disappear soon. I want to be alive again. There is one secret in the vault for making a Revitalizing Stone.

– I’m not a king. And even if I want to get into the First Level Security vault, I won’t be able to.

«That’s why I came to you,» with these words an ominous smile appeared on the ghost’s lips. – Royal Advisor Khan. You have achieved the highest title a mere mortal could desire. But I see right through you! Even now you are missing something, although you don’t know what exactly. And I’ll give you a hint: the crown is missing.

– You won’t be able to give it! – Khan didn’t even deny that he wanted to wear the crown.

– I – no, of course. But I can help you achieve your goal. And in return I will get life. Sounds like a good exchange to me.

– This is impossible.

– Nothing is impossible. Half an hour ago you didn’t believe in the existence of ghosts. But I stand before you as a living, or rather, non-living example of the opposite. Fate is always so unpredictable! You don’t risk anything. If you do not become king, I will not be able to come to life, so there is no reason for me to deceive. Moreover, I have my own interest in the fall of Henry’s crown!

– What if, having become king, I deceive you?

– You won’t deceive me. So, do you agree? – Dell asked.

«Yes,» Khan answered.

– Hurry up. Create this sign on your left shoulder.

An image appeared in the air:

– What is this?

– Seal of fidelity. In case of betrayal, you will turn into ashes. Without her I will disappear. And this way I can feed on your energy to live and give advice. What did you want? Nothing appears out of nowhere and disappears without a trace. In order for me to appear before you, the Order had to sacrifice a child. And this is too much, even for a sect of dark magicians.

No one should know about our little secret. The Order of Vernikov will be at your personal disposal. I will warn Master Simon personally.

– Simon, the head of the Royal Guard – the leader of the sect of dark magicians?!!

– Have you stopped being surprised? But what about the Advisor – the future king? Will this news also surprise you? So, first, get rid of the Brotherhood of Defenders of the Crown. First of all, from Master Avinius. My mentor has not forgiven me, and will be an ardent opponent of revival. And he is a strong enemy! Maybe he, too, will decide to use the magic of Light to destroy the prison in which he will be put, and will go to kill the king, like I once did? I want to look at this!

– If not for you, he, and not me, would have been the head of Parliament. This is the second time you have promoted me up the career ladder!

«You must also get my staff out of the Vault,» Dell said.

«Black staff…» Khan whispered with awe in his voice.

– Yes, the same staff that I tried to kill Leonard with before my death. Darkness-cursed staff. Only he can kill the king. Be careful to handle it with silk gloves. Otherwise the curse will kill you! Touch causes instant death. Many people think that Avinius killed me. Nonsense! I died by accident! I touched the staff. And for many years he found himself in a gloomy world of Darkness and Horror. Many people go crazy, but I turned out to be stronger than the Element under my control. But death became the beginning of a new life for me! And soon I will become even stronger, my king.

– I’ll kill Henry and end up behind bars! – Khan exclaimed.

«Listen to me, and everything will be fine,» Dell said. – The secret of reincarnation will help. Including in the fight against these Defenders of the Crown.

Dell handed Khan the book, and he began to read: «Once upon a time there were two sisters. One inherited the beauty of her mother, and young men came from all the principalities to see the land on which she walked. And the second was smart, like a mother, and she had no equal in magic. The sisters got along well with each other until they met the princely governor. Between two sisters, he chose one, whom he married. And his choice fell, of course, on the beauty. But the second girl cried sleepless nights until she came up with the right way to be with her beloved. She touched her sister, and immediately they swapped bodies. And now only one belonged to intelligence, beauty, and a beloved young man. And only the elder, who perfectly mastered the power of Light, could remove the spell.»

– Only the primordial Elements can destroy the ancient curse! – said Dell. – Therefore, dear Khan, be careful with Avinius – he can expose us!

***

Hundreds, no, thousands of politicians from all over the world promise a happy future. If everything was as they say, everyone would have lived just perfectly long ago. But people love money, without exception. Khan knew this very well. And now he called Tion, one of Avinius’ students, «for a conversation.» He also knew that Tion was getting married soon, but had no gold. He comes from a poor family.

– Do something for me and I’ll pay for your wedding. By the way, I won’t offend you with the title either.

– I can’t do this, Advisor! – said Tion.

– You know, your father made a lot of mistakes in his youth. I think he should go to jail for them. I turned a blind eye to this for a long time. This item was found in his bedroom.

Khan handed a small piece of paper to Tion. «Kill Henry and you get 5 gold»

– What a coincidence, the royal guard receives gold for betrayal!

– You! – Hatred lit up in Tion’s eyes.

«You’re so honest, it’s time for me to do my duties too.» Soon your father will turn out to be an enemy of the state, and you, as his son, will be treated with caution. There is no future for the people you become, all roads are closed! And you don’t have to look with such hatred! Many people can’t stand me. But I have the information! – Khan looked into Tion’s eyes for a long time until he lowered his gaze.

«I agree,» he said quietly.

– Correct solution! – Khan burst into ominous laughter.

From birth, magicians are equal. Titles and positions are not inherited. The son of a magician can become a peasant, and the descendant of a craftsman can become a member of parliament if he shows talent for magic and wisdom.

All people, some from childhood, sign up to study at the University of Witchcraft. Until its completion and successful passing of the exams, no one has the right to use witchcraft.

Tion was soon to take Avinius’ exams. And he will officially be allowed to use magic. Otherwise – death. Its name is the Illigulus spell.

– Well, did you remember everything? – said Khan. – Repeat your lesson again!

– Avinius gives me my legal right to magic. I use a transformation spell and take on the appearance of the master, and he becomes me. Then I have to shout for the guards to take the «imposter» away.

– You say everything correctly. The main thing is to do everything right. Now imagine such a symbol on your left shoulder. – Khan drew the letter «B» in Tion’s head, that very seal of loyalty to Dell. «You must be faithful to our cause.»

***

Again this cold and feeling of panic.

– A good start! – said the ghost of a black rebel already familiar to us. – The main thing, Khan, is that everything goes as we plan.

The ghost could now move calmly, having drunk his fill of Khan’s energy.

***

Dawn just recently spilled the scarlet wine of the glow on the black blanket of the sky. Somewhere in the distance, a lanelle chirped, rejoicing at the birth of a new day. And this all-consuming smell of wild myrtles that bloomed all around.

A great holiday for many students of the magic school: very soon they will be able to use magic.

The high hill dozed languidly in anticipation of the approaching event, and the free wind gently ruffled it. A stone staircase, built several centuries ago, ran up the hill. It was here, and not within the city walls, that the ceremony for awarding the right to magic took place.

Master Avinius stood at the top. Each of the students climbed up in turn to receive the right they had earned over the years of study.

– Errifen! «Come to me, my student,» said the great magician. The named one went up the steps. -You have earned the right to magic! Swear on your name that you will use this right only for good!

– I swear, my teacher!

– We are all in the hands of Fate! But swear to me in the name of your mother that you will never take the path of evil!

– I swear, my teacher!

– Swear in the name of your father that you will protect the king and his family to the last drop of blood!

– I swear, my teacher!

– Let it be so! By the power given to me, I give you the legal right to magic! – Avinius ran his brush over Errifen’s shoulder, and for a moment a flame flared up on it, but then went out. Errifen fell to his knees, as tradition required, to thank the teacher for his efforts and patience.

– Arise, my faithful student! Now you are a magician!

Now it’s Tion’s turn to receive his legal right. Friends tapped him on the shoulder encouragingly, and he went towards his fate. He so wanted to quickly gain the right to magic, but he had to strictly follow traditions, and he had to slowly move from step to step. He kept looking at his feet to show modesty.

– You have earned the right to magic! Swear on your name that you will use this right only for good! – Avinius repeated, as required by the ancient ritual.

– I swear, my teacher! – Tion lowered his gaze even more. He never took an oath that he could not fulfill. But the seal of Loyalty burned stronger than his conscience, so he took all subsequent oaths.

– We are all in the hands of Fate! But swear to me in the name of your mother that you will never take the path of evil!

– I swear, my teacher! – the student said more confidently. Already became, for the sake of his father and beloved.

– Swear in the name of your father that you will protect his family to the last drop of the king’s blood!

– I swear, my teacher!

– Let it be so! By the power given to me, I give the legal right to magic!

Tion did as Khan taught him. One moment, and he turned into an exact copy of Avinius. The next second, and Avinius and Tion stood before the astonished students again.

– Take away the impostor! – shouted the young man in the guise of an old man. As it turned out, the royal guards, led by Simon, were standing nearby. Not even a minute passed before the unfortunate Avinius, in the guise of Tion, was imprisoned in a prison world.

And you already know how Tion’s fate ended.

***

A round steel table took up most of the room. There were flasks and retorts on the table, and liquid was boiling on the stove. And all the free space was occupied by manuscripts covered with various hieroglyphs of long-forgotten languages. Lightning or smoke sometimes flew out of the flasks, filling the entire room.

– Found! I found this! How stupid I was before! How could I not notice such an obvious thing! This is incredible!

All the people loved the king because he was kind to his people. But it was difficult to call him a good politician: what could interest a born scientist other than science? He spent days on end in the musty laboratory. Henry received the highest level of magic at the moment, and a tattoo with the number «16» adorned his delicate shoulder. And politics can be left in the reliable hands of Parliament and the Councilor!

There was a knock on the room and Khan entered.

– Hello, dear assistant! – Henry hugged the head of Parliament.

– Be healthy, Your Highness!

– Can you imagine! I found! It’s so wonderful! We understood magic completely wrong! And it is based on the forces of nature!

– I am amazed by your talent! – Khan bowed slightly.

– What’s new in the Country?

– Troubled Times threaten the United Kingdom! – said Khan.

– What kind of passion are you talking about?! What’s the matter.

– A new organization of conspirators has emerged. They call themselves the brotherhood of the Defenders of the Crown. But they want to make an attempt on your life. I know this from reliable sources.

– What should we do now! There can be no attempt on my life! After all, so many more works must be written, so many discoveries have not yet been made!

– Your Highness, I see only one way out: we need to eliminate the conspirators!

– You know, Advisor, that I completely trust the Parliament in matters related to politics. So you can take action.

So Henry signed his own death warrant. Khan left the laboratory hall, and as soon as he entered the room, a familiar ghost appeared in it.

«Everything is going as well as possible,» Dell grinned.