- -
- 100%
- +
«Just a little… just for a short flash…» whispered the young man, clutching a piece of crystal in his hand.
– Hold her. I need eight seconds.
Holmes quickly dropped to one knee and opened his reagent case. His fingers moved at incredible speed. He grabbed three glass vials: one with concentrated magnesium, another with potassium chlorate, and the third with a mixture he called «London fog.»
«Magic is energy,» he muttered, mixing the powders directly into an empty metal tobacco can. – And any energy obeys the laws of thermodynamics.Creatures respond to your mana because it resonates in their spectrum. But they are not ready for pure chemical light.
The creatures were already ten feet away.The air became so cold that Elyan’s breath turned to frost on his lips.
– Now! – Holmes commanded. – Flash!
Elyan screamed, throwing the last of his mana into the crystal. A faint green light illuminated the forest for a moment, and the creatures rushed forward, attracted by this bait.At that same second, Holmes struck a match and threw it into the jar. CHAPTER 3. SALT OF THE EARTH
There was a blinding explosion of white flame.This was not a magical light – it was a violent chemical reaction generated by Earth science.The forest momentarily became brighter than at noon under the scorching sun.The creatures of Oblivion, accustomed to the subtle vibrations of the ether, let out a terrifying, ultrasonic screech.Their ghostly bodies began to literally disintegrate, unable to bear the intensity of the magnesium flame.
– Let’s go!«Holmes grabbed Elian by the shoulder and pulled him forward while the dust from the explosion still hung in the air.«We have a two – minute head start until their sensor systems reboot.»
They ran. Elian, overcoming the pain, tried to keep up. Holmes no longer looked at the moons – he was guided by smell.The smell of ozone grew stronger, but a new aroma was added to it – the acrid, salty smell of minerals.
A gray rock appeared ahead.At its foot there was a narrow crevice, from which a weak, even glow emanated.As soon as they crossed the invisible boundary ten yards from the entrance, the buzzing in Holmes’s head stopped.The pressure disappeared.
«We’re inside…» Elyan fell exhausted to his knees as soon as they found themselves under the stone arch. – Salt caves… The salt of the earth extinguishes mana. Here the shadows are powerless.They cannot enter the zone of silence.
Holmes straightened up, dusting off his badly damaged coat. He looked around the cave.The walls were covered in a thick layer of white crystals that glowed with a soft bluish light.
«The shielding effect,» Holmes stated. – Natural insulator.Very practical.
Footsteps were heard from the depths of the cave.Several gray – robed figures armed with crystal – tipped spears came out to meet them.
– Who are you? – one of the guards boomed. – Healer of the Silver Leaf? And…» he squinted at Holmes. – What kind of curiosity is this? He doesn’t smell like ether.Is he dead?
Holmes straightened his collar and looked the guard straight in the eyes.
– I’m a detective.And I would like to discuss the terms of our stay here before your guards decide that I pose a threat. The guards were in no hurry to lower their spears.In this world, where every living object had an energy trace, Sherlock Holmes looked like a frightening blur of absolute emptiness.To them, he was either an anomaly or a harbinger of doom.
«He has no aura, Gurd,» whispered the second guard, whose hands were visibly shaking.«Even stones have an echo of mana.«And this one… it’s like a hole in space.
– Enough! – a sharp, authoritative voice rang out from the depths of the tunnel.
A woman approached the group.She was much older than Elyan, with graying wine – red hair and piercing eyes the color of a stormy sky. Her robes were decorated with intricate runes that glimmered dimly, resisting the overwhelming effects of the salt.
«Master Kaelia…» Elian tried to bow his head, but weakness made him stagger.
The woman came almost close to Holmes.She didn’t use magic – she just watched, piercing him with a gaze that seemed to be trying to get to the very core of his atoms. Holmes did not look away. He studied her in response: the wrinkle between the eyebrows was a habit of heavy thinking; salt dust stains on the sleeves – she personally visits the mines; a slight smell of sulfur – alchemical experiments.
«The Hollow who is not afraid of the Shadows and reads the stars in the forest of madness,» she said slowly.«Elyan says you deduced him using only calculations.«In our world this is called «Hard Knowledge".It’s almost forgotten.
«And in vain,» Holmes noted dryly. – Numbers never lie, unlike feelings.
«Perhaps,» Kaelia darkened. – But now we have no time for philosophical disputes. You have arrived on time, traveler. We need someone who sees the world differently than we do. We had… an event.And if we do not open it, these caves will become our common grave in two days. Kaelia led them deeper into the settlement.The Caves of the Forsworn were an entire underground city. Here lived those whom the capital Aetor considered a «marriage» – people with low levels of mana or those who lost it as a result of accidents. Holmes saw hundreds of emaciated faces illuminated by dim lamps.There was a heavy smell of salt and despair in the air.
«Three hours ago,» Kaelia began as they entered the fortified sector, «the Heart of the Mountains disappeared from our internal storage.«This is a unique crystal that purifies the air in caves from toxic fumes. Without it, we will all suffocate.
– Traces of a break – in? – Holmes asked briefly, switching to work mode.
– That’s the point, they don’t exist.The vault is protected by the «Seal of Blood». Only me and my assistant Gilbert could go inside. We found Gilbert inside. He’s dead. But he doesn’t have the crystal with him.
Holmes stopped. His eyes narrowed.
– Locked room.My favorite genre. Lead me to the body.And please tell your people not to come near the door. I don’t want them to trample the physical evidence with their magical searches.
They approached a massive door carved from a single piece of obsidian.Two guards stood at the threshold, whose faces expressed an extreme degree of superstitious horror.
«The magical security was not broken,» Kaelia explained.«If someone walked through the walls or used teleportation, the runes on the doors would glow crimson. But they are silent.From a magical standpoint, Gilbert was the only one in the room. But Gilbert could not steal the crystal – he was more devoted to the order than to life itself.
Holmes took the oil lamp from the guard’s hands and, without saying a word, crossed the threshold. Kaelia led them deeper into the settlement.The Caves of the Forsworn were an entire underground city. Here lived those whom the capital Aetor considered a «marriage» – people with low levels of mana or those who lost it as a result of accidents. Holmes saw hundreds of emaciated faces illuminated by dim lamps.There was a heavy smell of salt and despair in the air.
«Three hours ago,» Kaelia began as they entered the fortified sector, «the Heart of the Mountains disappeared from our internal storage.«This is a unique crystal that purifies the air in caves from toxic fumes. Without it, we will all suffocate.
– Traces of a break – in? – Holmes asked briefly, switching to work mode.
– That’s the point, they don’t exist.The vault is protected by the «Seal of Blood». Only me and my assistant Gilbert could go inside. We found Gilbert inside. He’s dead. But he doesn’t have the crystal with him.
Holmes stopped. His eyes narrowed.
– Locked room.My favorite genre. Lead me to the body.And please tell your people not to come near the door. I don’t want them to trample the physical evidence with their magical searches.
They approached a massive door carved from a single piece of obsidian.Two guards stood at the threshold, whose faces expressed an extreme degree of superstitious horror.
«The magical security was not broken,» Kaelia explained.«If someone walked through the walls or used teleportation, the runes on the doors would glow crimson. But they are silent.From a magical standpoint, Gilbert was the only one in the room. But Gilbert could not steal the crystal – he was more devoted to the order than to life itself.
Holmes took the oil lamp from the guard’s hands and, without saying a word, crossed the threshold. It was cold inside the cell and smelled of dry dust.In the center, right under the empty pedestal where the crystal had previously rested, crumpled on the floor, lay the body of an old man. Holmes did not immediately approach him.At first he froze at the entrance, slowly moving the lamp from one corner to another.
«Perfectly fitted blocks of slate,» he muttered, moving the light along the joints.«No cracks or vents larger than two inches in diameter.«The walls are monolithic.The floor is solid rock.
Elyan and Kaelia stood in the doorway, watching the Hollow crawl along the floor, examining the layer of dust.
– What are you looking for? – Elyan whispered.«Our trackers have already examined everything.«They did not find a single vibration of the ether.
«Your trackers were looking for ghosts,» Holmes stood up, brushing off his knees. – And I’m looking for matter.Magic is just another way to influence the physical world.And if she did not leave a trace in the ether, then she acted through physics.
He walked over to Gilbert’s body.The old man looked as if he had simply fallen asleep, if not for the unnatural pallor of his face and the frozen horror in his wide – open eyes. Holmes carefully raised the deceased’s hand.
– Rigor mortis has not yet set in, the blood has just begun to settle in the lower extremities.Death occurred approximately two and a half hours ago.Gilbert died instantly.
Holmes took his magnifying glass out of his pocket; it was cracked from the fall in Egypt, but still usable. He brought the lens to the deceased’s palm.
«Interesting…» whispered the detective.
On the old man’s palm was a tiny red ring that looked like an insect bite.In the center of the ring, Holmes saw three microscopic punctures arranged in a perfect triangle. *** FIXED REPEAT TEXT ***
Holmes took the oil lamp from the guard’s hands and, without saying a word, crossed the threshold.It was cold inside the cell and smelled of dry dust.In the center, right under the empty pedestal where the crystal had previously rested, crumpled on the floor, lay the body of an old man. Holmes did not immediately approach him.At first he froze at the entrance, slowly moving the lamp from one corner to another.
«Perfectly fitted blocks of slate,» he muttered, moving the light along the joints.«No cracks or vents larger than two inches in diameter.«The walls are monolithic.The floor is solid rock.
Elyan and Kaelia stood in the doorway, watching the Hollow crawl along the floor, examining the layer of dust.
– What are you looking for? – Elyan whispered.«Our trackers have already examined everything.«They did not find a single vibration of the ether. *** CARD LETTER «R» ***
Rationality is what you call the magic of five centuries,» Holmes said, looking at the Master. – The Heart of the Mountains crystal has the property of absorbing light and mana around it.In the salt caves he becomes almost invisible to the magical gaze. You saw him on the floor, next to the dead Gilbert. You realized that the Fiddler killed the old man and dropped the loot. You simply stepped on it, pressing it into the soft sole of your boot.Salt hid the magical trace, and the Seal of Blood does not look for objects, it looks for intentions in the aura.
– Search him! – Kaelia ordered, and her voice was colder than cave ice.
Gurd tried to grab his sword, but Holmes was faster.Using baritsu techniques, he grabbed the giant’s wrist and with a sharp, precise movement pressed on the painful point.The sword fell on the stones with a clang.The guards fell on the traitor, knocking him to the floor. CHAPTER 4. CITY OF FLOATING TOWERS
After Gurd’s exposure, the attitude towards Holmes in the salt caves changed.The outcasts looked at him with apprehension, but hope was now visible in their eyes.Magister Kaelia ordered that the «wanderer and his companion» be given the best rooms the caves had to offer – dry niches lined with soft moss and illuminated by stable crystals.
Holmes, however, was in no hurry to rest. He spent the rest of the night studying the maps of Eldria that Kaelia had provided him with. Elian, whose wounds were healing thanks to the skills of local healers, sat nearby, watching as the detective made notes in his notebook.
«We can’t stay here long,» Holmes said, without looking up from the drawings.«The Order of the Spider has already penetrated these holes. If Moriarty – or whoever calls himself by his name – is looking for the Orb, he will come here.
«But Kaelia said that the caves are safe!» – Elyan objected. – Salt extinguishes any search spells.
– Magic – yes. But it does not extinguish logic.Gurd was just a small fry. A real spider does not pull the threads itself; it creates conditions under which the victim itself crawls into the trap.
Holmes pointed to a point on the map – the capital of Aethor.
– We need to go to the Library of Magicians. If the Orb in my chest is the key, I must find the lock. Elian, you said that your order is there.Can you guide me through the city gates?
The young man hesitated, rubbing the scar on his side.
«Hollows are not allowed into Aethor, Sherlock.«Mana Inquisitors stand at the entrances.They sense the absence of the Spark a mile away. We’ll be arrested before we see the spiers of the first tower.
«The inquisitors are looking for magic,» Holmes looked up, and cold excitement flashed in his eyes.«And we will offer them something that their senses cannot classify.«Master Kaelia!
The woman entered the niche, as if sensing that the conversation was about her.In her hands she held a small bundle of thick leather. «Are you going to leave?» It was not a question, but a statement. Kaelia placed the package on the table.«I cannot hold you back, although your mind would be the greatest treasure for our people.»
«Truth requires movement, Master,» Holmes replied. – Stagnation is death for the mind.
Kaelia slowly unwrapped the package.Inside lay a ring of dull gray metal, adorned with a single stone that seemed to suck in the light around it.
– This is my mother’s ring.It was created in a time when magicians and the mediocre were not yet enemies.It does not provide magic, but it does create an «etheric echo".To any Inquisitor, you will look like a magician with a very weak, barely noticeable talent.
Holmes took the ring, studying it through the lens.
– False trail.Deception of feelings.Very practical.
«He has a price,» Kaelia lowered her voice.«The ring feeds on your life force.For an ordinary person, it is fatal after a week of wearing it. But you… you have the Sphere. I hope she can balance this exchange.
Holmes put the ring on his little finger. He felt a slight, barely noticeable tingling sensation, which was immediately replaced by cold confidence.The sphere in his chest responded with a short, heavy jolt.
«We have three days’ journey to Aetor,» Holmes stood up, throwing on his traveling cloak. – Elyan, gather supplies. We leave at dawn.Master, thank you for your hospitality.And I advise you to change all the codes to the Seal of Blood.Gurd may not have been the only one to sell his loyalty for the promise of a miracle.
In the morning, when the Silver Moon began to fade, Holmes and Elyan left the caves.The path lay through the Great Plains, an open space where the wind smelled of ozone and burnt grass.The outlines of Aetor, a city that literally floated in the sky, held by colossal magical chains, had already begun to appear on the horizon. The Great Plains were not as deserted as Holmes expected.The road, paved with slabs of white stone that glowed in the twilight, was filled with caravans and travelers. Here Holmes first saw the entire social ladder of Eldria.
The soaring carriages of aristocrats, «ethereal gondolas,» rushed past them, leaving behind a trail of blue sparks.Along the edges of the road wandered the Outlaws and workers, whose faces were gray from the «ethereal dust.«The gap between those who had the Spark and those who were deprived of it was felt here more acutely than the gap between the London slums and the mansions of Mayfair.
«Look at this carriage, Elian,» Holmes pointed with his cane at a carriage flying past, decorated with a coat of arms in the form of a crying eye.«She spends about forty percent of her energy creating decorative fog under the bottom.This is blatant inefficiency.
– But this is a question of status! – Elian was surprised. – The magician from the house of Liar cannot afford to travel without fog.This is a sign of purity of mana.
«Status is an illusion that is paid for with real resources,» Holmes retorted.«Your society is built on a foundation of fragile glass. Once the magic begins to dry up, all this architectural pride will collapse under its own weight.
Closer to noon, they approached the «Silver Arch» – the first gate leading to the foot of the city. Here the Road narrowed, and a group of armored guards checked everyone who entered.In their hands they had long staffs with crystals attached to the ends.
«Inquisitors of Order,» Elian whispered, lowering his head. – Don’t look them in the eyes, Sherlock.They may feel doubtful.
Holmes, on the other hand, straightened his shoulders.
– Doubt is the privilege of those who do not know the facts.Follow me and be silent. If they ask about my origins, I will be a «lost explorer from the Western colonies.»
As they approached the post, the massive guard aimed the crystal of his staff straight at Holmes’ chest.The stone glowed for a moment with a dull, steady green light. Kaelia’s ring worked. The guard frowned, peering at the crystal’s readings.
«Strange resonance,» he said in a deep voice, turning his gaze to Holmes.«Your mana… it sounds like steel hitting stone.«Which House are you from, traveler?
Holmes met the guard’s gaze, giving his face an expression of extreme boredom that he usually reserved for Scotland Yard inspectors.
– House Werner, western limits. We are engaged in the classification of anomalous zones. If you want to delay us for a full inspection, I will demand compensation for every hour of downtime of my tools.And they cost more than this entire post along with your armor.
Holmes opened his case slightly, revealing rows of glass retorts and brass utensils.To a guard accustomed to glowing stones, these complex mechanisms looked like something incredibly powerful and dangerous.
«Come in,» muttered the guard, taking his staff away. – Another crazy alchemist. Just don’t blow up anything in the Lower City.
As they passed the archway, Elyan wiped the sweat from his brow.
– How do you do this? You lied to his face and he didn’t even doubt it!
«I didn’t lie, Elyan.«I simply presented him with facts that he could not interpret correctly.Alchemy is a science, and science always seems like magic to the ignorant.
They began to climb the spiral ramp leading to Lower Aetor.The city hung over them like a colossal shadow. Here, at the foot of the towers, eternal twilight reigned.Thick purple smoke poured out of the pipes going into the sky – waste from magical reactors.
Suddenly Holmes stopped. His attention was drawn to a piece of paper taped to the wall of one of the shops. A small, barely noticeable spider was drawn on it.And under it, in firm calligraphic handwriting, was written a phrase in English:
«Welcome to the web, Sherlock. Mind your steps.»
Holmes closed his eyes, and for a moment his face became frighteningly cold.
– He knows I’m here.And he has already started the game. – What is written there? – Elyan came closer, trying to make out the strange signs. – Is this a Forsworn code?
«This is an invitation to a dance, Elian,» Holmes tore off the piece of paper and hid it in his pocket. – Moriarty is not just here. He inserted himself into the very structure of this city.This spider has woven its web of gold, magic and ambition.
They entered Lower Aetor. Here the streets were narrow, lined with smugglers’ shops and dens where the Forsworn smoked «etherroot» in an attempt to recapture some trace of their lost magic. Holmes walked through the crowd, his gaze constantly taking in details: the tattoos on the mercenaries’ arms, the type of crystals in the street lamps, the direction of the gutters.
«We need a place to stay,» said Holmes.«The kind where the fewest questions are asked and where the most rumors are in the air.»
«The Blind Sphinx Tavern,» answered Elyan. – Those who do not like the light of the Inquisition gather there. But this is a dangerous place.
«Danger is just a lack of control over the situation,» Holmes snapped. – Lead the way. We need to find out who in this city speaks on behalf of the Spider.
As they walked, Holmes felt the Sphere in his chest begin to heat up.She was reacting to the proximity of something colossal. Raising his head, he saw the center of the city – the Temple of Light, surrounded by three rotating rings of mana.
«If I want to understand this world, I must get into its brain,» Holmes whispered.«And the brain of this city is the Royal Library.»
In the sky above them, the Silver Moon reached its zenith, and for a moment its cold light illuminated the detective’s face. He was no longer a refugee from another world. He was a hunter who was finally on the trail of a beast worthy of his mind. CHAPTER 5. SEAL OF THE SPIDER
The Blind Sphinx Tavern fully lived up to its name.It was a squat building made of porous dark stone, the windows of which were covered with cloudy mica, which did not let in light, but perfectly kept heavy odors inside.There was twilight inside, diluted only by the dim glow of magical lichens hanging from the ceiling like rotten rags.
Holmes and Elian took a table in the farthest corner, from where they had an ideal view of the entrance and the bar counter.The air here was thick with the smoke of «etherroot» – a local analogue of opium, which gave failed magicians the illusion of returning their powers, slowly burning out their minds.
«Order what everyone drinks here,» Holmes said quietly, without looking at his companion. Under the brim of his hat, his eyes scanned the room incessantly.«And try not to look like you’re expecting an attack every second.«In such a place, fear is an invitation to robbery.
Elian brought two mugs of cloudy, bubbling liquid that smelled of fermented honey and rust. Holmes just took a sip of the drink, winced and put the mug on the table.
«At the next table on the left,» Holmes whispered, «there are three mercenaries from the personal guard of the House of Call.«Pay attention to their cloaks.The edges are hemmed with lead thread.This is not for show – they are preparing to clash with those who use lightning magic.
– Can you see it in this darkness? – Elian was amazed.
– I see more than just that.There’s that man at the counter pretending to be asleep. His left ear constantly twitches – he listens not to us, but to those sitting behind the partition.This is a professional «whisper catcher".Information in this city is more expensive than pure air. Holmes’s attention suddenly turned to a notice board nailed to the wall near the exit.It was a chaotic pile of papers, job offers and threats. But among the diversity of magical runes and advertisements for the search for fugitive slaves, one piece of paper stood out.It was secured not with a nail, but with a thin steel needle.
Holmes stood up and, pretending to be interested in a map of local roads, walked up to the board. With a deft movement of a magician, he tore off the piece of paper and returned to its place.