Novel 1. Mercenary Company "Bright Heads". Full novel

Meanwhile, Christina's escort doubled in size. The caravan was met by a squadron of clibanaries, imperial raiders who had not only their riders armored, but their horses as well. The squadron had left Garlont, the Imperial capital, a few days ago, and was carrying a cage of carrier pigeons. One pigeon headed back immediately, carrying a letter from the commander of the clibanarians to the imperial palace.

A final stop awaited the train a day's march from its destination. In the sunset rays before the travelers grew a black-stone castle — judging by the architecture, built centuries ago, when guns did not yet reign on the battlefield.

— This is the property of Count Cyril Konstaninakis, — said Duchess Christina, looking out the carriage window. — My kinsman by father. That's someone I don't want to visit, but I have to.

— Did something happen between you two? — Valria asked in her most polite tone a tactless question.

— Not personally, — the Duchess sighed. — The Earl's sons were all officers in the Reithar corps and died in the war. He quarreled with my father, sold all his possessions in Elvart, and left here. I don't think he would be happy to see me. But I can't ignore him, it would be too rude. Besides, Cyril is in his seventies. After his death, the castle will go to me — the Count has no closer relatives. The castle, as far as I know, is dilapidated, but Elvart could use a piece of land in the Empire.

As it turned out an hour later, Her Highness was even understating it. There was a village leaning against the black walls, surprisingly small and impoverished, given the proximity of the capital. The castle itself, to all appearances, was supported solely by the talent of ancient architects. There were no sentries visible between the scratched battlements, the chains of the folding bridge were covered with rust, except that the ditch with water was kept in good order. It was not even the seneschal of the castle surrounded by guards who rode out to greet the honored guests, but a lonely elderly servant. Stammering and forgetting words, he handed the young duchess an invitation to a dinner in her honor. However, the servant added, the count has to apologize — he has very little money, so the table can be covered only for a few people.

— His lordship need not be alarmed. — Christina the Second gave the servant a gracious smile. — My men will stand at rest in the village and provide for themselves.

Letting the old man go, she turned to Valria and Carlon and said:

— Well, that's what I was talking about. Father's cousin is no more excited about our meeting than I am. Let's not make him angry. I'll take three of you, four guardsmen and Sir Roland. You're not going as guards, you're going as my guests. Lady Valria is a noblewoman without a title, as I recall?

— Imperial, — the elfess nodded. — A personal noblewoman without the right to inherit nobility.

— Well, you will be my companion tonight, and the master and sergeant are your entourage.

— You won't even take your maid of honor and secretary, Your Highness? — Carlon inquired.

— If the Earl has no men to serve at the table, one of my guards will handle it. — Christina squinted. — My girls have not only been trained to fight, Master. They know etiquette, and the Lady Maria, for instance, dances beautifully. Invite her over sometime, if you get the chance, and see for yourself.

Carlon had enough self-control not to blush. But he breathed a sigh of relief when the Duchess left.

— I think Her Highness seriously expects her cousin to try to stab her during dinner. — Valria snorted, rubbing her chin. — I'll change my gloves for parade gloves...

Konstantinakis' castle looked even worse from inside. Some time ago it was rebuilt inside, adding a stone staircase and two four-story wings to the round central tower-donjon. These rectangular buildings, which were connected to the donjon, were not yet dilapidated, and the tower itself loomed menacingly over the courtyard. But the rest of the castle was in danger of crumbling to rubble or wood chippings at the blast of the wind. Carlon lowered his eyelids and began to see a greenish glow along the walls. The fortress amulets were still working, though they could use a boost. A fading greenish glow was visible through the thick walls of the main tower, which were probably the Earl's chambers, additionally protected from magic and otherworldly foes.

The servants — this time young and rather unkemptly dressed — first led the guests to the south wing. They were given half a dozen rooms on the second floor, and the Duchess' apartments were no different from the rest. This was an insult, but Christina the Second did not show it — before she let the servants go, she had Lady Emilia give them a coin each. In addition to the little brown-eyed girl and the huge black-bearded Sir Roland, the ruler of Elvart was accompanied by Maria and two redheaded twins from the Guard — Lady Adela and Lady Kaya. Carlon had somehow expected the twins to have consonant names, and was foolishly disappointed when they were introduced. They were not allowed to settle in for long — when darkness fell and torches began to be lit on the walls, an elderly servant acquaintance showed up to escort them all to dinner. It was a long walk since the great hall was situated in the third floor of the opposite wing.

— Your Highness, I would advise you to leave the castle after dinner and spend the night in the escort's camp, — Valria suggested as they made their way down the long, damp corridors. She made no attempt to lower her voice, despite the presence of the earl's servant.

— It hardly seems justified, — Christina protested in a polite tone. — But I will consider your suggestion, lady.

The main dining hall of the castle was a circular room with a high ceiling and blank walls. The walls were decorated with numerous carpets, tapestries, draperies — dark from dampness and age. Long tables, capable of holding forty persons, were lined up in a U-shape, the open end of which faced the only entrance. At the other end, on a high carved armchair, sat the owner, a dry bald old man, as decrepit in appearance as his dwelling.

— Hello, Christine, my girl, — he greeted the Duchess of Elvart in an unexpectedly young voice. — Forgive me for not standing up in your presence, my knees are quite weak.

The faces of the guardsmen darkened. Sir Roland frowned, one of the redheaded twins even put her palm on the hilt of her sword. But the duchess replied with a smile:

— Of course, Count, I understand. Sit down, it's all right.

— Then you sit down too, and quickly. Warming the food again is a waste of firewood, and I have not enough.

Christina was given a place of honor next to the master of the castle, the mercenaries were seated a little farther away. Emilia and Sir Roland stood behind their mistress, the remaining guardsmen lined up along the wall, where they froze as only they could. Dinner began in an unpleasant atmosphere. The Earl and Duchess exchanged idle small talk, with Sir Cyril failing to watch his tongue and constantly balancing on the edge of open boorishness. Only two young servants served simple meals. Carlon noticed that over each plate served, Her Highness passed her right hand, then looked intently at the ring adorning her hand. The Master could sense no magic in the ring, but it looked as if it must somehow reveal the poison in the food. It was clear from the way Christina deliberately made these checks that she was not really afraid of poison, but was simply responding gracefully to her kinsman's rudeness. In the end, after taking an especially large sip of wine from the dull gold cup, the master coughed so that the servant had to hit him on the back.

— Please forgive me... — the earl squeezed through his cramped chest. — But I must... take my leave. Enjoy... without me...

The servants led the lord out of the hall under his arms and closed the high double doors behind them. There was a clang on the other side. The redheaded twins glanced at each other and dashed for the door. They jerked the handles without hesitation. The doors didn't budge. And then Carlon realized, belatedly, that the guests were alone.

— I didn't think he'd really dare... — the Duchess began quietly. Master couldn't hear the end of the sentence as a wave of cold swept over him, as if he'd been caught naked in a winter wind with torrents of snow. The mage gasped, closed his eyes and saw only a blinding white light that veiled his inner vision.

— Beware! — He shouted hoarsely, jumping up and overturning a chair. But he could not say what to beware of, because he himself did not understand it yet. It took him a few seconds to realize it. In several places in the refectory, ghostly swamp lights lit up, and around them began to thicken columns of gray fog — still slim.

— Everyone to the center of the room! Follow me! — The mage bellowed, leaping across the table and picking up the large china salt-cellar. — It's a summons! Demons are summoned into the room!

The middle of the hall remained free of the swamp lights for now, and, standing precisely in the center, the master began hastily pouring a circle of salt there. Wide enough to accommodate nine people. And the misty pillars, gradually taking on clearer and clearer shapes, reached out for the men. Sir Roland grabbed the Duchess by the shoulders and practically threw her over the tabletop. Together with her, Emilia, and Maria, he rushed toward the master. But Valria was the first to run up to him — holding a salt shaker in each hand.

— What's to be done? — She asked briefly.

— We draw a circle on the floor.

— Copy that. — Without further ado, the elfess tossed a single salt-cellar to Dallan and knelt beside him. Mage was laboriously drawing a thin white line, his scruff feeling the cold from the approaching creatures. He didn't have time. Just sprinkling salt on the floor wasn't an option; the mage needed a clean, solid line. And the demons, not yet fully out in the world of the living, were drawn irresistibly toward humans. The two creatures sailed through the air toward the twins, cut off from the others, and the mage had already decided that the redheaded girls were finished. But he underestimated the guardsmen. Lady Adela was the first to rip the thin silver chain from her belt, Kaya followed suit a moment later. The air rumbled as a shimmering circle appeared before Adela. The girl spun the chain in front of her with such speed that it became impossible to see. And the nearest demon staggered back, backing away from the whistling silver. With these shields of sorts, the twins paced through the hall. Chains also appeared in the hands of their sworn sisters. The Lady Maria stood beside Carlon, ready to protect him and Valria, Emilia drove the too bold demon away from Christina. When the red-headed guardsmen reached the center of the refectory, the mage closed the circle at one end, the elfess at the other. Carlon touched the salt with his fingertips, uttered a short magical formula, and poured a bolt of energy into the circle at once. He squeezed his eyes shut to see if it worked. It worked. The uneven but unbroken circle of salt glowed with white flame to the inner eye. And another circle of exactly the same flame encompassed the entire perimeter of the room. And beneath the carpets covering the floor, a different kind of line burned — purple, intertwined in an intricate pattern.

— You damned bastard, — the mage hissed, as he straightened.

— What on earth is going on, master? — The Duchess asked him. So calmly, as if she'd caught the wizard doing something harmless, like playing paper boats in the palace fountain. She did not look frightened. — Did you get it yet?

— The whole room is a great circle of summoning, a gateway to the underworld. — Carlon said grimly, looking around. — One-way. Someone let a bunch of demons in here and locked them in with us. I didn't notice anything, because the lines weren't energized until the last second. So the demonologist is out there somewhere. He activated the protective circle and performed the summoning ritual as soon as the Count came out into the hallway. The demons would drink the life out of us if we hesitated. A clever trap. Swords and armor cannot defend against such a threat.

— But you saved us, master.

— Perhaps not for long. And the Lady Guards helped me. What's with the chains? It's a superstition, isn't it, that silver drives away evil spirits?

— It's not the silver itself, it's the amulets. — The Lady Maria handed the master her chain of thin links, with a round weight on the end. Carlon had seen them on guard belts before, but he'd considered them mere decoration. — There was little magic in them so it did not weaken from their proximity to the steel armor. There is no way to exorcise or disembowel such a demon, only to frighten.

— We're safe now, relatively. — The mage bit his lip. Around the invisible wall that rose from the salt circle, a dozen or two demons had gathered. They had finally formed their etheric bodies. Not completely material, but allowing them to interact with the mortal world. The bodies looked... peculiar. Some looked human, some looked like a bundle of long thin arms, fastened to an invisible core, some looked like a miniature dragon. The weakest of the demons were not fully formed, and the objects behind them peered through their shaky gray carcasses. The creatures made snapping and clanking noises that sounded like they were coming from a deep well.

— They can't get into the circle, we can't get out, eh. — Valria's ears twitched. The elven woman stood at the very barrier, her palm on the sheath of her sword, the only weapon she had. The girl had left the crossbows in the room. — The escort would stir in the morning. If the Earl is in on the plot, he might spit something to them and buy more time. One good thing, the human killers won't come here, either, most likely. They'll be gone by dawn, won't they?

— No, — the mage shook his head. — It's the sunlight they fear, not the coming of day. There are no windows in the room. Well, they'll be weaker in the daytime, but that won't do us much good.

— So we can only wait, — Christina sighed.

But the otherworldly creatures didn't let them wait patiently for help to come. Once they realized that their prey was beyond the impenetrable barrier, the demons became frantic. They scurried around the dining hall, beating on the outer protective ring, knocking the wind out of them. Then the creatures gathered in a horde around the food trays and started flying through them, making them jump and quiver. The mage didn't immediately understand why they were doing this. But then a jug of wine tipped over on the nearest table. Another followed by another, then a bowl of oil... Wine, oil, milk, and other liquids poured onto the floor.