NIGHT by I. Rin (fantasy books to read .TXT) 📖

bed. “Listen!” And she told him about all the adventures that had fell to her share: about Isa, and how the young man helped her to escape from the camp of nomads, and how the Sand Snakes attacked them, and then how they found Edward’s sword in the desert and how the sorcerer found them sleeping in the mountains...

 

“And here we are,” Angelica finished her story. “Prince, I was absolutely sure that you were dead. What a great happiness to know that you are alive!”

 

 At this point, the sorcerer entered the Prince’s room.

 

“You are both here!” he muttered. “Excellent! I need to talk to you.”

 

He came closer and sat down on the low chair.

 

“I’ve been thinking hard about your offer and made a deci-sion! I’ll go with you to the Kingdom of Night and take part in the battle against the evil.”

 

“Hooray!” Angelica screamed and ran to hug the gray-haired man.

 

“Wait,” he said, pushing the girl. “Listen until the end first!” Lica sat on the edge of the bed again.

 

“So,” continued the sorcerer, “I must give my soul to seal the entrance into the abyss. But I have only one soul and I do not want to lose it completely and to get to the hell after death! So I need something in return for it...”

 

“Say what, don’t spin it out!” cried the girl. “I need to drink water from the Holy Grail!” Angelica thought, then shook her head and remarked:

 

“But this is only a legend. In fact, there is no any Holy Grail!” The owner of the cave looked at the girl: “The Holy Grail does exist!”

 

He stood up and paced the room nervously then suddenly stopped:

 

“For all my life I have been looking for it. And I have found out that it is not so far away from here; it is on a small island with impenetrable forests and high mountains. On one of the mountains the Knights of the Temple had hidden the magic bowl. I’ve been on the island myself, but the bloodthirsty savages that kill anyone who sets foot on their land, live there. Luckily, I wasn’t killed. Another problem is that The Holy Grail is located in the Subtle World and ordinary mortals can’t see it. Only the man with the clean, open and innocent soul can see it! So, if you helped me to find this magical bowl and drink from it, I would become immortal and be easily able to part with my soul in order to save your kingdom.”

 

“Of course!” exclaimed the Prince. “As soon as my wounds skin over, we immediately will go for the Holy Grail!”

 

“No,” the sorcerer shook his head. “You are going to be ill more than a week. And time is precious! Tomorrow at dawn a ship is leaving and its captain owed me. Angelica, we will go together and you will help me to find the bowl!”

 

Had been confused she looked at Prince Edward, not know-ing what to answer.

 

“Are you crazy?” Edward said. “The girl, alone, on an island where she can be killed! Never!”

 

“Listen, first of all she is going with me! Second, if we don’t go now, you’ll never know when the next ship is! Ships in our harbor are extremely rare. Consequently, I will never find the Holy Grail and I will never become immortal and cannot take part in your mission. It rests with you to decide!”

 

With these words the owner of the cave left the room.

 

“My goodness!” Edward said irritatingly. “And what is worse that I am absolutely powerless to do anything!”

 

“Easy, Prince,” said Lica after a pause. “If so, I will have to go to this island!”

 

“No!” the Prince Night said firmly. “I do not want to lose you!”

 

“We have no choice!” retorted the girl. “I promise you I will be very careful! And Isa will go with me. You should have some rest, Edward; I’ll talk to the sorcerer again.”

 

Lica left the cave and saw the gray-haired man talking to Leila about something.

 

“I have been looking for you!” Angelica called.

 

The sorcerer looked around, then let his stepdaughter go and went to the girl.

 

“I am listening!” he said curtly.

 

“I will go with you,” said Lica. “But if it is possible can Isa go with us?”

 

“No! I cannot leave Leila alone. Your friend is too weak to protect her. A lot of enemy tribes are around! So you have to convince Isa to stay here unless we come back.”

 

“God!” she whispered. “But who will protect us in our ad-venture?”

 

 “I am proficient with sword,” grinned the old man. “And I think you can face the music too!?”

 

Lica nodded.

 

“That’s good!” the sorcerer smiled. “So, go and talk to Isa, while I am making preparations for our journey.”

 

The gray-haired man disappeared in the cave, and Angelica went to look for Isa. Suddenly Leila called her.

 

“If you are looking for your friend,” she said, “early in the morning he went hunting.”

 

“Where did he go?” asked Lica.

 

“Along that path, behind that rock!” pointed the sorcerer’s assistant.

 

“Thank you!” she nodded and went in that direction.

 

She went down the path and came to a wonderful meadow. Thick green grass and flowers were everywhere and clean spring was running through the rocks. Angelica was kneeling down to drink when she heard the sound of hooves. She looked up and saw Isa on his horse. Three dead pheasants were tied to his saddle.

 

“Angelica!” he shouted. “I’m so glad to see you!” The young man dismounted and ran to the girl.

 

“I missed you so much!” he whispered, giving her a hug. “Isa, we need to talk,” said Angelica, slightly pulling him away.

 

“What happened? You look serious.”

 

“Let’s sit down,” she suggested, entailing him.

 

Our heroes sat down on a fallen tree, which was near the small spring.

 

“Isa...” Lica started. “It just happened that I have to go with the sorcerer in order to find a very important thing.”

 

“I’ll go with you!”

 

“I’d love to, but you cannot!” she shook her head. “Leila and my wounded friend - Prince Edward are here in the cave. They need help and protection. You know how dangerous neighborhood with nomads is.”

 

“Prince… Edward... !” Isa said between his teeth. “Since he woke up, you have held on like a limpet to him!”

 

 “Isa!?” Angelica had a fit. “He’s my friend!” “Friend? And what about me?”

 

“You?” the girl blushed. “You’re my friend too!”

 

“I thought I had been more than a friend!” said the young man.

 

“Isa, dear, don’t get me wrong! Now nothing is more important for me than my mission is. The most important thing is to take

 

the sorcerer to the Kingdom of Night! Nothing else matters! Now I’m looking neither for love nor for a future husband.

 

“Is that true?” the young man’s eyes narrowed.

 

“Absolutely!” Lica nodded.

 

Isa picked off a grass and began to chew it thinking. Then he threw it away and said:

 

“Okay! I’ll stay here and watch Leila and... Prince. However, I will be very worried about you. Where are you going?”

 

“The sorcerer didn’t say exactly,” Angelica tried to duck the answer. “The only thing I know is that we need to sail on the ship there.”

 

“Sail...” murmured the young man. “How long?” “I do not know!”

 

“How can I let you go with a stranger and when you know nothing?” Isa boiled over. “I am going to him now to ask everything!” Nervously he kicked a stone lying under his foot. It rolled back and fell into the stream.

 

“Isa, please, calm down,” Lica tried to persuade him. “The sorcerer is not bad! He will stand by me, I swear!”

 

Angelica moved closer and began striking his hair. He turned to her, girdled her wais and gently kissed her. At this point Leila appeared on the meadow. She was carrying a water jug. Seeing Lica and Isa’s kiss the girl broke out, threw the jug and ran away. The jug broke into many pieces. Isa looked around having heard the noise.

 

“What was that?” he asked.

 

“Not what, but who?” Angelica noticed. “It was Leila - the sorcerer’s daughter! She likes you, and she probably was jealous, seeing us together.”

 

“Oh, women!” the young man laughed.

 

“Come on!” said the girl lugging him off.

 

Taking the horse by the bridle Isa followed Angelica.

The road to harbor

 

 

Soon our heroes came to the cave. The sorcerer had been waiting them at the entrance.

“Don’t you know what happened to my daughter?” he asked. “She had run away in tears, without telling me anything.”

“Where to?” Lica asked.

 

“Towards the farm.”

 

“Isa, stay here!” she whispered. “I’ll try to talk to her.”

 

She walked along the path over the mountain and came to the fence. The sorcerer’s stepdaughter was sitting on a large stone and crying.

“Leila!” Angelica called her. “You got hold of the wrong end of the stick!”

“Get out!” the girl shouted. “I’ve seen everything! You wanted to introduce me to Isa, and now you kiss him! You are a snake!”

“Take it easy!” Lica said firmly. “Do not blame me; Isa likes me. But he’s not my husband, and not even the groom. Moreover, tomorrow I am leaving with your father. Perhaps it is going to be a long trip. Isa will stay here with you and help you about the house. So do not be a fool, dry your tears and become as desired and beautiful as flowers in May. Be a little more relaxed, and Isa won’t be able to resist and stay with you forever!”

 

Leila calmed down and looked at Angelica.

 

“Is that true?” she asked quietly.

 

“Absolutely!” Lica nodded.

 

“And you do not love him, do you?”

 

“At this moment, I do not love anyone. I am thinking about other more important things.”

“Thank you!” Leila said sincerely.

 

She stood up and hugged Angelica.

 

“Now go and calm your father down!” Lica said.

 

Leila smiled and ran to the cave.

 

“Why me?” Angelica said loudly, staring at the goats.

 

They amicably bleated in reply.

 

In the evening Leila laid slap-up table in the cave.

 

“This is a farewell dinner,” she said.

 

“I will have dinner just in case,” Lica noticed, “if Leila stays with us.”

 

The sorcerer’s daughter balked for a long time but then they persuaded her and lifting the veil she sat at the table, looking down. Isa was looking at the girl with keen interest. It was obvious that he liked her. After the dinner, Angelica came into Edward’s room.

 

“Prince,” she said, “tomorrow at dawn we are leaving to look for the Holy Grail. You are staying here in care of Leila and Isa.”

 

“What?” exclaimed the Prince. “Isa is not traveling with you? Who will protect you?”

 

“I can take care of myself. And the sorcerer is proficient with the sword. I wish you to get better soon!”

 

The Prince took the girl’s hand and kissed it gently. “Promise me,” he said, “that you will be very, very careful!”

“I promise,” Lica nodded.

 

She leaned over and kissed Edward on his cheek.

 

“Good night!” whispered the girl and left the Prince’s room.

 

Early in the morning, before the daylight Leila woke Angelica up.

 

“Get up! My father is waiting for you!” she said.

 

Lica went out of the cave and saw that the horses had been already saddled and Isa was holding them. The sorcerer had been already sitting in the saddle.

 

“We have to go!” the gray-haired man said briefly. “Otherwise, the ship will set off without us!”

 

“I’m ready!” she nodded.

 

She walked over to her horse, and Isa helped her