The Grand Inquisitor.
The Windows of the voices. The cries of men, horses whinnied, dogs barked. Heard the shots. In the hall ran a hunchbacked dwarf.
- Near the gate of Tola, a large crowd " said Eric, breathing heavily, they have torches and guns, and are they hostile, very hostile.
- Do not worry! I will send them away! "said Ronald, and strode out of the room. Dwarf ran after him.
- I'm with you, " said the elder vampire, he went through the door, for Ronald. The younger vampire followed him.
Anna wanted to go for Ronald, but Elvira held her shoulder, and she said:
- You do not need to go. We will understand themselves. Be with Alice, " and went out of the hall, behind the others.
- There Inquisitor, he is dangerous " added Eric, down after Ronald - very dangerous.
"Wait here! abruptly he said.
Anna looked out of the window. The whole glade between the river and the castle was full of people, and footmen, and horsemen, there were hundreds of them. In the distance, on the road along the river, stretched backward wagons, for them, people running.
Ronald went out of the castle, and, down the stone steps, stood a few steps away from the porch in front of the gate. Elvira and vampires stood together. The noise behind the wall fell. The drops of rain, knocked on the stone pavement. Waving her wand, knight said spell:
- Дифайнэ-place.
Around the defenders of the castle, there appeared a clear hemisphere, about ten meters wide. Drops of the rain falling down on her thin streams, they glistened in the moonlight.
Face Elvira fell, together with the nose, the mouth of the animal became the mouth of a lion with fangs, his hands were covered with fur on the fingers grew claws, and she turned to the black tiger. Vampires, took the magic wand, they were kept at the ready.
- Эффессум, " said Ronald, and the wand in his hands, and turned into a two-handed sword with a long, two-edged blade, white hot. Sword glow. Holding it with both hands, knight made with the edge of the sword in the stone pavement. From the terrible heat, stone broke with a loud crack, and began to melt, highlighting the blue smoke.
Time went on. The soldiers were waiting. Outside the gate, there was some movement, and something pounded. In the side, behind the wall, the barking of dogs. The young vampire, looked thoughtfully at the wand. Elvira, rear paw scratching the ear. Dripping rain. The moon was shining.
Suddenly, the wooden gate with a crash were dashed. The puffs of smoke and dust hidden passage. Touching the edge of the sword of the earth, looking gait, knight came out of the transparent protective sphere. Heading to the gate, he was carving from the pavement, and sparks and splashes of molten rock. After a moment, in the courtyard of the castle, with violent screams, broke into an armed crowd. Waving his sword, and, turning around, Ronald cut, the three nearest peasants. Then, he raised his sword above his head, and the oblique stroke, dropped two more. Waving, fiery blade, right and left, he smashed the hapless warriors. Pieces of meat and severed limbs, hands, legs, and heads flying in different directions. Releasing pairs with a hissing, whistling, the red-hot blade into living flesh, ripping the guts, and igniting clothes. Defensively, an armored warrior, picked up the iron shield over him. With a metallic clang, he was cut by a powerful blow, from the shoulder to the groin, together with a shield and armor. In a moment, in the yard were dozens of corpses lying in a pool of his own blood. The smell of singed flesh.
Hundreds of soldiers and peasants filled courtyard, surrounded by the defenders of the castle. Black tiger pounced on a single soldier, lifting him off his feet. Claw, she opened his belly, tearing the guts. Another soldier broke ridge, knocking it for a few meters, a powerful blow right paw. A farmer can get behind, struck her with pitchforks in the back. They, slipping off, scratched her skin. Elvira, a fierce growl, turned around and bite his head off as a nut.
Vampires waving sticks, saying the spell. Soldiers, struck by the charm of rage, attacked their colleagues. He stabbed with a bayonet one of them, and was killed by his comrade. A huge, muscular man in a coat of mail, yielding to the заклятью cowardice, threw a heavy Mace and in horror fled from the battlefield. Another, has been turned into a pig with a human foot, and became food for Elvira.
Ronald was wounded in the shoulder, with a shot from a musket. He dropped the sword and, picking up his left hand, he stepped under the protection of the sphere. Bullets and arrows bounced off the invisible barriers. The defenders of the castle stood, back to back, in the center of the circle. The crowd surrounded on all sides of them, not daring to enter into the magic circle.
In the round hall were heard the sounds of battle that took place in the yard. Thundering explosions, shots sounded, the cries of men and of beasts, and flash. Wizards and witches were standing silently.
- Why do you stand! 'cried Anna, blankly looking at the sides - They need help! They do not handle!
Receiving no reply, she wanted to run to the stairs. But he, who was on the other side of the room, waved his wand, and the door slammed shut in front of her.
"Stay Anne, " cried the wizard said " you Have a different fate.
- What happened?! They also killed. Help them!
Anna ran to the window. From the tower, the courtyard was not visible, it covered the roof of the main building of the castle. The people on the meadow, between the river and the forest, greatly diminished. The remaining carrying lighted torches, fire streams flocked to the gate. By giving them the wand, the witch said the spell. Ball of fire, with a whistle, fell at his enemies. But not one, not once, he smashed on the ground, splattering splash fire on a glade, a few meters around. Задымившись, they had gone out on the wet grass. After a moment, there came a sharp cotton. The girl took aim again. The wand trembled in her hand.
"No need, " said Alvin, and lowered her hand, " too far. Conserve your strength, will you need them.
The battle in the court stopped the screams ceased. Two hundred soldiers and peasants gathered around a protective sphere, not knowing what to do them any further. With flaming torches, they sat in a circle, holding the weapon at the ready. The defenders of the castle stood in the center. Elvira was wounded in the side of her, stuck a fragment. Ronald held a sword in his left hand. The right hand helplessly, hung along the body. The younger vampire, having exhausted his magical reserve, put his wand in his belt, and pulled out a long thin dagger, with a handle made of ivory.
The crowd at the gate parted, and in a court yard, a rapid gait, a man in a black cloak with a hood. He was holding a wooden stick with a metal head, in the form of a compressed hands, with two outstretched fingers - index and middle. Not slackening his pace, he waved his staff from himself, as if brushing away a fly, and said spell:
- Enjoy! "he said with a loud sure husky bass, and protective sphere melted, becoming a smoke.
Not pausing, and did not reduce speed, he pointed his stick at the defenders of the castle, and said second spell:
- Эргилью!
The cloud as sharp as razors splinters out of staff, stuck in Ronald and vampires, knocked over, all three of them. Knight, clutching a sword, and fell on the cold wet stone blocks, bleeding to death. The older vampire, lying next, hoarse, his throat cut.
The tigress backed away, tucking his tail like. Sat on its hind legs, and making a huge leap, flew high above the crowd. But it caught up with lightning, like a long curved whip. Bright flushing, she cut Elsa in two.
The young vampire was still alive. Breathing heavily, he lay on the ground, covered in blood. The Inquisitor, with a flourish, stepped on his face.
There was a silence. Anna stood by the window next to Him. Alice sat on the dusty floor near the door, his face in his hands. Sorcerers, they look at each other, whispering. They looked out of the window, and listening to the distant sounds, trying to understand what they do.
- With me here, good is not enough, - slowly, said the magician, in a green robe, fingering the wet fingers, wooden beads - I at the battle of magic, not strong. I guess I'll go quietly.
"Of course, albert, " said Alvin - go. We are here for yourself.
Fat mage awkwardly bent down, squatting down on his heels; and with folded hands, as the wings behind his back, hands ago, has turned into a duck.
Coming from foot to foot, the duck came up to the window, looking out to the river. Jumped up, waved her wings, and his paws and head over the edge, climbed on the window sill. Then she jumped, and quickly waved his wings, as a hen, flying over the fence, overcoming the river, landing on the other side. Falling to the ground, the duck again became man; crouched to the ground, he ran into the woods.
Pythia without a word, turned into a crow and flew out of the window. Silently exchanged glances and after waiting a few seconds, the magicians with cries of hurried footsteps in the hall. Some of them, followed the example of pythoness, and turning in different creatures, flew in all directions. A group of witches and wizards, not merely capable to fly, she ran down the stairs, for their brooms. A short, red-haired wizard, in a red shirt, belted hempen rope, in a panic, said the spell of the portal. Завертевшись, like a top, he turned into a beam of light, and breaking his head tiled roof, fell back on the floor. Shaking his head, he got on all fours and ran to the stairs, followed by the others.
In the hall were only Anna, Alice and Alvin.
"What happened? "she asked - Why is it so quiet? That, they all died?! Why all away?
"I'm sure that there is no, " replied the Magician is not all. How can they die, when all only begins?!
"Why do you allow them to? Why not go up there with them?
"They have so decided. There are forces, which cannot be resisted in open battle. "Replied the wizard, You must save the girl, it is for us, very, important. For all of us.
- Save - confidently said Anna - of course save! But how is it for you so important that in it?"
"It depends on the fate of the world. Prophecy, without it will not be fulfilled. You will understand everything when the time comes.
- What do I do? - Anna asked, lowering his voice.
- Run to the forest beyond the river. Wait for me on the black lake.
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