Chapter 8 (continued)
The second stage begins!
I went after him. Alas, you can't use a plant search spell, Ari's a little miscalculated. Maybe other lords got other riddles, and they will need the search magic? And I had to look only visually because the spell needs at least sheets of plant, but we do not have them. Suddenly something got under our feet. I cried out and would have fallen if Reniard hadn't caught me.
- Watch your step," he advised. - Otherwise, you could snap my neck.
- Thank you. - I felt my cheeks tarnished, and I turned my back. Reniard would find my embarrassment strange. What did I stumble over? - Reniard, the loach! There he is!
We leaned over the crawling stems, which seemed to have accidentally fallen across the lane. They were wearing a lot of azure flowers. And I almost stepped on that beauty!
- We should put the loach aside, and it would hurt again. - I took the stalk.
- Elias, not with your bare hands! - Wren exclaimed, but it was too late.
I carefully released the loach for fear of visions. I looked around.
- Are you all right? - Ayordan intercepted the plant with a handkerchief and put it away.
- I think so, yes. No visions," I nodded.
- Don't do that again! Otherwise, we'll stay here.
- I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Let's get down to the root of the loach. Let's see what color it is.
- Shall we dig it up?
- We have to. - I looked back in search of a shovel. And there is no hint of it! But not to dig the ground with your hands? - Wait, let's apply the search spell, find the equipment.
The spell was quite simple, a small searchlight appeared in front of me. Excellent!
- Be here, watch out for the loaves," I asked Reniard. - And I'll be back with spades.
The Lord nodded, and I confidently walked behind the fire. He flew faster, then slowed down. On the way, I tried to find an agonizing bush with bright purple flowers, but it wasn't even a hint. Finally, the light flashed at the entrance to the warehouse and went missing. I opened the door and came across a shovel. Apparently, they had prepared it for the participants. I also had a pair of gloves. It will also come in handy! However, there was only one pair. And for a partner? Dad, what are you up to? Who made these tasks at all? I grabbed the gloves and the tool, caused a light again to bring me back to Reniard, but he did not show up. Exactly! I don't need that kind of spell, I don't have any of Reniard's things. I applied a magic trail - luckily, he showed up. And I went back. But there were a crossroads of paths, there was a loach at the path, and Ayordan wasn't there.
- Reniard! - I called out loud. - Reniard, where are you?
In return, there was only silence. I lowered my shovel and gloves to the ground and walked along the next path, shouting at my partner from time to time. He couldn't leave me, could he? Then I came back and noticed that Reniard had dug up the ground a little, pulling out the root of the loach. He was very close to the surface and was not yellow, but black. Not a loach... Maybe Reniard continued his search. But why didn't you wait for me?
I continued my search for Ayordan and the agony. It was more believable that Reniard was in trouble than that he had decided to do the job alone and thus cross me out of the selection. At least that's how I calmed myself down by bypassing square by square. Well, why? Why didn't I take at least a handkerchief from him to cast a search spell? Reniard, where are you?
I turned around and saw the agonizing bush. At least some joy! But I couldn't use a shovel - the princesses don't teach it. And how else can I get the root? And the bush did not want to hurt by their careless actions. Therefore, I froze before agonizing in painful thoughts.
- Look, bush, I'll try carefully, okay? - I spoke out loud to dispel the silence. I took a shovel, dug it up - no root. I dug again. What is fencing against a shovel? Here is another weapon of darkness! For the third time, finally, the stub appeared to be as purple as the flowers. Not him! I carefully yanked the ground into place and leveled it out. I still have the philafies, which I can't even identify without Reniard. It seems that this is where my selection will end...
I'm tired of sitting next to the agony. What, Elise? Decided that it would be easy? And just won't be! They will throw you out of the palace - where will you go? No, it's not the time to fall into despair! There was a bell fight - only an hour passed. Seven more hours are ahead. Either I find Reniard, or at least meet someone, I will ask what the philafies look like. I wonder why I haven't met any of the lords yet.
I made myself rise. The shovel served as a cane, though its weight was more in the way than it helped. Nothing, I can handle it. Sooner or later.
"My color is like the sun, but I can't see it. I went underground as low as I could. Touch it - I will take it to the dream world. What am I? Here's your question," I kept repeating myself over and over again. Stop! Ari gave me a book with a map of the underground passages. What if this plant is growing underground? If we are not looking for a root at all? If I had Reniard with me, we would have quickly found filaphya - and if the color of the root doesn't match, we would have gone down.
- Reniard! - I called for it without much hope of success.
- Who are you? - Suddenly there was something behind my back.
- Reniard! - I gladly turned around. - Finally. I'm looking for you so much. Where did you go?
Suddenly, something in the guise of Airedan seemed strange. Maybe the dilated pupils that looked like they were looking through me? Or bloodless lips?
- Reniard, do you feel sick? - I ran to him, but the magician took a step back. - Oh, gods! It's the root of the loach, isn't it? Did you touch him?
- Who are you? - Repeated by Reniard.
- I am Elias. Elias Cavernel. Your partner.
- Lord? - Reniard was disagreeable, clenching his fists.
- Lord," I nodded.
I barely had time to jump off the spell because Reniard threw a lump of fire at me. A poet? Wow! But I didn't have time to admire it, because my partner intended to kill me, and it seems to be serious.
- Reniard, what are you doing? We are friends. - I tried to talk him out of it by building shields.
- I don't have any friends among the Superior ones. - Wren spits in my direction, and his fingers were flaming again. It hit the shield, flew away, and the nearest plants broke out. The fire!
- Reniard, stop it! - I shouted. - We will burn!
- Lady's tarne!
A shock wave flew off my palm, sealing the enemy to the ground. It seems that Ayordan fainted. Nothing will come to his senses. And I had a much bigger problem - the fire spread too fast. I covered myself with a shield and dived into the fireplace to lock it up. It got hot, so hot that I could barely breathe. The shields were melting, but I was raising new ones, drawing watermarks on the ground.
- Ackles! - I commanded loudly, and the greenhouse spells responded, pouring rain into the area. The flames were hissed and extinguished, and I slowly sank to the ground. My hands were trembling. I wanted to cry, but the High Lords don't cry, even if nobody sees me. Reniard! The fire could have hit him!
I staggered up and came up to Ayordan. He was still lying on the ground. His breath was husky and intermittent. It is necessary to help. But how? I was never friends with healing magic. And if...
I opened another shield over his body. I spent my hand in the air drawing the right symbol:
- Breve Adante!
Cleaning of darkness. Reniard coughed, grabbing his throat. It was as if a swarm of black gnats had escaped from his body, hit my shields, and then scattered with them.
- Elias?
Thank the gods! Reniard was looking at me consciously, without any trace of madness. It helped. I laughed quietly and flopped down on the ground next to him, smearing tears of relief on my cheeks. And the Lord looked around and frowned.
- Did I do it?
- It was an accident," I answered. - Nothing terrible happened. Only a small square burned out.
- You managed to stop my flame, Elias. - Reniard looked too closely at me. - Wow. You're stronger than you look. I'm sorry about that. I didn't think the loach had roots almost on the surface.
- Forgotten," I swung away. - Agonics aren't good either. Let's look for philafias, we have six more hours. We'll make it.
We got off the ground, shaken off our dusty clothes. I checked the pendant on the spot. The fire didn't get to him. Although, if I had, I would have known by now. My legs listened badly, but I had to go. Luckily, the shovel moved in with Ren, and it got a little easier. It's okay, the philafias won't hide from us. The main thing is to survive.