- Why is it called that? Is it really diamond?
- In fact, it is. Imagine knightly armor made of the purest diamond, with magical possibilities. Nobody but Al'Tanty could create such a miracle. And so Randu was found to be a miracle... They put their paws on it and they wouldn't let anybody near them," C'Ran said with dissatisfaction.
- And you... Does your order want to be let in?
- It would be nice," the girl laughed. - But the reason must be very, very good. Orders don't share power and knowledge with each other without good reason. And what reason would Randu be considered good - God knows...
- To God? - an obscure word surprised Dale.
- The higher power that created the universe. You call it the Creator, and we call it God. We also believe that God has an enemy, the devil. And devils are the devil's helpers. You call them demons, and they live in your hell. And we call hell - hell.
Dale only shrugged his shoulders. Another land, another faith, another language.
- How do you know all-Remidian so well?
- My mother is with Remidea. And I was once in your kingdom. Only to the south, in Patridia. It's warmer there," the girl hummed. - And your coffee was so cold and dizzy that I almost got sick. Only magic saved me.
From a conversation with a young wizard, Dale remembered that Randu - the kidnappers Miriel - has a precious artifact. And the Order of C'Ran is not against getting close to him. Isn't that why they're helping him? How else could they help Mirielle out?
If they wanted a fairy, they could have just kidnapped another one with Remidei. Since these Randu were able to kidnap Miri, it means that it is not difficult for another order to kidnap another one. Fairy is not enough, but still not one. But this armor, it seems, is unique in its kind, and there is no such thing as it.
But how will saving Miri help the C'Ran Order? Why would they do that? Dale's answer didn't wait.
Over the course of his many days of voyage, he saw more miracles than he had seen in his entire life. Dolphins and sperm whales, who lived in the warm underwater current of Lanno-Ti. Hot birds, or phoenixes, nesting on sea cliffs and cliffs. The icebergs are three times larger than their galleon. One such iceberg was once carried by the current directly onto their ship. With a sinking heart, Dale watched as a pilot took the galleon away from ice death.
And on the twenty-second morning of the voyage, there were screams in a foreign language. Dale already knew the word in Dormitto, the native language of the ship's crew. Earth. The shore appeared on the horizon.
A few hours later, Dale could distinguish between towers, domes, and the city's fortress wall. The galleon was stuck to the shore. C'Ran approached the young man and said with a smile:
- Welcome to the city of Tegliargir, the main port of the Republic of Dormias!
- Now you will tell me about your Order, and why are you helping me and Miri?
- Be patient a little bit longer, Dale. Soon we will be safe. And then you can ask any questions you want.
Two sailors threw the ladder overboard. C'Ran thanked the captain, picked up her light shoulder bag and stepped on the ladder. Dale didn't even have it behind her shoulders. He just walked in after the fading.
The port guard respectfully parted in front of them without even requiring a search. The magician must have been immediately identified as a C'Ran magician, and the magicians here were honored.
Walking through the streets of an alien city, Dale was staring at the sides. He had never left Cof in his lifetime. Mercanese city with an unspoken name was much bigger and more populous.
Wide streets were full of people in colorful fur coats of unknown animals. The houses were not two- or three-story - for seven or eight floors or even all ten floors. The streets were not paved with stones, but with a smooth, solid surface of compacted pebbles.
In the middle of one of the streets, there were two parallel metal rails. C'ran stopped next to them, with a dozen more people standing there. Dale wanted to ask why they were standing there, but there was a ringing tread, and the most bizarre cart Dale had ever seen left the corner.
Most of all, it looked like a covered Gypsy wagon, but wider and longer. The body is metal, with many glazed windows. Through the front window, Dale saw a driver holding his hands on a small wheel and spinning it.
The car was on the rails and stopped in front of a crowd of people waiting. Three doors in his side opened, a few people came out, and all who were standing on the street began to climb the small steps.
C'Ran stepped up to the trailer too, taking Dale with her.
- What is it?!
- Tramo. I don't know how to translate, there's no word in your language. Let me try to think of something.
There were four rows of seats inside the car. C'Ran choked on one of them, wrinkled her forehead.
- I'd probably call the tram a "train" in Remedy! Get on, we're a quarter of an hour away. We'd be walking for the same amount of time and another hour. Enjoy the views from the window. Telerghir is a very beautiful city. Including in winter.
C'Ran didn't exaggerate - Dale couldn't take his eyes off the windows of the tram-train. The sky was densely flaked with snow, giving the surrounding landscape a fairy-tale, unrealistic look.
They got off the train in front of a five-story mansion surrounded by a solid stone fence. Si'ran approached the heavy gate, touching her finger. The wicket door opened in the same second. And when they entered the yard, it closed by itself.
They crossed the yard, climbed the wide stone steps of the porch. The massive entrance doors opened with a light touch of a finger. As they crossed the threshold, C'Ran and Dale found themselves in a high and spacious hall. Eight crystal chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, shining bright yellow. Furniture with velvet cladding, white marble statues - all breathed luxury. Whoever owned the mansion was richer than any Remidian rich man. No house in Coffee could boast of such luxury.
On the stairs with gilded railing, covered with thick scarlet carpet, came down a girl of thirteen years old. So it seemed to Dale, when he saw from afar a small skinny figure with short, cut hair just below the ears. In Coffee so cut girls from poor neighborhoods.
This girl was dressed richer, though not too luxurious, not to become a mansion. When she got closer, Dale realized that she was a grown woman, at least forty years old.
The blue and grey eyes were piercing him, so as not to say devouring. The woman had a long and sharp nose and unexpectedly soft lips. She wasn't pretty, though she didn't look ugly either - despite the slight resemblance to the monkey animal, which sometimes was brought in by mercanese circuses.
C'ran hugged a little woman with a smile. They exchanged a greeting in a foreign language - Dale was able to see that it wasn't dormitory - and then C'Ran turned to him.
- Dale, let me introduce you to Vetarius A'Jarh, my Order's Grand Master. Finally, we are safe under her protection. Neither Randu nor the other magical orders will reach us here.
Vetarius A'Jarh extended her hand to Dale. He took the woman's narrow palm, about to kiss like a noble lady on Remidea, but she grabbed his hand with a smile and shook it tightly, as the shopkeepers greeted each other.
- Hello, Dale. Welcome to the residence of the Order of Un Chu-Lai in Telergira. You can just call me Veta.