: A cure for insomnia (part IIII and the last) IIII

 

Immediately after the audience ended, the king issued his orders. Before Adiar could recover, almost everything was ready for departure. He received a meal, provisions for the journey, a new sword, and light woven armor.

He refused only to accept a mount from the royal stables. As expected, his steed, after an unfortunate accident in the forest, followed its master to the castle area. Soldiers sometimes saw it among the trees of the nearby forest. Some even tried to catch it, but it always escaped. So when Adiar asked if anyone had seen it, the whole matter of the mysterious mount was resolved. At its master's call, the horse returned obediently, was groomed, fed, and saddled.

Everything was prepared for departure with surprising speed and efficiency. Adiar, however, had no intention of grieving over this. Under the circumstances, the sooner he could extricate himself from this situation, the better. He only remembered for the future to be more careful in applying for royal service and never to attend audiences with a lump on his head.

The sun had barely dipped a little when the procession was ready to depart. The king, accompanied by the jester, the chancellor, and guards with halberds, bade them farewell in the castle's main courtyard. He wished Adiar happiness and success. He didn't mention the molten lead.

Grandfather Omnicius and Darmir returned just in time to witness the departure. At the head rode the commander of the soldiers, next to him Adiar, and behind them eight more riders.

"They made quick work of it," Grandfather remarked. "We'll follow them."

As the journey was long, it wasn't a walk in the park. The riders raced tirelessly toward the mountains. Fortunately, the raven lord had agreed to help and was now soaring above them on his way to the Etar Plateau.

"How exactly are we going to help him?" Darmir asked.

"Do I know?" Grandpa Omnicius shrugged. "We'll help, that's all. We've helped before, and we'll help now.

" "But we don't have swords, and there's a witch there.

" "It would be enough for the elves to fight with swords. Besides, a sword won't help against magic. Don't worry, my dear. We'll help. For the last time!"

The riders rode with all their might, not stopping anywhere. They passed meadows and orchards, streams and ponds, with each passing moment drawing closer to the mountains. When evening came, they didn't stop, but continued on. Only when the darkness thickened did they light torches and slow down a bit. From above, the elves could only see small red dots flashing on the ground. When they reached the edge of the forest, the commander ordered the journey to end.

The camp wasn't as luxurious as a bed in the royal infirmary. Cloaks were supposed to be all they needed for bedding. The soldiers lit a fire and began roasting the meat, while the horses grazed on the grass to the side.

"It's very noble of you, sir, to decide to save the princess," the commander said, as they sat quietly by the fire.

"Such is the knight's fate," Adiar replied.

"However, not every knight has such courage," the soldier continued. "Many have been here before. But not all had the courage to face the challenge. This ultimately infuriated the king.

" "So it's all true about the queen?" Adiar asked, more out of curiosity than necessity, for the next day, after bidding farewell to the soldiers, he intended to return from whence he had come.

"Only those who somehow manage to break into the castle can know that. And it won't be easy.

" "Why?

" "Ha! Why?" the commander frowned. "It's a fortress designed to defend against enemies. It's built so that part of it is hidden in the mountainside. The walls are so steep that it's impossible to climb them. From the valley side, towers rise high into the sky so that the guards can observe the enemy from afar." High walls surround it, and the entrance is defended by a heavy wooden gate, bound with steel. Beneath the walls, a moat ten man-deep and wide has been carved, over which a drawbridge can be lowered. But even if the gate were open and the bridge lowered, it would be of little use.

"And why is that? The Queen is supposedly alone in the castle.

" "You could say alone. But at the entrance to the bridge stand two stone lions with dragon heads. Anyone who approaches them could instantly perish in the flames. It's some kind of sorcery, and a sword won't be of any help here.

" "Stone lions," Adiar nodded in surprise. He felt a little sorry for the king and princess, because in this situation, it seemed no one could help them. Even if they wanted to.

"And even if someone found a way to cross them, they would still have to cross the road from the forest to the gate," the soldier continued. "It's a vast and dangerous stretch of land." They say the queen, through some magical means, summoned a flying monster. It lives atop a mountain, above a fortress, and feeds only on fresh meat. The creature is truly otherworldly. From a distance, it looks like a bird of prey, with enormous wings, a large, curved beak, and talons so powerful that the mere thought is terrifying. It's also larger than a horse. Larger, even, than two. You have no way to defeat it. Only the queen is obeyed. It's best not to encounter it when it's hungry. On the other side of the forest, even birds don't fly. And there aren't many men among the living who would dare to appear there. Therefore, your courage is great, my lord, and your deed is noble.

"Such is the knight's lot," replied Adiar. "To vanquish monsters and liberate princesses."

But he was primarily thinking about how far the knights would take him at dawn, because judging by their expressions, he didn't expect them to be eager to see the monster. And once he'd said goodbye to them, he'd disappear into the forest, and that would be the end of this unfortunate adventure.

"It's unfortunate that it has come to this," the leader of the soldiers continued. "There has never been any magic in the army, and there never can be. Our kingdom flourished beautifully, and great joy was when the young lady was born. And then sadness set in, for what will become of us when our gracious ruler abandons us? Are we to surrender ourselves to the hands of a mad queen? All hope lies with you, good Sir Knight, for without Firehair, we will all perish."

Adiar felt all his muscles suddenly contract and harden.

"Firehair?" he asked in a barely audible voice, his throat already tight.

"Yes, indeed, you've never seen her, sir. The princess's name is Enea, but her hair color is so unusual that the people began to call her Firehair. You would have said it was flame that framed her face, not her hair. And as if with flame, her smile illuminated everything around her, wherever she appeared. You know, sir knight, whoever sees her once can never forget her.

The storm that had broken out in Adiar's head turned him into a statue. He couldn't move, he could no longer hear the words of the soldier commander. Thoughts raced through him. Was it possible? Could it be that he had met her in the forest? No, impossible. She was locked in the tower; he was unconscious then. It had to be just a dream. Just that fiery hair. He'd never seen anything like it before. It couldn't be a coincidence. But how could he have met her in the forest if she was imprisoned in the fortress? It was impossible. He lost his mind after hitting a branch, and now he's trapped in this madness. He's probably still lying unconscious in the royal infirmary.

He looked around carefully, regaining his composure. Nothing had changed. The soldiers sat around, and the commander continued speaking.

"We're doomed if you don't help us." The king has already tried various methods. He's negotiated, threatened, sent knights. To no avail. Neither force nor kindness could bring the maiden back. Even a sage could not help here.

"What sage?" asked Adiar.

"You see, good sir knight," the commander lowered his voice, "a sage lived in the castle who had been speechless since birth. Instead, he spent entire days poring over learned books. So the king sometimes questioned him about various matters. When the princess disappeared, the sage did not leave his chamber for several weeks. Until one day, he went to the king with a large book. These were old chronicles full of legends and tales. One legend said that one day a child of good fire would be born, one that would bring warmth and joy to people. But evil incarnate in human form would want to capture it in its claws and annihilate it. Only a steel demon descending from the sky could destroy this evil. Otherwise, the world would be plunged into darkness.

" "A steel demon from the sky?" repeated Adiar.

"You see for yourself, good sir knight, that this is a strange legend. Everyone knows that only birds can fly in the air. But the moment you attach a piece of metal to them, they can't get off the ground." The king was furious that such a learned and serious man was taking up his time with children's tales. But he clearly liked this sage, because he didn't order him to be doused with molten lead, but merely had his head shaved and dressed in clown's robes.

"They tell interesting stories," said Grandfather Omnicius to Darmir.

When the soldiers had set up camp, the dwarves stopped nearby. They bade farewell to the raven master, who had promised to return the next day at dawn, and also made their own beds in the grass. After dinner, they sat under a pine tree at the edge of the forest and listened to the conversation around the fire. Grandfather Omnicius lit his pipe and stroked his beard.

"Have you heard such things, Darmirek?" Fire-breathing dragon lions, a flying bird, a witch queen, and the legend of a flying demon. Oh, this won't be easy.

"And a moat," Darmir added.

"But after all, we are dwarves—to deal with such obstacles when necessary. Listen carefully to what they say, because tomorrow everything might come in handy."

But those gathered around the campfire clearly had nothing left to say. The fire was extinguished, and everyone settled down for sleep.

Adiar covered himself with the new black cloak he had received from the royal soldiers and pondered what he had learned. Was it possible that the maiden from the fortress had somehow escaped? Could she have wandered the forest? But if that had happened, she would have reached the royal castle long ago. Maybe it was just a coincidence, maybe it was a dream. But could he have dreamed up that hair? Could it be that the figure who brought him back to consciousness in the forest really exists? He couldn't leave without finding out. There was only one way to find out the truth. It couldn't be that he wouldn't see her again. And no lion, dragon, bird, or witch could disturb him.

Adiar wasn't the only one having trouble sleeping that night. Darmir, too, tossed and turned. He even took sleeping powder, but it didn't help.

"He probably lost it while we were soaring through the air," said Grandfather Omnicius. "Or maybe Berry's spell was a bit too weak this time."

So the young elf labored until dawn, which came unexpectedly quickly.

In the morning, they had little time for snacks. The soldiers and Adiar rose very quickly, and before the birds in the forest and meadows had even woken, they were already on their way. Mr. Raven appeared just in time, and the elfs followed them. They rode tirelessly until the sun tilted significantly to the west. Then the commander stopped the procession and said,

"Good Sir Knight, you must fend for yourself now." Greetings and may good fortune be with you, and with us as well.

"Greetings," Adiar replied. "We'll meet again soon.

" "The road ahead is straight. When you leave the forest, you'll see the fortress ahead. Beware of the flying monster.

" "Be well. Leave the rest to me," Adiar concluded and moved on.

Mr. Raven also decided he didn't intend to venture too close to the fortress, as strange things were said to be happening there. So he flew over the forest for a few moments longer, and the dwarves had to bid him farewell. Fortunately, Adiar rode slowly, considering what to do when he reached his destination.

The dwarves walked through the forest, following him. Grandfather Omnicius also decided that a little reflection wouldn't hurt. So he filled his pipe and, humming to himself, gave himself over to his thoughts.

Despite these thoughts, he couldn't help but notice that Darmir was a bit odd. He walked with his head down, didn't look around, and kept stumbling.

"Did you even sleep for a moment last night?" Grandpa Omnicius finally asked.

"No."

"Maybe you could have at least dozed off for a moment?

" "No," Darmir replied again.

"Oh well. I can't help it if the insomnia medicine isn't working. We'll go home, and Jagoda will make you another dose.

" "Yes, we'll go home," Darmir repeated, but somehow without joy.

Grandpa Omnicius pondered for a moment and stroked his beard. Finally, to console the younger elf a little, he said:

"I know, I know. We don't have a windmill here. What can we do? Maybe we'll drop by for a visit in the fall. Grandpa Selian said there's no more beautiful month in the valley than September. And he's an old elf and knows what he's talking about. Then you'll see the windmill up close. Nasturtium will surely agree to show you around. And he'll probably tell you something interesting. Well, cheer up."

"She'll tell," Darmir repeated again.

At this point, Grandpa Omnicius stopped and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop as well.

"Wait. Let me take a look," and he turned Darmir towards him. "Haven't you—"

"No, definitely not," Darmir replied before he'd even heard the question.

"—fallen in love?

" "Well, you know, Grandpa. Something else. Why would I fall in love? We'll go home, I'll sleep, and everything will be alright.

" "You've got your luck," Grandpa Omnicius nodded and took his pipe from his mouth. "As if the imprisoned princess and flying monsters weren't enough. Did you at least tell her about that?

" "About what?" Darmir replied. "No. Why? We have a lot of work to do. We'll go home, I'll sleep, and everything will be alright.

" "Oh, my," Grandpa nodded, and they continued their journey. "She'll sleep, she'll be alright." Oh, my, my.

They walked like that for a while, and Grandpa still had his pipe in his mouth and kept repeating quietly, "Oh, my, my." Finally, he spoke louder:

"Remember the advice I'm giving you, you good-for-nothing. Call a spade a spade, and they'll change in a flash. As soon as we free the princess, we'll have to return to the castle.

" It's hard to say if Darmir remembered, because he continued walking wordlessly, his head lowered. Grandfather, meanwhile, stroked his beard, blew smoke rings, and repeated, "Oh, dear, dear," from time to time.

Teatime had long passed when they spotted Adiar among the trees. He was sitting on his mount, but no longer riding. He stopped at the edge of the forest and stared ahead. Despite the menacing location, the majesty of the mountains captivated him with its beauty. The forest exposed this part of the plateau, leaving it to the mountain grass. A split was visible in the mountain wall on the opposite side. This was where a small valley began, leading to the other side of the mountains. At its entrance, connected to the mountain wall, stood a large fortress with five towers.

It didn't take long to cover the remaining distance. Adiar wondered what he would do next. If the entrance was guarded by stone dragonlions, all that remained was to climb the rocks. It wouldn't be an easy or short climb. Perhaps it would be better to wait until tomorrow, to have a full day? But could he wait any longer? No, a knight didn't wait, didn't sneak, didn't use trickery. If necessary, he would fight against the stone monsters. He rode out of the forest and headed towards the fortress. The dwarves followed him.

"We'll enter the fortress, my dear," Grandfather Omnicius said to Darmir, "and open the gate.

" "But how do we get in, Grandfather?

" "We'll get in somehow. Maybe those stone monsters don't breathe fire on the dwarves. We don't have to fear the flying monster, if it exists. How could it possibly spot such tiny creatures from the mountaintop? It's worse for Adiar. Once we're inside, we'll open the gate. From there, it'll all work out somehow.

"True," Darmir agreed. "But how do we get inside? What if the bridge is raised?

" "Then we'll have to swim across the moat.

" "Swim?

" Darmir's question was interrupted by the neighing of a horse. It wasn't Adiar's, though. They were already halfway to the fortress when a figure emerged from the forest toward them.

"He's the only one we're still missing here," Grandfather Omnicius muttered when the rider was quite close. "We'll have to change our plans a bit."

Adiar also spotted the rider. Even if he wanted to, he had nowhere to hide, but when he recognized who was approaching, he realized this wasn't a chance encounter, and hiding wouldn't change anything.

"Please, please," the newcomer said when he was quite close. "A noble knight and a cavalier in such a place."

"What can I be of service to you, Lord Vergo?" Adiar asked.

"Serve you? You can. We have a score to settle."

"Oh, that's true," Adiar replied, trying to see the scar on his cheek. "Well, Mr. Vergo, we have scores to settle. But I'm here for more important matters. Fight on my side, and I'll forgive you the debt, and perhaps I'll even beg the king's favor.

" "How noble of you!" Vergo no longer concealed his anger. "But you're the one with the debt to repay. Surely you didn't think you'd escape. You crippled me treacherously, and then escaped aided by evil forces. And that's supposed to be noble?

" "Oh! Excuse me," Adiar protested. "You went to bed alone in the camp. I didn't dare wake you after such a tiring trip.

" "Alone!" Vergo shouted. "And did the dwarves cut the rope? No one has ever escaped me. Not for long. Fight and die.

" "Forgive me, Mr. Vergo, but I have more important matters to attend to." So go away.

"You bastard, you cheater, you vile, insidious scoundrel. You took refuge in the royal castle. But I rode after you and waited. I even came here where my companions refused to follow me. Vergo knows no fear and will exact vengeance. Fight while I give you a fair chance.

" "Fair chance?" Adiar sneered. "I guess this doesn't happen to you often.

" "Fight," Vergo hissed and jumped from his horse.

"You wanted to."

Adiar also jumped to the ground and drew his sword.

"You won't be so lucky this time," Vergo thundered, also drawing his sword.

They stood for a moment, staring at each other, until Vergo moved first. The horses snorted loudly as the swords crossed for the first time. Adiar turned and delivered a sideways slash. This time he wasn't going to defend himself or look for a chance to escape. He wanted to end the duel as quickly as possible. The opponent parried and countered. Adiar jumped back and attacked with a straight uppercut. Vergo blocked calmly and stepped back a bit. Adiar attacked again. He moved slightly to the side and tried a straight thrust, but Vergo dodged, and the sword only slid down the plate armor on his chest.

"You disappoint me, Sir Knight," Vergo laughed. "You were doing better in the clearing back then. Maybe we should go into the forest; there are more branches there.

" "If you want to hide there, go ahead. I won't chase you there.

" "I don't need to protect myself from anyone," Vergo replied, and attacked again. Violently and aggressively. Adiar had to go on the defensive.

"And what do we do now?" Darmir said. "We can't leave them like this.

" "True," Grandpa Omnicius agreed. "Things are going in the wrong direction."

Things had gone terribly wrong. Adiar, dodging Vergo's next attack, stumbled and fell. Vergo wasn't about to give him another chance. Adiar rolled across the grass, trying to avoid the blade hurtling towards his head. And then a violent wind suddenly sprang up, whirring the dust from the ground. A shadow passed over them, and suddenly Vergo's body was lifted into the air. Adiar's eyes widened, as if to reassure himself that what he was seeing was real. A giant bird with gray-black feathers and a curved beak, many times larger than any bird he had ever seen, was lifting his screaming opponent in its talons toward the mountains.

A high, sharp screech echoed in the air. Adiar had heard it before. Just before he lost consciousness and Enea disappeared. The flame-haired one. So it must have really happened. No matter how, it had happened. So she was in the forest. So she's the one in the fortress now. There's no time to waste.

He looked up at the sky again. The bird had already flown quite far. Only the flapping of its wings and Verg's cries could be heard. He picked up his sword from the ground and looked around for his mount. The frightened animal ran off toward the forest, but at his call, it returned. Adiar set off toward the fortress. Only now did he see that the gate was open and the bridge lowered. On either side of the entrance stood two carved white stone statues of lions with dragon heads. The ground before them was bare of grass and black. In the center of the bridge entrance stood a short figure dressed in black and brown robes. Now he could not retreat.

"Who dares disturb my peace?" asked the woman with black hair and a piercing gaze as he stopped before her. He didn't ride too close, however, fearing the lions.

"I am Adiar da Gerve. Knight and cavalier of the noble da Gerve family." I come with a message from the king.

" "And what message does the king have for me?"

Adiar straightened in the saddle. The queen looked menacing, but not as fearsome as he had expected.

"Gracious lady," he said, "the king expects his daughter to return to the castle.

" "His daughter! Mine too, Sir Knight. Why should she return? Is she unhappy with her mother?

" "However, the king believes you took your daughter to yourself without consulting him, and demands that Anea return.

" "Ha! An old man who has the audacity to demand. And how is he so sure that Anea wants to return?

" "I don't know," Adiar replied, embarrassed.

"You don't know, Sir Knight. Know then that I was expecting your visit," the queen smiled. "I also know that the king didn't send you to me with a request. So know my grace. I invite you to be my guest, so you can ask her yourself."

Adiar hesitated for a moment, and noticing this, the queen added:

"You needn't be afraid. My guards are only dangerous to uninvited guests. You've just been invited."

With that, the queen turned and headed for the gate. After a moment's thought, Adiar dismounted and followed her. The stone monsters didn't even move. When they passed through the gate, it closed silently behind them.

"There you go," said Grandfather Omnicius. "I don't understand any of this. But at least Adiar got in.

" "What kind of bird was that?" shouted Darmir.

"Who knows? It's a terrible creature, but at least we've solved one problem thanks to it.

" "Yes. Only Adiar is inside, and we're here. Besides, the gate is locked.

" "That's no worry, my dear. There are plenty of windows in the wall. We'll climb the stones and we'll be inside. Let's go."

But when they had taken only a few steps toward the bridge, the dragon heads of the stone lions turned toward them, and smoke began to billow from their nostrils.

"Oh no!" said Grandfather Omnicius.

"Oh no!" agreed Darmir.

"We won't get to the bridge that easily. We have to do it differently."

Grandfather Omnicius scratched his beard and moved toward a clump of burdock leaves growing nearby. He cut one off a foxtooth with his knife and began dragging it toward the moat.

"Come on, help me!" he shouted at Darmir.

"What do you want to do, Grandfather?" "What do you mean?

We'll swim across the moat on a leaf and climb up the wall to the window.

" "Through the moat?" repeated Darmir.

"And what else do you want to swim through? Of course, through the moat. Will you finally help me?

" "I'm not swimming," replied Darmir, folding his arms. "There's no way I'm going into the water?"

"What are you saying?" Grandpa asked, surprised.

"Well... dwarves aren't fish... we don't have fins... a leaf will still tip over... I won't go into the water," Darmir stammered.

"You won't go into the water? Why is this happening to me?" Grandpa Omnicius grabbed his hat. "We don't have time to chat. And all sorts of things could be happening beyond the walls.

" "I won't go into the water," Darmir protested. "It's wet and cold. And deep, too.

" "So how do you plan to get into the fortress? Couldn't you have told me earlier that you were afraid of the water? How am I supposed to help others if you don't want to swim?"

Adiar, meanwhile, was already in the inner courtyard of the fortress. He didn't know where the queen was leading him. He waited to attack until he learned where the princess was imprisoned. When they climbed the walls, he saw a clearing behind the fortress, and in it stood a monstrous bird. The creature stood with one paw on the ground, the other resting on Verg's motionless body.

"The little bird is drawn to humans," the queen said with a cruel smile. "That one wasn't your friend, was it?" she added, turning to Adiar.

"Quite the contrary," he replied, though he wasn't at all pleased that his enemy was ending this way. As they entered the fortress, he thought Vergo had stirred.

The queen led Adiar into the great hall. Despite the large windows and the still daylight outside, the hall was shrouded in darkness. Suddenly, at some magical sign or whispered word, the torches on one wall blazed brightly. Part of the hall brightened enough for Adiar to clearly see the queen, the rough stone floor, the shelves full of books, and the weapons hanging on the wall. Except for the books, there was nothing here he hadn't seen in other fortresses. The princess wasn't here either.

"You're a little impatient, sir," the queen said. "So patience is a virtue. And so it befits knights. The king sent you with a message. But I know what kind of message it is.

" "I've come to fetch Aenea."

"Agreed, sir knight," the queen laughed mockingly. "If she so desires. If I hear from her lips that she wishes to go with you, it will be as she wishes."

Adiar wasn't sure if the queen really wasn't as terrifying as the stories about her, or if it was some kind of trick. He didn't have to wait long for an explanation. The queen, still laughing, clapped her hands, and torches blazed throughout the hall. Two large bookcases slid open, revealing a large recess in the wall. Within it, on a pedestal surrounded by burning lamps, stood a rock crystal of unprecedented purity. Adiar felt cold sweat trickle down his back. Inside the crystal was Aenea's body. The same hair, lips, cheek, hands. Her eyes were closed. He ran to her, thinking nothing of the danger. He had to save her, had to extract her. He touched the crystal. It was as cold as ice.

"Firehaired," he shouted.

The queen laughed loudly and contemptuously.

"So ask, Sir Knight. But remember, until she says she wants to leave, she will stay with me. I will give you as much time as you need. Remember, patience is a virtue.

" "Are you mad?" Adiar turned to the queen.

"Is she? Mad? I brought her to me to make her a powerful ruler. What could this old man who rarely leaves the castle and makes peace with everyone give her? But she couldn't respect that. She betrayed my trust and fled. My sweet bird came to my aid and found her in the forest. Now she must serve her punishment.

" "She is your daughter, my lady," Adiar shouted. "Free her.

" "No, Sir Knight. She will become my daughter when she becomes me. When she understands that power is strength, power is war and terror. Then she will return to the throne and ignite everything around her. When we unite our forces in one body, there will be no land that can resist us."

"You're mad!" Adiar shouted again, drawing his sword, and rushed toward the queen. But before he had taken two steps, his legs stopped. He felt a coldness in them. He tried to move, but he no longer had any control over them. He swung his sword, but his hand, too, suspended in midair. He looked down and saw shards of rock crystal growing from the floor, entwining his feet and legs. Higher and higher. The queen's laughter filled the hall.

"What faith you have, Sir Knight," she cried in rage. "You believe that with this sword you can defeat magic, that a sliver of steel is enough to defeat the power of the mountains. In the highest chamber of this fortress's highest tower lies a crystal whose power nothing can defeat. It spreads its aura from east to west, from south to north. Wherever I am, it will be with me. And then woe to those who stand against me. Woe to you too. You have lost this battle. You have lost everything."

Adiar couldn't move, couldn't speak. The crystals grew higher and higher. The moment approached when they would swallow him whole. Then the air was pierced again by the piercing screech of the great bird.

As Adiar entered the chamber with the queen, the great bird was surveying its prey in the clearing. It struck Vergo with its beak, but the armor plate on his chest didn't shatter. The monster struck again, but this time to no avail. So it looked first with one eye, then with the other, and pecked every now and then. But the armor still didn't crack.

But Vergo, still alive, woke up.

"Get lost, monster!" he shouted, trying to wriggle free.

The great bird was enjoying this game immensely. He pecked at the armor again. Then Vergo wrenched himself free from his grasp and rolled to the side. The bird, however, wasn't fooled. He flapped his wings, seized Vergo in his talons, and lifted him off the ground. He soared higher and higher, heading for his nest atop the mountain overlooking the fortress. Vergo struggled and writhed, but his talons held him fast. In desperation, he drew his spare dagger and stabbed the monster in the paw, just above the claw. The great bird screeched in pain, a shrill, loud cry echoing its cry. The talons straightened, and Vergo felt free.

"I can't fly," he thought. The pointed roof of the tallest tower was rapidly approaching his eyes. He waved his arms frantically, but it was of little help. The stone tiles shattered, he felt pain, and he struck something painfully. Silence fell. Above him, he saw only a patch of blue sky. He stirred, raised himself on his arms, and looked around. The shock was so strong that he barely understood what he was seeing. He found himself in the center of a large seven-pointed star painted on the wooden floor. Torches burned around him. He sat on shattered pieces of wood. Brightly flashing flecks of rock crystal were scattered all around. flecks that had once been crystal. Now they were just sand.

Silence reigned not only in the tower. The bird that moments before had been flapping its wings loudly and screeching shrilly disappeared. Only its feathers remained, blown to the four corners of the compass by the mountain wind. Two white statues standing at the entrance to the drawbridge bowed their dragon heads and crumbled into small pebbles that rolled across the ground.

"What's happening?" asked Darmir, clinging tightly to the leaf stalk his grandfather, the Omnicius, had used to cross the moat.

"I have a feeling our help won't be necessary anymore. We're turning back. The bridge is no longer guarded."

Darmir sighed with relief.

Adiar rose slowly. He had regained control of his legs and arms. The chamber was dimly lit. The torches were no longer burning, but the lamps still smoldered in the alcove. Aenea lay on the floor. He ran to her, knelt, and lifted her head. Her eyes were closed.

"Do you hear me, madam?" he shouted. She didn't move. He touched her hand. It was cold and limp. Could it be that he had come in vain?

"I beseech you, madam, open your eyes! You must live!" It can't be otherwise!" he shouted.

Enea's head tilted back. Her eyelids moved, and she opened her eyes. He knelt beside her, gazing into their greenery. So she was alive. So it wasn't a dream. He touched her hair, touched her hands. She was real. He stared at her, and she at him.

"You survived," he said after a moment.

"You survived," she replied in her gentle voice.

"Let's get out of here. We're going back to the royal castle."

She tried to stand, but her strength was still limited. He lifted her into his arms and started toward the exit. On the way, his shoe caught on something. He looked down at his feet. The queen's black and brown robes lay on the floor. The queen was nowhere to be seen.

When they emerged into the courtyard, Enea stood on her own. Adiar moved toward the exit and was surprised to find the gate open. For only a moment did he hope the spell that had locked it had broken. The next moment, he saw Verg standing on the bridge. He stood there, battered and bruised, but still full of anger. He held a sword in his hand.

"Truly, sir knight, I don't know what powers you've sold yourself to, but this time nothing can help you," he said.

"Mr. Vergo," Adiar replied. "Haven't you had enough wounds for today? I beg you for the last time: go away.

" "You have no limits to the hatred I bear you. For all your deeds and the plagues that have befallen me because of you, I must kill you at least once."

And with that, he moved forward. There was no choice. Adiar drew his sword and attacked. Vergo fought furiously, but he no longer had the energy. He attacked and retreated alternately. They fought for a moment at the gate, then jumped onto the bridge.

"Is there no way to get to him?" groaned Grandfather Omnicius.

When the elves returned to the shore and crossed the bridge, they found the gate to the fortress still closed. Grandfather Omnicius decided they had to climb the wall to see what was happening inside. Darmir liked this idea much more than floating on a leaf. When they reached the stone wall surrounding the gate, it opened. They saw with surprise that it wasn't Adiar coming through it, but Vergo. Before Grandpa Omnicius could consider what could have happened, the fight began.

"Well, he can't possibly ruin everything now," the older elf fumed. "We don't toil for days just to have such a villain thwart our plans.

" "But what should we do, Grandpa?" Darmir asked.

The combatants had just jumped out of the gate onto the bridge.

"Don't let anyone mention my name again unless I think of something soon," Grandpa Omnicius fumed at himself.

Adiar charged at Vergo, but he parried again and attacked immediately. Their swords clashed in midair. One of them leaped into the air and fell to the bridge planks. Adiar knelt to pick him up, but Vergo stamped on the blade with his boot.

"Ha!" "You rascal, your end has come," he shouted. "Look at the world one last time.

" "Give me your sleeping powder bag," Grandfather Omnicius shouted in a flash of insight.

"But why?" Darmir asked, yanking it from his belt.

Grandfather Omnicius didn't have time to answer. He untied the bag and sprinkled the powder directly onto Vergo's head, who was standing below. The dust particles fell slowly.

"He won't fall asleep right away," Darmir said.

Vergo hadn't fallen asleep. He simply opened his eyes wide and took a deep breath. Then he sneezed so loudly that, if it were winter, he would probably have woken every bear in the area. Adiar was just waiting for this. He jumped to his feet and pressed his body against him. Vergo wanted to slash him with his sword, but he couldn't. He simply waved his arms and slowly, like a statue, fell, along with his armor, off the bridge, straight into the moat. A fountain of water shot up.

"Ha, I didn't tell you," smiled Grandpa Omnicius. "If I decide to do a good deed, no one will stop me."

Darmir couldn't find words to express his admiration. He simply hugged his grandfather and took the now empty bag.

And then disaster struck. As he tied it up to put it back under his belt, the last of the pollen flew into the air. His nose also started to tingle. He sneezed once, twice, and a third time. And then one of his shoes slipped, causing Darmir to lose his balance. He waved his hand in the air and took a step back to regain it. But a step behind him, there was no stone. A step behind him, nothing. There was only air. Grandpa Omnicius reached out to catch it, but it was too late. If even a bird or a bumblebee had flown nearby, he might have saved him. But there were no birds or bumblebees. Only Darmir, flying and flying. Until the poor man fell into the depths of the moat.

That morning, Jagoda was sitting in the meadow, as usual, tasting nectar and dew. She recognized the bell on Grandpa Omnicius's hat immediately. She jumped to her feet and ran joyfully to him. Then the smile vanished from her face.

"My dear sir," she cried with feigned anger, "what manners are these, leaving me alone for so many days?" And when Grandpa tried to reply, she interrupted him immediately. "I'll fly into a terrible rage and shout at you fiercely. But first, you must hug me tightly."

And they fell into each other's arms. When Grandpa Omnicius had hugged and embraced Jagoda tightly enough for her joyful anger to subside, he said,

"You see, my dear, how it sometimes happens. We only went out for a moment, but there were so many things to do along the way. We freed a knight, visited a castle, defeated a witch, and freed a princess.

" "Freed?" "Jagoda," Jagoda said, surprised. "Just where is that scoundrel? Is he up to some mischief again?

" "Darmir?" Grandpa paused.

"Who else would be? He's so addicted to adventures that he doesn't even think about going home?

" "You see, Jagoda," Grandpa scratched his beard. "I have a feeling we'll have to fend for ourselves here from now on.

" "And what are these ideas?" Jagoda frowned. "Where did he disappear again?

" "You see, my dear, sometimes there come such moments for every elf..." Grandpa Omnicius stammered.

"Tell me immediately what happened!" Jagoda shouted, and it was obvious that if she didn't find out everything immediately, she would become seriously upset.

"You see, Jagoda, we have to go to the castle in two weeks from today.

" "And for what purpose?

" "To celebrate a grand wedding. One royal wedding and one Darmir's.

" "A wedding?" "Jagoda was surprised.

"Oh yes, the wedding. Let's go home. There, I'll tell you everything. About Darmir, Nasturtium, the Windmill, and diving in the moat. About everything."

And they set off together towards the inn, for another busy day was just beginning. Adventures are good on special occasions, thought Grandpa Omnicius, and it's better to work hard on weekdays.

THE END