The innkeeper was clearly terrified, but any normal person in his position would have shown at least a slight sign of nervousness. The guests were leaving the inn in increasing numbers, and he himself would have gladly followed suit, if it weren't for the fact that the establishment belonged to him.
The reason for the guests' flight was two figures sitting in a corner of the inn. One was an imp, the other a large human, or at least something resembling one in stature. The innkeeper wasn't sure, however, if he was looking at a member of his own race, as the imp's companion wore a long, dark brown cloak with a hood covering his face. The cloak bulged in various odd places, and the innkeeper thought he saw a dragon's tail protruding from beneath it.
He flinched when he saw the two suspicious beings calling him to their table.
"Pardon?" he asked fearfully.
"Give me more beer, innkeeper," the hooded man said, sounding as if he were about to murder someone. "
I'll get it now," the innkeeper replied with growing terror and immediately ran to the cellar.
"Shall we bet he doesn't want to pay?" the imp asked when the innkeeper disappeared from sight.
"I don't bet when I know I'll lose. And besides, I have no reason to," Kollontrouros said.
"Don't complain. If you hadn't insisted on chasing the dragons on your list, but had just accepted a few jobs along the way, we wouldn't have to scare that innocent innkeeper now."
"You know full well that eliminating the dragons from that list is a priority," Kollon said, irritation in his voice.
"I know, but I wonder what the reward for our sacrifice will be," the imp replied, slightly irritated.
"Ours? And what are you even doing to help me?" Every time you just complain about the poor living conditions you have to endure in my company.
"No, no, you've gone too far, Kollon." With these words, the imp, offended, turned his back on his friend.
* * *
Meanwhile, night had arrived. Dark clouds covered the sky, obscuring the moon and stars. A heavy rain began to fall.
The man walking through the forest cursed silently. "The darkest night of my life, and it's raining too," he thought. "And as if that weren't enough, I'm supposed to meet Kollontrouros today."
* * *
The innkeeper returned from the cellar with a large barrel of beer under his arm.
"He's a sturdy fellow," the imp joked involuntarily.
Indeed, many things could be said about the innkeeper, except that he was sturdy. He was short and fat, and his arms were short and clumsy.
"You'd find the strength within yourself if I started threatening you," Kollon said.
-I have no doubt. - Tokur replied and laughed.
The innkeeper approached their table and placed a keg on it, then promptly retreated behind the counter.
"There's nothing like the company of a Half-Golden Dragon," the imp said.
"You can always count on free beer, right, Tokur?" Kollon replied.
"Of course.
" * * *
The man pushed forward persistently, though progress was becoming increasingly difficult in the driving rain.
Suddenly, something leaped out of the nearby trees and blocked his path. The man couldn't see clearly, shapes blurred by the rain. He only managed to make out that the figure standing before him was hunched, with long, curved horns and jagged wings.
"Leave the matter of the White Raven alone," the creature said in a sepulchral voice.
"No way."
"Do as you please, but remember, you've been warned." With those words, the figure vanished .
* * *
Finally, the man arrived in town. Now all he had to do was find an inn. "It shouldn't be difficult in this hole," he thought. Indeed, a few minutes were enough.
The man opened the inn's door and entered. At first, he thought he was mistaken, as the room was almost empty, except for the innkeeper and two figures sitting against the wall. He looked at them carefully. One of them was almost two meters tall, wore a long, billowing cloak, and had a hooded face. The other was rather short, with gray skin and two pairs of wings, and her only clothing was a loincloth.
The figures noticed him.
"Come join us, stranger," the cloaked gentleman called.
"I don't drink with people who hide their faces behind hoods," he replied
. Hearing this, the gentleman removed his hood, revealing a human face with regular features and a straight nose. He had short, black hair.
"That's better, Kollontrouros," the stranger said, approaching their table.
"You're finally here, Al, and I was afraid I'd die of drunkenness here," Tokur complained. "
You'd always complain, Imp," the man said, sitting down.
"How's Alpina?" Kollon asked Al.
"As for how I'm feeling, I'm not complaining." "
I was asking if anything unusual was happening in the area," the Half-Golden Dragon said, irritated.
"Why didn't the council instill a sense of humor in you when they brought you into being?"
"Apparently, they decided it wouldn't be necessary for a ruthless dragon slayer," Tokur interjected. "
Gentlemen, let's get to the point," Kollontrouros said, now seriously irritated.
"Well, I've thoroughly investigated the surrounding villages and I can say with absolute certainty that no one has seen the Golden Dragon here," Alpin said.
"Waiting so long to find out there were no dragons in the area? Couldn't you have told us through that courier Al sent us?
" "Apparently not."
"Kollon, let's get out of here so we don't waste any more time," said the imp, finishing his beer.
"Why are you so eager to hurry, Tokur? And besides, you don't like traveling in the rain," replied Kollontrouros.
"Wait, I have to tell you something else."
"What's so Al?" the imp asked with a sneer in his voice.
He knew that if there were no dragons in the area, nothing would interest the Half-Golden Dragon. "
A mage living in the golem tower, some four kilometers from here, recently came into possession of the White Raven," Alpin said dramatically.
He expected to see astonishment and surprise on his companions' faces. However, his friends disappointed him. A mocking smile appeared on Tokur's face, but Kollon didn't react at all.
"Are you bothering us with some bird?" the imp asked.
"A white raven isn't just any bird. It's a magical animal, and the magic within it is immense. Just anyone can't catch it. And in this backwater, some village mage caught it. A bit suspicious, isn't it?" Al exploded.
"What do we care about some backwater mage and his colorful quail?" Tokur asked. "Innkeeper!" Kollon suddenly called out.
The innkeeper practically ran to their table.
"Excuse me?" he said, fear in his voice.
"Will there be accommodation for me and my friends in this place?" the Half-Golden Dragon asked.
"I don't have any guests today," the innkeeper said, ignoring the fact that this was related to his interlocutor's presence, but he guessed the danger. "So there are free rooms upstairs." "
Very well, then let's go get some sleep."
"Kollon, we haven't finished our conversation," Tokur protested. "
We'll finish it tomorrow," Kollontrouros said in a menacing voice.
The imp didn't protest further; unlike the innkeeper, he knew the danger.
Kollon stood up and headed for the stairs. His friends followed him.
The innkeeper watched them and almost fainted. What he thought was a dragon's tail turned out to be one.
* * *
Alpin hadn't slept well. He dreamed he was inside a vast, pitch-black void. The continuum he was within was spinning at an unimaginable speed. Alpin felt nauseous, he felt like vomiting.
Suddenly he heard a noise. A shape materialized before him. Al stared at it and was troubled. Floating across from him was the same figure who had warned him about the White Raven's affair.
"I warned you," the creature said in a hoarse voice. "You disobeyed me, so you will suffer the consequences of your actions."
Alpin was so terrified he couldn't say anything. He just stood there and stared blankly at the figure before him.
Finally, he managed to ask.
"Who are you?"
"I am an envoy of the council," the figure replied.
"What council?
" "That's irrelevant to a corpse."
With these words, the creature moved away from Alpin slightly and then pointed a finger at him.
"You will be the first victim of the storm you unleashed," it said coldly.
Al began to shake, and his stomach condition worsened even more. The void began to spin even faster.
"Let the lightning speak!" the creature shouted.
Alpin saw lightning crackling all around him, near and far from his body. The void began to rumble. Thunder boomed every few moments. A wave of hot air hit Al.
He heard a scream, loud and low. After a moment, he realized it was him screaming.
And suddenly everything stopped.
When he woke up, someone was shaking him violently. He opened his eyes.
"What do you want, Kollon?" he asked . "
You screamed." Kollontrouros replied without a trace of emotion in his voice. "
I had a bad dream."
"You never scream, neither awake nor asleep," the Half-Golden Dragon stated. "
I repeat, I had a bad dream.
" "And what dream was it, if I may ask?"
"A nightmare, but you shouldn't worry about it.
" "If you say so."
"I'm sure of it. My bad dreams are of no concern to dragon hunters.
" "I'm not an ordinary dragon hunter..." Kollon replied.
"I know, you're one yourself." Alpin interrupted. "
I meant rather that I'm your friend, just as I was your father's friend."
"A foster father."
"However...
" "Let's talk about the White Raven." Alpin interrupted him again.
"As you wish," Kollon said with resignation in his voice.
"So, what do we do next?"
"You have four days to investigate all the villages within a five-kilometer radius of here."
"What do you mean by investigate?
" "I want to know if anyone has seen a golden dragon, a white raven, a sprite, a gargoyle, or a golem here in the last year. In short, anything that could be connected to the case." "Don't you think I should ask about some newcomer, human, elf, or dwarf?"
"If an elf or dwarf were to arrive in this backwater, they'd immediately become suspicious. But as for humans, you can ask around."
"If that's all, I'm leaving; time is running out."
"Wait, I'd also like to know where the rumor about the local mage possessing the White Raven came from.
" "Okay. I'm going, see you in four days.
" "Good luck.
" Alpin left.
Imps don't usually need sleep. Tokur, however, was an exception to that rule. He liked to sleep a lot and often, so when Kollon tried to wake him, he couldn't.
Both shaking him and shouting in his ear proved ineffective.
Finally, the half-gold dragon decided to use his ultimate weapon. He unsheathed his runic sword and used it to cut off the legs on the left side of the bed. The bed tipped over, and the imp rolled to the floor.
He quickly got to his feet. "
Thanks, Kollon, I've always dreamed of rolling across the floor of this lousy inn. Do you know how dusty it is?"
"Don't complain." If you were a normal imp, I wouldn't have to throw you out of bed," Kollontrouros said.
"Okay, fine. When do we leave?
" "I'm leaving, you stay here."
"And where are you going, if I may ask?"
"To the golem's tower. I need to look around there.
" "You didn't believe Alpin's revelations, did you?"
"I don't know, but there's something to it." "Where
is our friend now?"
"He's exploring the area. He'll be back in four days.
" "And what am I supposed to do while you're gone?"
"Get the villagers drunk, maybe you'll learn something," Kollon said ironically.
* * *
After half an hour, he was there. The building was circular and about twenty-five meters high. Its diameter was about seven meters. It had a pointed dacha topped with a two-meter spire.
Kollon walked around the tower, examining it carefully. On the north side, at a height of twenty-one meters, a three-meter turret had been added, also equipped with a spire.
Something was sitting on its roof. Kollontrouros stared intently at the "something." He noticed it had curved horns and wings. He recognized the shape as made of stone.
After a moment, the "something" spread its wings (they turned out to be jagged), rose into the air, and began gliding towards Kollon. A moment later, it landed right in front of him. The "something" turned out to be a gargoyle. "
Hello Zylgan," the Half-Golden Dragon said coldly.
"Hello Kollontrouros, what brings you to this area?" Zylgan asked.
"The same thing as always: dragons," Kollon replied.
"It was easy to predict.
" "So why the hell did you ask?"
"On principle. Believe it or not, this question is mandatory these days. Besides, meeting two old friends like us is standard practice these days."
"Yeah, stereotypes rule the world."
"Yes, everything's just repeating itself today."
"You're right, but since we had to meet, let's talk, as befits old friends." "
I'd love to.
" "So, do you still work for the council? "
"Yes. Admittedly, its composition has changed significantly recently, but I somehow managed to stay in office."
"If you're still working for the council, that means my friend's revelations are true. A local mage is hiding a dragon." "
The council doesn't deal exclusively with dragons."
"But you do." "
You're going crazy, Kollontrouros, sniffing out dragons everywhere. You'd better take a break from pacifying this species, or you'll go mad."
"I'm not in danger of going mad, but thanks for your concern."
"You're welcome, after all, we've worked together for a good few centuries."
"Yes, but that chapter in our lives is in the past. We're now on different sides. You're an envoy of the council that protects dragons, and I'm its unwanted creation that kills them." This, whether you like it or not, makes us enemies.
-Why enemies right away?
-Because you will defend every dragon to the death, and I will not rest until I destroy them all.
-We can never cross each other's paths.
-We already have.
-I don't understand.
-Don't play dumb, Zylgan, you know perfectly well what I'm talking about. Matellas is hiding in that tower, disguised as the White Raven.
-Well, indeed, Numerius has recently somehow come into possession of that bird, but I assure you, the White Raven has nothing to do with Matellas.
-And I'm supposed to believe that?
-You don't have to, if you don't want to.
-Could I see that bird?
-Numerius doesn't let anyone look inside it.
-Can I at least know where it is?
-Of course. The White Raven's current location is Numerius's library, that added turret.
"And I'm supposed to believe that you're willingly showing me the place where the Golden Dragon is hiding?"
"Not the Golden Dragon, but the White Raven." "
Don't mock me, gargoyle.
" "You've truly lost your mind, Kollontrouros."
"It's not for you to judge Zylgan."
"Maybe not, but the time will come when you'll remember my words."
"Possibly. In the meantime, farewell, gargoyle."
"Farewell, Kollontrouros, I hope we meet again someday."
"I hope not soon, because I have a feeling you won't emerge from our next meeting alive."
"Are you threatening me?
" "No, I just have this vague feeling."
* * *
Alpin was just lighting a fire when a sudden wind blew, stirring the tree branches. The rustling of leaves so startled him that he dropped the tinder and flint from his hands.
"You fool, it's just the wind," he mentally scolded himself, but that didn't calm his frayed nerves.
Ever since he'd been attacked in his sleep by the council's envoy, he'd lived in constant fear. He was afraid of the forest, the people he met, and even of falling asleep.
He was slowly beginning to sink into madness, but he fought it with all his might. He kept repeating to himself, ad nauseam, that he had to complete the task Kollontrouros had entrusted to him. He told himself he couldn't go mad until he did, and that allowed him to remain sane.
At least for now.
* * *
Tokur had a terribly strong head. He could drink any quantity of any drink and still remain sober. For two days now, he'd been buying the villagers round after round of drinks, and so far, he'd only gleaned one piece of information, and in his opinion, it wasn't very important.
"The health of our host!" he shouted, raising another mug of beer.
"Cheers!" the villagers, most of them already drunk, shouted back in unison.
Some of them, after finishing their drinks, laid their heads on the tables and fell asleep. Tokur thought for a moment with disdain that people had unusually weak heads. He also began to wonder if he would ever manage to get anything out of them if they continued to fall asleep before he started asking questions.
Suddenly, Kollontrouros entered the inn and stopped dead in his tracks. He began looking around uncertainly, searching for Tokur.
Imp spotted him first and, raising his mug, shouted,
"Cheers to our sponsor!"
The conscious villagers began to look around with bleary eyes for the jugs of beer. A few noticed Kollontrouros and sobered at the sight of him.
The two-meter-tall, broad-shouldered man, with a dragon's tail protruding from beneath his cloak, so terrified them that they began to flee. Since the doors were locked, they jumped out the windows. Those who had been asleep until then awoke to the screams of their colleagues. When they spotted the Half-Golden Dragon, they followed suit. A moment later, the inn was empty.
"Can you explain to me what the hell just happened?" Kollontrouros asked Tokura. "
The villagers were in a hurry, so they left," the imp replied cheekily.
"But what were they doing here?" "
They were helping me carry out your order."
"What order?"
"You told me to break them down and question them.
" "Do you always have to take my jokes literally?" Kollontrouros asked rhetorically.
"You joke so rarely that I have trouble distinguishing irony from seriousness," Tokur replied even more cheekily.
"Oh God, why did you punish me with such a helper?"
"You're an atheist, Kollon."
Kollontrouros shrugged resignedly.
"Did you learn anything at all?"
-I only heard one rumor about the case.
"We'll talk about it upstairs," Kollon said. "Innkeeper, a jug of beer, two mugs, and some kind of meal, as long as it's hearty, to my room." With that, he headed up the stairs.
Tokur followed.
"So, what's this rumor, Tokur?"
"Apparently, some lunatic saw...
" "A lunatic?
" "Yes."
"Sounds interesting."
"May I continue? "
"Please. "
"Thank you. So, as I was saying, about three months ago, during a storm, a certain lunatic saw something like a gargoyle at night...
"Zylgan."
"What?
" At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Kollon shouted.
The innkeeper entered the room with a tray in his arms. On it was a huge jug of beer, two mugs, and two plates, each containing a large roast chicken.
"Put the tray on the table and leave," Kollontrouros said menacingly.
The innkeeper obediently left the tray and hurried away.
"What did you say, Kollon?" Tokur asked as the door closed behind the innkeeper.
"That gargoyle is Zylgan."
"How do you know?"
"I'll tell you, but first, finish your story.
" "So..." The imp reluctantly continued. "That lunatic saw the gargoyle talking to the White Raven."
"What happened next?
" "Nothing. They each flew off in their own direction. "
"We have to find that lunatic."
"Has Kollon gone mad? How will he help us?"
"Will he tell us what Zylgan was talking to the white raven about?
" "And why do you need to know that?"
"I don't know yet, but looking for him will help us kill the boredom of waiting.
" "Fine. Now, will you tell me how you know it was Zylgan talking to our dear bird?" "
Of course, I met him yesterday at the Golem Tower."
"So Al was right, your white raven is your golden dragon."
"It seems so.
" "But in that case, we can settle this matter now."
"I'd rather wait for Alpin."
"Why?"
"I have a feeling there's something else we don't know."
"You and your premonitions," Tokur said resignedly. " That's just how I am, "
Kollon replied.
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