Unconquered Sun

by Philipp Bogachev

  The pause dragged on. Fairies passionlessly were silent as a sculpture. Young men interrogatively looked at "The wise Elder brother Azail" and waited that he will undertake.

  Azail stopped pulling faces, got up and the Second looked fool in the face Purple. His face was serious, and from it it became even finer. His courageous gray eyes shone inhuman mind and wisdom. Noble, with a small hump, the nose gave to his face similarity to a noble eagle. A strong-willed chin with a depression in the ground in the middle, a wide clever forehead, courageously squeezed lips which are poured on the sun golden sparks curly hair … He was beautiful as god, reminding something some ancient pagan solar deity in all the greatness.

  But it lasted only a moment. Then his face again as if shrank, the look dimmed, lips were twisted in a humiliating smile. Wriggling, it began to bow ridiculously before that which called the wife earlier.

  - Oh, your Majesty! You already govern! You already reign! You already rule! But without us! Where to us, worms, to your greatness? Why to us to profane the presence your wise meetings? Well, why? In Skies there can be only one Knowledge, and it you! Ah and, forgot, - tseoy Three knowledge, your daughters - just the copy you. Where to me? Where? - and, playing the fool, Azail made a curtsey to all three.

  The person purple became same passionless and majestic, again as before. As if the live face which seemed for a moment was hidden for the fine, but deprived of life mask again.

  Having stopped wriggling, the Pearl-white young man turned a back to the wife and went away. And crowd of young people - after it. Also whispering, exchanging smiles among themselves as before as if nothing occurred.

  - Where you, Azail?! - the second purple fairy exclaimed, giving after leaving hands in the begging gesture. And in its voice again something trembled.

  - There, where light of yours, more precisely, than yours, knowledge, will not stick together to me eyes! There, where I will be free from your continued cares of my person, expensive, - Azail said, without turning around.

  - The father, consider if you leave our country, you more here will not return, and we from now on will not consider you as more our father, hear?! - unanimously cried out two other "purple" fairies.

  - Heard, brothers, already expel us?!

  - Not slykhano! We created everything here, and we are expelled now by those who did nothing at all, only children were given birth yes florets put!

  - Do not get into the head, Natael what we should create one thousand such worlds how this? Let take themselves - it is not a pity … Let take it as payment for the alimony!

  And the crowd burst in rough laughter again.

  4.

  Silk! Shchelk! Shchelk! Bright flash... Nothing is visible … Absolutely anything … Light loses brightness, still … still … And here before eyes of the Fairy … Creator! Yes same Bald Mountain!!!

  And it is valid, directly before her look there were familiar outlines of the mountain whose top was absolutely deprived of vegetation - neither a uniform blade, nor a uniform tree.

  Only the Fairy where the strange heap of fragments of white stones which as the crown crowned to Gore got to managed to think … As instead of it she saw the majestic snow-white sparkling building, the huge spacious palace - it is many times more than those pathetic ruins that was seen by her at a wedding of Night Hunters.

  The palace consisted of a set of the snow-white sparkling columns, brilliant as if shining from within. They as though absorbed in themselves and reflected a soft silvery moonlight. Columns connected with each other the shining stone blocks put on them from above same and formed a set of the concentric circles meeting to a black stone in the middle. The wonderful palace - without windows, without doors - the exact copy of the Hall of Meetings on Fey's Island, only made of other material.

  In the center of the snow-white palace - the hall, in its center - the acquaintance Fee a bluish-black stone, and near it costs a snow-white stone throne. On a throne someone majestic sits, powerful.

  The full moon which looked out because of a cloud lit up the light the figure sitting on a throne. The fairy got accustomed and … "Yes it is that young man that was in the Garden of Enlightenments! Azail, apparently, his name is … But, the Creator as he changed!"

  Though Azail was still in pearl-white, but his suit became absolutely another. On it there was a jacket and trousers on laces, soft boots, the pearl-white long raincoat tied on a breast with the big hood capable to close itself a sex of the person. Such clothes, - the Fairy thought, - people, more precisely, human men - hunters and soldiers, but in any way not inhabitants of Skies carry usually. Only a gold wreath on the head with a blood-red ruby in the center yes a silver chain with a unicorn on a breast remained from former vestments of Azail.

  But most of all Fairy was struck not by(with) a suit, and his face. On it there was no more clownish expression, on the contrary, it became gloomy as a thundercloud. Lips are squeezed, on cheeks tumors from the jaws squeezed strong acted. Hands rapaciously seized round knobs on the armrests of a throne made in the form of oshcherenny mouths of polar white wolves. And the person was pale as at the dead person.

  The gloomy type of Azail sharply contrasted both with his fine pearl-white attire, and from it divinely beautiful as if the turned thin cutter from an ivory the person with golden hair.

  - What tells the Moonstone, oh, Wise Azail? - the voice from where since other end halls was distributed.

  - So far anything … Its action is blocked … - gloomy told Sitting. - Yes unless you also do not see that it is already not so lunar! It turned black …

  - What does it mean?

  - It means that someone found sources of its food and blocked them - unless not clearly? - with irritation told Sitting and propped up a hand the tired head.

  - But it is impossible, Wise, the stone is ready directly for the moon and stars! Who can prevent heavenly bodies! - with anger the invisible interlocutor answered.

  - All is possible, my young pupil, everything is possible if the nobility as it works … - Azail gloomy responded, having fixed the thoughtful gaze of the eyes which reddened from sleeplessness in an extinct black lifeless surface of once silver-white Moonstone as though still hoping that he will recover. - Most likely, my wife was not so silly as I thought. Perhaps, they guessed how to get on the highest, astral, level and how to break the Mirror - that's all …

  - But it is impossible, Wise, only you could guess it! This your opening! And only yours! - indignantly cried out a voice.

  - Listen, stop flattering me! - Azail was fastidiously wrinkled. - We here one, desire to speak as a real man! - And then did not sustain and jumped from the place and began to go nervously from one end halls to another. The fairy, at last, saw his interlocutor. It was that cheerful young man in a golden tunic most laughing then in the Garden of Enlightenments. Now it was in clothes of the same breed, as Azail, and his face looked gloomy and alarmed.

  - Well you stand? - suddenly Azail stopped and stridently looked at the young man. - Give, bring together all our brothers, from those who are more feasible - we will make the way. You know that without Stone …

  - Yes, I understood everything, Wise, I one leg here, another - there … - the young man quickly bowed and disappeared behind the wood of the snow-white shining columns.

  Some more clicks, flash …

  … And already several hundreds of beautiful young men in the golden and blue fluttering long raincoats with the hoods pulled over a forehead leaving opened only the lower part of the person rise up as pack of some multi-colored bats. Higher and higher than clouds, to the very top.

  Already somewhere away the pink Island of Fey - the capital of Skies and the largest of a galaxy of pink islands - all rolling in gardens, flowers and pink bubbles is seen. And above - on Pink Holm - the magnificent Hall of Meetings is seen.

  Suddenly from the building of the Hall of Meetings like a swarm of bees from a beehive the set of zolotovolosy figures took off and moved across to the young men
who are wrapped up in raincoats. Several moments - and they took defensive positions on all pink clouds, blocking it access both upward, and to the right - towards Fey's Island.

  - Do not move! Still a step - and we will open fire at you! - the ringing voice from the next pink cloud was distributed. There, on the very brink of a cloud, there was a high fairy in a pearl-white tunic and a raincoat with ashy hair which seemed to the Fairy surprisingly familiar …

  On crowd of young men gave a ride to bewilderment grumble. Azail acted forward and gave a sign a hand, letting know that he intends to speak:

  - What does all this mean? We did not bare the weapon and we came not with war here, dear sisters. I demand explanations!

  - Your access to pink clouds, as well as above - in the Astral - is blocked - immediately come back or give up! - the ringing voice in which unpleasant metal notes distinctly differed sounded.

  Azail's face turned white as paper, and lips, as well as fists, densely clenched.

  - By what right?! Pink clouds - property of all our race, and the Astral are my own monastery by the right of the Pioneer! I the first blazed a path in its infinite labyrinths! - in its voice the offense and hardly constrained rage sounded.

  - General Extraordinary Council of all of Fey Podnebesya the unanimous decision eliminated all of you the highest race as unworthy to be more its part and to bear her sacred name, - the same passionless, laconic and tough answer Pearl-white was distributed. - You are cast out. Now you have only two options - or come back from where came, to further decisions of Council, or give up without any conditions - voluntary recognition of the fault by you and sincere repentance will be favourably accepted court of Community and will facilitate to you a measure of restraint.

  Here the anger of young men could not be constrained. They cried unanimously, waved fists so it was absolutely impossible to sort something in this porridge. But Azail upraised a hand again, and all right there became silent.

  - I demand to call Stella, my wife, by the right of the husband here - and immediately! I need to talk to it. If you do not make it - I warn - I will be forced to break by force! Blood for which you will bear responsibility, clearly will be shed?! I told - immediately!

  - It is impossible, - the passionless answer Pearl-white right there followed. - With such name we have no fairy. And to break we do not advise - you at us on a sight and we will shoot earlier so your blood, but not will be shed …

  But she did not manage to finish speaking.

  From open hands of Azail escaped it is dazzling the sparkled branchy lightnings struck directly in a breast of speaking. That fell as knocked down from a pink cloud on which it with such important look stood a moment ago, and a stone departed down. The benefit that under this cloud, in steps of a pyatist is lower than everything, was another to which fainted consciousness (the category was sparing) Pearl-white fell. But this blow also saved life to future permanent Elder Sister of all-powerful "STING" …

  … Because the fairies who were obviously not expecting such turn of events tarried, and all crowd of the young men who are wrapped up from legs to the head in raincoats at the very same time with wild we howl, without listening to any teams any more and without paying attention to Azail, directed forward, on storm of pink clouds. The situation got out of hand. Several hundreds of flaring orange-yellow spheres departed in different directions. A series of deafening explosions, shouts of pain and horror was distributed and … The first three clouds were completely cleared of the fairies who were there, and the young man right there, with the triumphing cry, landed at the taken boundaries. Clouds were literally covered with bodies of wounded and the dying fairies. To the fairy it was intolerable to look at the bodies which their burned, blood-stained, spoiled distorted by pain of the person. But vision did not release it, imperiously ordering to look and listen further …

  Young men did not manage to realize the scale of what occurred as other fairies came round and struck. Fiery spheres, the long sparkling branchy lightnings departed on them from all directions. Then, the deafening cottons of explosions were distributed there. Several tens young men fell dead, some more tens - in severe burns writhed on a wadded surface of just taken clouds. At last, Azail and his companions managed to put rather powerful board reflecting all charges which are started up against them. Probably, the Fairy thought, inexperience affected - it was the first fight in their life, as well as in life of their ex-wives and daughters …

  But, using that young men were engaged in a construction of a board, fairies, thanks to the considerable superiority in strength, could surround three taken clouds and transfer fire directly with the young man - to clouds. Several large explosive spheres got to one of pink clouds, and it right there flashed as a haystack, and began to thaw in the eyes. Dozens of young men, from standing on it, right there turned into live fires. Others nevertheless managed to fly up in air in time and to escape from fire.

  - For me! In attack! Throw these foolish clouds until we here everything burned down! Vpere-e-e-ed! - by a terrible voice Azail howled. His face was distorted for anger and rage, eyes became red, and long fingers of hands were double up like claws of a predatory animal.

  He upraised hands forward and promptly departed up. Behind it the others directed. On the run of the young man were reconstructed by the wedge which aimed the edge directly at the center of positions of the fairies who were built a semicircle. On the way "wedge" was spat by fiery explosive spheres and lightnings, but fairies already managed to put a board and they did not do them harm.

  Then Azail lowered a hand for folds of a raincoat somewhere and triumphantly took out sparkling silvery sparks, like stones of its palace on the Bald mountain, a long thin sword from there. Having reached the region of the protective field, it rubanut it that there are forces. The deafening roar was distributed, and swept the fairies holding a board on clouds the strongest kickback. From ears and their nose streams of blood flew and for several moments all of them failed. The protective field burst also a horde of the winged young men who also took out the same blades because of a belt rushed on four pink clouds, settling down in the center of positions of the opponent, and arranged bloody slaughter. Clouds from pink during several moments became blood-red …

  Other fairies, having hardly regained consciousness, struck the taken clouds with fountains of liquid fire and those flashed again and again not everyone managed to leave it in time - about thirty young men turned into a handful of black ashes …

  But business, probably, was made. The cordon was broken through also Azail's group, having left useless positions, already freely rose above and above.

  5.

  Soon the blue sky remained far below. The group moved among a strange congestion of silvery fog. The fairy, having hardly recovered for horror from massacre on pink clouds, with the eyes which extended from surprise looked at this kingdom absolutely unfamiliar to it …

  Visibility was almost zero, everywhere - one infinite silvery cotton wool. How in it it is possible to be guided somehow - remained a riddle. It was not visible not that roads forward, but even the way back was closed. It was impossible to define, where the North and where the South where left and where the right. Terrible and truly terrible place!

  Having appeared in such place, any would begin to panic and not Azail fell into despair, but. He just, apparently, felt here like a duck to water, determining by intuition the direction in this foggy chaos. It flew to the left, to the right, stopped, defining the direction of the further movement, promptly flew further. He something reminded a dog who makes the way more often the woods in outer darkness only by means of the scent. It was necessary only to be surprised to really surprising abilities of this powerful Wizard - the born leader and the inventor, the fearless pioneer and the ingenious commander.

  At last, silvery fog ended, and winged young men took off on open space.

  It was flat as a dish the valley from the curling silvery fog under legs and the black sky over the head - witho
ut the sun, but with big, of the size of the human head, stars and the moon in full human growth.

  In the middle of this silvery desert on the horizon the high tower from some yellow-white material reminding an ivory was seen. At top of a tower some bowl-shaped device with the shining silvery surface was fixed.

  Young men flew directly to it, but there is enough oddly - moving forward not, and back. And the more slowly they moved the transparent wings, the quicker they flew …

  But the closer they flew up to the Tower, the more distinctly it was visible that the bowl-shaped device with a smooth surface was broken.

  - Proklyatye! Teacher! - cried in rage Snow-white-white. - They spoiled your ingenious Mirror! But how? Same it is impossible! And how they could get here? And where Keeper?

  Azail gloomy was silent. His eyes still were blood-red, its brush squeezed the handle of a silvery sword even stronger - so that bones of fingers turned white.

  It promptly flew forward (more precisely, back), much quicker than others - probably, he is better than others mastered features of the movement in the Astral.

  But he did not manage to reach the Tower as directly from silvery fog something white began to rise and big. Azail stopped (to a limit having earned by wings) and began to wait. At last, the Fairy saw the huge white head, as if entirely weaved from silvery fog, with a silvery long beard and huge eye-sockets without eyes through which soft silvery light streamed. Gradually grew from fog really enormous, height about a tower, the athlete's body.