Part 2 - Chapter IV. Return

Nea flew through a Golden mist, flickering particles of some substance flying past. As then, she suddenly jumped into a new reality of another world. The girl fell on the bare stones, which were slightly covered with snow, and rolled head over heels down. Falling down the slope, Nea developed a strong speed and crashed into a tree. The blow was so strong that the girl for a while lost consciousness. After a minute, she began to move and come to her senses. She rose from the ground, which was covered with a carpet of fallen leaves and a small layer of snow. The girl had bruised her shoulder a little, but was otherwise well. Nea looked curiously at the forest at the foot of some mountains. The girl realized that she was definitely not in the Middle Kingdom. But the brothers ' Lands are vast! Where exactly did it end up? Nea looked up at the clearings in the trees, where it was sun and day, but it was winter in this part of the Midlands, and there was no winter in Avernas, so Nea was much further North. This is probably the land of Edygarian. Nea had no memory of what her grandfather had said about Edgar's Kingdom. She only remembered that her elder brother's Kingdom was called Igirmach, and the capital was the fortress city of Kainamar. Nea remembered that Kaina meant "North" in the ancient dialect, and "-Mar" was the usual ending for the city's name. Mostly this ending was used by northerners, southern peoples did not like to use their native ancient language in its purest form, so all the names were in the local dialect, which appeared after the merger of the language of local tribes and the ancient language of the descendants of Damirovian and Ibralimian, who almost forgot their native language.

Nea stood and looked around, suddenly she became aware of a terrible presence, her ear caught a rattling breath. The girl turned slowly and screamed in horror. A monster with red eyes stood among the trees. It stood on two legs, but it had 6 hands-paws, and it was all covered in fur, even the face of the creature was covered in fur, and except for the eyes, nothing could be seen. The coat had a gray-brown color, with a white undercoat. It stared at Nea and narrowed its eyes, but when Nea screamed, it chattered threateningly. The girl ran away, into the depths of the forest. She had no idea what it was, so she ran as fast as she could. But the monster caught up with her in a few leaps and came down on top of her. Nea fell, hit her head on a large tree root, and lost consciousness.

At the moment when the monster threw the girl on his shoulder and went deep into the forest. On the other side of the Veil, Constantine dropped a plate, which shattered. This crash signaled that Nei's disappearance had been discovered. And it was discovered by Costa's father, who asked why it was already 4 am and Nea had not returned. Oksana lowered her head and rubbed her forehead. She sensed that Nea was at it again, and it seemed that this time She had managed to return to Avernas.

"Oh, dad," Costa said. "Nea won't come. She's probably home by now. Nea and I had a fight, so she didn't come to us on purpose."

"Today she came," - was not inferior to the father.

"That's when we quarreled... again... Costa said, knowing better than to start a panic. Even if Nea is really missing, the panic of ordinary parents and search operations will not help to find her."

"Oh, this Nea already, - grumbled Oksana, with ill-concealed concern. – We'll probably go home and check it out."

Costa offered to escort them to the gate when they were alone.

"Aunt Oksana, Jeremiah Milovan is not a good person, he has already tried to harm Nea. She doesn't know it, because we haven't had time to talk about what happened last summer. She did not forgive me that I took her back, and Artgadern, in the sense her grandfather left there. But I did what he asked, I saved Nea."

"Wait a minute, honey," - grandma Pava said, frowning. - "Did you say Milovan?"

"Yes. This is the name of Jeremiah."

"How can he mean any harm? After all, their family is hereditary Guards!" - grandma Pavlina was surprised.

"Oh, Pavlina, the guardian is his brother, not him," - Oksana protested excitedly. - "We can't know the ins and outs of this magic. We need to go to them."

"Isn't it too late?" - surprised Costa, he had no idea who the Guards were, but judging by the reverence in aunt Oksana's voice, this is someone very, very good. And this is not Jeremiah...

"You can visit this family at any time. Catherine-a local healer, grandfather Levent is also a Guardian, but too old to move, his son Ozdemir died, and the responsibilities of the father fell on his eldest son Kabris, when he was only 13 years old. Since then, Kabris has borne the burdens of the Guardians of the worlds with dignity. The last time Nea went missing, I went to Kabris. It can move people through the Veil. You came back very quickly last time and the Guard didn't have to look for you. But this time it's different. However, you need to make sure that Nea is really not here."

"How can I do that?" - Costa asked curiously.

"There is one way, ' replied the grandmother of Pava. - Costa, and you ask your parents, we still need to get to Jeremiah. As soon as you ask to come to us, Oksana and I will prepare everything for the ritual."

"Well," - and Costa ran to his parents, no one noticed grandfather Vadim, who went to feed the dog and accidentally overheard the conversation of neighbors and his grandson. He even had a moustache that went up and down from hearing strange things, so he quietly got out of the gate and a couple of minutes later was already looking for a secret place at the window of Pavlina.

"He's just like that," - grandfather Vadim would say, and make himself comfortable at the kitchen window, which was located behind the hall, and where no one could see him.

After 10 minutes in the hut to Pavlina entered Costa, he undressed and went to grandmother of Pava and Oksana, who were sitting at the table. In front of them was a large Golden bowl with an inscription in an unfamiliar language, and Costa guessed that the bowl was not from this world. The Golden bowl glistened with ordinary water, and at the bottom were Nea's amber beads.

"The beads are a guide for the image of Nea," - Baba Pava said. - "These beads were given to her by her grandfather, who independently collected amber on a forest stream in the Shui forest before her birth. The beads are connected to the world beyond the Veil, so they will help you understand where Nea is here or somewhere else."

"Is it magic?" - Costa asked.

"It's alchemy," - grandma Pava laughed. – "This art is studied for decades and can not comprehend the whole essence of science. We use it. All alchemy relies on the basic five elements that are present in all the worlds: fire, water, air, earth, and ether. These substances can have different characteristics, as well as flow from one state to another, mix and divide into smaller elements. Everything in the world is based on these elements, so they will help us get information. I'm not an alchemist, but I know a few useful laws of alchemy."

She spoke some words over the water and poured the liquid gold into the water. Water entered into the reaction began to boil and gurgle, like porridge. A white mist with gold flecks appeared on the surface, and Costa recognized it immediately. He looked at the surface, and he longed to stick a finger in there.

"Yes, Oksana, there is a substance from Everlost on the surface. It's behind the Veil."

Costa realized that they had their answers and decided to poke a finger at the Golden surface of the fog, and suddenly there was a splash of misty substance. The fog rose like a wall over the bowl and was soon replaced by a colored picture.

"What is it?" grandma Pava was surprised.

Meanwhile, the misty wall showed Nea taking the malachite from Jeremiah's hands, setting it on fire, and passing through the Veil.

"Wow, Constantin!" - Pavlina exclaimed. – "You're strong! You are inextricably linked to us."

"To hell with it!" - Oksana exploded. – "Didn't you see it? This nasty locust boy gave Nea malachite to go with a corrupted rune! If she was behind the Veil, it wasn't in Avernas or the Middle Kingdom! Perhaps she is no longer alive!

Suddenly the picture changed, and they heard a terrible rattle and red eyes that flooded the Golden mist and brought it crashing back into the bowl.

There was silence in the kitchen, and all three of them stared at the bowl in horror. And grandfather Vadim looked there. He didn't hear the conversation, but he saw it all. He saw everything, and even the dreadful sound of chattering reached him. He hid under the window and tried to catch his breath. Vadim repeated in a frightened voice: "Here you go, it's yours." He had had enough, and went home and sat down in front of the TV. His grandmother scurried around the kitchen and washed dishes, his daughter and son-in-law were waiting for Costa to return and also watched the new year's concert. Grandfather Vadim sat and saw nothing. He thought hard, but his moustache went up and down.

Costa returned and told his parents that Nea was home and there was nothing more to worry about.

"Did you make up with her?" - asked the curious dad, for which he received an elbow in the side from his wife.

"No. I honestly don't think it's worth putting up with," - Costa said sadly. – "She's a nuisance."

After the boy went up to his room, and grandfather Vadim went up after him. Costa was still sitting on the bed, not going to sleep. You can see that he cares about something.

"Well, grandson, tell me. What's wrong with you?" - grandfather Vadim asked, sitting down next to Costa.

Costa paused for a moment and decided to tell his grandfather a little about the events, excluding anything abnormal from the story.

"Well, last summer, when Nea and I first met, Jeremiah took a dislike to her from day one, especially when he found out that She went fishing with you and me. I never asked him to come with us. So he got Nea into trouble. You remember pulling us out of the well, don't you?"

"When did you return from behind the Veil?" Yes, I remember. Did he push you into the Fatal fog? – what is it? " asked the sly grandfather in a matter-of-fact tone, who, although he did not have all the information, could put 2 and 2 together and find out the rest by trickery.

Costa looked up.

"How do you know about the Veil?"

My grandfather clucked his tongue.

"You know, granddaughter, I've been around for a long time, and the Fatal fog was here long before you were born, and even long before I was born. So don't think that you opened America to me. You tell the whole truth as it is. Maybe I can help you.

You could hear that Costa breathed a sigh of relief. There is a person with whom he can really talk to the heart and tell him all the fears and doubts.

"You're right, grandfather. Jeremiah pushed Nea through the Veil. We listened to the legends of the well that awoke at our touch and told us our future. For some reason Jeremiah was not afraid of the fog, he was well aware of it and pushed Nea into the gap, and I followed her. I couldn't just leave her, you know?"

"And then, of course! I understand!"

"There she was caught by the eerie shadows, and I met people who live underground in pitch darkness. There I met a grandfather Nea..."

"Oh, you old son of a gun!" – exclaimed the grandfather Vadim. - "Look where you're holed up!"

"He's not there of his own free will, he can't leave because he's trapped in time. He was afraid that Nea would suffer the same fate, so he helped me save her, and then sent us back. And he asked me to hide from my granddaughter that he was there. As Nea found out herself, by the hour, which gave me Artgadern..."

"Is that what he calls himself?" – interrupted the old man. –" Yes, he is Arganon?! Gaar he! And a mustache here! Well, what's next?"

"Next, Nea was offended with me. She does not understand that her presence can provoke a war, that all the underground workers will rush to save her and die for her. And she is not yet an adult, so she can not defeat anyone and fulfill the prophecy. And Jeremiah lured her today, and showed her the way through the Veil. But this path is not safe and it messed up the portal to Nea killed or lost forever."

"That's a sly man," - Vadim was indignant. – "I never liked him! His brother's a looker, and he's..."

"Now her mother is deciding what to do. He wants to ask the Guardian of the worlds for help."

"You mean Cabris?"

"Yes."

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't want to do anything!" – the boy exclaimed, looking away shyly.

"Why?"

"Because of that prophecy at the well..."

"What did The Golden well tell you?" - seriously asked grandfather Vadim, who understood the real concern of his grandson.

"Like I'm part of their history. That my friend will betray me, and I will have a hard life, trials and hardships. But the most terrible thing is that if I continue to help Nea, then I will face battles, grief, privation, need, trials and I will lose everyone I love. But I will get something great in return, and I will fulfill my destiny. That I will have a terrible choice between Good and Evil, and I don't know what I will choose, but if I choose Darkness, all life will perish. And if I refuse to help Nea, everything will remain the same and I will not lose anyone, and I will not get anything in return. Everything will be as it is now.

The room fell silent. My grandfather looked thoughtfully at the floor.

"That's why I don't want to put up with Nea. I don't want to lose you! Never! I love you, and my choice puts you, your grandmother, and your parents in danger!"

-Er, no, granddaughter," - Vadim seriously interrupted his grandson. – "You're wrong. You have already made one choice, and now you are making a second, and it will affect the first and push you into the Dark."

"What? Why?" - Costa asked.

"You fulfilled the prophecy of the Well when you didn't leave your friend, but followed her into the Other world. You chose her! You've written yourself into their history. And if you leave her now, you will betray her and go to the Dark side. You must follow your heart and save Nea."

"But then you will all be in danger. You can all die!"

"You know, when I was a child, I lived far away from here – in Belarus! I was 10 years old when the fascists came to our village. I watched them shoot all the adult men in the village. Some of the women they locked in a shed and every morning they tortured them inhumanly! Sometimes the Germans rounded up village children to watch these animals torture their mothers, grandmothers, and sisters, so that the children would betray their Homeland to save their family. My mother was one of these women. In my eyes she was kicked and beaten with a whip, it threw stones, even burned her with a hot iron, and I had nothing to do! I was only 10 years old. Besides, my mother forbade me to cry when I looked at it. She strictly ordered me not to feel sorry for her, and never to betray myself and my country. I shouldn't have cried. I had to endure. Then the fascists changed their tactics, they began to abuse children in order to hurt their mothers, and to incite them to treason. Every day could be our last. We were shot at just for fun, but we could not leave, the Germans said they would kill our mothers and everyone who is dear to us.

On particularly dark nights, we would run to the sheds to see the mothers who were locked up there. One night when I went to see my mother at night, she whispered to me that I should run away. I cried for the first time and told her that the fascists would kill her if I ran away, but my mother said they would do it anyway, so at least my brothers and I would have a chance to survive. I did so, grabbed my brothers in my arms, and one night we escaped. We all joined the partisans and fought them all through the war. My brothers are dead. Later, after the war, I learned that my mother was executed on the day we escaped. I always knew this was the case, but I was hoping for a miracle. You know, it's really hard not to blame yourself for your mother's death when you're actually the cause of her death.

My mother knew everything. She knew they would shoot her as soon as they found her missing. But despite the danger, she sacrificed herself to save her children. She's a hero to me! And it will live forever in my heart. It will light my path until I die.

Grandfather Vadim wiped away a tear, and rubbed his hands, collecting his thoughts and trying to erase the terrible images from his childhood. He controlled himself and looked directly into the eyes of his grandson, who was listening intently.

"I want to tell you, my boy, that danger may be waiting for us anywhere, even in our homes. The way we deal with these dangers makes us either fascists or heroes. You can't choose both sides, and you can't choose not to either. This is life! If you don't make a choice, she'll make it for you! I want to say, Constantine, that now is the time to choose."

Costa lowered his eyes and all somehow drooped, the grandfather put his hand on the shoulder of his grandson and said:

"You can't betray your friends, Costa. You can't leave them in the lurch! Think about it, my dear heart, who will help her if not you? How will you live if Nea dies because she didn't get your help?"

With these words, the grandfather left his grandson's room, went down to the first floor and went to finish the salad from the refrigerator. The whole house was already going to bed, and grandfather Vadim was chewing a winter salad in the dark kitchen. Costa lay down on the bed, not undressing, and lay with his eyes open, looking at nothing. After learning that Nea is not here, her mother decided to go to the Milovan family in the morning with a showdown. She wanted revenge, but there was no need for a fight at night, the neighbors would hear it. It was decided to go in the morning, and Costa agreed to go with them. But after the conversation with his grandfather, a warm fire of courage burned in his heart. He was no longer afraid; he realized that the choice had been made a long time ago. If nothing can be changed, then he must do what his heart tells him to do. As soon as he put aside his fear, he fell into a good, sound sleep.

Early in the morning, he awoke refreshed and full of energy. Costa went down. Everyone was still asleep, except my grandfather, who was still sitting in the kitchen. It is clear that he was waiting for his grandson, so that he did not slip away alone. On the table lay a note that he and his grandson were going fishing in the village of Spirino where his best friend lives. They went fishing for a couple of days with a thermal tent, where it was always warm and cozy.

"We won't be missed for a couple of days," - my grandfather told his grandson.

"Grandpa, what are you doing? Do you want to come with me?"

"Of course! " - Grandfather Vadim was indignant. – "I've never left a child in the lurch. If the grandson will fight against Evil, then it's a sin to lie on my side. My experience will be valuable, and you will not be so afraid to perform feats. After all, my grandfather is near!"

Costa smiled, a wild joy rising from his heart and filling his lungs. He wanted to laugh out loud, and all the fear was gone. He is not alone, his grandfather shared his secret and his burden!

"Would you mind waiting a little longer, Costa? I want to show you something... " - grandfather asked cautiously.

Costa put on his warm trousers and jacket and nodded.

"Of course. What are you talking about?"

"I think it's in my workshop. Let's go. We later catch up with the Pava and Oksana from Milovanov. I'll snowmobile us there in no time."

The grandfather and grandson went to the workshop, which was located in the shed, in the yard.

"You know, when I was young, I also heard the Prophecy of The Golden Well..."

"Really?" - Costa asked. – "What did he tell you? Did it come true?"

"I don't really remember. The well called me a future resident of some Citron. I thought then that I had made a mental noise. The well told me not to miss a chance when I heard the word "Veil". Well, I forgot about it later. And when people from the village began to disappear painfully, I began to think more about it. Once I found a grandfather who could come back from there. That's why he brought some heh with him... piece. This thing didn't work for a long time, and I kept it in the workshop among all the junk. And just recently, my old lady made me clean up my corner. So I accidentally spilled apricot gum on it."

- Gum? What's it?

"The fact is that the apricot tree has natural cracks in the trunk, which are filled with thick drips of juice, well, like the blood of the tree, or something. These drips freeze in the air. If you dig in the cracks, you can collect whole pieces of apricot rosin. This is called gum-apricot wood resin. And we were lucky that I discovered how the stuff works and collected gum for it. Well, gum is like gasoline for this box."

Grandfather Vadim went to the table, where there was always something covered with a dirty sheet. Grandfather removed the sheet and Costa saw a strange device made of dark wood. Square with a recess. The recess was covered with either glass or foil. Grandfather Vadim took a round box of gum and sprinkled a pinch of resin into this recess. The square came to life and a ray appeared from the recess, which expanded and turned into a flat screen. At first there was no picture, just a white ripple. Then the signal picked up and Costa was delighted to recognize Avernas. He saw familiar walls, streets, and a lake. Everything was as he remembered it. Then the image changed and the face of a cheeky boy in a black tunic with a red coat of arms appeared. For some reason, his red hair stood up in a brush in different directions, and a leather travel bag was slung over his shoulder. The boy was running as fast as he could from some men in leather armor. Then the image flickered and disappeared, as if the beam had been drawn into the recess of the box.

"Here, I'm telling you my secret. Who knows how it will turn out?"

"Grandfather, what are you saying?" - Costa said reproachfully.

"Well, there are no more secrets between us. That's why I decided to tell you, or they would have taken you for a madman. And here is still with the device to deal with. Maybe he not only shows what he wants, but also by order. It's up to you to deal with him."

"Why me?"

"So you are young and smart, maybe you have more desire to disassemble the thing and put it back together. Or you know how to control a picture."

Costa agreed. That as soon as they both returned from their trip, they would sit in the barn and work on this device together. In the meantime, the grandfather and grandson, so as not to Wake anyone, pushed an orange, old snowmobile and pushed it to the turn, away from the house. And only there grandfather Vadim started it, the snowmobile rattled so that half of the village was roused, they were pushed so far for nothing. Costa got in behind them and they drove down the street toward the levee. Even in winter, it was dangerous to ride a snowmobile on the ice, if the tracks get wet, this technique will no longer move, just fall through the ice and the rider will pull. So they rode the snowmobile along the side of the street and through the ditches, and then straight up the Causeway to the first turn. As soon as they left the dam, grandfather Vadim and Konsta saw two more visitors at the gate of the Milovan house - Oksana and grandmother Pava.