Part 1 - Chapter VII. Salvation

Albert came up to them unnoticed and put his hand on Constantine's shoulder.

- "We should go," - he said. – "I need to brief you and tell you our plan. Come on."

Costa hurriedly got up, returned the empty bowl of Zila, thanked her and followed Albert. They went to the farthest corner, so that no one could hear them.

- "Constantine, remember, you must obey us in everything! Your life and the life of your friend depend on it. Clear?"

- "Yes," – said the boy seriously.

-" Your task is to hide, avoid danger and run away from it."

- "I understand."

Albert handed him two of some obscure lump.

- "You have to cover your ears with this," – Albert began to explain. – "The prison is located in the dungeons next to the Palace, and the Palace stands on the shore of the lake. Once it was a Great lake, and now it is a Great Lake of souls. The shadows filled the waters with the souls of their victims. But souls are not killed, they are groaning about their fate and ask them to spare. They lure a traveler to give the body to the shadows, in the hope that they will return them to their own. This, of course, will never happen. That's why you have to cover your ears to avoid the deadly whispers of the damned souls."

- "It's terrible," - Costa shivered.

- "That's right. Because our ears will be protected, we won't be able to hear each other. You need to remember the basic hand signs. If I extend my hand and put my hand palm to your face – then stop and wait for the next signal."

Constantine silently nodded.

- "If I keep my hand at chest level palm down and lower it, then you need to hide. Got it?"

- "Yeah."

- "If I you invitingly'm waving, means follow me. If I wave my arms in your direction, then run and do not look back."

- "Nicely."

- "Costa, you understand, even in a moonless night we have terrible enemies. Shadows capture living people and deprive them of their souls. They occupy this body, and it obeys them. So the shadows became flesh. When there are no light sources, the darkness uses a human shell. They are: skin is pale, bloodless, and the eyes are glassy and completely black. We call them Decrepites."

- "The Decrepites don't know pity, they don't have any feelings. They're just living dead servants of the shadows. They can't talk, but they can whisper and scream. And that scream makes people's blood vessels burst alive, and they just bleed out. Now do you understand why I'm asking you to trust me completely?"

- "I understand. I'll do as you say."

- "Part of the way we'll go with Artghadern. He'll be with us in case we need to distract the guards. To give us time to run away. This is very dangerous and don't you dare risk our lives. Write your friend a note now, because when we get her out, you can't talk and you can't take out the ear clips. Give her a letter, which will be briefly written what to do."

- "Albert," - said the old man. – "The boy can't write a single letter with a quill pen. In his world, other means of writing letters are used. He had never seen ink or a bird's pen for writing. I'll write a letter to this girl, and he'll give it to her."

- "Oh, well, Artghadern. Albert agreed and turned back to Constantine. - We leave in 15 minutes. Pull yourself together."

Five minutes later the old man Artghadern brought the letter to the boy. Costa put it in the back pocket of his jeans. The three of them walked through a maze of dark corridors, but came to the surface not where they went, and in the city, in some dirty, empty alley. Albert tensed and began to move cautiously, he looked like a Panther. He gave the sign coast to wear ear clips, did the same thing and grandpa Nea. The trio moved to the corner of an old stone house, on which a sign was firmly nailed: "Buoy street, №12". From here their route among the maze of small streets and alleys.

Albert chose this route so as not to cross the large main streets, which were lit by lampposts. It is unknown who lit them, but on a moonless night, the shadows could only live there. People were clinging to their homes, they sometimes climbs in a broken window, walked through the empty, dark house and went out through another window on the same lane is not noticeable. This made it easy to cross the guarded streets. Soon Constantine felt the smell of the water. He knew they were getting closer.

According to the plan, Albert will leave him in hiding, and he and the old man will explore the situation. Costa sat down in a large oak barrel and was covered with a lid. He sat alone in the dark, afraid to move. It was scary, very scary. Strange country, strange people. The pain and despair of this world was felt even physically. Longing for a warm cozy home woke up in the soul of the boy. Only now did he realize what a mortal danger he was in, but he couldn't retreat – he wasn't a coward. It seemed to him that more than an hour had passed, and no one had come for him. "Maybe something unexpected happened? Constantine thought. But the lid of the barrel flew open, and above it hangs an anxious person eye. He pressed a finger to his lips, urging the boy to keep quiet, and beckoned him to follow. It means the road is clear. The old man was not visible, and it was impossible to ask.

Costa followed the man who led him to the dilapidated house. The front door lay to the side, and above the door, by some miracle, hung a crumpled sign, on one thin chain, the rest of the chain came off and alone tinkled in the wind. The sign was wooden, and there was a picture of a cake on it, and the ornate handwriting was written "Cafe Parfil." Albert and Constantine passed, bending under a dangling sign, and got into a spacious hall. Around the perimeter of the room lay tables and chairs, broken, bent, in dust and cobwebs. It can be seen that no one came here for several years. The counter with the cash register kept the traces of fire, the door behind the counter, apparently to the kitchen, was closed. Albert confidently led the boy to the other side, where the recess was hiding. When Costa came close to the recess he realized that it was a disguised narrow corridor with stairs to the second floor. They walked along the creaking floorboards of the stairs and found themselves in the residential part of the cafe. Lay the feathers, torn clothes. The furniture was chipped, and what was left was without doors or doors that hung on one loop. The dust on the Windows did not let light in even during the day, and the curtains were hung with tattered shreds of curtains.

Constantine threw glances into the room limping down a narrow corridor, at the end of which showed one inconspicuous narrow passage with nearly vertical stairs. They went up into the dark hole in the attic. It was also dusty and dirty, with straw and broken furniture. The man and the boy carefully made their way through the piles of rubbish and debris to the gaping hole. Part of the roof was just gone, and it was unclear whether it was during the war were destroyed, and either the roof collapsed from time to time.

Albert and Costa climbed on the roof and then the boy saw It! Great Lake Souls! This species is so impressed that he is forever etched in his memory, and then often it remembered all my life. A huge dark expanse, full of green lights and stripes that did not cast a shadow. They shone with a cold sepulchral light. The lights on the lake were constantly moving, and Constantine thought he could hear their mournful whispers. His eyes stared at the intricate patterns until Albert shook him. He stared sternly at the boy. Costa took a deep breath. To drown out the terrible voices that began to Wade through the ear protection, he remembered a cheerful song. The boy began to scroll in his memory, mentally including it at full volume:

"Again the peaceful sun rose,

Salute lilac and chestnuts.

And in spite of death and wounds

Happiness again in every house encompassed.

We can not forget the spring that day –

Victory! Victory!

Cheering on the streets of people –

Victory! Victory!

We all went through the flames and smoke.

Glory to the dead and glory to the living.

Victory! Victory!

We believed, we knew – we will win!"

The boy turned away from the terrible lake with an effort of will, still humming to himself, and followed Albert, who had already come to the edge and dropped the rope ladder prepared in advance. Apparently this is not the first foray to Palace dungeons. They carefully went down. Once on the ground, Albert signaled to stand still, and he ducked around the corner, into a dark alley. Soon he waved his hand to Constantine, and he immediately followed. They found themselves in a dead-end alley, where there were old garbage cans, and terribly stank of decomposed flesh.

Looking closely, Costa realized that it was the remains of human bodies. They are terribly stank, bloated in size, the eyes emerged, through the flesh looked through the bones. He had never seen such a disgusting picture in his life. The stench completely drowned out the voices of the lake, his mind cleared and he followed Albert to an invisible lattice window, which seemed to have grown half into the ground. He looked in, but it was an empty basement. Then the two of them began to walk around all the low Windows along the wall.

At the third window, which they first passed, Albert and Constantine saw in the corner of the shock of blue hair, someone sitting, hugging his knees with his hands. Albert dropped a small stone through the bars, which had no glass, only cobwebs. The prisoner raised her head and looked up. Albert froze in silent amazement. A girl with long blue hair and burning blue eyes looked at him. Before him was, no doubt, the daughter of the Royal family of Damirovich.

Costa snatched the letter from his back pocket, hoping to write to Albert and explain everything. When he opened the letter for Her, another small piece of paper fell out, folded into a square. Constantine unfolded and saw a message for Albert. Wow, Artghadern saw this coming. The boy touched Albert's shoulder and unfolded the old man's message. Beautiful, confident handwriting was written in large letters: "Albert, you gave your word! Restrain him!".

Albert frowned, leaned back into the dungeon, whispered faintly, "Quiet!"Then he threw the girl spare glasses for the darkness. She put them on and looked up again, but now she could see the faces of those who had come. It was unknown to a gloomy man, who squinted, looked at her and... Costa! The girl smiled and wanted to say Hello, but the boy pressed his finger to his lips and shook his head. Then he slipped his hand through the bars and threw her an unfolded sheet of paper. Nea came quietly and picked up the sheet.

Glasses night vision allowed to see perfectly written. In the letter neatly arrayed lines of, "N-a, I won't call you by name, you're in danger. You can't make a sound. Need to flee urgently. We've come for you, but you must remain completely silent. Whatever happens, you have to go home! Constantine»

What an interesting signature to have Costa, then thought nope. And why can't we say names? But the girl raised her head and nodded to Albert and Constantine.

Albert began to carefully and very quietly saw off the bars. Through 10 minutes formed enough big doorway, to Nea was able cut. They threw her a rope and gave her a sign to tie it around her waist. Did nope.

The rope dragged them, and nope clung to her and could do nothing to help. At this moment, Nea was very sorry that she had never played sports. She had no idea how to climb a rope. Somehow dragged the girl to the window opening, her hands clung to the remains of the lattice, she crawled out into the street, breathing heavily. Costa hugged her tightly. Albert touched them on the shoulder and gave Dana ear clips, showing their purpose. The girl plugged her ears, her nose hit a terrible stench, but to understand where it comes from did not have time. Albert turned and signaled to follow him.

They went the way they came. Rope ladder Nea somehow mastered, terribly shaking legs and sweating hands, she constantly slipped and confused. Once on the roof, the girl was breathing heavily, Constantine stood up so that would block the view and Nea realized it. She suddenly bypassed Costa and fearlessly even looked at it on lake. When she realized WHAT it sees in front of him, and Constantine felt that Nea should have realized that tightly squeezed lips and disappointed shook his head. Then she turned abruptly and walked away. Constantine even envy that lake gave her the same hypnotic look to it.A small company crept through the dark streets of the silent city. They returned to the hatch and descended into the dark labyrinths, Albert confidently led them along the only known route. After 20 minutes of endless twists and tunnels, they finally stopped at the hatch leading to the top. Albert went first, checking everything around, he gave the signal to the children to get out of the tunnel. They found themselves under the arch of the fortress wall, which towered over the once affluent stream. Costa immediately recognized this place, it was here that was the way out of the city, behind the protective walls.

Three dark silhouettes crept along the dry riverbed, they passed the place where they went down last time, and began to climb a little further, near the forest. Under the shade of the trees they crept from trunk to trunk. Suddenly the darkness was cut by a dreadful inhuman scream and it was echoed by shimmering whistle.

- "Hurry!" - Albert suddenly shouted. – "The guardians of shadows discovered loss of! The old man will distract them, and we need to run to the portal!"

He sprinted forward, and the frightened children ran after him. Constantine ran easily, and Nea very quickly exhausted. Ear clips fell out when running, but the kids didn't even notice. Nea was constantly stumbling, tangled in the tall grass, sometimes falling. The girl did not pay attention to the scraped knees and scratched palms.

Among the forest seemed to the edge, where there is a large triangular canopy covered with hay. Under the awning stood a stone circle of the well.

- "Boy, take out the old man's stone, put it in your right hand." - Albert said on the run. "Daughter of Damirovich, take your friend by the right hand in which he holds the stone. Don't stop! There's just a little more!"

Constantine took off his glasses, opened his watch and took out a smooth triangular stone with a strange symbol. He clutched it in his hand, which grabbed Nea, who also took off her glasses and threw them on the grass. Turning around, they saw the eerie The Decrepites, with black eye sockets, they silently opened their mouths and the air was filled with eerie sounds: screams, rustling, hissing, howling... the guys thought they were everywhere!

The children did not slow down, went to the well and jumped, not unclenching his hands. They flew through the milk smoke, rainbow clouds, and there was a crackle of electrical discharges. And then they were swallowed up by darkness, terrible, icy. She deprived them of air, and in a moment they emerged into the dark waters of the deep Golden well.