LITMIR.BIZ

      ISBN 978-5-0062-4413-9

      Создано в интеллектуальной издательской системе Ridero

      A flaming ship

      The blazing ship entered the harbor. The water beneath it was ablaze with fire. Patricia stared and couldn’t believe her eyes. The whole harbor was on fire. And the fire was spreading through the water. And it looked as if the sea was on fire. And it was all the fault of a marvelous ship! Shining like the sun on the evening horizon, it immediately attracted her attention. But it brought fires and death.

      «Look! Look!» The elves drinking in the coastal tavern murmured. «Its sides are shaped like dragon wings and its nose is a dragon’s head. And it shines like it’s covered in scales.»

      «It feels like the masts and rigging are the dragon’s innards,» another elf joined the conversation. Together they were bouncing on the table and trying to get a better look at the dragon-like ship through the window. They didn’t even care that the tavern was about to burn down.

      And Patricia was hurriedly packing her things into a bundle. That was the end of her work here. If she’d known the harbor town would burn down tonight, she wouldn’t have hired here at all. It’s better to run on land, or risk getting burned right into the sea. Good thing she hadn’t gotten on one of the barges crossing the canal this morning, and bad thing she hadn’t bought a stagecoach ticket to the capital.

      «But at least the thing you’ve been dreaming of happened to you – you finally saw the dragon ship.»

      The voice, of course, belonged to the fortune-teller from the rook, and he himself was already seated at an empty table. How suddenly he found himself in the tavern! And the fire on the wharf did not frighten him.

      Patricia was frightened of this man. Was he a man at all? The long red hooded robe, embroidered with stars, could have belonged to a ghost or a wizard. The first time she had seen him, Patricia had mistaken him for a magician. The soothsayer sailed the boat toward the lagoon, and the lilies and lily pads sang to him in human voices. The oar of the rook rowed itself, it was made in the shape of a water serpent, and this serpent came to life. It certainly did not seem to her then, nor did it seem to her now, that a flame flared for a moment in the seer’s hands.

      «Why does the dragon ship come to the ports?» She moved slowly toward the diviner’s table.

      «It is to set everything on fire. That’s what dragons fly the skies for, and this one sails the seas. But its purpose is the same.»

      «Is it real?» Everything she’d heard about the dragon ship was just legend. The reality surpassed them. «It can turn from a ship into a real dragon? You mean a living one?»

      «It is a real dragon.»

      «He’s just a ship,» Patricia fixed her red hair. It was the color of flame, too, but that wouldn’t help her escape. «What does he want?»

      «You, apparently.»

      She was confused. What did the soothsayer mean by that? The beer in the mug left by the regular who had fled at the sight of the fire suddenly sizzled and ignited under his fingers. What strange passes he makes with his hands. And his fingers are wearing expensive rings.

      «Are we all going to burn?»

      «Not all of us! There’s someone he’s sparing.»

      «Who is he? Is it a dragon? Is it a ship?»

      «He is the master of the ship!» The soothsayer corrected.

      «A ship has a master?» Patricia turned around in surprise at the flaming sea. The impression was that the ship, repeating the outline of the dragon, really began to come to life and move the sides-wings. The toothy maw on the bow opened threateningly.

      She wondered if the fire was coming from it. Or does the bottom of the ship ignite the water? What material is the ship made of that makes the water hot? The color of the material looks like wood, but it’s fireproof. So it’s not wood. Everything around the ship is on fire, even the water, but only orange sparks run along the sides and fenders. The arrival of the dragon ship is like an infernal firework display.

      «Even the sea is aflame from this ship. It’s the apocalypse!» Patricia gasped.

      She watched the orange hot waves crashing onto the shore, burning people, boats, and even the harbor taverns.

      «The ship has no crew, no captain or helmsman, only a master,» the soothsayer tipped the rest of the beer onto the table. The orange puddle that spread on the wood took the shape of a mirror. Like a mirror, it reflected everything that was going on around it. And then it suddenly reflected what was not happening around.

      «Sit down,» the soothsayer pointed to an empty chair. «There’s nowhere to run anyway. Before everything burns down, I’ll tell you where he came from. Or rather, I’ll show you!»

      «Who is it? Is it the master of the ship? Is it the dragon?»

      «The master is a dragon. He is only a real one.»

      But then why does he need a ship? Patricia dared not ask any more questions. The orange puddle in front of her was filled with sparks. The port was burning, and the girl looked at the marvelous pictures flickering on the table like a mirror. The more she looked, the more it became clear to her.

      Pirate

      Patricia ran down the path of fire. It left burns on her body. She was running away from both the fire and the horrible truth the seer had shown her.

      There was a swamp ahead. Even it was better than a solid wall of fire. At the sight of the mire, Patricia felt relief.

      Wet hands clutched at her hem.

      Oh, it’s the boggarts! Muddy green swamp fairies with beautiful faces and rotten teeth pulled their webbed hands toward the girl.

      «Don’t get on board! You won’t get off it alive, unless you become a member of the crew. And only a magical creature can join the crew. You’re not a fairy. You can’t survive on board.»

      «Thanks for the warning!»

      But there’s still nowhere to go. Sparks of flame are following her.

      «The dragon is looking for you!»

      «I see it!»

      «He kidnaps every girl who looks like his runaway wife, and you look just like her.»

      «Is she a dragoness?»

      What a surprise! The sparks are multiplying and keeping up. The only way to escape is into the sea. It’s no longer fiery here. The water in the bay is murky but cold.

      The ship in the bay was full of magical creatures. Alas, Patricia only noticed this when she climbed up the cracked gangway.

      «Look! She’s got fire kisses on her! The dragon didn’t burn her!» The eerie, hoarse voices of a whole company of fairy creatures came.

      Patricia’s leg was stuck in a hole between the broken boards like a dog’s mouth. Blood trickled down her ankle. Patricia felt dizzy from the blood loss. It felt like the ship was drinking her blood. Isn’t that funny?

      «Ah!» Someone shouted so loudly that the sound carried over the entire ship.

      Patricia’s blood somehow ignited on the planks and immediately went out. The girl pulled her leg out of the trap with difficulty. The hole in the deck immediately disappeared. What the hell!

      A team of creepy creatures was closing in around the girl. Patricia instinctively grabbed the first thing that came to hand. The rusty hilt suddenly shone with newness under her fingers, and the weapon soared into the air, threatening the infernal creatures. They backed away, even frightened. What a miracle! It turned out that Patricia had found a saber on board

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