The Children of Zegandaria, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov [first color ebook reader txt] 📗

school bullies hurling threats at another defеnceless boy. He was curled up like a little kitten just waiting for his last class.

- "Give me the money, you sly bastard," they bellowed. "Your soul is long lost and will soon be gone," chuckled Namuro. "Don't fool us! Yours have money in sacks, and you don't pay your weekly instalment. That's just an insult."

The other school bullies nodded in agreement. They fully approved of their boss's act. They just weren’t in a hurry to intervEne yet.

- "Hey, leave it," Emborian bellowed.

- "Oh, you little brat," Namuro muttered with ill-concealed dislike. "Why are you messing with us? Don't you love life, eh? That little fellow is a traveller, and without us a total loser in life."

- "Leave him alone," squeaked the little one, clenching his fists.

- "Well, all right," said Namuro, seemingly resigned, "after he's finished, life will tell him the game, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't pay us - not for protection, but for simply tolerating his presence."

The boys walked away laughing. They hadn't even touched him.

- "They're running away from me like the plague," he vеntured to say. "That's right - I'm doomed!"

- "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, and pull yourself together and show them that you can," Emborian encouraged him. "It's the only way to shut them up!"

The boy bowed his head and said nothing.

- "They may be right," he sighed.

The two headed back to the classroom. The school was empty as a grave.

Then the vision dimmed again. Emborian could clearly see that the boy was leaning over the railing of the high school. It was a full six stories high. If you looked down, your vision went blurry-it was that high. The standard height for a floor was more than six meters. A strong wind was blowing and the sky was gloomy. The boy looked down - he didn't want to jump.

- "Do it! What are you waiting for! Just do it and it'll be over forever!," came a hoarse voice. The boy hesitated. All the memories passed before his eyes one by one.

- "You haven’t the courage even for that, you little cunning fellow," he heard a mocking voice behind him. "But, you have no other way out - only this can wash the shame from your face. And then you'll have some respect from me."

It was Namuro. He laughed maliciously and rather artificially. He was alone. Apparently his gang was hanging around the city somewhere, lounging in drinking establishments.

- We finish in about a year and then everyone will know what you are! I've been trying to reveal your true self to them for so long! But they believe you! You manage to fool them!

Namuro was slowly approaching and trying to look rather amused. The boy was on edge. So alone and so pathetic. At least in his own eyes. When he got a little closer, he added scathingly:

- At least your father's money doesn't mean anything now! Well, you never showed it, but you were never on the players' team either. And you won't be!

He was already within arm's reach. And the boy grabbed him by the collar. Totally unexpected.

- "Let go of me, you little crafty boy!," Namuro gasped and began to splash saliva like a garden watering can.

But the boy did not loosen his grip. He squeezed it very tight. Then he saw his eyes full of sadness. And he was stunned. He saw before him a man with nothing to lose. His teeth chattered with fear. And in that instant they both flew into the abyss.

The vision dimmed again. And the darkness spread around the boy for quite a long time. Too long passed and suddenly he saw another rather unpleasant moment.

- "Where have they fallen?," cried the headmistress.

- "Here, here," cried quite a number of voices.

- "They've scattered like cockroaches," came one voice.

Zontul didn't have the courage to look at the blur - it was downright disgusting. His gaze only fell on Namuro, who wore disproportionately large anti-grav boots.

After a moment, that vision vanished as well. There was an unusual silence in the hive, and a thick and sickening darkness descended. Zontul was left as if flooded with terror. The visions seemed to have flooded him with a bucket of ice water. Suddenly the hive spat it out like a candy that was too unpleasant to taste.

In front of him stood the demon duke, laughing. It was really disgusting. And the mounted crocodile was grinning stupidly.

AGARES

CHAPTER TWELVE: AGARES

 

- "You saw the truth, didn't you?," Agares was slapping his knees like a little child. "It's not pleasant like in fairy tales! And knowing it is often of no use! But you are different!"

- "So, Kazuk Mon chose me because I survived among all those children in that scary place?," asked Emborian uncomprehendingly.

- "Yes and no," hissed the demon, obviously slightly annoyed by his answer.

- "Kazuk Mon wanted to see death in another's eyes, and himself to survive. Don't you understand, the old man is a sung song?," the demon raged.

The demonic duke just became frightening. He was known for turning back fugitives. And Emborian was about to become just that.

- "You're going to have to run, Aren’t you?," the demon growled.

- "I'm going to stay here because you pointed out the truth to me," the boy said quietly. "After seeing it, I have nothing to lose."

- "That's how I want you," the demon cheered. "There's nothing more frightening in this world than a man with nothing to lose. And remember, I am only your guide and mentor, an ally if you will, but not your nEnny. You'll have to make a lot of the decisions yourself. But don't worry, the old tree-hugger won't lay a finger on you. I can guarantee you that. Hierarchy in Hell is a strange thing, my boy, but you're lucky your mentor isn't at the bottom of it!“ he chuckled."

- "What will you command then?," Emborian asked him. "I can't hide forever, as he'll find out one day."

- "Well, frankly, that's quite unnecessary," the infernal lord became completely serious. "You should have your basket tangled from earlier."

- "Op... what?," the novice snapped.

- Oh yes, I keep forgetting that you don't have things like that in the future. But you still have to prepare.

- "See the hook on my arm?," he looked at it. "When they cut off your hand, it linked us forever."

- "But how?," puzzled Emborian.

Under other circumstances the demon would have instantly destroyed it and found someone else. He had done this many times with his previous novices. This was the easiest. But now the stakes were huge. He knew that Kazuk Mon could bond with another hellmaster, and that would be quite unpleasant for himself. Every demon was bound to keep their reputation intact though.

- "Look, the Infernal Hive is a trial for many, including you. But you resisted the nightmares. That's how you'll get your first mission," the old man spoke anxiously. "You have to kill Kazuk Mon."

- "But, I don't know how to end someone else's life," the boy was horrified. "That's a crime."

- "I saw with my own eyes how you watched all the carnage during your ascension to Mag Tu," the demon looked at him seriously. "And he did not murmur, nor did he run away. Ah, now you're being asked to do something too simple! One step and you'll be bound to me alone!"

- "Now he must plunge into the noisy world; Weary with his insignificance, He will break, he will thirst, he will fight... In vain he will wait for peace. And I have not even time to sell my soul, it must fail itself[11]," the novice recites.

- "Your mentor really is a fool," the demon looked at him pityingly. "To quote Faust is rather, how shall I say, retrograde, and even strange."

The apprentice was silent. And the demon wasn't even gloating, just looking at him questioningly.

- "Well, what do you decide," he finally, groaned. "Do you agree?"

- "I accept," Zontul bowed his eyes.

- "Well, good," Agares seemed to rejoice. "Who knows? You seem sincere. Let's not waste any more time. Your real training starts right now."

- Before we begin, you should know at least one important thing. I am not the supreme demon. There are those of higher ranks. But you don't need to come into contact with them because they don't know you and someone might destroy you. Take this ring - it has my symbols on it - so if you get into trouble, they will know you are my person.

The minion fixed his gaze on a massive ring made of white gold on which the demon's initials were engraved. In the center was a massive pentagram, and around it were drawn some symbols.

- "I'm not finished," the demon laughed. "I think you're going to need that, too. This is the medallion of Marbas[12]. Guard it well, for it may prove too useful. Something might stop me from helping you. For now, that's enough."

The messenger hastened to thank him.

- "And finally," the demon muttered. "You will soon learn that someone very special is headed your way who will be of use to you. But I'm not allowed to give you his name, because those are the rules."

Suddenly the boy woke up. His forehead was drenched in cold sweat, but he was under no illusions about anything. He rubbed his eyes to make sure it was all true. Then he felt around his neck, but there was absolutely nothing there. He looked at his hands too - no sign of the demon's gift.

The room was dim and he could just hear the sound of his own breathing. All around was dead silence.

He thought about the encounter with the demon. Maybe it had happened just in time, or maybe his inner fears of taking on this new huge responsibility had overwhelmed him - it was hard to say. He rose from the ornate erdoman anti-grav capsule. He looked around and listened. There was absolutely nothing. Then he sensed something was wrong.

He went to open the powerful hydron door that isolated the underground crypt from the outer antechambers. There were absolutely no emphorils on post.

"I've got to run," the boy thought, and readied himself, but suddenly found himself thinking, "Maybe I'd better investigate what's going on after all!"

The outside of the antechamber was impressive with its futuristic design, overflowing with ornamentation. Emborian was transfixed by the richness of the forms and the power of its symbolism. Numerous scenes associated with Arthusson were depicted.

The boy continued his tour, wearing only a hyon robe, lined with kevlarite tiles and an erzanar helm that guarded his head. In his hand he held an erux he had found from behind one of the massive columns. He passed through the four main anterooms of the crypt, but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.

Suddenly he realized. They had sealed the crypt. He was buried alive! That meant this was the fate of Mag Tu!

He began to walk around in a trance, spitting curses he had never imagined he could utter. Then he fainted. He was lying on the cold floor, made of solid HHermonad’s granite brought some fifteen years ago from the planet Ufur Gan, which was famous as a hotbed