At first glance, the forest, located near the town of Eisir, was full of peace. Overflew trees stood quietly, and the wind only occasionally went over crowns, heading towards the overgrown pine trees of the mountains ... There was not a soul around. The forest was fast asleep.

But it was only at first glance.

In a cave full of blood, the young man hugged his dying cousin tightly, not wanting to believe in what had happened. Nearby stood, wrapped in a robe, and helplessly watching the drama, a young elf named Luna, whom they accidentally noticed and saved from a terrible reprisal ...

“It brightens,” she said, looking out of the cave.

Eric turned his gaze to the exit and saw that it was beginning to get light. His heart was pounding wildly - he realized that there was a chance to save Alina's life, or at least delay her death. He put her body on the ground and wrapped in a robe, leaving only her head out. Then strictly looked at the moon:

- I need complete silence.

Having received an understanding nod, Eric turned his gaze to his cousin. She just stopped breathing. A minute ago, no more. After all, even an ordinary person can bring back to life just drowned. And he can. All he needs is time. And the right time of day is between morning and night to get it.

He exhaled, concentrating, and raised his hand over his cousin:

- The light does not flow. The darkness does not thicken. Water does not flow. Time does not go. So be it for the honorable Alina, the daughter of Sir Vilhelm of the White Dragons, until I remove the spell myself. Lass es sein.

The girl’s face and hair flickered at that instant with a soft silver light. Eric, smiling, exhaled in relief. It remains only to hope that the spell affected her as a living object, and when removed ... no, it’s better not to think about it.

He looked to the moon. The girl was standing with her hand over her mouth. It was evident that she was very scared.

- Are you a necromancer? ..

- If you do not assume that you have never raised the dead, and the clan of necromancers has been for many generations in enmity with our clan, then I think ... No, I'm not a necromancer.

The moon breathed a sigh of relief. Limping, Eric walked around the cave and picked up a platinum chain with an acorn, which he presented to Alina when he became the successor to her father.

“I need to get my cousin home and start searching for an antidote,” he said, returning back.

Luna looked at Eric in a panic.

“You will not leave me here, will you?” Sir, they will kill me.

“I won't leave,” Eric said blandly. He was tempted to add “And then what was the point in Alina's victim”, but he restrained himself. He still had hope of her salvation, and what happened was not the fault of the elf.

- Thank you, sir. I will do everything in my power to help save Alina, and until then I will not leave you ... My name is Luna.

Eric immediately noted that the elf did not introduce herself with her full name and titles, but decided not to ask provocative questions yet.

“I am Sir Erik, the son of the late Sir Henry, of the White Dragon family, a first-degree magician.” Are you just the moon?

- Yes, Sir Eric ... I didn’t know that magicians, even the first stage, can stop time ...

“I didn’t know either,” Eric answered indifferently, after which he lifted Alina’s body — it was in the same position as if carved out of stone, but it didn’t weigh anything, and told Luna to come up and hug him tightly, and then moved into the forest, near village, which was located near the mansion. The moon was a stranger, and because of the protective spells cast on the house and its surroundings, he could not move straight into the mansion with her.

Gently putting his cousin on the leaf-strewn earth, Eric took off his robe and gave it to the elf, who was cowering from the cold.

“I’ll go home for a while and then come back for you,” he said.

- But, sir ... I'm scared ...

“Orcs are definitely not here, there is nothing to fear,” Eric replied restrainedly. There was no weapon with him, so he picked up a weighty stick from the ground, whispered a spell over it, adding strength, and gave it to the girl: - For protection. I instantly.

The moon grabbed a stick and, firmly clinging to it, watched as Eric, lifting up Alina’s body, began to dissolve in the resulting blue vortex.

The elf waited every second for his return, and so it seemed to her that time was stretching for an infinitely long time. Plus, her legs were very cold. Above the horizon, the sun had already appeared, and the Moon began to lose hope that they would generally return after it, when Eric suddenly appeared from a blue whirlwind. In his hands he held a pile of clothes and shoes.

“Wipe the blood and get dressed,” he said, stretching out his clothes, then turned away to give the girl her personal space.

The elf took a damp cloth and wiped her face and body, wiping her gore. All wounds have already healed. Then she put on warm pants, socks and shoes. Throwing off her robe, she pulled on a warm white shirt and woolen burgundy dress over her, after which she allowed Eric to turn around.

For a moment, Eric's heart skipped a beat when he saw her — the same blue eyes, and the same platinum shade, the hair of Alina’s, was only slightly longer. But it was an elf - with a typical eyebrow spread and nose shape, sharp ears. Although her eyes looked insanely tired, she was very sweet and looked young. Eric drew attention to her earlobes - although there were no earrings, they were pierced.

“Let's go,” he said, holding her hand up so she could lean. The girl obediently took hold of his elbow and they headed somewhere in the forest. A strange feeling engulfed the moon - she really wanted to go back to the bush and pick up the forgotten stick, she began to think that they were going somewhere wrong, and at some point even felt a slight panic.

Erik senses that something is bothering the girl and wondered if everything was alright.

- Sir, I do not know what the matter is, but I really want to get out of here ...

Eric nodded.

“Be my guest, and don't worry about anything,” he said. At that very moment, the strange feeling disappeared. The moon began to understand: it was one of the protecting spells, which Eric had just canceled on her.

When they took a dozen more steps, a mansion suddenly appeared among the trees. The mansion was made of gray stone, with sharp turrets and even a viewing tower. One could say that it was a mini-fortress, if it were not for the spacious windows going from the second to the third floors.

Not far from the mansion there was a stable, and a dozen chickens were freely walking about in the yard. There was no farm anymore - all the necessary products came from several nearby villages as a payment for protection.

To the elf's surprise, almost no one was in such a huge mansion. The girl immediately asked why.

“All because of the damned cold war with the neighboring principality,” Eric replied. - The entire clan was ordered by the prince to be scattered around the borders many years ago ... And all for what? In order not to be taken by surprise in the event of an unexpected attack ... It’s already twenty years before.

“I'm sorry to hear that,” the girl said.

Eric shrugged indifferently. His not at all the absence of distant relatives in one place.

- Do you own local lands?

“Under our care, six villages and fields belonging to them,” answered the magician. - But we ourselves are not landowners ... Simply put, we are paid by the grandmother for the roof.

The last phrase led the girl in bewilderment. It was obvious that she was trying to understand what a roof and headstock are.

“This is village slang for security fees,” Eric explained. - I thought that in your principality, too, there are similar concepts.

“Yes, sir, of course, I knew ...” the girl answered absently. - Just thought a little ...

Eric only quietly stifled a smirk.

They went into a small office, where Wilhelm stood in dark clothes by the window. There was a sofa and a few chairs in the study, the skin of a huge bear lay on the floor. Burning fireplace.The elf immediately noted the striking similarities between Eric and Wilhelm, ...