Reflection of the night
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– No. For your joke with the fountain, I decided to take revenge, – she smiled.
Raven took a moment to cast a paralyzing spell on her, and immediately felt his entire body go numb as he realized that Anna had repelled his attack. With the swift movement of a skilled warrior, she slashed the blade through the air, sheathed it, and slung it over her back. Then she picked Robin up and laid him on the bed, making him comfortable with the pillows. With a satisfied glance at the motionless youth and a wink, she quickly put on her cloak and left.
Fifteen minutes of motionless solitude seemed like an eternity to Robin. During this time, he tried hundreds of ways to rid himself of the effects of his own charms. Suddenly, the door flew off its hinges from a strong blow, and Arthur stumbled into the room. To say that he looked surprised was to say nothing. For half a minute, Lord Kern was just a statue. Edward followed him through the doorway. Raising his eyebrows, he silently stood next to his friend and stared at Robin. A few more seconds passed before the young men began to shake with laughter. Reclining on the pillows, the king seemed to show no concern about this, except that his black eyes glittered fiercely in his dark face.
– How are you, Robin? – Arthur asked mockingly.
– Can I help you? – The Falcon chimed in.
– How can we help? – The Bear said, puzzled. – Do you have the magic to remove this paralysis?
– I don't have it, it was blocked. And you?
– And I don't have any magic, either.
– Should we call someone? – The young men were clearly enjoying the situation.
– How so? I'm under arrest and there's nothing I can do.
– So am I.
The king could only show by the expression of his eyes what he thought of his subjects. Finally, the leader of the Bears left and brought the guards. The mages quickly freed the Raven, who was able to yell immediately:
– Where is she?
The Falcon and the Bear looked at each other in mock bewilderment. Suddenly, the pale-faced head of the guard rushed into the room and hurriedly bowed.
– Your Majesty, the Countess of the Rhine has left the castle on her horse.
– Catch up and bring her back! – Raven snapped.
In his excitement, the subject began to stutter.
– W-w-which one?
– What?!
– The six horsewomen rode off in different directions. We couldn't determine where the mirages were, it all happened too fast.
– Catch up with all the horsewomen!
– Yes, Your Majesty.
The guards withdrew. Robin quickly pulled on his shirt and doublet, moving back and forth uncontrollably. The sound of the siren made everyone in the room tense up.
– Someone broke into the vault!" – Arthur shouted.
The young men ran.
The palace treasury was protected by the most powerful magic spells imaginable. Therefore, it was deserted in front of the entrance. When the siren announced that all the locks were broken, a large squad of the palace's best guards quickly appeared in the hall. Spread out in battle readiness, they looked around for the enemy. The captain was the first to spot the black knight at the top of the stairs. In the hands of the silent stranger, two blades flashed and cut through the air like lightning. After performing this trick, he paused for a moment, waiting for the attack, and it immediately took place. Streams of destructive energy flew at him like a wall. The warrior swung his swords again and, in some incomprehensible way, some of the magic reflected back, scattering the squad, and another part created a wall behind them. Which is what Arthur, Edward, and Robin saw when they arrived on the scene. The squad immediately grouped together and split into two halves. The first half of the warriors rushed into battle, climbing the stairs with their weapons drawn. The Bear and the Falcon were touching the invisible wall, trying to figure out what spell would destroy it, and the Raven suddenly disconnected from reality. A memory flashed clearly in his mind. He's only seven years old. He lives alone in the Greenlands. The servants who had cared for him and the Auden heir had fled. He hears the baby cry and sees the last of the knights defending them fall, slain by the swords of the warriors of the Order of the Golden Lion. He is small, but he understands that no one will spare them. The Black Knight appears unexpectedly and pats him on the head. He pulls out two blades that reflect the blinding light of the sun, and goes forward alone against two hundred experienced soldiers. The boy barely has time to watch him, like a black tornado that inflicts wounds on its opponents, and they can do nothing in return.
– It's him, – Robin said dully.
– The Phoenix spell, Raven, recite it, and the wall will collapse in fifteen minutes, – Arthur says hurriedly.
At this time, the knight in black entered the battle. In his hands, a weapon glittered, smashing at his opponents. It took him five minutes to leave ten people injured on the stairs. The best warriors, the Falcon and the Raven, stood speechless. Meanwhile, the stranger in dark clothes, after taking a short break, jumped down the stairs, spinning like a top. Another five minutes, and the rest of the squad suffered the same fate. Leaving the soldiers groaning from their wounds, the masked man hurried to the vault door and opened it with a single blow of his blade.
– The King's sword, – the Falcon breathed, and looked back at Robin. – He has the sword of Adenia.
– Yes, she's not acting alone. She managed to get it to him, – Raven said softly.
After a few minutes, the wall disappeared, and the young men rushed forward.
– Bring the healers here, quickly! – The Falcon shouted to the maid as she entered.
As they ran into the vault, they saw the gleam of a teleport opening. Robin struck with magic, which was immediately deflected and reinforced with a shield borrowed by the burglar from the royal treasury. Placing the shield in front of the king so that he could hold it, the knight turned to face Arthur and Edward.
– And you are a great swordsman, sir, – said the Falcon contemptuously, drawing his sword and charging at his opponent.
Their blades crossed, and the duke felt the confident strength of the enemy. A moment later, the knight performed an unfamiliar maneuver, the sword that slipped out of the young man's hands, plunged into the wall, and he himself was hit in the jaw and fell to the floor almost in a semi-conscious state.
– Well, it's understandable that you can fight with swords, – said Arthur. – Maybe we can try it with our fists?
Silent as a ghost, the intruder calmly put down his blades and dodged the Bear's sharp lunge. The masked man was jokingly dodging Arthur's well-aimed punches. He was waving his arms, and his expression was becoming more and more confused. The young man fell from one imperceptible movement of the opponent, which even a swing could hardly be called. Leaving his opponents defeated, the dark knight walked over to the transfiguration statue and took off his gauntlet, placing his hand on its base.
– The teleport won't open for a male warrior, – the impassive voice said.
Very little time left for Robin to free himself from the captivity of the magic shield. The Bear and the Falcon also began to recover, slowly rising from the floor.
– I am not a man, – the knight replied, removing his mask.
The three young men saw Augustus, pale and coughing, run up to Anna Rein, holding a branch of juniper in his thin hands. Halfway there, he stumbled and fell. It was obvious that in order to get up, the boy gathered all his will.