Chapter 30
A young beautiful girl whose prettiness was able to charm even the G.o.ds was sitting on a bench, impatiently dangling her legs in sandals. Her long golden hair fluttered in the wind, her huge emerald eyes, framed by thick eyelashes, reflected the light moon – her whole appearance was somehow magical, marvelous, unearthly.
There came a mournful howl of ghosts came from somewhere behind her.
The girl narrowed her eyes sharply, and an understanding smile appeared on her lips.
«Your memory is awful, the second time it won't do!» - the voice melodious as spring bells sounded unnaturally sharp, instantly destroying her entire innocent image.
The "Ghosts" obediently became silent. Heavy sigh and quiet laughter, replaced by a creaky voice of the elder:
«Miss Juno, I'm in my thirteenth decade, don't judge me strictly.»
«The old fool, once again you repeat me that!» - in the smile of the girl who turned around, there was a cheerful slyness.
There appeared Flitz before the light eyes of Juno, the one sent to be replaced by sent Martin. A tall, thin old man with a shock of white hair and a long beard; his face wrinkled with age, only eyes burned with life - he was dressed in a gray robe of the sage, which was not matched his appearance of an ugly old man.
«My old heart can not stand such harsh words, what about your manners?» - the old's man's face also lit up with a smile.
«Your heart won't stand it!» - defiantly snorted the girl, and, rising from the bench, closed her eyes and stretched herself luxuriously, arching her body – from his provocative view unbearably Flitz wanted to click the parasite on the nose.
She slyly revealed gleaming emerald eyes and reproachfully muttered:
«Well?! Have you forgotten how to greet your mistress?!»
«Ahaha! Let's hug, dear... Have not seen you for ages...» - Flitz with a laugh pulled the mischievous to him, forcing her to bury her nose in his chest – the girl was inferior to him in height for a whole head. The old man could not resist the pleasure of burying his nose in the s.h.a.ggy crown - nostrils tickled the smell of her expensive shampoo. Her sweetness and spontaneity resembled a spoiled puppy – one wanted to caress her, but life is more expensive.
«Flitz…» - the girl pulled away. – «Tell me what you have found out.»
The old man sat down wearily like a mouse scuttled beside him, stroked her gray skirt on her knees.
«The information was correct... She fled to the Imperial capital. I hold some investigation, which revealed that she immediately entered into the order, pa.s.sing the exam at the result of one hundred points. She was immediately admitted as the inner disciple, just imagine!»
«Mmm... How unexpected it is.» - the girl snorted sarcastically, tucking a stook of hair behind her ear. - "How's she doing there? Why does she need the order?»
«Alas, my shrewdness was not enough to meet her in person, but I heard very, very much from external disciples. Oh, yeah, no matter...» - the man wearily waved his hand. – «On the first day she became famous so that she had obtain admirers…»
«Shut up! Do not continue. I know she's beautiful, strong, smart, blah,blah,blah. Miss perfectness.» - Juno grimaced. Her eyes flashed with rage: - «I spent my childhood in the shadow of her magnificence, so shut up about it and say something about the case.» - the girl could hardly keep herself, not to stamp her foot out of spite.
A down feather of some night bird fell on her neat nose. The girl sneezed softly and smiled dazzlingly as she watched the feather soared into the air and now was slowly plummeting to the ground. The old man's heart skipped a beat and he hurried to look away. Having cleaned his throat nervously, he continued:
«Yeah, sure. Anyway... I don't think she ran away because Timothy Brown wanted to marry her. He was an ordinary puppy to her, weak and frail, which can only to yelp loudly. It still lies in the loss of the father…»
Juno sucked in air with a whistle, causing her small, neat chest to stir, and moaned, hiding her face in her hands: "As I thought. That fool... She... No, she's a fool.»
Flitz asked cautiously.
«That's her sore subject, isn't it?»
«Yeah. She's crazy about him... Does she think that the father is alive, but has many years are no longer with us?! He's either dead or a complete idiot!» - she had already growled the last words, her eyes flas.h.i.+ng with hatred mixed with grief for her father, who had always loved her sister more than her.
The old man sighed softly:
«Once I spoke with your grandfather, and he said, that his son, perhaps, alive... His people long tried to discover circ.u.mstances, but all traces snuffed out on the verger with demons, in the day succubi love. These d.a.m.ned creatures are very powerful, but it is also known
«Clear. Great, just great. Now she decided to become a suicide. I'm extremely happy for my sister.» - a nervous giggle. Juno wrapped her arms around herself, as if frozen, and shook her head: «How could she be three years older than me but to have intellectual capacities weaker than a sparrow has…»
Flitz tactfully had not commented this utterance. Elsa was the best of the best, and her sister knew it. She had hundreds and thousands of admirers wis.h.i.+ng to obtain from her just a single look.
«You know, ever since I've known the real you, I've had a lot less hair on my head... ow!» - the old man obviously did not expect a blow to the shoulder from the angrily puffing "puppy".
«Are you implying that you don't like me?» - impact. – «Speak! Am I adverse?! Hm?» - and one more blow. – «Say it!»
The old man, unable to withstand the attack, jumped aside. Rubbing his bruised shoulder (there would surely, appear a bruise, a kind of toadstool! – indignantly dropped:
«You're the most disgusting girl in the world! Such girls as you is impossible to find!»
Juno rushed to the old man, in the desire to demonstrate that until now she was just an angel - that's just not kept up Flitz who had already gained the proper experience:
«Old b.a.s.t.a.r.d, you've been sitting in a mine for months! He imposes formations, you see! Maybe you just like slaves, huh? I know you're a pervert in your soul! Stop it, will you?»
Flitz, with a sly grin, obeyed the order to stop abruptly and turned around, because the girl who did not expect such "obedience" immediately got into his chest.
The old man exhaled wearily. He carefully peeled off an overly energetic person from his coat, grinned, looking at the reddened nose and wet eyes from tears – shuddered, immediately averting his eyes.
Juno, with a sad sob, rubbed her slightly swollen nose.
«You old jerk... Why have you stopped so abruptly?!» - she snapped, stepped forward menacingly and swung for another blow.
Flitz immediately caught a small fist:
«You should still grow and grow, to retaliate me. By the way, how is your training going on?»
Juno broke free, straightened her silk blouse and strode down the path through the park, nervously tapping her low heels. Her face reflected disappointment mixed with resentment.
«If I had established a connection with the spirit not three months ago, but, as a sister, in early childhood, she would have been kneeling in front of me to curry favor, and not rus.h.i.+ng about all sorts of orders and not looking for problems on her a.s.s.»
Flitz's eyes shone with delight: look, the pot is two inches high and how much arrogance!
«Wow! What a hot word. You may be talented, but don't you think you estimate yourself too highly? Okay, I'm not a good target, I'm very strong, so you have that kid, like... Hmm... Kind of a name is Egorka... Even him you can not win!»
The "Puppy" has angrily sniffed:
«Old bones, watch your tongue! He, incidentally, the most promising young fighter in our family! And then, he always fights with a difference of two degrees higher, but never with his equals, like a coward.»
The old man burst in laughter:
«Yeah... If that difference stopped your sister, do you think she'd be the number one genius?»
«Shut up! Shut up! d.a.m.n, I hate you so much! Is that why you talk about her all the time, like all of them?!" -Juno put bandwagon to Flitz in maleficent manner, but Flizt crossed without even looking. She angrily growled: "Just dare to say something about it again! And not a word about Egorka, after his last transgression, I do not think even to think of him!»
Flitz misunderstood what a misdemeanor was made by the guy, but hi was not interested in the answer.
«So you don't want to get stronger?»
«Of course I do!» - irritably hissed the girl.
«hha! How about if I train you to fight?» - with a sly look suggested Flitz.
«I don't want to do it with you.» - Juno snapped without thinking.
The lights in the old man's eyes went out, the world faded for a second. The Formacist shook his head, banis.h.i.+ng the sad thoughts:
«You're the first one who refuses to work out with me... Juno, if you can not cope even with Egorka, maybe you will fight with one of equal strength?»
«Oh, no! Do I look like a kindergarten teacher?! In addition, all boys, and young men only can let saliva saliva during the fight! And you know how I hate perverts. Like you.» - vengefully stroke a little man.
«Look, while fighting with mannequins, you are losing a lot! Yes, you have the talent to climb to the fifth level in three months... Many only dream about this, but without the skill to fight – what difference does it make how developed you are? Would you be pleased if someone below you a dozen levels would quietly put you on your knees?»
The girl's shoulders sagged. Sighing, she barely heard whispered:
«You're right... Of course you're right. Actually, I don't mind studying with you, but how long are you staying this time? The Family needs you... f.u.c.king Formacivt...» - she picked up her dreary eyes on the old man, knowing the answer.
Flitz was deeply moved, he held out his hand to this sweetest girl in the world, but stopped shortly, immediately clenching his fist.
«I should ask the Boss and the elders, and also communicate with your brother. I guess Martin won't be working there long, so I'll have to go back... Sorry.»
«That's what I mean.» - Juno snorted, hurriedly continuing going ahead.
«What if I bring you a man who won't drool? And that he fought well, and was not a whipping sack, as in those times?» - Flitz remembered the pile of meat that had not survived even a day with Juno. And even several such "lucky ones." A chill went through the back..
«Why, I will not refuse a sack.» - giggled the charming tyrant with a skirt on.
«Be serious! This is for you!»
«I know. Well... Find someone strong, but be weaker than me, and no drooling! And... To make me feel good about dealing with him, hitting him, I mean. You understand - he has to be able to stand as long as possible.»
Flitz eyed girl with judgmental sight. What she does with the "whipping sacks" is not worthy of the t.i.tle of mistress, daughter of the Patriarch of such a high-born family. He shook his head discontentedly:
«I promise I'll find someone for you.»
Juno sat down on a bench, paused, admiring thoughtfully at the moon.
Abiding in the shadow of the sister was finally over, but that did not help. It seemed to her that she was born to surpa.s.s Elsa, but fate slowed her development for the compet.i.tion to have been equal. And now... It's time to catch up, it's time to declare herself to all who despised her, who compared with the elder sister and still compares who saw her as a little girl only, who could admire her appearance only. Now her life goal was to defeat her sister at the eyes of everyone. To ptove her greatness.
Juno couldn't hold back her sweet yawn it had already been a deep night. She put her arm around the thin old man, speaking softly almost in his ear:
«Thank you, Flitz, for finding out about my sister for me.»
The old man was touched – it was rare to hear from this walking disaster sincere grat.i.tude. His hand automatically reached her fluffy top, but his fingers suddenly crouched, and he just hugged her in response.
«Not at all. Let me accompany you to your room.»
«No need, I'll do it myself.» - one more yawn.
«Well, in that case... Good night, miss Juno, Queen of mannequins.» - the old man smiled. And how this mean person could cheer him up with just her appearance?
The girl waved out and, yawning, went to bed.