PrologueFrom the sky fell truly deafening.
Ruthless … did not give a single chance to sound.
Of course, the battlefield noise felt like home. There was no shortage not only in cries and abuse, but also in the deadly scheme that began with the singing of the blades and ends with a bang. In the ears of an experienced warrior all harmoniously blended into a symphony of war and even lent forces in battle.
– … ?!
But … some sounds were afraid even to old soldiers.
Although they were on the battlefield, the sound did not have anything to do with the battle.
It was the sound of destruction, sound, destroying the enemy with the help of power and superiority.
Can not be called “battle” is simply the destruction of the enemy, which does not give him a chance to respond with anger, grief, fear or hatred. People who have died from the fact that they were in a landslide or flooding, not waiting for the glory. They were killed like cattle, without giving any chance for retribution.
– .. ..!
Sound, distributed over the head magician named Simon Scania meant just that.
He was in a dark gorge.
It is literally surrounded by mountains, shrouded in the darkness of night.
Both sides rocky land on which almost no gra.s.s grew, and which is almost running animals, the wind swept rare … usually after sunset this place is filled with silence.
– … !!!
Overhead, there were some black spots, as if someone had holed the sky. They were like a solar eclipse, enveloped in a flickering flame … and grew up in his eyes, continuously emitting deadly rumbling roar.
Each of them was death … or rather, having a crushing strength “Stryker”.
Large-scale spell Exterminating type of localized battles – “Hard Rain.”
Despite the pretentious name, in fact, the main threat to this spell was ba.n.a.l “collapse.” Not in the fire and even lightning. Just falling sh.e.l.ls.
Any thing flies from the top down. It knows even a child.
But even such an obvious phenomenon … may lead to this cataclysm, if you add to it a sufficient distance, weight and quant.i.ty. Even a pebble dropped from a suitable height, can accelerate to what would become a formidable weapon, not inferior to the boom. … And if the objects are so large that they can not raise alone, and many, like raindrops, then the power will be so great that you can easily understand how to use them to ruthlessly destroy a whole town or village.
Yes. Initially … the spell was intended to a.s.sault enemy bases.
– ..
At its core, “Hard Rain” was an army spell that requires lengthy preparation.
Moreover, the impact of fire are required at least 10 mages and high Gundo and sources of magical energy.
Pre spell it required that in the sky over the target sprayed created through the magic of “matter” (it can be either run in the sky with the help of magic, or sprayed with who is still above the balloon), and only when it is sufficiently fit to proceed to the main stage spells.
High above the clouds created by magic “nucleus”, which started to rotate at high speed, and tightening environmental spressovyvaya their “mother.” They grew sharply in the millions, no, billions, and sometimes trillions of times heavier.
Similarly, in the sky formed a pair of raindrops.
That’s just the spell gave rise to far from harmless drops.
Huge “Stryker”, took to the air pressure form raindrops, red-hot, and fell to the ground in an incredible amount with a force like a sledgehammer blow.
A very simple phenomenon.
But therefore it is impossible to do anything.
You can try to stop the spell, but the magic is made high in the heavens, and what’s more, when the enemy sees the first “Stryker”, all the magical procedures have time to finish. Therefore, this magic is impossible to prevent.
There remained only one thing … to defend themselves with the help of an equally large-scale protective spells.
Against the rain from heavy, solid, and also hot “strikers” could not help neither swords nor spears, whatever may have been the masters of those who used them. They would either crushed with a weapon, or easily to the shock wave.
– … ?! …!
Even the magician householder is not omnipotent.
Against “Hard Rain”, against an organized group of magicians, powerful and high-performance fuel Gundo, focuses only one person is useless. Erected hastily barrier would be crushed along with its creator.
Yes. Nothing to do.
It was believed that as soon as you get in range of such a large-scale Exterminating spell, you could only die.That is why even the veterans, hearing the roar of a “Hard Rain”, despair and powerless froze on the spot.
But…
– A-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah !!! – Roared magician named Simon Scania.
… He could not give up.
No. He did not want to die.
He was still so much to be done.
He wanted to do so much more.
But the main thing … was waiting for him at home favorite.
“Do you think … Am I going to die here ?!”
Simon raised his right Gundo, curbed by the fear of tangled thoughts and began to spell:
– Vale … Then … Elm … Nai Nai … ..!
If he had a chance to survive, it is in the same wing of large-scale “Hard Rain.”
In the end, “launch” any magic relies on the decision of one person only. Although complex spells and require the efforts of several magicians, only one of them controls its direction and makes the final decisions.You can draw an a.n.a.logy with a large ship that is running a lot of people, but only the captain makes the final decision about where it will float.
AND…
– Eu … Vaorun Alti … … … Malteo Rule … Alf Lai … ..!
… That is why the power of large-scale spell has been uneven.
One person could not see anything and could not distribute the power of the spell so that the damage is divided equally over the region. So if Simon defended himself from the strongest available to him as the magical shields, then he, though one would have appeared a chance to survive.
– Appear …
Let … and one.
– “Hard sh.e.l.l” !!!
Simon was able to activate the spell.
Once formed magical writings around Gundo immediately appeared translucent spherical barrier blue.
“Hard sh.e.l.l” was the most powerful protective spell that only knew Simon. The scope was small and limited movement magician, but no offensive magic point scale could not break through this barrier. And even in the case of large-scale magic if to avoid a direct hit, he had a chance …
– … Tx! – Simon pressed himself to the staff.
Although in most cases required to activate the spell will of the magician, it was only a “detonator” … and support spells and control of it exercised Gundo. Simon could only rely on luck.
So far, the “hard sh.e.l.l” to protect him.
From b.u.mps on its surface ran deformation waves, and pinch the barrier itself, but the spell still continues to hold.
– … !!!
– … ?!
He saw beside him his comrades.
Even through the translucent shield he saw about what was happening outside.
It seems that his fellow detachment something screaming. But the roar of falling “Hard Rain” drowned out their voices. Because of the waves, ran through the barrier surface, he could not even make out the movements of their lips.
– ..
One of them pulled a hand to Simon, as if begging to save him.
During a short break between two consecutive waves Simon miraculously managed to see the movement of his lips.
“Simon. Scania “.
And the next time …
– !!!
“Stryker” was exactly as his friend, and he was gone.
Huge drop-shaped body is going into the ground with such speed that it was neither crushed meat, no spilling of blood.
There was only a severed hand, flown through the air.
It hit the surface created by Simon “hard sh.e.l.l” and slid along it to the ground, leaving b.l.o.o.d.y fingerprints.
– … !!!
– … !!!
Shouted something and the other comrades.
But their words never heard before hearing Simon.
But he knew what they were talking about. Or “save us”, as the previous one. Or … something like “traitor”.
– Fx …
Magic Simon could only protect him for one.
And even with that, his chances of survival were slim. And despite the fact that the range of the spell has been pressed down as much as possible in favor of the greatest possible strength. Perhaps if he briefly interrupted “hard sh.e.l.l”, and then apply it again, slightly increasing the scope, would be able to grab one or two friends … but too high a risk that then die and Simon, and friend. And in general, what he was able to successfully apply these conditions “hard sh.e.l.l” itself is almost a miracle.
He had only to throw them.
To at least a little to improve their chances of survival, he must watch as his comrades die.
– … I could not do otherwise – quietly handed Simon.
It is to no one spoke. Most likely, and friends have not heard his voice just as he did not hear them.Therefore, these words he probably said to himself.
– I could not have otherwise. He could not otherwise. Could not otherwise. I could not otherwise!
If he could, he would have saved them all.
On the battlefield, he is extremely weak in close combat magician, survived only because the melee instead engaged master of this case – swordsmen and knights. It is fully recognized. He knew that his friends were not just saved his life.
But … but that’s why he could not cancel after this “hard sh.e.l.l”, is not it?
This would mean that Simon probably would have died along with his companions.
The death of the company was not entirely meaningless.
If he had a chance to survive, is not it better than nothing? One survivor better complete extermination. With this would agree each.
He could not do otherwise. That’s why he could not do otherwise.
– Ooh, ah …
Who had taken refuge in the “hard sh.e.l.l” Simon put his head, closed his eyes and covered his ears.
Falling from the sky deadly sledgehammer. Dying comrades.
He could not bear what is happening around him.
He did everything he could. only pray that he survived he could do.
No…
– …
one more thing he had to do.
He had to kill the traitor.
As already mentioned, “Hard Rain” was used to attack the enemy base. Because the magic required lengthy preparation, you can not just apply it. And as for using it is necessary to spray the “matter”, it did not yield any sudden changes at the last minute.
This means their opponent almost never used small maneuvering platoons, like Simon’s squad.
But they were able to so accurately podgadat time and place of the attack?
Coincidence? It’s impossible.
They would not just prepare for the attack on the station, where there was not a single building.
So … their enemy knew exactly what Simon squad will take on this gorge on this very day, this very hour.Simon was sabotage detachment, is engaged imperceptible movements and ambushes. His movements known only to the people directly a.s.sociated with it.
The enemy was a man who generously shared information with them … a traitor.
Officer? Brother-soldier, who was not given to take part in operations due to injuries? Someone’s friend, lover or relative? In any case, someone has decided to sell squad Simon enemy and put them at a disadvantage.
– Do not forgive … Never forgive ..!
Kill the traitor.
Make him suffer for all those comrades that have died, and died at this very moment, and then kill.
Simon shrank into a ball inside the barrier, like a baby, and swore:
– I will surely kill him ..!
He threw his friends and only defended themselves without looking at how they are silently screaming with rage.
Simon decided to live only for the sake of hatred for the traitor.