Black Star Light

Copyright © 2022 by Bikash Paul All rights reserved. Reproduction and distribution are forbidden. No part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the author and the publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, intellectual property, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other professional assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. The author and distributor individually or corporately, do not accept any responsibility for any liabilities resulting from the actions of any parties involved. I stood at the very edge of the cliff, exposing my face to the wind and peering at the massive man sitting on the prow of the approaching boat jerkily. The wind ruffled his copper hair, now throwing it over a face that was barely discernible from afar, then throwing it back, the river washed him and those who worked diligently at the oars - the dwarves, with cold spray. Huge, bald, mighty like the orcs of the dwarves of this world. My world. My gaze touched the shores of Eheya, which became almost invisible in the thickening fog, snatched out a huge fish that splashed a few meters from the boat and exceeded the length of the entire six-seater vessel, smiled at the Darkness enveloping my shoulders and covering from the wind. Darkness is my constant companion. My shield, my protection, my vest, my cover, my everything. Almost everything. The power of Adras accepted me as not even a host, but rather as an object for care. Because the Darkness cared, I felt exactly the care, it was not a service. As well as the one who approached me was not Dinar. Anyone - racard, orc, half-orc ... but not Dinar. Not my Dinar. The man stood up, turned to face the approaching island, brushed his hair back, and peered at the people waiting for him. The people gathered pretty well. After the bloody battle in the temple, after the attempt to invade my world by the hosts of the higher ones, after what I did with the Lights ... I was no longer looked upon as an empress. In the eyes of the people, I was now a goddess, no less. They followed me, they practically prayed to me, so far silently and from a distance, but in the temple, from which all the blood had been scraped out, the altar was hastily demolished and someone managed to draw a star on the main and only wall. Black star. The shining Black Star, whose light of prosperity shed on the island… Probably, if I had remained the sly heiress of Oitlon, such worship would probably have been flattered… But probably not. Worship, even gods, should be done with dignity. There was no merit in the silent, fear-hidden adoration of the people of the Free Isles. I slowly shifted my gaze to the boat approaching the pier - dignity in Dinard, even this one, not even remotely resembling the person I knew, was more than enough. He jumped into the river as soon as the boat got close enough to the shore, he jumped without fear and doubt, although the waters of Eheya were dangerous, especially for him - who is only half a man. Confidently he walked, wandering waist-deep in menacingly dark water and pulling the boat behind him, jumped onto the pier in one movement, throwing himself out of the water onto the darkened boards, tied the rope thrown by the gnomes to the pier, straightened up, turned to the crowd, looked at it with an interested look . I stood higher, almost on the very edge of the steep bank ... He didn't notice me. The look of the red-haired ... in the sense of the copper-haired ruler of Dallaria, piercing blue even from such a distance, looked over the assembled inhabitants of the island, paying special attention to the young islanders, then abruptly rose up, and on her lips ... Dinara played an extremely obscene smile, and her gaze to me. Next to me stood the unchanging Lord Alris and his sister Ajana, the former mistress of Caesar ... and, it seems, the upcoming beloved of Dinara. In any case, all his male attention went to her. He looked at the red-haired islander, going up the numerous steps, smiled at her, looked askance at her, even after Lord Alrys introduced me to him, hesitating a little, because he had no idea to whom he actually had to introduce me. And only when the performance took place, Dinard deigned to look at the one for whom, in theory, he arrived in this world. A quick disinterested look, which only became appraisal the moment blue eyes peered into mine… hardly corresponding to the concept of “human”, then a cold voice sounded: — Empress? Glad to meet you. Emperor of the Great Pride Dinar Grahsoven Astarimana. "Astarimana"... Caesar gave his empire to the Astariman family and my sister, as its last representative... well, it's not surprising that by marrying her Dinar took her name... my name... the name of my family. “Kari Oneiro Ellaras Ashero of the Whitriman family,” she quietly introduced herself in her turn, wrapping herself chillily in a shawl from Gloom. Dinar nodded indifferently, and again eagerly looked at the girl who was blushing under his gaze. The choice has been made. And the choice was clear. I must have died at that moment... The me that was Catriona Rinaviel Witrimana. The one who hated him and loved him. The one that was once ready to strangle in Gotmir, kill gray goblins in the forests, and sleep practically in the arms of the redhead who was taking me to Dallaria. Probably, if I had remained the same Kat, I would have made a scandal ... but hardly. I have already seen him with other women, with Lady Rayho, with one of Laura's ladies-in-waiting, I... I am Kari Oneiro, I am the empress of this world, I am the one who can withstand even this blow. “Ajana, send and arrange our guest,” she ordered quietly, fixing her regal gaze on the river. When they left, talking cheerfully and exchanging jokes about the destroyed island, I stood wrapped in the Darkness. And when they left, she was still standing ... And when the dwarfs got up and bowed to the "Pitch Glitter" and went into the city, I continued to stand. “Empress,” Lord Alris, who always accompanied me, called softly. “How beautiful Eheya is,” she replied without turning around. The river was really beautiful, bewitchingly beautiful. Amazing, incredibly, incredibly beautiful… Majestic, full of strength, almost sentient river of the Lower World, so desperately trying to protect what was dear to him. Those who were dear to him. “The river is certainly delightful, my lady, but you hardly need to admire it for so long. It's windy today,” the guardian said softly. I could have told him that I just couldn't turn around. I don't want anyone to realize how much pain I'm in right now. How excruciatingly painful. Dinard didn't say anything and at the same time said so much. The ruler of another country pointedly ignored the empress of the state in which he resides?! Oh, he could stop being MY Dinar, he could forget me completely and not remember when we met, he could do a lot, but… But a ruler who defiantly ignored another ruler?! Dinar could be an i***t, could lose his memory from the manipulations of Caesar, could become a rakard who fell into insanity, but even in this situation, he would remain the ruler. And the ruler defiantly ignored the other ruler, this is nonsense! And here's a question for you, Catriona Rinaviel Whitriman, what's going on? Answer? Oh, I had it too. Dinar came for me. I knew it in the same way as the fact that the sun rises in the east, but ... Dinard will play dirty, very dirty and ... without me. The one-on-one fight, one might say, has already started. The battle of the Great and mighty Dinar Graskhoven against the even more Great and mighty Araeden Ellaras Ashero is declared open! The duel of the century - Vile, Insidious and Extremely Dodgy Evil against the Evil of the World and I'm not even afraid to say - the Multi-World, given the ability of Caesar to move more than calmly through these worlds. In total, we have - one experienced and beyond measure hardened by life's storms against another capable of setting goals and achieving them by any means. But Caesar was more experienced. Three hundred years is not fifty. The experience of the ruler of Erradaras, and after the experience of capturing the entire Dawn World, was phenomenal, while Graskhoven had only the possession of agrarian Dallaria behind him, and good performance in Hornass, the stronghold of Gotmir. Thus, Dinara had a chance to survive only on one condition - working in tandem with me. And then, only a chance, only a ghostly chance, because once the Caesar has already beaten us, easily and with a smile. More than beat - Araeden truly could be applauded, but ... for some reason there was no desire. I don't even know why, probably out of spite. But in fact, it was not the Caesar who hurt me now, but the redhead. My favorite redhead, who, apparently, has not wised up with age at all! He could just pass by. I could have ignored it pointedly, and I would have understood everything, I am smart, I am more than smart in such matters, but ... Dinar defiantly preferred the red-haired mistress of Caesar to me and did not even touch me. It was painful. With my mind, I understood that he had made a deliberate step, but my heart ... my heart was very painful. It hurt so much that I could hardly hold back my tears. And also the fear that I will have much more bitter tears. Now, in the existing conditions and at the existing rates, Dinard did not have a chance. But he is stubborn. He's stubborn, like... I don't even know how anyone is. Of all the people I knew, Dinar was the most stubborn. Stubborn and inflexible. He stubbornly and unbendingly went to the mastery of Gotmir for many years, but he just had no idea what he would do with him when he captured both the region and the mines! And now I am his target. And it's not that I think that Dinar is absolutely unaware of what he will do when he gets me, but ... nevertheless, what will he do if he suddenly gets me? And how can he do it? And how dastardly his actions would be if he had already hurt me, and clearly to get me to stay away from him. And what should I do? Keep out?! As far as I understand, this is exactly what Dinard wants. And as far as I understand… he will spend his nights with Ajana. Reasonable. prudently. A good distraction and, in general, absolutely correct actions in the conditions of the existence of a Caesar who is quite capable of reading minds, that's just ... it still hurts me. “Empress, the wind is picking up, you should return to the city. I'll have Ajana take care of a warm bath for you. A warm bath is one that cools down quickly. You can sit in a hot one for a long time, but you won’t stay in a warm one in a cold tower for a long time, and rightly so - today we still have so many things to do in the world that should have been raised from the ruins, so that there was clearly no time to suffer. Turning to Lord Alris, she nodded and went to her dilapidated city - to restore and build ... apparently this is my only purpose. Also, ignorance. Oh, the amazing destiny - to be in ignorance through life! ***