Kara-kora [https://i.imgur.com/VkkGkzm.jpeg]

I was a wonderful storyteller, after all. An atmosphere of despondency and hopelessness from my conversation with Nyx filled our room. My friends listened to the story with droopy faces...

- So where is the Key? - I turned again to my companion. - Why can’t we use it?

- It’s good that you understand my point, — Nix smiled at me with a cheerful look. - I didn’t open the Portal for anything. However, not everything is as simple as it seems at first glance. The dragon, the head of the family, Pyronax, when he was chasing the kara-kora swallowed the Key. Whether by accident, I don’t know. The key, according to my observations, is still in the dragon and doesn’t seem to leave it. The only way to get it is to rip its belly open.

- So, if I understand correctly, to get home, I have to cut open the belly of a sleeping dragon and take the Key out of its stomach?

— You’re thinking in the right direction. Take into account his servants, the Servus who are on 24-hour guard, as well as the family members who live nearby. You can’t put sleeping pills in a dragon’s food, as it is immune to poisons, magic potions, and spells. Orkvalia magic does not affect it. It is immune to being killed by an arrow or a sword.

- What the hell are you talking about, damn you! - I couldn’t contain my emotions. You should have brought an army with weapons, not just one warrior.

Nix looked at me, his eyes filled with new hope. He realized that the world was changing, and sometimes heroes came in unexpected guises. Now, his task was to help me, a young man, discover my true potential and fight my enemies.

- Why kill him? Can’t we make a deal? - I was looking for some kind of loophole to get out of this situation. - Show the wonders of diplomacy, talk to him, for example. Agree to the concessions they’re offering.

- I’ve tried that, but it doesn’t work. It’s not just one dragon, it’s an evil family. They’re militant against all humans, birds, plants, and other dragons.

- Should we kill the other dragons then? They could stand in defense of the Pyronax family, couldn’t they?

Nyx thought for a moment. The neighboring dragons bothered him less than the Pyronax family. He admitted,

- I don’t know of any other way to drive the family out of Orkvalia. And whether the other dragons will come to their defense.

- Are you saying that the Pyronax family is at enmity with other families? The enemy of my enemy is my friend. It’s an ancient formula. Why didn’t you go to them for help?

- It didn’t occur to me, — the old wizard spread his hands. Small multicolored sparks sprinkled from his palms. Only now I noticed that while we were talking, the light in the underground office had diminished. The Orkvalia sun, like our Earth sun, was waning. Nix took a small piece of some mineral out of his pocket, shook it in his palms and when it glowed like a small sun, hung it from the ceiling....

.... Orbylight? - Theodore asked.

I didn’t bother to answer him. Just sighed. It was good that my friends had seen many of the things I had listed with their own eyes. There was no need for detailed descriptions.

..... - I’m not suggesting you fight the dragons alone. We’ll join forces and together we’ll defeat this foul thing.

I mentally chuckled. This is a phase of my life I never dreamed of. I’ll be killed as soon as I leave Nix’s hideout!

- I’ve prepared a room for you, — the old man rose from his chair and opened the door to my bedroom. It was a small room, lit by the same Orbylight. A spacious bed, covered with smelly dried grass, with no pillow or blanket. Clothes closet. No table, no books.

- I don’t want to sleep, — I looked at Nix. The wizard didn’t argue.

- Maybe you want to eat? There is an opportunity to wash up.

The service is like in the best five-star hotel. Just no TV or Internet.

- Tell me how you use magic. What you can create and what you can’t.

The old man crumpled a little, thinking about something.

- “He probably doesn’t want to share his secrets,” a sly thought flashed through my mind. It turned out to be much simpler, Nyx didn’t know where to start learning.

- Orkvalia is a blank canvas. In your case, a shapeless lump of wet clay. The first thing you think about is what you want to see when you’re done - the same shapeless lump or something beautiful and useful. I told you the other day that I created a couple of beautiful birds, the kara-kora. Look!

He began to move his hands through the air as if he were stroking an invisible bird the size of an ara parrot. Nix whispered barely audible words:

- Kara-kora avis.

The air between the wizard’s hands thickened, and at first, the outlines of a bird became visible. Then the contours became clearer and in a few moments I could see the bird, transparent as ice, but still motionless.

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Nix put his hand under it, and the transparent bird settled confidently on his wrist, shook and oh wonder! Kara-kora gained beautiful multi-colored feathers and became a real bird.

She was in no hurry to fly away, looking at the old man with her small beady eyes.

- Is that a female bird? - My heart raced with anticipation. I was eager to try my hand.

- No, it’s a boy. My females come out pale, and unattractive. As they should be in the wild.

I, following Nix’s example, stretched out my arms and stroked the imaginary bird. I did not have to strain my imagination. The live example was sitting a yard away from me and trying out its voice.

A few of my movements came to nothing, then I felt my hands were touching something alive and trembling. The air thickened and a few seconds later, a kara-kora was sitting on my hand. I created a female, more colorful, more beautiful. The way it sometimes is in the natural world. A small crest adorned the top of my bird’s head. She looked around quickly and immediately began to sing a trill that was not comparable to the song of a nightingale or a robin. And let me tell you, these birds are deserving of our respect.

Nix looked at the beautiful couple with his mouth open.

- You did it, — the amazed wizard said. - No worse than my bird. I think we will not let our singers out into the open sky yet. They should be in the forest, where there are many trees...

- Big, branchy trees, — I picked up Nix’s thoughts. The kind that grows all over the country and gives shade and shelter to many other birds and animals.

- As long as Pyronax flies over Orkvalia, there will be no such forest. He somehow suppresses my efforts to improve the landscape.

- Tell me about the dragon, — I asked Nyx after we moved into the dining room. I wouldn't call the wizard a good cook. I ate the salad cut by his hands without any pleasure. It was edible and nutritious, though not tasty.

The old man took turns sipping from one and another ceramic bottle. They contained some kind of magical energizer. Or a protein blend to boost his strength.

- When I settled here, Pyronax had already reigned supreme with his family. I saw scorched lands, ruined villages, and a dying country. The inhabitants of the few villages, depressed and intimidated, avoided any conversation concerning the family. So it is impossible to know if there have been any attempts to get rid of the dragons.

- Who revealed the dragon’s secrets to you, so that you know Pyronax can’t be poisoned? That he can’t be killed with an arrow or a sword?

- There’s a settlement near to my sanctuary. It’s a place where ordinary peasants live. Tilling the land, raising horned cattle. In the same village lives Maleus, a blacksmith, with his family. He’s an ally of ours. I don’t know how he knew the dragons were invulnerable. There aren’t many such craftsmen, so the Servus avoid him. You could use his help and advice.

The blacksmith Maleus is known in his village not only for his skill but also for his unrivaled knowledge in other fields. I believe he has his secret knowledge and skills.

I asked:

- Can I meet him tomorrow?

- Of course tomorrow. With darkness falling, the nocturnal predators come out to hunt. I take it you’re not ready to face them yet.

- I’ve got a shotgun, — I wanted to sleep. The events of the day had exhausted me. Perhaps two cups of cocktails had played a decisive role. But one question kept me awake:

- If you create all that is good and beautiful, who makes the terrible?

Nix hesitated, my question had stumped him. And yet, the old wizard found an explanation:

- I have seen many things, and magic is no exception. Magic, like a coin, has two sides, and wielding it requires wisdom and responsibility. When you create something beautiful, something good, it can have a beneficial effect on the world around you. But simultaneously, in a world where every fantasy becomes reality, even the noblest of intentions can have unintended consequences.

As a wizard, I realize that even the kindest of creatures can cause shadows. For where there is light, there is bound to be darkness. This is the law of world equilibrium. Therefore, when creating good, one should be prepared for possible negative consequences and strive to minimize their influence.

On the other hand, creating evil and horror oneself is a dangerous endeavor. Evil born out of pure spite or selfishness often comes out much stronger and more destructive than one might think. It is like a flame out of control, capable of consuming everything in its path, even those who caused it.

So magic is the art of balance. To learn how to manage that balance is to gain wisdom and power. My task as a magician is to strive for my actions to do more good than evil, and to be ready to accept the consequences of my actions, whatever they may be.