"But how can we guarantee that Rhaegar will drink those 'potion' waters?" said the mage named Rank, "and he's not that easily fooled. Even though they were determined to rebel, Rhaegard's power still made these people feel awe-inspiring from the bottom of their hearts.

"He will do so," said Suter confidently, "for the one who will offer these 'potions' will be his most trusted friend." ”

"They will use your most trusted friends as a tool against you. "Even though I didn't get a detailed plan, I can still imagine what they're going to do - the 'potion' they have high hopes for should be delivered to you by someone you trust without knowing it, and that's their greatest reliance." ”

"Trusted friend," a smile appeared on Rhaeggar's lips, he already knew who the rebels were targeting, "well," he whispered, "just let my friend bring me this lovely potion." ”

"If you're still 'addicted' to this kind of game, we'll probably never reach the god of the storm. Looking at Nack, who was in high spirits as she engaged in hand-to-hand combat with a giant ape at least three meters tall, Jess smiled and said, "Stop teasing that poor fellow, we still have a long way to go." ”

"As you wish. The sub-giant threw the behemoth weighing at least two thousand kilograms out of the way with an easy over-the-shoulder throw, then patted the dust off his hands and walked over to his wife, "Tie it up," he instructed his retinue, "Hel will like this soldier, it has the blood of a snow ape on it—only a meager trace of it, of course." "—The last sentence was said to Jesse by the special 'door'.

Nack's retinue swarmed up, quickly shackling a pair of sturdy shackles around the ape's hands and feet. Over the past decade, they have become extremely skilled in these actions as Nack's hunting assistants, and out of admiration for the young chieftain of the only member of the tribe who has inherited the blood of the ancestral giants, who has gone through great hardships to find his compatriots who have been scattered in the land of chaos and chaos, and who have shown great strength in battles against monsters and hostile intelligent creatures, they have not hesitated to carry out his orders.

"Hel would be glad to receive such a gift," Jess smiled as she greeted her husband, "but if we don't hit the road right away, Rhaegar will most likely send that snow ape to see if we're in trouble on the way, considering that we should have been in the Storm's sphere of influence two days ago." ”

"Let's go. Nack smiled mildly at his wife's gentle accusations, and as the gift from the Man in Black melted into his soul, his giant bloodline was further discovered, which made him stronger and stronger, but also began to develop a burning desire for battle—in the age of the gods, giants were known for their aggressiveness and bravery.

"Alright boys," Nack clapped his hands and shouted to the young sub-giants who were curiously surrounding the bound giant ape, "if you're interested in that big one, you can see enough on the road, but now we should go," he grimaced at the children he and Jess had born, "or Mommy would be angry again." ”

"Listen, you fools!" said Tomahawk, standing on a small hillside, at the caravan members who were struggling to move at his feet, "Speed me up again, and if I can't get to my destination in time because of your slower than tortoise movements, I'll make all of you *** bloom!"

No one complained about these words, although they were only merchants who traded with the tribe of the tomahawks, not subordinates of the dwarves, whose weapons and armor were their main source of income, and the wine they sold to the dwarven tribe each year was another important income, and in such a situation it was not unacceptable to remain silent under the roar of the tribe's most powerful warriors.

"Great battle axe," a young dwarf walked down the hill with a glint of fanatical worship of the battle axe in his eyes, "we have entered the sphere of influence of the Storm God, and Master Gatles is being ordered to meet us at the front. ”

The mage's name was not unfamiliar to the Tomahawk, and for more than a year before, it was this former Carson, now a loyal follower of Rhaegar who was in charge of 'dealing' with the dwarven tribe.

"Give him the things we brought," Tomahawk said loudly, "He's a mage, there should be a way to get these things to the mage tower in the shortest possible time, I've had enough of those slow guys." He strode down the hill, "You can choose to go on the road with me, or you can follow the mage. "Slowing through the mountains of despair with a large number of goods had exhausted his patience, and the dwarf now just wanted to throw the cumbersome to reach his destination quickly.

Without hesitation, a dozen young dwarves broke away from the ranks and followed behind the tomahawks.

"I am Sono, the foreign deacon of the Mage Tower, and welcome to you, the great sub-giant king. Outside the great 'gate' of the God of the Storm, a mild-looking mage respectfully saluted Nax, and said, "Allow me to salute you and your kingdom on behalf of my master. ”

Over the years, Nack had not been to the Storm God many times, and for him, the mage tower that belonged to his companion was no different from his own residence, but now, he represented not only himself, but the entire tribe of sub-giants and the hundreds of thousands of intelligent beings of other races who vassal them, so the necessary etiquette was indispensable.

"Thank you for your hospitality," Nack said gently with the courtesy of a sub-giant, "and on behalf of my people, I pay the highest respect to your master and the mage tower under his rule. ”

"The master is waiting for your arrival," said Sono to the sub-giant, after the tedious meeting ceremony had ended and all of Nack's entourage had been treated in the best possible way, "you can go to him at any time." ”

"I can't wait," Nack said with a smile, and then walked towards the top hall under the guidance of one of the 'attendants' in charge of the Mage Tower.

Almost as soon as he stepped into the hall, the Tomahawk's distinctive loud voice was already ringing in his ears.

"I've crossed the Mountains of Despair and walked tens of thousands of kilometers just to get here to see you, but you've only let me drink these things!" the dwarf shouted discontentedly, his hands clutching a gem-encrusted flask and a pure gold goblet, "I'm going to drink two hundred years of Solan." ”

"I'm afraid it won't work," Rhaegar shook his head and said calmly, "those treasured wines are limited in quantity, and they can only be used to receive allies who come to form an alliance. ”

"But I am your ally!" said Tomahawk exclaimed, "I have been commissioned by the elders of the tribe to form an alliance with the god of storms, and from now on, we will form the strongest alliance, we will provide each other with hospitality, convenience and protection for each other's personnel entering our territory, and at the same time cooperate in trade, I have brought at least two large carts of good wine made by the dwarves, they are no worse than Solan, we can use them at banquets!"

"You didn't bring any written documents about the alliance," Willy said unceremoniously, "and left the team carrying the gifts and went on your way alone." ”

"We're partners," Willy's accusation made Tomahawk's voice much quieter, "Born and died together, drinking and fighting together, aren't these as good as those documents and gifts?"

"I'm sorry," Rhaegar said, "there are only a few jars of Solan left, and I even had to cast a spell on them myself to prevent their fragrance from getting unnecessary thieves." He looked at the tomahawk with a look of chagrin on his face, "As my closest companion, I'm sure you can understand what I'm doing, and those fine wines must be used for more important purposes—in fact, just today, I'll use some of them to entertain a noble ally, a sub-giant king from a distant land." ”

Nack finally burst out laughing, which also alarmed the tomahawks, who were regretting leaving the group, and he looked in the direction where the laughter came from in annoyance, and then, when he spotted the sub-giant standing at the 'gate' and the smiling Jess behind him, the dwarf jumped up and rushed in front of each other like the wind.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, King of the Giants. The usually rude dwarf bowed to Nack for the first time and said in an extremely respectful tone, "As the messenger of the dwarven tribe, allow me to extend my sincerest greetings to you and your queen on behalf of my tribe. ”

Nack forced a smile and responded with the same standard of etiquette.

"As a representative of two tribes that are about to form an alliance," Tomahawk continued, "I should have invited you and your queen to my banquet, but apparently the master here has prepared in advance, and I don't think we should do anything against his wishes. ”

"That's right," Nack said with a smile, "I'm about to accept the invitation of the master here, it seems that you are planning to leave, and I am sorry that I can't continue this conversation with you, but we can see you in the evening." ”

Tomahawks visibly froze.

"You should invite me to the feast," said the dwarf, sneeringly, "according to human etiquette, and out of politeness, you should invite me." "His face showed a deep sense of disappointment.

The others in the room couldn't hold back any longer, and erupted in a deafening laugh, and in the midst of this laughter, Nack reached out and picked up his long-lost companion and lifted it high into the air, "You stupid fellow!" he laughed and spun around the dwarf in his arms, and Willy had already passed them and greeted Jess with a warm smile. -