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NEW WORLD 31
He was new to the monastery. A month ago, a year had passed since he had been brought here. Like many other innovations, the boy lived with anxiety. Settling in a stone labyrinth, Werf also experienced awe at first. In order to somehow calm himself, he began to visit the scriptorium, where henchmen were allowed to read books. They told him that four hundred years ago, during the reign of Rebar III, a military garrison was located here. Five hundred soldiers, knights and squires lived in the fortress. Since 241, after the Magorians destroyed the Niktvi and Almer fleet in the Gulf of Akabar, the outpost lost its strategic importance and quickly fell into disrepair. Two years later, dozens of Nismantes lived in it under the wing of a certain master Loredan, and this number grew until the Reiman Reformation, which broke out at the end of the last century.There were only sixty-seven permanent residents in kenovia now. The Nismanths from Stargrad and Arkford moved here a long time ago and
NEW WORLD 32
After the doors of the basilica were closed, a sleepy Martin entered. Bashfully lowering his eyes, the bald porter slipped into the nave, holding a lighted lamp in his hand. Stopping near each brother, he raised the lamp, waiting for him to light the candle. The apprentices and masters were in no hurry, whispering their prayers. According to custom, the last one who overslept or was late as a punishment had to bypass the ranks of the brothers, with the first rays of the sun granting them a sacred fire. In the absence of such, this was done by the brother-alarm clock or assistant cellarer.The severity and logic of Kenovian customs always struck Werf. Not once in five years has the sequence of ritual actions been violated under him. Everything was calculated and thought out to the smallest detail, including heavenly light. For the inhabitants of the sacred place, every morning symbolized a new victory for Nismass over the god of darkness, and with it the purification of the entire livi
NEW WORLD 33
He was really unlucky with his father. Old Yukar was a large city tenant who managed two farms at once in the south of the island. The surly farmer wanted his son to train as a bookkeeper, and every vergin sent him to Kenovian school, and he ended up planting such a pig for him. Werf remembered how he spent the first week after initiation in a bee cell alone with his grief, not daring to show himself in front of anyone. The Nismantes considered this an act of devout faith, and he - the fruits of stupidity, his own and his father's, because on the day of initiation he himself without suspecting lost his parents. Yukar called him a fool, a destroyer of hopes and kicked him out of the house with a bale on his back. Freehold was against it at first, but over time she cooled off towards him. He didn't see them again. I only heard that shortly after his departure, their daughter Raimi was born,One way or another, having lost his family, he fulfilled his cherished dream, and his friends sup
NEW WORLD 34
They descended to the first tier, and from there, along a straight corridor, they crept to a new staircase to the second tier under the east tower. Torches blazed in the wide tunnel at the entrance. Near the corner was an altar with artifacts and a door to the treasury. The room with the books was located further behind the old alchemy laboratory of Master Baboon in the depths of the dungeon.Entrance to the scriptorium was free. No doors, no bars, no magical barriers. For a long time, a spirit of equality and trust has dominated Kenovia. There were no locks on any of the doors, except for the library, the wine cellar, the food store, and the treasury. Even the door to Wiman's chambers was opened so that the brethren could see their abbot more often.Werf was the first to look under the arch, behind which the space of the scriptorium began. The oblong room, lined with bookshelves, reading chairs and tables, kept quiet and twilight. The walls, built of black stone, were barely visible
NEW WORLD 35
As soon as the henchmen left the scriptorium, Imaros peered out from behind the rack and laughed softly. Everyone in this kenovia was so proud and important. No one took him seriously, and yet he alone here planned every step; he spoke little and thought a lot, paying for it with loneliness, but it is better to see the whole picture with the seal of silence on his lips than to fall into verbiage without noticing elementary things. His mind obeyed other laws, and there was no room for errors in it. He deftly acted out his own exposure. How else would he have been able to find out what the trinity was up to?Imaros crept up to the pulpit and began to turn the pages of the bestiary. It is a pity that the brothers were declassified and now they will be punished. Watt had always been a good-natured fellow, and Werf had been a good fellow until he regained his country-boy manners. Only Dolph - this little southern animal - deserved hundreds of lashes, preferably on both sides and on the rep
NEW WORLD 36
Looking at the trout cages sticking out of the river, Werf felt an unpleasant chill for the first time since the end of winter. The coolness and grandeur of the surroundings were conducive to reflection. A turbulent stream flowed from the lake under the waterfall, gradually expanding and accelerating. Running water licked smooth stones. Ahead, the three arched buttresses that held up the bridge pierced the greenish sky. Even higher, the sun melted the slate cliffs.“ Things have changed, Fergus. The closer the day of communion, the more often nightmares. I feel like I won't get through it.- Nonsense! You are the only one capable of this.Werf couldn't help but smile. This childish simplicity in Fergus always touched him.“ Then why do they kill me in my sleep?”- In a dream, they just don’t kill anyone. Have you spoken to Wiman? He is an experienced magician. Maybe he will help?“ Yes, there are a lot of experienced sorcerers here,” Werf whispered, blindly running his hand over the t
NEW WORLD 37
Werf did not have time to finish. The dots gained such speed that for a fraction of a second they turned into three silvery beams. They must have taken a fireworm potion or used their speed, he thought.The trace of the sorcerers faded into darkness. For a while, only a distant ringing was heard, and then there was a roar. Rumbling and low, like the roar of a sea monster, it rose from the depths. Sand ran down the walls in rivulets. The ground beneath my feet shuddered and froze. Fergus and Dolph recoiled, looking at Werf in dismay.“ They collapsed the tunnel,” the boy said forcefully.- They abandoned us! Damn panties! Fergus roared, brandishing his short sword.The militia and the henchman looked around helplessly. Four lights on the other side of the abyss also darted from side to side.“ The masters were afraid of something. They would never leave us. Perhaps the threat was too great.- Great for whom? Dolph exclaimed. “What do you think might have frightened the three Nismantes?
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The chirping of birds brought Grog to his senses. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was a huge insect. A swimming beetle the size of a palm crawled peacefully on the sand, moving its magnificent antennae. Reeds swayed nearby. A swarm of midges buzzed overhead. The wild nature of the north lived its own life, and for some time he was part of it, covered with mud and mud, lying waist-deep in water among leeches and insects.He did not remember how he managed to rise to the surface, how he managed to break the algae that entangled his legs. The arms were tied with them up to the elbows. Her fingers pulled the stalks of water lilies. Leeches crawled under the clothes. Behind him, a waterfall roared, reminiscent of yesterday's jump. His body was in pain, and he was happy to accept it as a gift. Dead people don't feel anything. He met with the strongest of them and survived.Raising himself with difficulty, Grog surveyed the area.Pine trees swayed in a clearing near the shore.
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- NEW WORLD
Bonus Chapter 3
There was not a soul in the common grotto. Thunder rumbled. In the distance beyond Rat Lake, dirty clouds swirled over the mountains. For the first time since autumn, Mirkhold was hit by a hurricane. Tantus was sitting in a pine armchair by the brick parapet and, wrapped in a loden, looked through the wall of rain. The rustle of leaves and the rumble of stones on the slopes of Teres brought him back to reality from time to time.He spent the morning of trida in thought, overcoming pain and guilt for what he had done. Climbing to the top of the red-hot pipe in the underground sanctuary cost him dearly, and the loss of his brothers unsettled him for a long time. Burnt palms were wrapped in bandages with healing ointments, the skin on the face burned like after a sunburn, and a fire raged in the heart. There was a lot to plan for, and unnecessary thoughts could only hurt, but the memories of Korda continued to obsessively crawl into my head. They first met at the city docks. The boy was
- NEW WORLD
Bonus Chapter 2
At the same moment, an unknown force grabbed him and lifted him into the air. A tiny hole opened up on the wall of the cave, completely black and impenetrable, like liquid resin. The space around her began to move. Grog watched in fascination as the sarcophagus, and then the whole cave, flowed into it like water. When there was nothing left but darkness around, a blow to the back followed. An invisible stream picked him up and carried him into the void at the speed of a cannonball. Nobody's magic was terrible. She withered her skin and innards like the midday sun. The world around has hardened, turning into a piece of stone. It became hard to breathe. His hands went numb, his throat was tormented by a cough, and he kept rushing through the void, feeling only the cold of the blade on his chest and the growing pain under his heart.It seemed like an eternity before an orange dot flashed ahead. Through this point, the distorted outlines of the cave began to crawl into the darkness. First
- NEW WORLD
Bonus Chapter 1
It seemed to him no more than an hour before something heavy touched the surface of the table. Grog opened his eyes and lay on his back, noticing a man in the house. The wasteland and garden beyond the doorway were bathed in silver light. There was a lit candle on the table. The stranger did not move. A capacious hood fell over his face, hiding his features in deep shadow. A light linen cloak hung over his broad shoulders.- Get up! said a familiar voice dryly.- Bangladore?For the first time calling the necromancer by name, Grog for some reason was frightened. It really was his teacher. The sorcerer threw off his hood, allowing him to see the soot-stained face, which in the yellowish light resembled fermented pus. The sharp beard was slightly scorched. Brown eyes are wide open. Both sparkled like two pieces of dark amber. He was angry or scared, or both at the same time.- What's wrong with you? Grog asked cautiously, touching the talisman.- Get up and get dressed!With these words
- NEW WORLD
Epilogue
At the command of the teacher, he found a stone in the water and, stretching out his hand, pointed his fingers at the running stream. As pressure began to build up under his palm, Grog clenched his fingers. The stone was caught the size of a camping barrel and did not immediately succumb. The water sparkled for a long time around his smooth sides before he lifted a smooth piece of basalt over the stream.Looking up at the glittering boulder above, Bangladore nodded in satisfaction.“ Do me a favor,” Grog asked, opening his fingers.The stone flopped into the water, showering the shore in a myriad of sparkling drops. Banglador wiped his wet face and looked at him with displeasure.I need personal time.– Why?- It's personal.The sorcerer smiled, appreciating the pun.- Good. You can do whatever you want in the afternoon when the heat takes over.With these words, the necromancer handed him the fourth beaker with a white slurry that looked like milk. Grog drank the stimulant and strain
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69
Coolness reigned in the drift. Grog sat on a carpet of damp sand and stared into space. For the past two days, he saw only her in front of him, and he also heard a voice. Through the ocean of darkness, someone who did not want to introduce himself spoke to him. The flask was empty. Slugs crawled around him, dragging long lamellar shells behind them, climbed to his feet, and when he fell asleep, even under his clothes, rubbing his skin with slimy suckers.Time dragged on endlessly, but now the voice sounded for the last time:- He's coming. Earlier than promised. We have little time. I hope you remember everything. Do exactly as agreed and you will be free.– I understand.“ The necromancer will test you. Remember everything you have to do, but don't think about what you are doing. It's hard, Grog. One false step and he will suspect. Think - and he can guess. Guess - and our plan will be revealed.- Yes, I understand!Grog realized a long time ago that all sorcerers are the same. Whoev
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68
Then a wave of light overtook the spider. Jumping up off the floor, the golem turned around and rushed towards him. Tant only had time to notice how a massive body on six legs ran up to the pipe. The golem knew exactly where to look for him and did not stop pursuing him, even when he moved to the next staircase and disappeared behind the furnace.Going down, Tant stumbled and slid to the base of the pipe, severely skinning his back. There he was overtaken by a spider. Leaping after him, the creature sank its hooked limbs beside him, then turned and hurried back. Tant lay motionless for some time, watching the monster.“He didn't touch me. This is the second time,” he thought through his head.Rising to his feet, Tant picked up the torch and ran after the spider. A terrible mechanism by that time had already managed to hide in the tunnel.- Marlette! he yelled, rushing headlong towards the archway.His greatest fear was finding her body, but there was no one inside except for the spide
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67
He circled the flooded hall with his blade. There was only one way out of it - through an arched tunnel through which a spider could pass. The rest took their places. Kirk positioned himself on the steps, his sword sheathed first. Tant was silent all this time, looking at the sentry's body. Marletta stood over him for a long time, glaring accusingly, but then sat down beside him.“ I didn’t think it would end like this,” he whispered, looking at the water. “I wanted to make it to the cadence. I thought Kirk's people would help us.- Help with what? What should happen after the cadence? Speak already!Tant moved closer, whispering in her ear:“ After the death of Ang Walpa, his supporters stole the body, but were captured and executed. Only one priest survived. He gathered the first sentinels and performed a special ritual, taking the sacred entrails of Ang Hualpa. We must find the descendants of those sentinels.“ Did the Pale One tell you this? ”He nodded.“ Tant, this is some kind
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66
A massive clot of flame illuminated the hall with sunlight. There were blood stains on the floor. For the first time since ancient times, work was in full swing under the arch of the smelter. After the mechanical spider jumped down, turning Linus into a mess, the bandits began to work together on a rescue plan. It consisted in a one-time escape in all conceivable directions, which was only in the hands of the creature. Tant slid along the wall, watching the massacre in fear. The state was such as if he was rising from the depths. A buzz grew in my head, and people continued to rush around.Having crushed the one-eyed Linus, the monster chose a new target and attacked Bertrand, slamming the vomit-weed lover into the floor. Kendrick miraculously dodged the swing of a steel limb and ran to the nearest hole in the wall, where he jumped safely. The despondent Kuno ran away until he broke his knee and, realizing that he could not leave, met death with a sad face.Some bandits gave a tear up
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65
Rick didn't listen as he aimed his crossbow at him. Rumbold pointed his sword at the bearded mercenary, who was holding an ax with both hands. Distenza stepped forward, shielding his comrades. As befits an honest leader, he plunged his sword into the ground and showed his empty hands as a sign of good intentions.Your name is Fergus, right? the mercenary inquired, curling his thin lips in a grin. “Grog was your friend. I see you have similar amulets. He often spoke of you as if you were a half-witted fellow ...The warriors behind him burst into laughter. Fergus didn't hear half of what he said." Explain how he died," he demanded, his eyes fixed on the warrior's shell, which featured a seven-pointed star with a crown in the center.“ Two weeks ago he went north to carry out his master's assignment and disappeared without a trace.- What are you saying then?" Of course he's dead," Distenza laughed. What do you think he was doing there all this time? Enough chatting! You're not here f
