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NEW WORLD 39
Grog shook his head. The old man obviously made it up. Maybe he was small then, but he would remember meeting with such a person forever.“ Nothing in this world happens by chance, Grog. Your fight in the cave yesterday proved that.– I was lucky.“ There is no luck in a fight with such an opponent. Nirgal let you get away alive, and I in turn rescued you from the lake when you were drowning.“ And what about those two who were in the cave before me?” Did Nirgal spare them too?- Of course. Otherwise how would you be here now.“ So be it,” Grog said warily, rising from the bench. “I thank you for saving me, but you are not my friend and you never will be. I have real friends who are ready to do anything for me. I will return to them.“ Friends are our strength,” agreed the necromancer. - In love - weakness. Wine and night bring peace. Light and water give life. Steel and nature take it away. There are many more little things worth mentioning, but the main thing is balance. These are t
NEW WORLD 40
The singing of birds brought him to his senses. Opening his eyes, he realized that he was lying on the ground. The forest around was flooded with light, only this light was somehow strange. Squinting, he realized that it was not the light, but the colors. Everywhere were black shadows and white spots. Deciding that these were the consequences of the blow, Grog somehow got up and crawled to the nearest tree. There was not the slightest doubt that the stone man was pursuing him in reality, and not in a dream. Otherwise, how would he find himself in the forest? But why the hell did he get into that temple and how did he even know that there was a secret door there?Grog decided not to think about it. The body was still aching with pain, but now a vile itch was added to it. It was as if ants were crawling over her skin, tickling her with their hairy paws. He probably slept in one position for a very long time, and lay down on his right side. My heart was also in trouble. It beat harder an
NEW WORLD 41
Cassia sat on the bed and stared into space. The silver plate was tucked between her thighs. Kamiza lay in a shapeless heap on the floor. In the glow of the candles, her skin gleamed dully, like polished marble. Taking a deep breath, she moved her legs closer, feeling the sharp edges of the artifact pierce her body. The sensation of pain did not come immediately. As soon as blood began to trickle onto the carpet, she came to her senses and eased the pressure.Putting down her plate, Cassia hurried to the beaker shelf, grabbed the peach glass bottle, and drank the healing elixir in one gulp. The wounds on his thigh healed instantly. Glancing back at the brown puddle that had eaten into the rich carpet, she shook her head.I overdid it. This has happened more and more frequently in recent years. The urge to inflict pain on oneself arose suddenly. Usually the reason for this was longing and loneliness, but not on this day. Trained in counting and writing, she involuntarily waited and met
NEW WORLD 42
The common grotto was cool and empty. The dining table was located in the shade at the entrance, covered from the rays of the rising sun by a brick wall. Tantus sat in a wooden armchair covered with skins and listened to the guest. Marletta and Cord settled down next door. Time was pressing. Cutthroat Kirk and his men were waiting downstairs. The last time he saw them, the bandits were walking around Rat Lake along the western shore. Now the detachment was standing near the foot of Teres. Everything was ready for the journey. All that remained was to send the important guest away.“ You haven’t touched the food,” Tant said, looking at the plate of cutlets and the closed bowl. “Try at least some porridge. Niama added Suran raisins there.Opposite sat an elderly man with a bushy, white beard. Wistan was not distinguished by a strong physique even in his youth, but after fifty he turned into a neat old man. A lush, scarlet robe concealed the imperfections of his body, making the nismanth
NEW WORLD 43
The barn door creaked. Straw crunched underfoot. The feeling of someone else's presence did not come immediately. Anabelle grimaced and, thinking she was still asleep, rolled over onto her other side. A strong hand pulled her back into place. Opening her heavy eyelids, she turned her head, intending to tell the visitor everything she thought about him, but a calloused palm fell on her lips. Oliver stood over the bed, his finger to his lips.“ Stop kicking, sleepyhead. Do you want to wake up the others? the young man whispered.Morning in the valley was just beginning. Godwin's peasants slept on makeshift beds and straw heaps around them. Like flies, they swarmed around everything, except for the platform at the exit. Anabel froze, listening to the sniffling and snoring coming from all directions. She looked at the high gap between the doors, through which the scattered light of the sky penetrated inside. The sun could rise at any moment.Ugly sun, she thought, you are a lot of good, b
NEW WORLD 44
Leaving the cellar of the Last Resort, Fergus slipped unnoticed through the drinking hall and went out to the main square of Gotford, from where he planned to start searching for Rumbold. The fate of the sergeant could be decided at any moment, but even now, when his girlfriend was in danger, Fergus did not want him dead. He honored the covenants of the gods and believed in the signs of fate. Something told him that Nismass had saved the sergeant in the labyrinths beneath Kenovia for a reason. Did Cassia then have the right to raise a sword against him?Puffing and grumbling under his breath, he rounded the square and hurried towards the Kremengol hill. The meeting with iron monsters for the second day did not go out of his head. The captain promised to punish the death of his subordinates. Now also Rumbold walked on the edge of a knife. It is not surprising that in this situation he remembered Grog only the next morning. It is not known where the desperate mercenary disappeared and w
NEW WORLD 45
With the first rays of the sun, two travelers appeared on a serpentine path among the mountains. Both were dressed in simple clothes, but the purity of the fabric and the quality of the cut betrayed the townspeople in them. The first to step closer to the cliff was a full-bodied young man with a bag over his shoulders. His tousled pine-bark hair was like a smoldering torch. In addition to a shirt and wide trousers, he was wearing a leather vest. The second traveler walked a little further, leaning on a short pole. The dimensionless white shirt moved freely over the skinny body, dispersing in the wind like a sail.Shanti and Pavel left the city before dawn, when the gates were closed. To do this, they had to quietly climb the wall and go down the rocks in the place where the fortifications merged with the sea cliffs. Beyond was a dark forest and a road bathed in moonlight. For Shanti, such antics were akin to a habit. He loved adventure since childhood, just like his best friend Oliver
NEW WORLD 46
Rounding the inn, they reached a crossroads and began to descend to the swamp. At the entrance to the valley, Shanti heard screams coming from a nearby grove. Leaving the road, he was the first to rush there, and was not mistaken. In the meadow near the rocks, behind rows of young fir trees, two figures flickered. By the clothes and red pigtails, he immediately recognized Anabel. Oliver was next. Both held spears in their hands, fighting off brown balls that rolled across the clearing.– Look! They were attacked by bugs! Albrecht exclaimed, pulling out a knife as he went.Shanti and Pavel ran after him, but their participation in the battle was not required.Hidden among the fir trees, they watched the storm ten yards away. Three earthbiters scurried across the grass, creaking and hissing with indignation, like snakes woven into the wheels of a moving cart. Not far away, with his sharp paws up, lay the first loser. Oliver and Anabelle kept their distance as far as the length of the sp
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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
- NEW WORLD
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
- NEW WORLD
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
- NEW WORLD
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
- NEW WORLD
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
- NEW WORLD
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
