“Gongarud, language of Khazungor…- And even if it was so! Well, he spoke, smiled, shook hands with us, and the second one held a heavy chest covered with gold! Do you believe?— I believe.- Yeah, and from that chest we got these talismans! I'll tell you honestly, many of us later sold these things, it's clear, there are so many gems! But I am not! I carried this thing on me, and it saved me! So, now you can wear it too! I thought about giving it to my sons when they left, but ... you know, I have three sons, and one talisman, how would I divide it? No way! I can only pray to God for them, but this talisman ..."It's not a talisman," Tobius said confidently.- Ash?- It has no magic.“Er… maybe you…”“Venerable, this medallion is a real order. The runes on it say: "Rising against the dragon." Among the dwarves, this is a description of the highest courage, since the dwarves know firsthand what a dragon is and what one needs to be to go against him. This is an order of courage and mil
"Get up, ma'am, I can hear you breathing."The magician stood over the woman, pulled the mimic off her shoulders and, whispering to him not to indulge, covered her with his living cloak."Get up, we can't stay here long."She stirred, very weakly, hesitantly raised herself on her elbows, turning out to be a rather young girl, but by no means a woman. Long resin curls were stained with mud, dry leaves, sand and a few blades of grass got stuck in them, plump scarlet lips on a deathly pale face gave rise to the thought of white fever, but huge and lively emerald eyes swept away any fears. The maiden looked around, saw the work of the magician, took a deep breath ... and then she began to vomit. After a few minutes of excruciating spasms, she lost consciousness. Tobius also looked around, listened to the stillness in his stomach, and thought with sorrow that his heart had hardened after all. And the stomach too.It turned out the fat man was still alive. His sausage fingers convulsively s
Hiding from the blows of low-growing branches and warily following the darkness of the forest, the wizard drove the carriage along the narrowing road. I had to turn around and peer nervously into the gaps between the moss-covered trunks, looking for signs of a chase. A magician without magic is a pitiful sight, all fears and phobias grow teeth and begin to gnaw at such a magician with tripled strength. Without magic, he shakes like a yellow leaf in the autumn wind, there is no trace of arrogant greatness and awareness of his own power, paranoia captures an unstable mind. All this Tobius knew and did his best to strengthen his will in order to keep his mind pure. He needed a breather, the protection of solid stone walls, perhaps...As soon as he saw the darkening mass of the stone wall, he held on to the reins and rode more slowly to allow the observers who sat down from above to see him. The village did indeed have a moat, which was a pleasant surprise. Let not very wide and rather di
— My name is Paul Wojcik, I come from Dimoris.“You have come far from home, sir Wojcik.— Are you on your native land?- I'm a rive.- Then I really sympathize with your country.— Not worth it. We are the Gates of the Westerreich, and in the old days, when wild hordes rushed into the eastern kingdoms, and our ancestors stood firmly on their land, no one expressed sympathy for us. We will survive this time too. He closed and rubbed his tired eyes, banishing the irritating itch. Is this girl your daughter?— Did you guess?- Lines of blood.“I… I don't know what it is.“I can't explain to you. She is not like you, but she is your daughter.Yes, she took after her mother.“I regret to tell you that the experience has damaged her mind too much. The mind is a fragile thing, it's easy to hurt it...Leave it alone, wise one. She has been like this since childhood.- ABOUT…- Yes. Sturgia... [A monster, an undead creature resulting from a woman who killed her child and then killed herself.
He tore his gaze away from his hand and looked at it with his inhuman eyes. She was as white as a dead man and trembled finely.- It's a long road. Here you abandoned your intention, here you left it. Carried, gave birth. People found out, and the old women began to talk and look askance, and the girls began to hiss, call names. But you endured. She fed, raised her son with care and love. Time passed, he became big, strong, loving. Support and protection for the mother. People have long ceased to speak, and no one listens to those who continue to slander. The boy is strong, good, he is not afraid of anyone, he does not run away from anyone, and they accepted him. You will die old among your grandchildren. Whether there will be a husband or not, I don’t know, but there will be many grandchildren, I see everyone around the deathbed, everyone is crying.He straightened up and let go of her hand.“Now decide which way you want to go.” Only quickly, I'm tired and want to sleep. He crossed
Strong hands dragged them inside the tower through the hole in the resin nose. While Thobius was rising, the soldiers unsuccessfully tried to unhook the merchant and his daughter from the rope.- Glad you made it. The rest will be completed by our arrows.The room with the bulky lifting mechanism became crowded when Walton Galli, nicknamed Rod, son and heir of Freigar Galli, Duke of Karebekland, entered a large part of the space. It was a giant, nearly eight feet tall, brushing its plume against the ceiling. His shoulders and arms were just right for his height, and even the tall Tobius felt small as he tilted his head up to see the slits of his closed helmet. Lord Walton's body was covered from head to toe in heavy steel armor. Like all the rulers of the western outskirts of Riven, the Galli adhered to old customs, trusted swords, but not swords, wore full armor instead of cuirasses and lightweight shells, called themselves knights, and not just nobles, feudal lords, and not aristocr
— Tobius Mole, Master of Riven Academy.“Oh, we are all masters here! Well, except for Lando! Khales, the most sociable of those present, laughed shortly. - Guilt? Elya? Slivovitz? Beer? It's a great beer, I swear! The best beer I've ever had, from the breweries of Trontholp Brewers himself! "Oak barrel"!"No," Tobius snapped. — What exactly are you doing?“Well… uh… now we’re eating…”Why aren't you on the walls?- What are we to do there? said Hales Troubadour.- Don't know. be present? Inspire? Trying to convince the people that the mages of Riven are not a bunch of wry-armed cowards that tremble in their towers while lords, warriors and monks confront the bastards from the Savage Land...There was an awkward pause.“The thread of the conversation has gone somewhere in the wrong direction,” the Giant chuckled. “The young man is somewhat agitated…“The young man is a master with a staff, the same as you, so be careful with notes of condescension in your voice, enchantment Godern,” T
“Are there many Zulans?”“An army of several thousand heads, and they're not moving anywhere, defending this primitive fortress, this dracula-studded hill,” Talbot repeated wearily.- And a large detachment will be detected when trying to get closer?— Yes, definitely. The likes of flying lizards patrol the skies, while racing beast lizards and small flocks have the scent of bloodhounds—they will quickly detect too many people. In addition, the enemy flooded the surrounding forests with this muck, foragers drive and beat the beast in order to feed the army besieging us, so that even in the thicket itself I had to constantly hide."And magic won't help us?"- Of course not! ' Wrathful waved him off irritably. “Even here in Tephraska, it is very difficult to use it, but the closer to this ill-fated hill, the harder it is!”How close were you able to get to him?“Um… about a thousand steps.” It was impossible to go any further, my head was pounding with pain!Then I don't see the problem