Читать книгу The Great Horror: Discovery - Patrick Mew - Страница 1

Chapter 1

Wind howled over the small village, the approach of winter hanging in the air on a chilly October evening. The clang of steel rang through dirty streets as night closed in, the militia practicing on targets and each other with yet-to-be-forged blades. One young man stood drenched in sweat, scaled armor and his damp skin glistening in the setting sun.

“Faster! Don’t leave yourself open; the sword dance is a fluid motion and one misstep will leave you dead!” shouted an older man. His face and arms bore many scars, the remnants of battles past. The younger said nothing; he only heightened his resolve and tenacity. The furious noise of combat rose above the grounds of the barracks for minutes more. The last glimpse of light had disappeared over the horizon before they quit for the evening.

“Good. That will do for today. Go home and get rest, for tomorrow you have even more responsibilities.”

“What’s this new task, if I might be so bold?” the younger man inquired. He looked puzzled as the sweat poured from his freshly removed helm, revealing jet-black hair that hung over his glassy blue eyes. His size was impressive - he stood at nearly two and a half meters in height - and his power rippled under the polished armor he wore.

“It'll be explained to you in the morning. Should be a note on the foot of your bed when you retire; it will tell you much more than I could say.” The old man smiled briefly at his pupil before the look of grim determination and weathered age returned. He turned and left, a ragged cloak and clinking mail trailing in his wake as the young soldier strode toward the local tavern, the Fair Maiden.

A good mug and a hunk of cheese will finish the night nicely… he thought as his stride carried him into the warm, cozy place. Cheering and the rattling of glass, ceramic, and silver greeted his ears. Patrons of all ages lined the walls and occupied the oaken tables, from other men and women his own age to those of two generations past. Many peered up for a glimpse and returned to their drink shortly after meeting his gaze. The bartender, a woman of about thirty-five, beamed at the young man’s entrance.

“Oi, hey there! The old geezer worked you to the bone again, I see.” Her brown hair flowed in waves down past her shoulders, hiding wide hips and an ample frame. Her face was kind and smooth, bearing amber eyes.

“You can say that again. My muscles ache and my head is pounding. Just give me the usual,” he answered, passing a silver coin over the counter. It was exchanged for a mug of frothy, amber drink in short order, followed by a slice of pungent cheese and a hunk of bread. “He mentioned some sort of new responsibility this evening, too. He’s always speaking vaguely like that.” He began eating heartily as she grinned.

“Right, I’ve never known him to be straight with anyone except with a blade,” she replied, stifling a laugh. “He’s smart, but his people skills are lacking. You should take it seriously though, even if he didn’t tell you much. If he sees something in you worth that kind of special attention, you should heed it.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know, he’s older and wiser and all that yabber. I guess I’ll find out when I get to bed tonight.” He looked down for a moment, hesitant to finish the meal. A growl from his bowels broke that quickly, and he scarfed down what was left on the plate. “Thanks for the food, as usual. It’s always good.”

“No problem. I’ll always feed ya as long as you have a coin to spare,” she said, smiling as he left. “I hope he’ll be okay, though. He always brings a lot of business…” she added once he left earshot.

He strolled back to his bunk and made himself comfortable as he looked at the parchment envelope on his pillow. It was plain except for the very deliberate, careful black writing on its face. “To Algan, the promising,” was all it said.

“’The promising’, huh? Let’s find out what this is about…” he muttered under his breath, using one of his daggers to open the letter. It neatly unfolded itself as he held it, peering closely at it in the dim candlelight.

I’m sure by now you’ve recognized your differences from the others at the barracks, Algan. You’re much stronger and much more resilient than any of them. This is no accident, but a product of your birth. You are gifted with this ability beyond your peers and this is why I require you. Meet me outside the town’s church, in front of the cathedral doors, at sunrise. I will explain your new mission then. May peace find you in tonight's sleep, for there will be little peace from this day forward. “Tch, even more vague than the old man,” he growled, tossing the letter aside. After changing into his nightclothes he turned to lay on his right side. His eyes closed as soon as he hit the pillow, and morning came far too soon for him. Sunlight beamed into his face the next day and he hissed it away to no avail. “Get up!” he heard from an older voice not a moment after. It was feminine but deep, wizened as though by a century of knowledge. “Get up, I say!” he heard again, a dull pain shoving its way into his back. Algan rolled to the opposite side and opened his eyes to a short, middle-aged woman in blue robes looking down at him. Though not scarred by steel, her face was somewhat wrinkled, as if from reading too many books in faint light. “You have missed your appointment with me, so I thought it best to get you myself rather than wait for you to catch up on your beauty rest.” Green eyes peered out from behind a pair of spectacles and long brown hair peppered with silvery-gray hung down past her shoulders.

“And who are you, comin’ in here with a stick and shoving it up my backside?” Algan answered groggily. He figured he’d had either far too little drink last night or far too much. “It’s too early to be- oh, that’s right…” The letter hadn’t lied, after all.

“My name is Kunya, and you need to get your things prepared right away. We are leaving town.” Her voice was both insistent and urgent.

“What for? It’s a perfectly fine day out and all but there’s no reason to go traipsing around on the plains. What about the town-“ he objected.

“The town is not what I am concerned with, at least not at the moment. You are not yet prepared for what awaits you outside these walls. It is my job to ensure that you become prepared. You have skill for your age but that alone will not be enough for the danger that lurks outside this comfortable life. It is time to test your skill and your mettle.” More vague words made his head swim.

“So, let me get this correct … a crazy woman that looks older than my mother is here to tell me that I have to go on some mission to get life experience and whatnot?”

“More or less. Get your armor and your blade; I have already requested that the commander relinquish his finest armaments for your choice. You will need the best you can get.” Algan simply shook his head and went along with it, prying a large spear and a round metal shield from the armory with the woman ‘Kunya’ following his every step. She said nothing about Algan’s choice of equipment, though she grunted in approval.

“Good, good. Then, you are ready to go?”

“Except for the lack of reasons why I’m in full gear to go on some field trip, yes. Where are we going and why?” Algan retorted, clearly displeased with the lack of explanations. His scale armor rustled as the young man's breathing was irritable and strained.

“You know of the goblin tribes to our northwest, correct? They are becoming a nuisance in ways that goblins should not be. Someone is rallying them and I am hiring you to put a stop to it.”

“So what, you want me to go alone? That’s a death wish, even for someone as tough as me.” He puffed his chest, displeased with this information. Though he was willing to help, he dared not go on his own.

“Not alone. I am going with you,” Kunya answered sternly. Algan cracked into laughter.

“You, come with me, old woman? That’s funnier than the crazy fellow that went unconscious over his ale last night, blabbering about some strange beast.” Kunya didn’t move, not even to show the barest of a smile. “You’re … you’re serious. Fine, just don’t be a hindrance. It's not on me if you get killed out there.”

She said nothing to Algan for a moment, instead muttering under her breath in some language the lad couldn't understand. “I assure you I will be no hindrance, nor will I be slain as easily as you think.” In a flash, Kunya drew a thin blade and jabbed at Algan. The young man barely moved his shield in the way of the blow and retaliated with a relatively gentle thrust of the spear. It missed Kunya, as if turned aside by something, and she grinned.

“What kind of trick was that? I know that should have stuck you.”

“Trick? That was no trick. That is magic.” The lad blinked, a mixture of disbelief and confusion about what he had heard. His skills were far better than some parlor trick. “I am a mage of two disciplines, one arcane and one divine. You are acquainted with the church already, I am sure. I am a disciple of that faith, a practitioner of all that is good and light.”

“Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before. 'Blessed be the light that shines upon us, for it turns away the darkness and evil within.' I already knew the priests practiced magic to heal the sick and the wounded, and I recognize the symbol on your robe,” Algan answered, noting the disc of a sun that was emblazoned on the right side in silver thread. In the sun's center a stern but kind face was detailed; the same symbol was carved deeply into the iron doors of the cathedral. “What about the other side to this?”

“Ah, the arcane... I am also a wizard. When I am not busy with the church I pore over ancient texts and research from this generation on how to cast magic without help from the gods or from innate ability. That is, I use my intellect to form magic by drawing energy from the mana that permeates everything.” Algan looked dumbfounded by the terminology and Kunya chuckled. “Mana is a source of magic energy. All magic draws from mana in one way or another. Some can use this energy naturally, and others are gifted with it through faith. Anyone who cannot do one of those two can learn through study and rigorous practice. That is part of what I do to use magic.”

“So … you can heal, because you're a priestess of the church of the sun, but you can also do other things. Okay, now I'm wondering what was put into my drink last night.” His brows furrowed in confusion as he shook his head and looked to the door. He momentarily debated if it was worth the effort to go back to his bunk, but his thought was interrupted.

“Nothing was put into your drink, at least that I am aware of. Watch and learn. Fell'iaahlmese'r.” Kunya motioned her hands over the shape of an imaginary pole or staff and a beam of fire erupted from one of her fingers, which then streaked into the sky about ten meters before burning itself out.

He stared at the faint shimmering that hung in the air from the display for a moment, briefly speechless. “Okay fine, that was impressive. I'll take your word about you being useful on this trip.” The young man had already resigned himself to being dragged along on this mission, whatever it was, and he secretly wanted to see what it led up to.

“Good. Let us move out then, the day is wasting away. I do need to stop at my home to gather what few supplies I have packed and then we can be on our way.” Kunya led Algan to a house with a small tower on one side, constructed of stone, and made her way inside. “Wait here.” She smiled and disappeared behind the door.

The lad nodded and propped himself against the wall next to the door. A few minutes later the wizard reemerged. “Now we may go. I had to gather my notes and what little supplies I need. You have rations, yes?” Algan nodded again and the two walked to the northern gates of the city, meandering through small crowds and merchant stands that made up the town's market.

“So, you study and prepare magic inside your head, like a recipe, and use that to get the mana to do what you want? That's crazy talk.” Algan said flatly. Kunya had been explaining it over and again to the young man as they leisurely walked along the street.

“Basically. It is a lot of work at first but it is very powerful if you know what you're doing. Mana is energy, and energy can do a lot of things depending on how it is manipulated. I am just now getting to where I can do more than simple tricks; it is only over the past year or so that I have been able to do that. My mentor lives quite some ways away, so after I began to master the basics he told me to come here and help this village prosper. It went easily enough, until the goblins began to get more organized and tactical.”

“I've heard there are a lot more raids on the trade caravans lately. It's dangerous to travel without a few armed guards, and most of the merchants here can't afford to hire that sort of protection.” He hadn't been released to help with the situation, as his mentor deemed him not yet skilled enough. Algan had not been in an actual live combat thus far.

“And we are going to take the fight to them instead of waiting for another raid, yes.” The gates were open during the day, and the pair made their way up the dusty road and slowly the village disappeared behind them. It wasn't until midday that they were truly in the wild, as any sign of civilization other than the road itself was out of sight. Trees sprouted from the flat plains and the sun overhead seemed to be more distant from the branches that began to overhang the path.

“Now it is time to delve into the forest. The goblin lairs are well removed from the main road to deter most people from seeking their dens out. The average person does not want to traipse through the woods and face a potential ambush of ten to twelve of the little creatures; for most that would be a quick death. We, on the other hand...” Kunya began.

“Are more prepared and skilled than the average person?” Algan finished. “Don't remind me.” He'd grown tired of hearing of the wizard's abilities and of their plans.

“I am liking you already,” Kunya answered, oblivious to his undertone of objection and annoyance. “Very well, I will simply keep our defenses up and guide you to where we need to go.” The map was old and ragged but clear enough to still be used, and it was updated recently with information about the raids. “I would guess that the raiding parties spread about evenly from their lair, so that would put them about a day's march from where we are now. We will cover what ground we can today and set camp. No fire, only a tent. The light will call attention from more than goblins.” Besides the ugly little humanoids, there were many animals in the forest – wolves, bears, and others called the wood home.