Аннотация: A journey through the village of healers. The dungeons under Aleroth and the teleportation pyramid.
Chapter 2. (Amy)
While my brother is recovering with the doctors, it's worth looking around in Aleroth and replenishing supplies. The place is beautiful, of course, but I still want to move to more populated places. Where did so many orcs come from? They've never been here.
After walking through the village and visiting the cemetery, I stop at a bench by a spring with a statue of a dragon. I sit down and freeze. That's a good thing. Stretching out my legs, I contemplate nature under the sound of flowing water.
From the book by Infantes Druse:
"In the distant times known as the Renaissance age, there lived a druid in Teneb Tenebriel, also known as the dark forest. He was called by many names, but the most famous of them is Infantis, which in the ancient language means weaving. Despite his considerable services to the forest and its inhabitants, infantis was not popular among the elves. To them, he remained just a human, and there were rumors among the elves that he practiced witchcraft and did not disdain communicating with the damned. And then one day a young and naive elf challenged him to a duel of wills.
The druid, by that time pretty tired of the arrogance of the elves, enchanted the unfortunate fighter and turned him into an elm tree. In the shadow of which, later, he indulged in reflections and studied various works."
As I approach George's shop, I hear his screams.
"You can't do that, I need the herbs right now. Look, my hands are already shaking."
"You didn't pay me for the last delivery, buddy. Now you will pay immediately, otherwise no herbs. Do you understand me, my friend?"
"Please help me. Because of these terrible orc attacks, I have no customers at all, but soon I will sell something and pay you."
"Georg, don't waste my time. No gold, no grass. The end of the story."
"Listen. After all, I can tell my colleagues about your little secret. You don't want that, right? Please, just a couple of stems on credit."
"Look at you, George, how pathetic you are. Your hands are already shaking. Send me a message when you have the gold, but leave me alone for now."
A man in a hat comes out of the shop.
"What is the mouthpiece staring at?"
"Nothing, I beg your pardon, sir."
I step out of the aisle. The man, judging by his red eyes, is a vampire, and a superior one at that. Well, his.
"Come on in, take a look at the best goods in the whole River district."
"What do you do for a living, are you a doctor too?"
"Oh, I used to be a doctor too, but then I gave it up. I've had enough of festering wounds, blood, and suffering. Now I keep a shop. By the way, could you run an errand for me? In return, I will give you a discount on all my products."
"An interesting suggestion. What do you need?"
"Oh, just nothing. I need one special herb called durnoplush. It grows, for example, in Lanilor's garden, but the damned elf won't give it to me. If you could just get a couple of bushes."
Damn, he's a drug addict. How did he get hooked on it in the first place?
Okay, I'll bring you this herb.
"Duke Ferol has banned the cultivation of the narcotic plant drunadai, better known as durnop, without special permission. Since the drunadaya was artificially bred and cannot survive in natural conditions, it became almost impossible to find it after the ban. Drunadai needs light, heat (prefers room temperature), regular (but not excessive) watering. In winter, it is better to keep the plant in a well-lit room, and in summer, transfer it to the air. To a sunny or partially shaded area."
After leaving the shop, I head towards the elf's garden. While there's no one there, I dig up a couple of bushes and put them in my backpack. By the way, what kind of statues are there?
By turning all the dragons' faces to the north, I open a passage to some kind of dungeon.
"Hey, wait, wait. This is the passage to the dungeons under Aleroth. It's full of undead."
"Yes? Well, I'm not going in there yet."
"By the way, your brother is now near the house of Mardenius. Give him this teleportation litle pyramid."
"A litle pyramid?"
"This pyramid-shaped stone is surrounded by a strong energy field. If you touch him, he will take you to his mate. There must be an exact copy of it somewhere in Rivelon. If you use the pyramid correctly, it will take you directly to it.
"So I'm going to fly through the air like a stone from a slingshot?"
"In a way, yes, but it's not dangerous. It's like..."
Lanilor thinks about it, choosing her words.
"It's like being transported thousands of leagues away with just one step. If you need to escape from danger, then the pyramid will help you a lot. And it reduces distances quite well."
I'll have to try.
"Good. Do you know where his mate is?"
"No. To be honest, I didn't even try to find her myself...."
Then why are you giving it to us?
"Tiu Fingol! A copy can be anywhere, so use it with great care the first time."
"So I might end up in the midst of orcs or at the bottom of a river?"
"Maybe so. But who knows, maybe you'll come across the second pyramid while traveling. It would be an invaluable find...."
Definitely, considering that you have blocked all teleports, you only have to travel around the world on foot or on horseback. And I hate riding a horse, unlike my brother.
"A strange gift and undoubtedly very valuable, thank you."
I carefully pick up the pyramid wrapped in cloth and put it in my bag.
So before he leaves, we need to ask him about their community leader.
"Do you know what's wrong with Mardenia?"
"No. A few days ago, he seemed to have lost his mind. He's getting worse and worse every day. Some of the more superstitious healers believe that a demon has possessed him."
"Is there any way to help him?"
"If it really is a demon, it would be wisest to scout the catacombs under Aleroth. The source of our troubles is most likely there. Catacombs and cemeteries are places closest to the other world, such as the underworld."
"Which catacombs are you talking about?"
"Few people here know about them. But there is a huge cave system right under our feet all over Aleroth. Some of them were dug by dwarves. But most of it is of natural origin. A few years ago, Mardenius went down there... one. And then he sealed the passage and told us never to enter it. He never said what he saw there, but once he mentioned the dead and evil spirits."
"Did I understand correctly that I opened the passage to the catacombs?"
"Yes, but the entrance is still sealed inside."
After giving the durnoplush to George and buying potions from him, I approach the gate from the village.
Damn, the fight. The orcs finish off the knight's squad, which makes its way to the village gate. After letting him inside, I slam the gate in front of the orcs.
"Hello, I'm Knight Chris. I see that you are no stranger to military affairs, so I will introduce you to my sword, this is Fireflower."
Man, just because I'm wearing light armor and a sword doesn't mean I'm a warrior, but okay.
"Now tell me, why did you get in my way?"
"Why did you come to the village, risking your life?"
"It's simple, but very sad. An unknown disease has broken out in the poor neighborhoods of Porechye."
The epidemic was all we needed to be happy.
"At the request of Legate Sagitta, I went to ask for the help of local doctors."
Legata, does the Duke not care about the river?
"Oh, merciful gods. Tell me about this disease."
"Most of the impoverished neighborhoods are in quarantine."
"Hmm, maybe the magicians or the duke decided to get rid of the beggars in such a strange way? Knowing the hobbies of our red-haired scumbag, it wouldn't surprise me."
"There are more dead than alive there now. The spectacle is not for the weak in spirit. Um... could you please inform the healers about the problem. There are so many Orcs outside the wall, and the gates are so flimsy that I don't want to leave them unattended."
"Of course, although, given the condition of the head of the healers, I wouldn't count on much help. The Fireflower Sword, a very strange name."
"This sword is my friend and companion in the battle against evil. It was given to me by an old spell caster who knighted me. He told me to protect the blade like a living being, and revealed its name. The caster said that I will fulfill my destiny only when I comprehend the essence of this name. So far, I can only say that my sword has a beautiful name."
Leaving Chris at the gate, I go to look for Lanilor.
"Listen, if we don't find out what happened to Mardenius, the whole village will be finished. Perhaps the reason for his madness lies in the catacombs under Aleroth."
Yeah, but I have no desire to drag my barely recovering brother into the undead lair. I can't even summon my knight and the dead, my brother will make a scandal again!
"A messenger from Rivelon said they had the plague. There is a great need for healers in the River region."
"Sheloy. That's how it is. We'd be happy to help, but we can't leave Aleroth while Mardenius is running amok. He's a powerful magician, and if the poor guy goes completely out of his mind, I'm even afraid to imagine what kind of trouble he might do. He can kill hundreds of people! We will have to find a cure for the disease, otherwise now I see a way out only in his death."
"It's scary, of course, but you can't just abandon hundreds of plague patients."
"Of course, you're right. I'll tell the rest of the doctors, they're getting ready to go, but we need guards on the way. Get to the military barracks and ask Legate Sagitta to send a squad of soldiers with you."
"And what will you do?"
"I will stay here, I will observe the newly arrived patients from Aleroth, and Mardenia needs to be looked after. If he had been cured, I would have been much calmer, maybe I should visit the catacombs myself."
"No way! My brother and I will go there ourselves, but it's too dangerous for you there."
Well, while my brother is resting, we can go hunting for greenskins.
from the book military studies 1:
"There are three types of swordsmen: amateurs, braggarts, and masters. If you know the basic techniques of swordsmanship, then you can easily distinguish an amateur from a master. The amateur holds the sword somehow, and he does not stand firmly on his feet. The braggart, having picked up the tops of his skills, shows his art for the sake of ostentatious bravado. You will find them at any fair: they are usually drawn in front of admiring girls. A true master travels from city to city, teaching beginners the science of fencing, but he always keeps his best shots a secret. He will teach you everything that you can learn yourself... but not everything he knows himself."