* Path of Exile: Blight * 18+ Path of Exile. Blight Please don't hurt me with your slippers! This is my first experience in the genre. I apologize in advance to players and developers for a small distortion of the storyline of the game. And I'm sorry for my bad English. This is also my first translation experience. I hope You have fun anyway! Friday. Short day. Arvo left the mine and went to the market. Today he made a good money, and decided to buy a couple of bottles of something stronger and more expensive. Fortunately, when you have money, it did not take take much time. You didn't have long to wander around from stand to stand, looking for somewhere to take the cheaper. He took a liter of expensive vodka and a small bottle of delicious overseas balm that drink, remember, as a child. Deciding to take some more fresh meat with the drink, he went to the meat rows. There were an unusual number of people in the market today. Sometimes Arvo struggled with difficulty through the crowd. Thinking about something of your own, he came face to face with Einhar. - O-o-ооо! The Enforcer! Hello-o! How long's it been! - roared Einhar with his special manner drawl. - What kind of people! - Arvo exclaimed in surprise, - What brings you to this town? - I heard there were some new creatures here. I'm thinking of taking a walk in the woods in the evening. Maybe they really tell the truth indeed? I just bought some supplies for the trip. And your master's arrows are pretty good too! Arvo's thoughts took a new direction. He was glad to meet an old friend. In the past, they've had a lot of fun. So why not hunt together now? Why buy meat, especially in the evening, when the best pieces have already sold out, if you can get some fresh meat for free? - Einhar, listen! Maybe we can go together? I suppose more fun together! - That's right! Let's go! Just leave the bottle at home. I'll tremble when I remember our last time in the Western forest. Arvo looked shyly at the neck of the litre that protruded treacherously from the bag. - You're right. Ok! Where are you staying? - I'm just passing through. You know, my home is the forest! - Then let's go to my hideout. I'll drop my shopping, change, and then go. And if you like my hideout, stay for a visit. We'll fry the meat and get drunk... During this conversation they had already reached the portal. They stood on the platform. Arvo pressed something, and soon they were both standing on the shore of a warm, gentle sea. - Hmmm, not bad! You've done well! - I'm trying. I'm new here, so I'm sorry, it's still Spartan! With these words he put the bottles in a cold hole on the Bank and went to the stash. Without thinking, he took out all his combat kit and laid it on the carpet. - You still don't carry a weapon? "Yeah. It only interferes in battle. And on the hunt... You know I can knock out any boar with one punch of my fist! - That's true! But please take a knife anyway! What are you going to do with the carcass? Arvo rummaged in the stash, and soon took out a small but sturdy knife. - Oooh! I can't believe it! Mightflay, really? Good steel! - admired Einhar. - Yeah. However, I had to corrupt it so that the meat was not poisoned... - Bad idea! - Nothing! I sharpened it properly before that. Here, look how it cuts! Einhar took the knife and ran it over his hairy arm. In the strip where the blade passed, the hair was instantly gone. Einhar even cut himself a little in surprise. - Oh, good, good! - He rumbled. - You're bleeding, - Arvo noticed. - Don't worry. It will stop now. You know I'm like a dog... - Yes, I'm a little jealous! - Do you want to go for a swim? - Yes. It's good idea! They briefly dipped in warm, smelling of algae water of the lagoon, dried themselves with soft red Solaris towels, and began packing. Arvo put on smelling oils amulet, a pair of simple randomly chosen steel rings, boots, his favorite Crusader Plate, which took a long time to assemble almost one plate at a time, Abyss helm and his permanent battle gloves - Facebreakers. Everything was sharpened and polished to a shine. The stones sparkled like Czech glass. Arvo, though a slob in life, always kept his "tools" in perfect order. They loved him back and never failed in battle. And sometimes they make miracles, allowing him to survive even where it seemed certain death was waiting. Einar was already dressed, too. They stood on the platform again. - Well, lead the way! - Arvo said. Einhar stood for a moment, closed his eyes, as if meditating. Then he pressed a few buttons. They were in the forest near the city. Arvo've been here, but not often. Usually he hunted further. There are less people and the animals are not so scared. Einhar wet his finger and lifted him up to determine the direction of the wind. Today the wind was from the West. Having determined, he's fast, but quiet hunting step rushed into the woods in a westerly direction. It is better for hunting to go against the wind, then the animals will not smell the hunter so quickly. Trying not to make a noise, Arvo followed him at a distance. They walked for perhaps an hour or more. The forest was suspiciously quiet. There wasn't even a bird singing, only the wind rustling the trees. Soon the hunters, having met no traces of wild beasts on the way, came to a low wooded hill. The view from here was beautiful in its own way. The sun hung low over the forest, promising a quick, short twilight at this time of the year. Arvo felt a strange anxiety. Though he not fearful, and the devil is not terrible with Einhar, but somehow he did not want to be in the woods tonight. - It's quiet today... This is not good! - as if confirming his thoughts, quietly said Einhar. Arvo didn't answer. He silently stared into the distance, all eyes and ears focused. Either it was his imagination or it was real, but he saw smoke rising from the forest in the distance. And also... But this certainly could not be! The wind carried a barely audible song to his heightened hearing, the sound of which pierced him like a lightning strike. - It can't be! - he exclaimed so loud that Einar flinched. - What is it? - Do you hear it too, or am I imagining it? A song! Einhar listened. - Something I do not understand either I hear or I don't hear it. I've become old. And you well done! Your ears are like a cat's! You'll be a great hunter! - Can you see the smoke? - I see. Hunting, damn it! It seems the city guys have a rest with girls again. Songs, drinking... All animals for twenty miles away scared! - No, Einhar. My gut tells me they're not the tourists. Today is a bad day for them. When the forest so empty and anxious, it is better to be on the alert, or you might not come back. And this song... I can't hear the words, but the voice... Come closer and see what's going on? - Let's go! Still, the hunt didn't go well! They descended the hill and silently walked towards toward the smoke rising from the forest. Soon the song became clearly heard. Sometimes it would stop for a while, then start again. This voice... Arvo was not myself. "Really? No, it can't be!" They moved for another quarter of an hour, guided by the song as a bearing. It was getting dark. Soon there were glimpses of a fire between the trees. Arvo slowed down. Einhar followed him, completely silent, as only very experienced hunters or assassins can. They came to the edge of a small forest clearing. Not far away, an overgrown forest path led to this clearing. There was a strange wagon on this path. There was a bonfire in the middle of a clearing. It was not a small hunting campfire, half-buried in the ground to keep out the light and lit only to keep warm or cook food. On the contrary, this fire burned for light. Not too big, which betrayed the weakness of the one who had lit it, but bright enough to illuminate the entire clearing. Such fire in the night forest is dangerous. You never know what kind of creature, which there are still many on Wraeclast, it can attract! In the light of the fire, a hooded woman was moving around a strange mechanism on the ground. Just now, she took a huge, slightly glowing yellow ball with brown streaks from the wagon and cleverly adjusted it to the mechanism. Then, singing again, she went to the wagon for the new parts. Her voice, her walk, her movements... Arvo no longer had any doubts. Touching the Iron skin stone just in case, he left the forest and quickly but silently moved towards her. - Cassia, you? Woman curley froze, but only for a moment. Then she took a few parts from the wagon and carried them to the machine and carefully put around it. Only now she turned towards Arvo and took off her huge, ugly glasses: - Arvo? Where are you from? - Here we are, hunting. Arvo shouted toward the forest: - Einhar, come out! Einhar came out of the darkness of the forest, holding a crossbow ready. - This is Cassia! - Arvo leaned close to Einar's ear and whispered - My ex-wife. Cassia took off her glove and held out a thin, pale hand to Einhar. Einhar, though, and looked the savage, had not forgotten his manners. Taking Cassia's hand, he gallantly kissed the backside of her palm. Einhar. Glad to meet you. Breaking the awkward silence, burning with curiosity, Arvo asked: - Maybe you're finally explain me what the hell you're doing in this forest at night? And anyway, how did you get on Wraeclast? - Arvo, it's a long story and it's not time for it right now. By the way, watch your step. The Blight is very strong here! - Are you crazy?" - No. Look at your feet! Only now Arvo noticed strange black growths that densely covered the clearing like sores. They looked so disgusting that even looking at them for a long time was nasty. Their smell was like a mixture of rotting mushrooms and decaying flesh. - Guys! - said suddenly, alarmingly, Cassia, - since you're both here, help me! Time is short. Take those round things from the wagon and lay them out close to the growths. Just don't step on them yourself! Surprised hunters agreed. They picked up stacks of large but surprisingly light disks with lots of strange buttons, they began to put them right in the middle of the vile mushroom growths. Cassia briefly watched them. - A couple of disks here and here. And one more there. Now it's great. While the hunters placed the disks in the clearing and partially in the forest, Cassia worked on assembling her machine. They finished almost simultaneously. On the wagon was left only big, heavy reel of wire with a bunch of connectors. - Arvo, help me! Unroll it quickly. Just be careful, don't tangle the wire! Arvo unwound the wire, uneasily at first. Seeing that it was becoming difficult for Cassia to pull the long wire to the distant disks, Einhar also began to help, carefully pulling the wire. Cassia quickly connected the wire to the disks. Soon they were finished. Cassia returned back to the machine and turned it on. There was a low buzzing sound. The ball at the top of the long, thick hose quivered, lifted, and glowed with a worrisome yellow light from within. - Works, - Cassia said wearily. - Can you explain me what we're doing here? Cassia was silent for a moment, as if choosing her words. - Arvo, I see you still want to fight. There's work for your fists now. And you, Einhar. I see you armed well? Load your crossbow and get ready. When I turn the machine on full, portals will open there, there, and there. All sorts of evil will crawl along the wire from them. Hit them hard with all your might! The Blight is very strong here, so there will be even more portals later. I don't like that distant growth, because there might be a creature more serious coming out. I'm glad you're here. If I were alone, I would probably die. - Is it so serious? - Einhar asked. - More than that, - Cassia replied breathlessly. - Well, then let's fight like men! - Einhar roared with a smile, taking pineapples from his hunting bag and hanging them on his belt. Arvo tightened the straps on his gloves, checked the flasks on the belt, and lowered the visor of his fearsome helmet. Cassia put on her eerie glasses again and carefully took a simple, cheap wand from her bosom. - Einрar, watch the other side. Arvo, you that one. It seems you're stronger, so the most dangerous area is for you. - What's this? - Arvo asked, pointing with the blade of his glove at the nearest disk, - Mines, or what? - Better! - Cassia said proudly. You'll see soon enough. Are you ready? - Yes! - answered hunter in unison. - I'll turn it on. Guys, take care of yourself! - Good hunting! - Einhar said, smiling. Arvo said nothing. He had a bad feeling, but he pushed it deeper. It's not good to think about bad things before a fight. He retreated back to the forest, peering intently into the darkness. Cassia leaned over her machine for a moment, then stood up and waved her wand. There was a short whistle and a sharp pop. The fire, just brightly illuminating the clearing, suddenly instantly extinguished, and the embers scattered in thousands of sparks. The machine roared louder. The ball glowed brighter and began to inflate, as if it were filling up with something. The wires leading to the disks also began to glow. On the ground, as if revealing a hidden mycelium, a web of vile moving, glowing and pulsating mushroom track appeared, which immediately covered the machine with a thick hose going to the ball. Its ends rushed in different directions, towards the forest. - Damn! It's bad! - Cassia said fearfully. - Nothing, we'll figure it out! - Arvo tried to calm her. The first portal opened from Einhar's side. Nothing happened for some time, then the silhouette of a winged, leathery creatures appeared in the portal. It moved forward in silence, following the line of growths on the ground. Behind her, clinging tightly, was moving the second the same, third... Saving his arrows, Einhar waited for a dozen of the creatures to come out and pierced them with the first shot. The last creature that had just crawled out of the portal hysterically screamed. Arvo, finally realizing what he was dealing with, turned away and look at the forest on his assigned front. Almost simultaneously with the pop, three portals on his side opened at once. While he was about to jump up to them and begin the massacre, Cassia suddenly darted silently in the same direction. A small light glowed at the end of her wand. She leaned over the disk closest to the Central portal and quickly pressed a few buttons on it. In the place of the disk appeared metal tower covered with ice. Instantly became cold. Cassia darted to the second disk, then to the third. Almost simultaneously, two more towers appeared, one with fire, the other sparkling with lightning. Arvo was stunned for a moment. He was surprised not so much by technique of Cassia as her dedication. The way she rushed to the portals, from which the monsters had already begun to appear, aroused respect. Cassia quickly returned to the machine. - Arvo, go ahead! Don't let them get to the pump! If they break it... Cassia didn't finish. However, it was clear that if the machine was broken, it would be bad. Arvo rushed towards the enemy with a loud battle cry. First he bashed his fist into the ground with such force that lightning flashed, and then, touching a stone of Iron skin, he rushed into battle, giving powerful blows to his enemies. Ribs broke, skulls cracked, and wings tore under the blows of his powerful fists. He whirled in a pile of enemies, constantly sending them very sophisticated curses and beat, beat, beat without stopping. It seemed that there would be never end to the enemies coming from three sides. A huge pile of corpses and their scattered parts lay around him. It was slightly disturbing. He concentrated. After waiting for several larger creatures to come out of the portals, he yelled, "Damn you burst!" and several times hit the ground. Enveloped in flashes of lightning, he went into a battle rage. His blows become stronger, attack faster, more accurate and more efficient. A whole crowd of enemies in front of him froze for a moment, then all together, several times, shuddering from a powerful, heavy blows, suddenly burst, exploding with purple cloud of Chaos. The entire pile of corpses was blown across the clearing. For a few seconds more, blood splattered to Arvo. There was a brief rest. Feeling a little weak from his many wounds, Arvo grabbed the first bottle from his belt and took a sip. He felt better immediately. His head cleared. He retreated a few steps back and quickly looked around. Einhar was still lazily shooting at the monsters emerging from his portal, occasionally changing his position to better save arrows. It was not so hard on his front. But soon a whole group of large skeletons in rotating cages appeared from his portal. In the middle of the group was something that was barely visible because of the smoke it emitted around it. Arvo had seen something like this before in battle. "Einar, watch out for lightning!" "get out of here!" he yelled. Cassia darted toward Einar, and soon another tower appeared behind them, surrounded by faintly glowing zombies. Cassia quickly swung her wand several times. Projectiles flew toward the enemy, exploding with the smoky, sparkling cloud. Einhar gently pushed Cassia aside and stepped forward, raising his crossbow. - Stay back, girl, and let grandfather fight! Hey-hha!!! A long red burst from his crossbow smashed the entire group of enemies and a dozen more standing behind them. Zombies ran from the tower, quickly finishing the survivors. All this, so long in the story, in the battle took a few moments. Arvo barely had time to rest when there was another close pop from right side, then two pops further away in the forest behind him. Cassia rushed to the nearest portal, and two new towers appeared before it immediately. Arvo didn't have such time to investigate properly the properties of that towers. He quickly turned and ran toward the forest, where two dense columns of enemies were already emerging. Yelling a loud war cry, he charged at them, sweeping the tripe in different directions, smashing their faces, crushing their horned skulls. The many blows he received seemed to have completely knocked all thoughts out of his head, except, perhaps, one: "It sucks that the Iron skin doesn't work for so long." He continued to strike mindlessly to the right and left with such curses that the enemies cringed and dropped their weapons, but still went forward, as if drawn by some irresistible force. They didn't even defend themselves properly. They just went forward and beat in front of them, not looking, not thinking. It was strange that the monsters went only on the glowing mushroom sprouts, not trying to step aside or get around Arvo from the rear. Understanding of that made the task a little easier. But it was still hard. There were more and more enemies, and it was unclear when they would end or would they ever end at all. Arvo began to tire. His blows became weaker, and he began to miss frequently. In addition, he missed a couple of rather painful blows from a big hairy creature. Another portal opened somewhere far behind. "Fuck it, that's Einhar's task", - Arvo thought, and tried to concentrate. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Cassia, standing between the towers and ending her weak explosive projectiles to enemies. Einhar's battle cry rang out again, followed by an explosion and the brief rattle of a crossbow. "It seems Einhar's getting hot, too!" - Arvo thought in the heat of battle. Several times he had scattered the mountain of fallen foes with the Abyssal cry, but it was rapidly growing again. Here they come again. A whole cloud of huge fireballs flew into Arvo. Vile poison arrows fell from above. It doesn't matter! He beat, no longer paying attention to who was in front of him - a toothy, horned, or winged beast. The only trouble was caused by small worms crawling between larger creatures and spitting venom. Because of them, he often had to hit the ground, which required more effort and was distracting from the main - face of the nearest enemy, for example. Arvo was getting more and more tired. Under the onslaught of the mindless, passive, but numerous enemies, he gradually retreated to the towers. For a moment he saw Cassia, who had somehow dispatched the monsters from her portal, walking up to the tower of fire and doing something near it. The tower increased slightly several times. The fire on top of it got bigger, angrier. With a crash, it suddenly shot into the sky, and soon a flaming meteor fell from above, making a noticeable devastation in the column of enemies. Cassia reinforced the towers somehow. When she had finished with all three, she skirted the enemy columns and made her way to their rear. Enemies paid little attention to her, apparently not considering that she is dangerous. They only lazily fired a couple of shots in her direction. She easily dodged these weak attacks and disappeared into the forest. Two more large flaming towers appeared in the enemy's rear soon, striking them in the back with furious torrents of fire. There was a smell of singed fur and burnt dead. They were so familiar to Arvo that they sometimes even seemed pleasant to him. Especially now. "Enemies are burning, and this is good! Ah, Cassia! Ah, well done!" Inspired, Arvo rushed to the enemy again, giving them monstrous, merciless blows. A whole bunch of monsters ahead funny bloated and exploded, showering Arvo with guts almost from head to toe. As he dusted himself off, he realized that everything was quiet. Only a couple of times Einhar's crossbow clicked behind him. The ball of the machine glowed ominously, illuminating even the distant portals in the forest. They didn't close. So it's not over yet. Arvo didn't like a break during a fight. It was always up to no good. But since it's a sin not to use it. He took a sip from each of his four flasks and shook his head. The pain receded. Mind cleared. Arvo looked around quickly. There was Cassia, leaning wearily against the wall of the strange green tower. Einhar, calm as sated python, walks slowly towards him, reloading his very multi-shot crossbow on-the-go. Arvo moved carefully toward the portals. But before he was halfway there, the ground began to shake. A group of horned warriors with swords emerged from one of the portals and stood as if waiting for something. The second portal suddenly began to grow, stretching like a rubber. The rumbling didn't stop. On the contrary, it increased. The ground beneath Arvo's feet is very frustrating shuddered even at this distance from the portal. That portal has now stretched almost five times against the normal, and a whole mountain of meat and green-slime-covered stones rolled slowly out from it. - What the hell? - cursed Arvo. The huge, shapeless creature, as if coming to himself after exiting the portal, stood still for a moment, then, shaking the ground, slowly moved forward, pushing the group of warriors before it. Behind it, as if glued, another similar group of horned men moved out from the portal. Arvo looked at it, if not with horror, then with something close to that. Suddenly behind came the cry of Cassia: - Damn it! It's Sporeplume! Arvo looked back for a moment. Cassia was already at the fire tower. Einhar was running toward Arvo with a crossbow at the ready. A squad of enemies was slowly but inexorably approaching. Einhar went to Arvo and clapped him on the shoulder. - Well, the Enforcer! Looks like it's a good night to die! It didn't sound very encouraging. But Einhar's presence was always a relief to Arvo. Even the wounds stopped hurting. Strength added. And became not so scary. - Fuck you right! - he answered. Cassia approached quietly, embracing them both by the shoulders. - Guys, this looks like it's over! This beast has already won twice. The first time, it killed the entire squad of Alira's troops, and she herself was badly maimed. Another time, the best paladins from Highgate fell in battle with it... She knows about the machine and will purposefully go to it. I feel this is the last chance... - Shh, - Arvo hissed. We'll see who ends up here. Now I'll give it... He had already rushed into battle, but Einhar grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. The old man was surprisingly strong. And wise. - Stop, guy! Let the woman speak. She seems to have some ideas. - There is one. We need to stop it between those three towers. When he gets stuck in there, we'll stay on the machine side. That green tower will give us strength. When the towers have maimed him properly, we'll all attack and kill him. But beware, it will start to split into a bunch of little Sporeplumes. They're weak, but they're fast. We must not let them break through to the pump. - It's clear, - Arvo said. There are three of us, and this is a team. Cassia, shoot what you can, but keep your head down. Einhar, you, too. Fire from all calibers and keep near me. And I'll give him a great blow right now!!! Arvo rushed at the enemy with a roar and curses. He crashed on Sporeplum with such force that one whole side was cracked and the other was made by sticking the spikes of Impale. Both squads of horned men were instantly torn apart by the impact and scattered almost to dust, flaring up for a moment in a faintly glowing purple cloud. But then Arvo received a crushing blow that sent him rolling off sideways, stunned. After firing several times at the Sporeplum, Einhar barely managed to pull Arvo out from the second blow. Sporeplum missing, swayed and slowly turned away, continued moving to the pump. - Are you alive? - Yeah, - Arvo said, getting up. - What a blow! Look at his face! It's skewed! He probably sucks! - Yeah... - Let's do this way. Go to his back and hit him as hard as you can. He'll turn on you. He has no reverse gear, right? - Yeah. - Hit him for the legs. - I'd like to know where the beast's legs are and where its hands are. A solid block. - Hit him lower. And watch of your head. And we're going to take a good shot at him! - Yeah! - Well, come on! The First look at us! - It would be better if they helped! - Just kidding, so alive! Come on, man! Arvo, staggering slightly, followed Sporeplum, who already half the way to the towers during their brief conversation. Einhar ran to the towers. Cassia was nowhere to be seen. "Hid, good girl!" - thought Arvo with the approval. On-the-go he took his most cherished flask from the belt and sipped a good half of it. Fire burned in his throat. The roar of the Sporeplum, which had been echoing in his head like a tank, became muffled, as if cotton wool had been pushed into his ears. Arvo walked over to Sporeplum back and gently kicked him. - Hey you, scum! The command was - stop!!! Sporeplum stopped and began to turn slowly. Arvo hit the ground so hard that a thick purple lightning cracked the beast right on the head. - And now on! Get, ... get it!!! Arvo put the hail of infernal power blows to the creature. The blades of his gloves cut through the stone like leather. His fists punched through the stone shell where it was thinner, and his hands sank into the meat almost to the elbows. After every blow Sporeplum jumped as much. Sparks flew in all directions, along with bits of stone and meat. Arvo remembered Einhar's advice. Crouching down, he smashes the beast to the legs, looking up all the while. After a long enough series of blows, he would step back or sideways, go around the Sporeplum sometimes and hit him from the other side. A couple of times Sporeplum hit back hard, but missed and only shook the ground, sending up a pile of dust and dirt. So far, parity has been maintained. Einhar fired a couple of times on Sporeplum, then shot him with a long burst. Cassia appeared near the towers again and started rapid fire. However, the shooting didn't seem to bother Sporeplum. Suddenly there was a crash behind them. Arvo was afraid that someone else was coming out of the portal, but no. The last portal, having shrunk to its previous size, showed no activity. But two towers, standing near it, still shot a huge flaming boulders into the sky. Arvo jumped back for a moment before two of the meteor slammed on Sporeplum. The blows were strong, but they didn't hurt him much. Suddenly Sporeplum changed his tactics. Deciding that the annoying enemies are not so dangerous, he turned around and continued to move toward the pump. It was bad. Looking down at his feet, Arvo chose a small, free from fungal ulcers pad between the towers and stood as if rooted. Sporeplum moved like a bulldozer, but under a barrage of Arvo's punches he stopped briefly. The tower, standing left, suddenly boomed, and a tall ring of ice emerged around Sporeplume. It was cold as hell. But Arvo, still feeling the inner fire from his strong drink, continued to beat, shaking the Sporeplum and the ice wall around him with his powerful blows. Burning stones fell from above. Arvo had already adjusted to their frequency and dodged them in time. However, in the narrow ring of ice, there was not enough space for this. Another tower lashed out with lightning. Arvo got hurt, too. The armor held, but the flashes were blinding. "Now I know why Cassia wears those ugly glasses! I wish I had those glasses right now" - thought Arvo, continuing to inflict enemy blow for blow. Suddenly, the ice wall surrounding them shattered with a crash into tiny crumbs. - Get down!!! - shouted Einhar from behind. Arvo ducked down and dodged another powerful blow of Sporeplun and rolled away to the side. Immediately, several powerful explosions were heard in a row. Einhar threw down to Sporeplum a whole bunch of pineapples. The huge creature was completely disappeared in a cloud of fire, so dense that it seemed that nothing living could get out of it. A cloud of shards whizzed over the Arvo's head. Arvo felt, rather than heard, the thick branches of trees falling in the forest on all sides of the clearing. Einhar's crossbow cracked again. The long, blood-red track plunged straight into the flaming cloud. Cassia was not far behind, sending her projectiles with such intensity that the wand in her hand gets hot. Trying to avoid the heavy fire, Arvo crawled to the side and waited. A little rest was very useful. The cloud of fire cleared, and maimed Sporeplum slowly crawled from it. He was burning furiously in several places, and blood spurted from the cracks in its stone armor, but the beaststill moved to the pump. "Damn, you're fat!" - Arvo thought, taking the flask from his belt. After draining it to the bottom, Arvo got up and rushed into battle again. Einhar and Cassia briefly stopped firing and changed positions. Arvo furiously bashed Sporeplum, standing on the glowing path, and gradually retreated under the irresistible onslaught of the mighty enemy. Cassia walked around Sporeplum right, Einhar left. They opened a hurricane of fire on the creature. The ice and electric towers were already out of reach, but the three fire towers continued to rain down a hail of flaming boulders on the Sporeplume. "One, two, three, beat, beat, beat, step to the side. One, two,..." - Arvo automatically blocked, dodged the stones, stepped back a little, and struck again, mindlessly and not effective enough, as if the Blight was drawing all thoughts from his mind, subordinating him to its own rhythm. "Stop!" - thought Arvo, stepped off the pulsing path of light and retreated for a few meters at once. "It will not work! What did Cassia say? The green tower will add strength?" - He looked around. Ten meters away, the green tower hummed, and a faintly glowing wave spread out from it in a ring. It almost got to the point where Arvo stood now. He stepped a little back in the ring, and immediately felt a powerful burst of strenght. Unfortunately, not for long. But then the tower hummed again, sending a new ring of energy into the space around it. Arvo looked at the belt. The four flasks were empty. In the fifth, there was barely a sip left. "Oh, I wish I had some vodka right now!" - he thought, taking this last life-giving sip. "Well, now it's either make or brake!" It was only a short distance to the pump from here. He stood a step away from the path and seemed to have grown roots into the ground. Straight at him was Sporeplum, glowing and gushing blood, fired from above and from two sides. - You won't pass! - Arvo yelled, and unleashed on the Sporeplum with a hail of crushing blows. Sporeplum cracked. He got off two large pieces. They fell to the ground with a crash and scattered in a pile of stones. But then the stones began to move, and four smaller creatures gathered. They rushed at Arvo, striking rather painfully. Arvo waved them away several times, but they are flying away, stood up and attacked Arvo again, trying to move him out of the way. At the same time, the entire Sporeplum collapsed into a huge pile of meat, slime and rocks, from which, one by one, crawled out a dozen more creatures. Arvo was furious. He had a last resort which he reserved for the most extreme case. And it looks like it's here now. Enraged to the Berserk state, he seemed increased in growth. His huge fists flashed so fast that they were almost invisible. The creatures that were hit were blown to pieces. Einar's bursts glittered almost under Arvo's armpits. Cassia's projectile smashed the head of one of the nearest creatures. - Go to hell! Straight to hell! And tell them I sent you there! - Arvo roared, and began to strike with a new force, throwing up the bloody fragments of enemies around him. Now it's all over. The last chunks of fire fell with a crash. The rumble of the towers faded. From the forest side came a clap of the closed portal. Cassia's machine hummed a little more on a low note, then stopped too. A heavy ball has stopped pulsing. It flared up for the last time, then sank down and slowly faded out. There was a silence, for the first time that night, not ominous, but calming. The flow of forces from the tower was drained, and Arvo sat down on the ground, exhausted. It was dark. He saw something dimly lit in the distance on the site of the portals. Arvo was hurting everything that could hurt. Even sitting was hard. The devilish brew of the local healers had one unpleasant property: it was very helpful in the battle, but then it was worse than after a heavy hangover. Arvo lay on his back and gave himself up to pain. Cassia and Einhar went to Arvo. - Are you alive? - Yeah. - Get up! - Damn it all. Let me lie down. - Well. Lie here for a while. Take a break. Arvo was lying on the ground, stared at the stars twinkling in the sky and trying hard to keep his eyes open. Einhar took out a curved hunting knife and cut the throats of all the more or less intact creatures on the ground. Cassia gathered the scattered weapons and armor into the wagon. Carefully opening the remaining glowing cysts and pustules, she took out the most valuable rings, gems, and oils, carefully wrapping them in a tissue. When she opened the last pustule, there was a loud hiss. All the scattered remains of the fallen enemy suddenly began to crumble to dust. The mushroom growths and paths have faded and withered. Cassia was not surprised. This was clearly not the first time for her. Einhar was a little surprised. He was sorry that he failed to get his usual trophies, such as skulls, horns, or teeth. Cassia turned on the light on her wand and began to gather up the charred logs that had been scattered by the explosion. Einhar went to the forest and soon returned with a huge armful of wood. The fire crackled. Einhar warmed himself by the fire for a while, then went back to the wagon. There was a clang and a crash. Einhar grabbed a huge shield and stamped the loot into the wagon with a few powerful blows. Then he put a shield on top and a couple more of the same. Having prepared such an improvised bed, he went to Arvo, who was lying on the ground, and lifted him easily into his arms. "That old man has a tremendous strength," - Arvo admired again. Einhar carried Arvo to the wagon and placed him on the shields, and then went to help Cassia. Hence Arvo had a better view of what was happening in the clearing. The towers disappeared. Cassia was already reeling the wire. Einahr was collecting disks and putting them in a pile next to the machine. When they were done, Einhar sat down by the fire. Cassia climbed up and pulled a lever. The wagon rattled and moved. The shaking added misery to Arvo, but not for long. Cassia just rolled the wagon closer to the fire. It got warmer. Cassia pulled a huge, heavy blanket from under the pile of weapons and covered Arvo with it. The warmth made Arvo feel sleepy, but he tried not to fall asleep. - Cassia! Сome on, - he called softly. Cassia came and stood leaning against the wagon with her back to the fire. Either warming up or sensing that something interesting was about to happen, Einhar also came and stood next to Cassia. - What a glorious hunting! You won't forget that soon! - he said cheerfully. Arvo paused. Yes, they won this time. But, for the first time, the victory did not bring Arvo any joy. He felt this was only the first encounter in the chain of many, the first encounter with something powerful and disgusting. - What's so nice about it? Where's the meat? - Arvo tried to joke weakly. - Yes, indeed! All the remains have disappeared... It's for the best, though. Why do we need this abomination? It's a pity that no good animal was shot. But there's enough food for dinner! And soon there will be normal hunting. As confirmation to his words, an owl hooted in the distance. A bird chirped in a nearby tree. Life was returning to these places. This thought made Arvo's feel a little better. - Einhar, listen. Don't you think those creatures kind of... dejected? Have you ever seen anything like this before? - Strange things. It seems to be the ordinary evil, as everywhere else. Except that last one... This is something new! Something else is strange. These creatures don't usually go together. It's like they collected from various places. And they act like their puppet master pulling the strings. They go in single file up the path, don't dodge the arrows ... Even a zombie has an instinct for self-preservation. And these... They go to the slaughter, as if they are driven by... - Blight, - Cassia intervened suddenly. - Did you really expect to handle it alone? What were you hoping for? Are you tired of living? What the hell is going on here? What kind of Blight is this? - So many questions, and all difficult. I don't even know where to start. Einhar added wood to the fire and set Cassia to the edge of the wagon. - Sit down. There is no truth in the feet. I feel your story will be long. He, sat down on the wagon too. Rummaging in his bag, he prepared to listen. - It all started, perhaps, with the fact that people began to disappear at the Lioneye's Watch. Mostly young people. Sometimes older boys. At first, no one except the parents was worried. Wraeckast is full of evil. But soon the disappearances became almost mass-scale. I started watching people, and that's what I found. Strange merchants began to visit the city. They did not sell in the market, but secretly, from under the counter. They sold some mushrooms.Young people bought it mostly. They cooked this stuff in their basements, then braved it like they didn't care. And soon they just left the city at night, and no one ever saw them again. Once I bought these mushrooms myself. Firstly, I drew them carefully and made a detailed description. Then I explored it as best I could. I looked at them through a magnifying glass, tried to influence them with different reagents. But I didn't really understand anything. I tried to find something about them in old books, but I couldn't find anything like them. Then I started following these strange merchants. I began to hide at the portals and wait for them to appear. Once I met them in the Riverways. The growth was not far away. It was a nasty place. I felt it right away. Even when you're just standing there, it feels like something pulls your mind... When the merchants left with the loot, I tried fill up the entire growth with firewood and set it on fire. And then I was attacked by several creatures that seemed to have grown out of the ground. Well, I had an axe! I fought my way back to the town. I tried to talk to people, to warn them. But no one listened to me. The Governor thought I was crazy. It looked like I was going to face it alone. Then I moved first to the Sarn, where many books have survived, and then to the Highgate. There, in the ancient temples, many machine parts were preserved. To get to them, I had to become a priestess. So I became a Sister, Cassia. I built this machine secretly there. It draws out the Blight and processes it. But I needed help to fight the beasts that were trying to protect the Blight. Templars didn't like me very much, they thought I was strange, but they didn't interfere my research. When I announced that I was going on a journey, I even thought that everyone was relieved. They let me get the machine, gave me a wagon, and even escorted me to the portal. I went to the Western forest. It seems that the only person who would listen to me was the bandit Alira. I did her a favor in my time. In addition, she is one of those who will not tolerate any outrages on her land. And so it happened. Together with her bandits, we began to clear the forest of Blight. Everything was well at first. The earth was healing. The bandits were gaining combat experience. We even got rich. But once we met with this... Cassia paused for a long time. A look of horror and grief crossed her face. Everyone understood what she was thinking about at this moment. - Alira rushed to the creature first. She was a desperate chieftain! But she also fell first. The creature slaughtered all her squad one by one. When it reached me, I was relieved. It wouldn't be a bad death. But... I woke up in the middle of the night alone in the forest, next to a broken machine. Surprisingly, there were no serious wounds on my body except a few huge bruises and a large bump on my head. But on the soul... The boys were dead. Their bodies were almost cold. Alira was alive, but she wasn't hardly happy about it. Her legs, ribs, one arm, and face were broken. I covered both of us with a blanket, afraid to light a fire. I warmed this lump of endless pain with myself all night until dawn. I couldn't help her any more. When it became quite light I left her alone and went to get help, praying that she would not be devoured by some beast. Cassia took a sip of water to refresh her parched throat, then continued: - Alira was not favored in the town for her brutal raids. But when they found out what had caused her such severe injuries, they began to respect her. Rumors began to spread. People began to gather squads and burn small areas of infection. They didn't dare contact the larger ones. When I was more or less recovered, I took the broken machine and returned to the temple. The rumors of my adventures, though in a very distorted form, had already managed to get there. I was greeted almost like a hero. Templars gave me all possible help and support. The townspeople supplied the funds. Even the Immortal syndicate, which had badly affected by the Blight, gladly shared the knowledge and technology. We restored and improved the machine quickly. Thanks to the Syndicate, they created new towers and greatly improved the old ones. The Templars have prepared a strong squad of paladins. Soon we continued what we had begun. We cleared almost all the important regions on Wraeclast from the Blight. Sometimes it seemed to us that we will completely eradicate this evil soon. But it only seemed so. Our second meeting with this creature took place almost at the walls of the Highgate. Even though we were strong, but couldn't resist. A lot of good guys died. Fear and despair returned to the town. I was helped to restore the machine again, but it was clear that everyone wanted me to get away as soon as possible. One day I just quietly left. One. So I was reached this town. People here, although they understand the danger that threatens them, are not very eager to fight it. And I had nothing to pay the mercenaries. So I started going out into the forests alone, relying only on the towers and my weak magic. Several times I cleaned up the growths of Blight and even get a little rich. But this time I clearly underestimated the danger. If you weren't here... Amazed, Einhar and Arvo were silent, finding no words to answer. - Dawn... - Einhar said quietly, breaking the heavy silence. Dawn was indeed breaking in the East. The long, dreadful night passed. They should have eaten and gone back to the town. Cassia was already working on the pot. Soon they had a good breakfast of Einhar's supplies. Only Arvo, whose face was bruised, could take a few sips of the broth. Einhar carefully extinguished the fire. Leaving the machine to process the accumulated substance, Cassia took her place at the levers of the wagon. - Can you stand it? - she asked Arvo. - I'll try, - he said uncertainly. Seeing this, Einar began to draw his complex runes near the wagon, but Arvo stopped him. - Einhar, wait with your magic. We need the townspeople to believe it. Surprised, Cassia turned to Arvo. - What are you about? - Move to the town. After the portal follow the busiest streets right to the square. Stop there, as if the wagon had broken down. Then you'll see what happens. He winked at both of them mysteriously. However, this made his face contort with pain. No more words were needed. The idea was clear. - Well then, hold on! - Cassia said, and turned on the wagon's engine. --- - Look! Look! The Enforcer driven! - the boys shouted at the top of their voices. More and more people were rushing out into the streets. A good crowd soon formed behind the wagon. The wagon rattled out into the square and suddenly stopped right in the middle. At last the wagon stopped shaking, and Arvo felt a sense of bliss. People flocked to the square along many streets and alleys. No one really understood what was going on, only one thing was clear - something out of the ordinary had happened. - The Enforcer driven! - came the distant shouts of restless boys. A wooden door opened and the Lord Ergholm, himself, came out on the porch. He was dressed in simple house clothes, but with a crown on his head and a huge coronal maul in his hands. Unable to understand what was happening, he peered anxiously into the crowd. He could just make out the figure of Einhar sitting on a wagon right in the center of the crowd. His bright red clothing stood out sharply against the gray and white clothings of the townspeople. The crowd did not even pay attention to the appearance of the Lord. Everyone was looking at the wagon. Ergholm took a few steps forward, and when he came to a square paved with large stones, he struck the stones lightly with the handle of his maul. There was a crash. The ground shook slightly. A few nearby rocks popped out of their sockets, rolled over and fell back. The people turned to the Lord and bowed. Putting the maul on his shoulder, the Lord strode toward the wagon. The people parted to form a wide passage. He moved closer to the wagon and raised a hand to signal the crowd to keep silence. - Einhar, Cassia, - He said, - What happens? Then he saw Arvo lying under the blanket, badly beaten. - Arvo! Who beat you up like that? He yanked the blanket off Arvo. - Mother of God! Putting a finger at the nearest of the residents, a middle-aged man, with a gesture he beckoned him to himself. - Go get a doctor, please! Then Arvo grabbed the Lord's arm. - No need. I'm all right. The worker froze, waiting for other commands. The Lord took a closer look at the guests. Now he noticed the weeds on their clothing. - Is it all right? You look like a chop, and your friends look like they just got out of hell. What the hell happened to you? Should I send squad to the walls? - No, - Arvo croaked, - Keep the regular shift. Let the warriors to rest properly. The town is safe... For now. Erg, call the meeting! We'll talk there. I'm just recovering a little. - All right, friend. Let it be your way. The meeting will be at sunset, on the square. I can smell you have bad news. Is there anything I can do for you? Arvo smiled faintly. - Something to eat. - Oh, right now. Ergholm quickly returned to the house. Presently he came out, followed by the cook. They together heaved a huge basket of food to the wagon. While the Lord dispersed the crowd, Einhar pulled Arvo off the wagon and, taking his arm, helped him to his feet. Arvo could barely stand. Ergholm caught him under the other arm and they slowly walked to the portal. Cassia walked silently a few steps behind. Behind her, two burly men carried a basket covered with a cloth. After escorting the guests to the portal, the Lord went back without asking any more questions. His head was full of bad thoughts. As he passed through the deserted square, he looked carefully around the city. It seemed to him that an ominous cloud was hanging over him, although the sky was clear and almost cloudless that day. He left two guards at the wagon and retired to his quarters. --- When Arvo reached his hideout, he asked to lay him down on the sand of the beach. He tried to take off his armor, but even with Einhar's help, he couldn't. Einhar picked up a branch from the ground and began to draw a complex runes around Arvo. Runes glowed with a soft, quivering red light. Arvo felt better immediately. The bruises stopped hurting. The pain has subsided. Finally, the armor was removed, and Einhar led Arvo to the water. Meanwhile, Cassia was exploring Arvo's hideout with an interest. Like a cat, she looked into every corner, peering, sniffing. Satisfied with what she saw, she began sorting through the basket of food. There were plenty of ripe apples, chunks of excellent meat, a tongue, a huge fleshy bone, bread, a jar of honey, a bundle of herbs, salt, and a tremendous jug of wine. In the Arvo's kitchen she found a caldron and several pots. She waved her wand over the fireplace with logs, and the bright sprouts of lightning made the logs burn. After knocking out the flames, she hung a caldron of water over the coals. Using a hatchet she found there, she chopped off a piece of the tongue and cut out several smaller bones. She put it all in the caldron and added the precious, fragrant salt to the broth. Then, lifting the jug with difficulty, she poured wine into the pot, added some honey and herbs, and set it into the hot coals. Arvo felt much better. He lay down on the carpet and fell asleep. Einhar lit the fire sat down on a log next to Arvo. The gentle sea breeze, the warmth and crackling of the fire, lulled him to sleep, too. Soon there was a sweet, unfamiliar, but pleasant smell. Everyone was hungry. Until the hostess called them all to dinner, Einhar examined his clothes carefully. It was full of holes and weeds. Deciding that this was not appropriate, he took out his talisman. While no one was watching, he cast an ancient spell, then stood up and started to dance around the fire. For a few moments it seemed as if he had become a dancing flame. Or maybe it really was. When he finished the ritual, he felt better. His clothes were fine and clean again. He sat down on the log and began to comb his hair. When he had cleaned himself up, he took a cloth and a tiny oil can out of his bag. He spent a good half an hour polishing and oiling the crossbow. Then he filled his flask with fresh water from the spring. Cassia arrived soon, carrying a pot of fragrant broth. She set it down on the sand next to Arvo's carpet and went to get the spoons. Arvo sniffed at the smell and woke up. The three of them were sitting by the fire, eating broth with fried bread. When the pot was empty, Cassia brought a pot of warmed wine. Then a second one with stew, and a third with sliced apples. When Arvo smelled the wine, he was suddenly stubborn: - Maybe I shouldn't? Soon there will be a meeting, and I will get drunk again... - Drink up. It's good for you. Not for the damned drunkenness but for health! - Cassia said with a laugh, - I won't give you much anyway! Arvo took a bite of the meat and sipped a good quarter of the pot of hot wine. A relaxing warmth immediately passed through his body. The wine seemed even more effective than Einhar's magic. His body felt lighter, head cleared. The pain eased. The mood lifted. Einhar and Cassia also began to drink wine with meat and apples. After such a delicious meal, or perhaps because Einhar had a bad tolerance for alcohol, he was irresistibly drawn to sleep. He thanked Cassia and, finding a hiding place under the trees, soon fell asleep right on the grass. Arvo and Cassia were alone. Here, near the fire on the beach, were the perfect place and time for a long conversation. - Just tell me, - Arvo said, - Why the hell didn't you live at home? What brings you to Wraeclast? - It's a long story. - Go on, tell me! - Well... After you were exiled, I didn't stay long on Oriath either. I ran out of money and had to borrow from Perandus. I was hoping to earn money soon and give it back with interest, but I didn't have time. Instead of giving me an extension, he sued me. You know decisions of the Oriath's court. Wealthy and mighty people are always right, and the rest are... Soon I was thrown out of the boat on the Twilight Strand. I don't know how, but I got to the Lioneye's Watch... And then you already know. - What was the name of that rascal Perandus?" - I don't exactly remember. The red-haired one. - Сadiro? - That's right. - Well, son of bitch! If I caught him again, my fist will meet his red beard, and the carved wand will be in his stern! - What's done is done. I'm sorry. I'm so stupid. If I had known in advance that this would happen... And what about you? How are you doing here? - Just like everyone else. After I was exiled for drinking, I was on a ship. In the heat of the moment I punched the warden in the face, then got a blow on the head and woke up on the beach. There I dispersed the local evil beasts, kicked Hillock's ass, and went out to the Lioneye's Watch. And then it became easier. A huge fist always in the good price! Go there, find that, kill somebody and so on. So I lived. At first, I went from town to town. Found friends, made enemies. However, the enemies are now fed worms, and friends... Most of them, too. Wraeclast and Oriath are not the best places in the world. Your Kitava alone was worth something! He killed so many good guys! But never mind, we sent him back where he came from... In parts! - So you're the one who killed him? Thanks! The whole Oriath breathed freely! - Oh, come on! You've created a problem for yourself, and we need to solve it! At least we did it. The authorities, of course, awarded, promised eternal glory, a lifetime prosperity, but what fact? A year has not passed since they forgot about us. No one needs heroes. So we went back to Wraeclast. At least there is some use for what we can do. And what can we do? Only to beat and kill. No more. Fortunately, there is a lot of stuff that wants a strong fist or a hotter fire! How did you survive here? I think Wraeclast is not a good place for people like you. - You're partly right. Here is not sweet for a woman with a higher education. I had to learn the art of fighting. But I'll tell you what. I've been in the Maze more than once. I walked through the ruins of the cities of Vaal. I lived many years in a temple of Highgate. I think that people in this world used to know more. I've seen a lot of evidence of that. Take these portals, for example, - She pointed to the blue platform of the portal, - People made it! It is unlikely that there is anyone now who understands the principles of their work... And they still work! There are still many places where machines still work underground. But how much good could they do to people? They could facilitate hard work, move us to a distant places... - It's like your chopper, isn't it? - Arvo laughed. Cassia was offended, but she didn't let her anger show. - Just like it, but much better! Oh, you should have seen Nico's face when he first saw it! He still believed that he is the one who know the secret of the voltaxic sulphite engine! By the way, I secretly worked around in his crawler and optimized something there. It now drives faster and uses a little less fuel. Just Shh, don't tell him. Or then he will not be able to sleep well after this! Arvo and Cassia laughed for a long time. Then Cassia continued, this time enthusiastically and seriously: - Just imagine, such cars, but fast, convenient and silent! To transport people by land, by sea, by air... Maybe even to other worlds, to the stars. I read that machines can even think! It seems that I still have something to do! - Didn't you have enough of that? Thinking machines, yeah? What if they figure out how to exterminate us? - If so, it won't be for a while. By then, people would have found a way to control them! - You're an optimist! Personally, I think that on the Wraeclast everything that can go wrong - will end badly. We can only fight it and try to win! By the way, it's getting late. Come on, I need to clean my armor, because it's still covered in guts. I will scrub, and you will tell me how voltaxic ships sail to the Distant seas. By the way, if you could come up with a machine to wash armor after battle, I'd be really happy! - I'll think of one! - Cassia said and laughed. Arvo tore out the sponge, took some sand and began to clean his armor. Soon it shone brightly in the rays of the setting sun. Cassia struggled to read the inscription on his breastplate. It was hard to see from the shore. She took off her shoes and waded into the water. As she drew closer, she could finally read: "Unarmed, but dangerous!" - Your slogan? - Like that. Sometimes you have to make an impression. - Good! Cassia stretched sweetly, letting the sun and the warm breeze wash over her face. - How nice it is here!" - Yes. Once I cleared this place of all sorts of evil creatures swarming here. And now this is my home... - And you never got a woman? - There was one here. Zana. You've probably heard of her. But after what happened to her father, she became ... However, I understand her. In short, it didn't work out for us. How are you? Where do you live? How is your personal life? Cassia sighed. - Where I live... Wherever I have to. I'll rent a room or go to the Church - I'm still a priestess! But on a personal... Somehow it was not up to this. Everyone thinks I'm a little crazy. Men generally avoid me, although I still look good. Huh? With that, she threw off her dress and plunged into the water. Arvo thought she really looked pretty good. Arvo finished with the equipment. He hung his armor on a rack in the shade so that the straps would not dry, then picked up the Blacksmith's Whetstone and began to sharpen the blades on his gloves. Cassia splashed out on the beach and sat down by the fire to dry her hair. - Don't you want to change? - Arvo asked suddenly. After the fight, her clothes were burned to holes and looked bad. - Do you have anything to change into? - Let's go and see. With these words, he opened his stash, full of trophies, obtained in hundreds of battles. Cassia came up softly and gasped in surprise. There were necromancer silks, Vaal regalias and the Widowsilk robes. There were things worthy of empresses. But suddenly she saw something among them that made her eyes sparkle and her heart beat twice as fast as usual. - It's... - she whispered with an ecstatic gasp, pulling the modest Saintly сhainmail, decorated only with an intricate web of golden chains, - Chains of Command! I've read about it... I thought it was a legend! Can I try it on? Please, please, please! She stretched out on tiptoe, folding her arms in a pleading gesture. Arvo, seeing no particular value in this Saintly сhainmail, simply replied: - It's yours. Cassia jumped like a girl, then ran to Arvo and hugged him until his ribs crunched. - Whoa, easy! - Arvo said in a strangled voice. Cassia gave him a quick kiss on the mouth and then darted to the stash. Carefully, as if she were actually touching the legend, she took out the chainmail and, holding it carefully, ran behind the rock. Just a minute later, she came out of there, dressed in new clothes right on her naked body. She looked amazing. The chainmail fit her perfectly. Her long dark hair fluttered in the wind. Her eyes were bright with happiness. Arvo couldn't take his eyes off her. - I wish you had a mirror here! But that's not the point. With that, she pulled out the armor, helmet, and longs word. Then, rummaging in the box with the skill stones, she pulled out a dull red stone. - Look! A spirit, almost transparent and two heads taller than Arvo, materialized in the air beside her. The armor lying on the sand was suddenly put on this spirit. It seemed to float in the air. Then a helmet appeared on the spirit. Then gloves. Boots. And in his hands was a sword. Arvo had heard of Animatrons, but had never seen them with his own eyes. It was impressive. - That's not all! - Cassia whispered delightedly. She pulled daggers, swords, and axes from Arvo's stash. She paid no attention at all to the clothes or jewelry. She took out another stone, an emerald one this time, and inserted it into the socket on her armor. A wave of his hand, and the dagger lying on the ground suddenly rose in the air and froze in a fighting position, ready to strike at any moment. It was followed by the axe. Behind him is the sword... A cloud of glittering, ready-to-fight steel formed around Cassia and the Animatron. - Look at that! Cassia ran to a small hollow in the center of the hideout, where, on her first inspection, she had noticed the dummy on the stake, that served as Arvo's punching bag. Cassia whirled in a strange but beautiful dance. As if it was an extension of herself, a cloud of blades glittered in the sun and clanked in the wind. Instantly, the dummy was blown to smithereens. The stake, which had been cut off by the passing sword, now protruded barely above Cassia's knee. - Well, - Arvo pretended to be upset, - that's the еnd of my dummy. What am I going to hit now? - Oh, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry! Cassia threw herself at Arvo again and hugged him, not so hard this time, trying not to hurt him. A cloud of blades clattered down behind her. - Well, how's that? Now we don't care about any Blight! - Impressive! - Arvo said, astonished. - And effective! We must now choose the right stones and practice properly. I'm sorry about your dummy. I'll find you someone to beat! Cassia gathered up the scattered weapons and carefully placed them into the stash. Then she disassembled the Animatron. Arvo stood in thought. Then he said excitedly: - Great power imposes great responsibility! Never forget about it! - I won't forget it! - Cassia replied. The matter of clothing for Cassia was settled. Arvo wondered what he would wear himself. His favorite battle armor won't be dry for a while. Choosing a brand new Tabula rasa, he put it on, tied a sash, and put on his Wanderlust shoes. He looked strange in white, but he felt comfortable. And the dark bruises that had not yet passed away were immediately noticeable against a white background, which was quite consistent with Arvo's idea. Today is not the time for fighting. Today is the time to talk. And persuasive speech is sometimes harder than the hardest fight. Einhar woke up. When he saw the elegant couple, he rubbed his eyes for a long time, as if not believing what he saw. - Hey! Did I miss something? Are we having a party? - The meeting is planned. - Why are you so dressed up? - Just so, - Arvo and Cassia said in unison, and they both laughed. - Well then, Einahr is not far behind! With that, he yawned, stretched, and suddenly began his firedance. His finery was even brighter, redder. It was streaked with light, as if the fabric itself had been made of fire. - Wow! That's what any girl would envy! How can you do that? - The gift of The First! This is the finery of the Primordial Fire! I think it will be appropriate today. Especially since you're all dressed up... Well, I'm ready now!" - So let's go! --- Ergholm was restless. He had a bad presentiments. He had begun to notice that the townspeople were somehow subdued, sunk into apathy. There were fewer celebrations. There was less joy in their lives. He was a warrior, and perhaps that was why he didn't notice the change immediately. A warrior lives by the day. He is not up to niceties. The excitement of battle, the joy of victory or the bitterness of defeat - that is what is felt immediately. Despondency is not in his rules. People say that the best protection for a ruler is the love of his people. This fully treated Ergholm. The Northern Hammer, as the townspeople called him, was probably the best ruler of the town in their memory. However, he came to power in a very brutal way - with his squad, he took the town by storm. After slaughtering a guard consisting of elite mercenaries, he personally killed the former ruler in battle. But he did not commit any carnage or looting. Instead, he declared himself the new ruler and settled here for a long time. Under his rule, the citizens's life became easier. There were no more extortionate exactions, for which the greedy and religious previous ruler was famous. Ergholm ordered to rebuild the town's walls and gathered a strong fighting force of volunteers. Either in labor or in battle, he was always where it is more difficult and dangerous. Together with the people, he built walls with his own hands, went to combat campaigns, and even didn't disdain to plow the fields. At the head of the squad, he cleared the surrounding area of robbers and other evil creatures. Previously frequent and bloody, the raids on the town stopped. The evil creatures calmed down, fearing to attack people even at a considerable distance from the town. Thanks to Ergholm the town and its surroundings are probably among the safest places in Wraeclast. Merchants and travelers began to arrive in the town. The population has increased. Freed from taxes, people have become more confident about the future. Not greedy for wealth and fame, the new Lord required the citizens to work for the good of the town - to build the walls, residential and public buildings, to prepare supplies. There were more and more applicants for these jobs. It became an honor. And in the squad soon began to accept only the best warriors - so many were willing. The city thrived. Realizing that prosperity sooner or later leads to idleness, and idleness - to weakness, Ergholm always gave the builders tasks that are at the limit of their strength and capabilities, and with the soldiers went on long campaigns, from which he returned, though sometimes with losses, but with glory and trophy. After such campaigns, there were always celebrations and feasts. They were so funny that word of them has spread to other cities. But gradually the joy faded. People lost their enthusiasm, served and worked without initiative. And the Lord could find no explanation for this. He even issued a decree every six months to grant the best of the newly built houses to the best worker in the city. At first, it shook people up, gave them a reason to work better. But not for long. Inexplicable apathy fell on the townspeople with a new force. In addition, people began to disappear... The Lord was about to start an investigation, and even invited Jun, Veiled Master to do it. Perhaps today's incident will also shed some light on this dark mystery. In order to banish bad thoughts, Ergholm out of the gate to exercise his mastery of the maul. Moving away from the town, he headed for a tall pile of boulders that farmers had piled at the edge of the field. With the practiced eye of a warrior, he immediately noticed a small group of zombies ambling lazily in the distance. He turned around. The sentry on the tower was not asleep. He stared at the zombie with his long bow ready. But since they weren't dangerous, he didn't do anything else. Ergholm was not to touch them too. He never killed in vain. The zombies went away soon, and the Lord began to train. For a good two hours he smashed the stones violently. The ground shook. Sparks and fragments of rock flew in all directions. Even large enough boulders were easily crushed under his powerful blows. There will now be material for construction! Feeling more cheerful, the Lord gathered the scattered stones into a pile. It is not good to scatter them on the field! Then he returned home. The new Lord didn't like the luxurious, well-fortified mansion of the former ruler of the town. He turned it into a storehouse of weapons and supplies. It could also serve as a good hideout for the townspeople in case of a raid. In this case, he ordered to expand the dungeons and dig several wells. He settled in a simple house near the town square. The doors of his house were always open to the citizens. They could come to him with a requestat any time of the day or night. But people tried not to abuse it, and only rarely turned to him with really important questions. Here, right in the living room, at a simple wooden table, meetings were held where the current problems of the town were discussed. The working people liked it. In the luxurious apartments of the former ruler, they would have felt constrained and depressed. The atmosphere of this house was simple and inviting. Ergholm's house was decorated with only a small number of trophies won in battle. When the Lord got home, he looked at himself in the Atziri's mirror and frowned. After ordering the only cook in his service to boil a few tubs of water, he changed into simple clothes and went to the Barber's. Whether it was due to an inexplicable force, or just laziness, he rarely paid attention to his appearance last time. His hair was long, and his beard had grown much longer than it should have. Before today's meeting, he decided to clean himself up. When he returned, he filled a huge barrel with water as hot as he could stand, climbed into it, and did not get out until the water was cold. After bathing, the Lord finally felt clean, as if the hot water had washed away the dirt not only from his body, but also from his soul. It was evening. Ergholm ordered to bring to the square a lot of firewood and to make fires around the wagon. He also ordered to set up several large tables, put fresh bread, sausages and pitchers with clean water on them. He ordered benches to be set up for the old people. It was going to be a long evening. When all the preparations were completed, he sent out heralds to summon the people to the meeting. People gathered in the town square. Everyone was there, young and old, except for the guards on duty on the walls. The old-timers sat down on the benches. The children kept stealing a piece of bread or a sausage from the tables. The adults stood waiting. The Lord came out. The people greeted him with restraint. Everyone was waiting for Arvo and his friends, the culprits of the morning's accident. - They're coming! They're coming! - came a boy's voice from the street at the end of which was the portal. The crowd dispersed, making a way for the guests. Soon the three of them were sitting on the wagon. Ergholm, dressed in Ornate Ringmail stood nearby, leaning on the maul. - Arvo, my old friend! Greetings! Tell me what happened to you last night. - No, Erg. Let her speak today! - Arvo pointed at Cassia. - Believe me, she has something to say. And Einhar and I are just bystanders... - I don't know her. But I know you. If you think she should talk, let her talk. But will the people listen her? - As long as you hear it. Cassia stood up on the wagon. She was terribly afraid to perform in front of the people. But she took a hold upon herself and began: - The Blight. A creeping black fungus that feeds on the will of its hosts. Pulsating with toxic blood. Too dangerous to touch. Too dangerous to ignore. We must drain the ichor of this dark infection. Its mindless husks will protect its core. So I build weapons. Towers which conjure flames, chill the air, move the earth. Even so, I need your might. And to the mighty go the spoils. The source of this Blight is out there. Its black tendrils reacing for us. We'll seek it out. And purge it! The Blight is here. And we are the cure. Cassia paused. There was a brief silence over the square. Then there was a commotion in the crowd. - She's crazy! What is she talking about? - Lord, why did you gather us? - Get her out of town! There were more and more shouts. The Lord struck the pavement with the handle of his maul and shouted loudly: - Shut up! The shouting stopped. The Lord continued: - Everyone keep quiet and listen to her! It seems that she was the only one who noticed the trouble that came from where we weren't expecting it. Cassia, please go on. - Black mushrooms that merchants sell to your children enslaving the mind, paralyzing the will. Their growths are already everywhere. Probably right outside the town walls. I don't know where they came from, by whose will, or for what purpose. But I know what the consequences are. I know how to deal with it. I tried to purge one of these growths last night. If it hadn't been for the accident that brought Arvo and Einhar to that clearing, this would have been my last attempt. The monsters that protected the Blight were extremely strong. You saw what they did to Arvo this morning! - Why do we care about these mushrooms? Let them grow! - a voice came from the back of the crowd. Don't touch them, that's all! There was another hum and murmur from the crowd. - That's right! Don't touch it! - someone else yelled. The Lord was about to intervene, but Cassia raised her hand in the air and continued: - Don't touch it, as you say? Your children use them. Their minds are distorted. And soon they disappear. Isn't that enough? - Ban the sale of mushrooms! - Impale the merchants! - On a stake! - came from everywhere. An unpleasant-looking, skeptical man came out of the crowd. - What makes you think it's all about mushrooms? Maybe you ate too much of them yourself. Well, they won't sell them. With or without them, stupid young people will find something to kill themselves with! - I have eyes, and I can see what's going on. Open your own, and you'll see the same! Otherwise, you're right. Bans don't solve the problem. The root of this evil must be eradicated. And young people need to be educated well. They need to have interests in life. The light mind is not afraid of any darkness! The crowd began to chatter again. - Who is she to teach us? - Get her out of town! - came from one side. - Impale the merchants! - On a stake! - Burn the Blight! - came from the other side. Opinions were divided. A big redheaded man stepped forward. - You said something about a reward, didn't you? The crowd was silent, waiting. Cassia turned to the wagon. - Get off, boys! - she said to Arvo and Einhar. They both jumped from the wagon. Cassia pulled back the covers. - Help me! Arvo, Einhar and Ergholm took off the shields. Beneath them lay a pile of high-quality weapons and expensive armor. The firelight glinted on the polished edges. The whole wagon seemed to be full of treasures. - Here's the reward! - Cassia said. Taking a small bundle from the wagon, she unfolded it over the nearest table. Expensive rings, chains, and gems spilled onto the table. - And here's the reward!" The crowd cheered. The bolder ones came closer to touch the weapons or jewels scattered on the table. People were interested. That was a good sign. The Lord paused for a long time, giving the people time to make sure that the treasure was real. He was thinking of something else. Cassia's story seemed to hold the key to the problem he was trying to solve without success. What if Blight is the reason why people lose their initiative? Ergholm never relied on just one opinion. It was often false. Now he would like to hear more. He held up a hand for silence. The people froze and fell silent. - Who else has seen or heard anything strange lately? Come out here and tell me! Any small detail can be important. The square was quiet again, and no one dared to go out, although there were probably many who had something to tell. Suddenly, pushing through the dense crowd, a thin, pale girl of about fourteen came out into the circle of fires. She wore a simple lilac dress, and on her head was a rough iron band with a blue stone. She was scared, but the importance of what she had to say overcame her fear. Standing next to the Lord, she spoke. Her clear, crystal voice seemed to ring over the town. - I Am Anima. I study necromancy. Ergholm looked at the girl with admiration. He respected mages and necromancers. In combat, brute force wasn't everything. The extraordinary intelligence and powerful will required to control summoned monsters from the other world sometimes decided the outcome of the battle. The Lord distinctly felt in this girl both that. The girl continued: - I've learned to summon skeletons. But here's what's unusual. When I summon them, I often come across the same strange skeleton. He is not like everyone else. He is small and weak, but desperately brave and very... naughty. In battle, he is always the first to attack the most powerful and dangerous enemy. As if seeking glory... or death. Senior necromancers say it shouldn't be like this. And more. A shell amulet hangs around his neck. Lord, I am aware of the strictest prohibition on using combat magic in the town. But I need to show it. I think it's important. Girl paused. She looked straight in the Lord's eyes with a long questioning look. Ergholm thought for a moment, then nodded. The girl took out her wand and made a sudden pass. There was a rustle. Three skeletons appeared in the circle of light. Two of them stood, shifting from one foot to the other. The third, indeed, was markedly different. It was smaller and weaker. He did not stand still like the other two, but walked back and forth, crunching his bones, as if looking for someone in the crowd with his empty eye sockets. Suddenly there was a cry of grief from the crowd: - Let me go! Let me go to him! A tall, strong woman, dressed in a night-black mourning robe with a hood, pushed her way through the crowd to the wagon. Everyone recognized her. It was Frida, named the Blackbird. A year ago, her son disappeared. Then she made herself this mourning garment, and since then she has never appeared in the town dressed in anything else. She worked as a weaver. She always started work long before dawn and finished work late at night, when everyone had long since left. She didn't talk to anyone. Keeping her grief to herself, she tried to drown it out with work. But now, as if she sensed something, she struggled to get into the circle of fires. As she approached the strange skeleton rushed toward her. The guards instantly raised their halberds, but the Lord ordered them to stand still. Skeletons ran up to Blackbird and suddenly hugged her with his bony hands. Frida stopped. Ignoring the fact that the flames were almost touching her dress, she hugged the skeleton. - Sergio! My son! Closing her eyes, she felt the skeleton's skull as if it were a baby's head. She pulled the string of the amulet by touch and took it in her hand. The skeleton gripped her clothes tightly with hooked, bony fingers, as if it didn't want to let go. But then there was a dull thud, and all three skeletons crumbled to dust. Blackbird is frozen in terror. Then, opening her eyes, she darted to the table and, grabbing the knife that lay there, swung it. Everyone was taken aback, even the Lord. Suddenly, as if a red lightning flashed between her and the wagon. A trail of fire spread across the ground from the wagon to Frida. Her knife hand was caught in the air by a red clawed glove. Einhar materialized in front of her. - Drop the knife! This is not a solution! - he whispered so softly that only Frida could hear him. The knife clattered from her hand to the pavement. Einhar was still holding her hand with one hand and patting her shoulder with the other. - Hush. Calm down. - Sergio! My son! Come back! - Frida sobbed. - It's all right, - Einhar whispered. At least your son is alive and could come back to hug you. He's alive! That's not bad! Even in this state! He is alive. He remembers and loves you. Don't forget that! The ground around Einhar and Frida was covered with a bright red tracery of complex runes. Einhar seemed to droop. Healing bodily wounds requires a lot of strength, but to even slightly ease such a spiritual wound required immeasurably more. The Lord and Arvo arrived just in time. They picked them up and sat them down on the nearest bench. People, shocked by what they saw, stood silently, barely breathing. The Lord called two guards. - Carry Anima home! - he ordered, - And Blackbird too. - Thank you, Anima! - he said. Taking a skill stone from the table, he placed it in the girl's trembling hand. - Thank you, my Lord! - she said softly, and went away, followed by the guard. The Lord paused for another long moment. Then ask. - Does anyone else want to talk? He didn't expect an answer. But then Zana, Master Cartographer, stepped into the circle of campfires. - I'm Zana, - she began, - And I have been in many strange and dangerous places. Recently, I have often come across places where there are no people or monsters left. Just abandoned homes and these mushrooms everywhere. I marked these places on my maps as infected to avoid them later. It would not have happened so, ignoring the Blight, we condemn the whole Wraeclast to a similar fate! The people were quiet and clearly scared. Zana was well-known and respected, and there was no reason not to believe her. - Thank You, Zana. Leave me some of these maps of yours. We'll be scouting there soon. No one else came out. All waited in silence for the Lord's decision. Ergholm thought hard and long. And there was something to think on. Soon he announced his decision: - Tomorrow we will start collecting the army. We'll send messengers to other cities, let them listen, ask around, see what they can find out. At the same time, let them announce that we have decided to burn out the Blight and will be glad of any help. Then the Lord saw a familiar face in the crowd. - Jun! It's good you're here, too. Let's get your deals over with the Syndicate. Go to him with peace and tell him that Ergholm Northern Hammer waiting for them to talk. Jun nodded silently. Niko, Master of Depth, approached the Lord. - I'll ask around in the Underground cities. Maybe there's someone who knows more? - Thank you, Niko! - excitedly said surprised Ergholm. This silent, introverted man had never before delved into the affairs of the town. Like a mole, he spent most of his life underground, appearing on the surface only when it smelled of sulphite. It must have struck some chord in his soul. The lord addressed the townspeople again: - And more. Everyone who comes to our town with mushrooms from now - will eat them themselves until they burst! And those who allowed it for a fee - will go into battle and fight alongside me. And if they get cold feet, I'll instantly kill them myself! The crowd hummed. - Yes! Let them eat the mushrooms themselves! - Let them burst! - Burn Out The Blight! - rushing from all sides. The Lord waited for the passions to subside a little. - Now follow me, all of you! The townspeople immediately followed him. The Lord quickly reached the former ruler's mansion and ordered the guards to open the gates. He unlocked the armories and said: -Take what you can! Tomorrow at dawn, we will all gather in the Forest camp and begin combat training. Arvo, I'll see you there tomorrow. You already have experience of fighting this Blight, you know what is it. You'll be an instructor. Cassia, get your machine ready. In a month we will start to purge the Blight! Einhar, are you with us? - Yes, Erg! It will be a good hunt! About it there will be legends worthy of The First! Arvo and Cassia stood side by side in silence, holding hands. Ergholm stared at them. - You look good together! Even in the dim light of the torches, he could see Arvo's face turn a little pale, and Cassia's face redden visibly. - Damn it! We are going to have a great team! Blight, watch out! What did you say, Cassia? This world is sick, and we are the cure! ©OuttY, 2019