** From the author: Changes in text markup. Now the dialogs will be formatted using quotation marks, example:

- "I'm not agree with you"

- “Okay, then I’ll suck you”

 

Thoughts will be indented and in quotation marks, I will try to give explanations in the text. Enjoy **

 

Chapter 14

There was a cloying, sweetish aroma in the air. Many, including Ner, experienced bouts of nausea. The rest of them were throwing up, not for the first time.

 

He touched the tip of his blade to a swollen fruit hanging from the branch of a yellowed bush. Thick juice splashed and the stench intensified.

 

- “Disgusting” - Ner said and spat on the ground.

 

Nature around quickly died. Autumn withered the plants, preventing them from starting to rot. Not there. A tropical hell spread out here. In the midst of the desert and arid territories, a wave of life swept through, giving rise to a ridge of oases, attracting people and animals. They gathered fruits, enjoying the festivity. For small animals, hungry predators reached out. In just a few days, a new habitat was formed, with its own food chain. Animals that ate plants became extremely fertile. The predators that devoured them were not inferior in the rate of reproduction. But paradise did not last long, giving way to death. With the same speed that everything grew, it fell ill and died, spewing suffocating vapors. A heavy mist rolled over this area, not rising above the knee. It is a pity for those unfortunates who could not climb higher or fell, inhaling it. They were doomed.

The roads are littered with the corpses of animals slowly decomposing in the heat. Occasionally came across travelers who wanted to quench their thirst and hunger in this corner of the world. Forever, deprived of these needs, remaining silent bodies, on the sidelines.

 

Ner was worried about many things, but most of all, the lack of insects. Not a single fly in the air, not a single maggot on the bodies. And silence, nothing can boldly approach the plague path.

 

The third day his detachment advanced in search of a source. Two hundred soldiers, detached by the local lord, as they liked to call themselves, only delayed the movement. Heat, suffocating gas and rot, all this led to an outbreak of diseases. Any abrasion turned into an abscess that was difficult to treat. Many complained of constant fatigue and dizziness. The food spoiled, I had to switch to dry rations. On the morning of that day, all dried meat was over. It should have been enough for the way back, but the smell became too suspicious, after conferring with friends, Ner ordered to throw it away.

One of the soldiers did not listen, trying to eat a couple of pieces for breakfast, and now he was lying in the cart, groaning and spewing streams of black vomit.

 

The evening did not bring relief, the heat in this place refused to subside and, like an invisible wall, did not allow the wind to disperse the stench.

 

Shais jumped out onto the road, out of the dense thickets, still holding his bow at the ready.

 

- "I found him. One hour east. A small elevation. Follow me." - He said quickly, almost without pausing, and disappeared into the bushes, leaving small bluish spheres as a guide.

 

Having chosen those soldiers who were still combat-ready, Ner went after the tracker. The journey took more than two hours, it was amazing how this tall man could move with such speed and agility in the cursed forest. If not for the orbs, no one would have been able to determine that someone had passed through here. Foliage, flowers, fruits, everything is not touched. Not a single footprint on the ground.

“Damn, how does he do it?” - Thought Ner, turned around and looked at August. The lean man, covering his mouth with a handkerchief, removed his hand and smiled at him - "Always wants to cheer me up."

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

 

They met a few years ago. August got into trouble performing in a tavern. Ner drank and listened to beautiful songs performed to the harp. The girl sitting on the stage plucked the strings with thin and long fingers, singing the story of the war of the ancient kings who lost everything by coveting the wealth of the elves. The audience admired her beauty; thin and sharp features, huge blue eyes, chestnut curls of wavy hair framed bare shoulders. A small mole under her left eyes gave her an aristocratic sophistication.

Rare coins fell on the stage, hiding in the pockets of the boy, deftly collecting. Until someone threw a handful of gold...

The boy stopped, as did the playing girl.

- “But won't you sing, beauty, something for us alone? Or maybe you will show me some, I'm with friends, which would like to see too” - The thug yelled, causing a laughter in the hall.

A dozen mercenaries, celebrating the completion of the contract. The one who was shouting got up from the table, turned over the mug of beer and moved to the stage. Deftly jumping up on her, he grabbed the girl by the hand. Her thin forearm just sank into the mercenary's huge hand. The harp fell to the wooden floor, and her foot shot up, hitting him in the chin.

The half-helm fell off his head, revealing short horns at the top of his forehead. This explained his impressive size. Demihuman.

 

Anger flashed in his eyes and a smile appeared on his face. Without releasing his hand from a firm grip, he tore off the light robe wrapped around her body. And froze.

 

- “What the? Is it a dick?!”  - His jaw dropped as his tiny brain tried to figure out how. Girl with a dick? This is some nonsense. Never seen such things.

 

The coin-collecting boy pulled a short knife from behind his back and stabbed the goon in the ass, breaking the awkward moment of silence.

 

- “THEY ATTACKED THE COMMANDER!” - One yelled, jumping up from the table, prompting the rest of the mercenaries to draw their weapons. His voice quickly drowned in the growl of the ringleader and the noise that rose in the hall.

 

Random guests, or cowardly regulars, crowded to the exit, not wanting to be part of the murder. The size of the room and the density of the tables prevented them from passing quickly enough, causing pandemonium and even more screaming. Especially when the mercenaries cleared the way to the stage, distributing kicks and slaps to those who turned up under the arm.

 

The musician, who turned out to be a feminine guy, did not waste time, anticipating the imminent reprisal, threw out his hand and cast a spell. Flames engulfed the commander's head, forcing the victim to let go. His beard lit up the room like the morning sun, dispelling the pleasant darkness so loved by drinkers.

 

The musician picked up his robe and harp, signaled to the boy to run to the nearest window. A tiny ball of fire exploded from his hand, shattering the glass into many shards. He, waving his impressive “thing”, jumped on the tables. Having reached the opening, and throwing a boy with a harp and a mantle into it, he jumped himself.
At the last moment, another mercenary's hand closed around his ankle.

The thin body flew into the air and crashed back against the wooden table with a crunch. It knocked all the air out of him and did not allow to move.

The blade flew into the air, rapidly approaching his head.

Blood splattered...

 

The point entered Ner's hand , and the blood flowed down it to the hilt. The barbarian's other arm swung out and slammed into the mercenary's jaw, and there was a crackling sound from a broken branch. More like a whole bunch.

The blow sent the opponent flying and knocked out a handful of teeth.

Ner helped the musician to his feet, their eyes met for a moment. The visitors got out of the institution and now they were surrounded by armed, and extremely disgruntled mercenaries.

 

A fight started. Furniture flew around the room, breaking windows. The sound of blades and metal, the crunch of broken bones, screams and groans.

 

Ner took the blows without trying to defend himself, attacking everything he could reach. Enemies twice his size were thrown into the air, hitting the ceiling. The horn of the commander, who tried to counter-attack and avenge the beard inherited from his great-grandfather (his own did not grow, so he shaved it off a deceased relative and built a wig), was torn off and driven into the center of his forehead. The musician, still naked, fluttered around the powerful body, hiding behind him from mortal blows and shouting spells that smashed enemies no worse than powerful strikes.

A few moments and it was all over.

 

The naked man collapsed to the floor, catching his breath.

 

- "Ahaha, you're doing well! Thanks for helping out!” - he answered cheerfully

 

- “Come on, I never miss a good fight!” - Ner laughed – “You know, and you are a talented magician, do not want to change job?”

 

- “If you think that I will sleep with you, you are very mistaken! Me and my magic are not made for bed comfort!”

 

- “Damn, you misunderstood! I am straight! And chosen by the Goddess, I want to save this world and I am looking for those who will help me”

 

- “So fast? Do you immediately invite a stranger with you to a mortal battle against darkness? Don't even kiss?” - The guy grinned maliciously, sitting on a chair and drinking from someone's mug.

 

- “I trust my guts. I think fate brought us together, because I should be at a holiday in my honor, and not in a godforsaken tavern. And you saved the boy first, that says a lot about you”

 

- “Do you have enough gold to hire an incredible duet?”

 

- “Duet?” – Ner raised an eyebrow.

 

A boy ran into the hall, this time holding a huge butcher knife.

 

- “Meet my little Zwei! Great little robber! And I, charming, sweet-voiced, legendary Augustus!” - He stood on a chair, putting everything on display and bowed.

 

- “Master, please get dressed…” - Zwei’s face was covered with color, the knife had already disappeared, and now she was holding out a tattered robe.

 

- “Okay, convinced, my humble assistant” - He threw on the robe and pinched her cheek.

 

- “The payment is royal, you don't have to worry about it, and…”

 

- “Well, in that case, Zwei! I'm tired of being a bard, although they pay well, but you won't meet a real man here. Now we are in the hero squad! Let's go to war with darkness” - The mantle slipped off him again….