Short story - This short story is my first steps in the literary field...

                               
                               
                               
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 :xx/0З/05: +--------+  | Sinc Re-Stared !
!  +---+----+ +--+---+--+        issue 2  
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(От  редактора. Эта  новелла - мои  первые
шаги на литературном поприще. Читатели по-
следнего  Абзаца  наверняка ee уже видели,
однако  не  все  имеют возможность/желание
подписываться  на Абзац, поэтому, я думаю,
ничего страшного не случится, если она бу-
дет здесь.)                               
                                          
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 VIKING QUEST - I             
                                          
(c) Sam Style, 2005                     
(c) short story - Scalesmann                
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 The sun pleasantly warmed Egil’s back,
where is he, returning from another walk in
nearby forest, slowly walking towards
went to his village.  This one was unusual
village - you’ll hardly see it anywhere else on Earth
Viking settlement. The settlement itself is located
elk in a picturesque valley, at the foot of the ancient
of the sacred mountain. Respect for this mountain
was so great that those living according to
The Vikings tried not to pronounce their name
ee names, so as not to disturb the ancients
forces dormant within. We won't do it
this is what we do.                               
 It was only a couple of miles from home,
when Egil heard some strange
a sound reminiscent of either a sigh or a sigh
timid growl. "What could this be?" - me-
An alarming thought flashed into his head, and
The Viking walked faster. With every step
his anxiety gradually grew.           
 Taking off from his place, Egil instantly
covered the remaining distance and ran into
village.  A terrible thing was revealed to his eyes
sight: most of the buildings were either
destroyed to the ground, or severely damaged
damaged. And there wasn't a soul anywhere, though
time is after lunch and usually it is
after lunch the entire male population of the village
poured out into the yard to smoke the labor
a barrel or two, throw into dice or
organize an ale drinking competition;
women only had to look after
so that no one loses the last
pants and didn't drink himself senseless, what,
however, quite a lot still happened
often.                                    
 With unsteady steps, Egil walked out onto the
a large village square, where
Usually an elder could be found. View
tpeb around, he saw a familiar ball-
xoh, but there's something about the elder's appearance
alerted Egil. Shaking too much
his hands were gone, his face was drawn, and in general he
it seemed that he was holding on with great difficulty
on your feet.                                 
 - Egil, is that you?.. It’s so good that you came-
walked. I'm already too weak and won't last long.
Well, so listen carefully and don’t over-
fight. - with these words the elder is having a hard time
sat down on the bench. - Five nights ago
strange sounds came from the northern cave
ki. I sent the best warriors there, but they
never returned. They began to walk along the valley
rumors that the Demon of Darkness has awakened, which
guarded by a dead sorcerer. And then over the share-
a dragon flew by.  The people were in panic -
last time a dragon was seen in our area
about 5 centuries ago. - the elder sighed
Hom continued. - And last night the unknown
the force devastated the valley. Salvation lies in
city Holmgard, but getting there is not easy
then. Here is the gate to this city, -
a rosy hand pointed to the village shrine
(a huge meter-long arch made of non-
understandable stone that always remained
warm), - but they are closed. If you find
dead sorcerer, you can... get... into
Holmesgard. Now go. - last words
the elder was already pronouncing with difficulty. - Go,
Egil...save our village... I'm old and
my time has come...                     
 Egil had to strain to hear
to say the last words of a fading old man. A
then the elder's body went limp and gently sank
fell on the floor. The bright aura blinded for a moment
Viking, and when he opened his eyes, his body
was no longer there.                              
 - I will complete my task. I swear! - cri-
Egil pointed into space.                 
 "Now it would be nice to start looking for
kami of the dead sorcerer, and also see,
Is there anyone left alive from the population of the village?
pebhu". Having come to this conclusion, Egil
headed to the nearest house and carefully
opened the door.                             
 It turned out to be Uncle Jupe's tavern. Not-
probably, but this weasel managed to over-
live a catastrophe and now selflessly
flew a huge leg of lamb, occasionally passing
leading her with healthy sips from no less
healthy mug. Seeing Egil, he stopped
began to chew, and, putting the food aside,
wear:                                   
 - Well, now you know everything aboutvolume,
what happened here.                   
 - Yes, the situation is not easy. - responded
Egil. - We should find someone and ceiling-
to say that he did not fulfill his task
tion.                                      
 - Are you talking about a dead sorcerer? - asked the uncle
Yup. - Let me tell you something. Where-
then a year ago one eccentric left us. Now
he lives as a hermit in the Southern Forest. He has
there was a Book of the Dead, which allows
communicate with a dead sorcerer. But this renegade
Nick is very angry. So that he's okay with you
talked, take this amulet, I was the day before yesterday
he stole it. - the uncle grinned contentedly.
   Having said goodbye to the owner of the tavern, Egil
wandered off in search of the book of the dead. Soon he
went out into the field, where he saw some hehop-
small, standing in the wind. "It seems like
"like a hermit" - thought Egil and only
his mouth opened, like...                
 The stranger quickly made several
gical movements with hands, something quickly
rattled...                         
 Egil really wanted to moo, and he,
to his surprise, he burst out so loudly
loud mooing that those walking
nearby, the cows looked up in surprise
grass and looked at him with curiosity.
Egil, in turn, stared in shock at
cows "How cute they are!" - thoughts
Egila was interrupted by a moo...            
...Egil woke up in some barn with a bun
straw in the mouth.  Having difficulty spitting, he
rose to his feet. "Yes, this sorcerer has an extra
bang!" - Egil remembered about the stranger: "On-
I'd better stay away from him."        
 Then his attention was attracted by a plaintive
ykahue. Looking closer, he saw a stuck
hanging between the beams of a thick fluffy cat
ta.                                       
 - Oh, you poor thing! - Egil extended his hands and
freed the unfortunate animal from captivity. Cat
immediately purred contentedly and curled up into a
lachikom in the arms of a Viking.               
 "I don't remember, whose cat is this?" -
with such thoughts Egilwent out into the yard. Lively
thoe looked at the birds sitting on the roofs and
licked her lips dreamily while Egil stomped
along the streets. Putting his hand in his pocket, he felt
the amulet fell there and remembered the hermit.  
   Having gone a couple of kilometers into the forest,
Egil came across a small hut in front of
where some eccentric was sitting on a stump and
muttered dissatisfiedly under his breath.           
 - Hey you! - he barked at Egil, as soon as
he approached. - If you’re staggering here, don’t
have you seen my amulet?  Second day to find
I can't.                                  
 Delivery received from Uncle Yupa pekbu-
zit, Egil handed it to the hermit.        
 - Thank Loki, he was found! - joyfully
he clicked. - There is news on the tail of forty
carried that Egil, son of Eric. Are you looking for mept-
other sorcerer, but now he means nothing to you
will say. Here, take the Book of the Dead, it is
maybe.                                    
 After wiggling his brains, Egil came to the conclusion
yes, that a dead sorcerer should be inaccessible
I'm flying from the Northern Cave, but it was like this
dark and so creepy that without lighting he
decideddon't go there, and he found it
the cat started yelling loudly as soon as the Viking
approached the entrance of the cave. Deciding to get rid of
to get away from the animal that bothered him, Egil turned to
went to the stranger who turned
him into the bull.                               
 - I wanted to turn you into a bull, yes
I remembered that I had already converted it. - said the number
dun. - I thought about turning it into a toad, but didn’t
I will. Thank you for my cat. Advice to you -
Don’t just go into the cave, otherwise you’ll get lost.
eat and you will completely disappear. Hold the torch here.    
 - Thank you very much. - said Egil and...
ran quickly to the cave.  Pulling the torch over
head, he went inside.                 
 The sorcerer's advice was not empty words -
if Egil had come here without light, it would be unlikely
if we could find our way back. Immediately after the entrance
the house was a deep hole, a natural trap,
closing the way further, and don’t be with Egil
a torch, he would inevitably fall there.
Carefully avoiding the obstacle, Egil felt...
sitting in a long spacious corridor, from which
In addition, tunnels opened in different directions along
less.  You could get lost here with
with a torch, so Egil decided to strain his
memory, and everyonepassage where he was
shaft, lay on stone. The side he's from
came, marked not only with a stone, but also on
drew a Viking symbol on the floor.           
 Egil no longer remembered which count
he entered the passage when his attention was drawn
attracted by a small statue of some person
ka standing next to some pattern on the ka-
mehhhom semi. All this was in a small
shoy cave is clearly artificial
nia. This suggested that Egil
I finally found the place where the dead man is
sorcerer                                   
 The sorcerer really looked like he was dead.  That
what Egil initially mistook for a statue turned out to be
elk was a living person, but he answered all questions
did not answer, but the stillness of his eyes spoke
that the sorcerer is in some kind of
daze.                               
 Egil remembered the book of the dead. Standing up on
inscribed signs, he opened it and began
look for a spell associated with trying
waiting for a dead sorcerer.  Finding something similar
spell, he began to read...    
                                          
 ...Exhaling sharply, the sorcerer came to his senses and
looked around. He was still in his
her cave, but somethingtold him about
that the normal course of things has been disrupted. First of all
Finally, he probed the mountain and with anger became convinced that
that the Demon of Darkness, whom the gods entrusted to him
guard, broke free.  Secondly
rykh, lying nearby on the floor of the cave was some
Viking and snored peacefully, hugging a huge
book.  The sorcerer carefully took it out of his hands
Egila, and his gaze fell on the spell,
written on an open page - "Try-
waiting for a dead sorcerer in exchange for putting to sleep
tion of the caster." "What an idiot!" - thought
sorcerer - "Doesn't he know how to read? Okay,
We'll figure something out."                    
 Having stretched his stiff joints, the sorcerer left
from the cave. First of all, he decided to skip
drink a couple of glasses, and at the same time find out
what actually happened here?            
 The street was surprisingly empty. Time
thinking about this strange event, Giondel
pushed the door of the tavern.                   
 - So that I choke on beer! - Uncle Jupe
I almost dropped my mug. - He succeeded!    
 - First-class ale for me, the biggest one
mug.  - the sorcerer ordered.- And, kindly-
shiy, explain to me what happened here.    
 - Well, I know little. There are rumors
that the Denom of Darkness has broken free. So what
Egil decided to save the world.                    
 - Egil is probably the weirdo who
sleeping in my cave. - said Gyen-
dollars                                      
 - Yes, that's it.  What happened? - point-
the owner of the tavern was worried.                
 - Error in the read immersion spell
put him into a magical sleep. But we change it
him, since he was going to become a hero. -burk-
zero sorcerer.  - But I interrupted you, continued
zhay.                                      
 - So, he wanted to wake you up so that
you opened the gates to Holmgard for him, because there
lies salvation?                           
 - That's right. I'll go wake him up.  Come on,
innkeeper - and Giondel rolled out of the xap-
chevni.   From one distant relative of Gyonde-
Lou got a very ancient spell,
used since time immemorial.
"If only I could find him" - thought the sorcerer,
returning to the cave.                     
 Having explored all the nooks and crannies, Giondel realized
that I completely forgot where he put it
precious scroll. Fumbling around for the fifth time
altar in a nearby cave, he accidentally
pressed on some panel.  Huge wall
stepped aside, opening the way to a small
shoy, brightly lit hall.                 
 - Old fool, I completely forgot about my la-
bororium! - slapping himself on the forehead, he cast a spell
began to rummage through a huge stack of parchment
new scrolls and books.                       
 - Expulsion of little green men..
Dancing rats...Summoning the spirits of the forest...Not
then, everything is wrong. - he threw the scrolls at
different sides. - O!  Found it!  "Spell
complete awakening!                     
 With the maximum speed at which
were capable of his eternal calluses-
mi legs, Giondelhurried to the cave, where
Egil was still quietly snoring. Turning
on his back and folding his hands on his chest,
Giondel unrolled the scroll and tightened the awakening
giving a spell...                    
 A huge eye materialized from the
spirit.                                     
 - Giondel?  The eternally dead white sorcerer?
Why the hell are you bothering me? Remembers-
Xia, a couple of hundred years ago you owed me
your decrepit body. I'm taking him!         
 - Wait, All-Seeing Demon. Listen to me
Nya. Here, in the circle of life, lies Egil. Gods
entrusted him with the task of saving the world from the Red-
th dragon. Wake him up and give him the key to
Holmgard, otherwise even the world of spirits will
destroyed by the red dragon.               
 - Well, you are a cunning one, Giondel.  Your request
will be executed...                       
                                          
...Egil took a deep breath and opened
eyes. It seemed like nothing had changed since then...
the moment he cast the spell. Here
only for some reason he was lying on the floor, and mept-
The other sorcerer was not visible.  Instead
There was a strangely shaped scepter lying on the floor.
"The key to Holmesgard!" - Egil guessed. Not
thinking about the fate of the dead sorcerer, he
rushed to the exit of the cave - a torch, given -
given to him by a crazy animal lover already
has almost burned out, and the prospect of staying in
the cave forever was not at all pleasing.       
 Standing in front of the gate, Egil took out
pocket key. Feeling that they are again
They started working, the gates began to buzz. The ground is slightly
shook, the carved symbols glowed bright
yellow light. Appeared on the right column
drawing in the shape of a scepter.  Egil attached
the key to the drawing and felt that it was like
as if carried through the air. Bright shine for-
filled everything around...                    
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End of the first part. To be continued.
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