Elfric's daughter is Ulia. [https://i.imgur.com/8MyxlKg.jpeg]
I was very sleepy. It had been a very long day. Normal people lie in bed at this time, not attracting meteorites from the sky. Besides, I'm not used to night duty. If I could sleep during the day. Right now, I could sleep right by the fire. I had to rake up dry grass and remove small and sharp rocks to make a bed. It would be nice to leave a sentry on duty, but where to find him?
After thinking for a while, I drew a big circle around the fire and my makeshift bed. I whispered nonsense:
“Under the starry moon, in the night's silence,"
There’s a fire burning, it’s got great power.
Protect me from the evil of the dark above me,
I long for serenity to envelop me as I surrender to sleep within the circle of power, granting me everlasting peace".
Before I fell asleep, I thought a little, and these thoughts brought me comfort. Compared to that guy who had moved to this world, I looked stronger and more confident today. I could afford to lie by the fire and plan my actions without a care in the world. Someone sneaks up on my fire, and I’m too lazy to even open my eyes. My body becomes weightless, I float above the ground, rising higher and higher, and I find myself in an incomprehensible space, devoid of form and definition. Not emptiness, but not space. It was like an intermediate state between being and nothingness, where time and space lose their meaning. I could run without losing my strength. Or I could hang upside down for hours without feeling the blood rush to my head.
I felt like I was being studied. Someone is knocking on my mind, retrieving events of years past from my memory, making a judgment. It’s hard to explain. I experienced it when I was coming out of anesthesia after surgery. Everything had seemed soft. I penetrated through brick walls, watched people in offices from afar, and listened to what they were saying.
Now I was hearing a voice, too. It wasn’t rough or soft. It asked in a creeping, insistent voice,
- Do you want to destroy me? Or do you want to help me?
- I don’t know what you are. I was not designed for killing. I don’t want to kill anyone at all.
- You, despite your age, are full of wisdom and kindness. You can do a good deed. Let it be as you say. I’m opening the door to magic and creativity for you. But remember, you must use the power I give you for the good of those around you, and especially for this planet.
- Tell me, how do I get rid of the dragons?
I think I shouted those words in my voice. My hoarse growl startled the small creature stirring the cooled embers. It was the size of a teddy bear, but fluffy and alive, standing on its hind legs. In its little monkey hands it held a stick with berries stuck on it. It held out the stick in my direction and said something. However, I realized what he had said to me:
- Help yourself. Just don’t take it all, leave it to me.
I looked at the small animal in surprise. Sharp triangular ears, black, round eyes, funny face. A mix of a Pomeranian Spitz puppy and a Maltese Bologna. Fluffy, my little friend. How he got through the forbidden circle. Or maybe my magic spell didn’t work.
- Don’t worry, it’s all right, — Fluffy mumbled again in an incomprehensible language. - You created the circle to protect you from your enemies, and I’m your friend. That’s why he didn’t stop me.
- You can read my mind? - I was frankly surprised.
- You say the words out loud, I can hear you well. - Fluffy ate his berries nonchalantly.
The size of a date, they tasted something like a date. More stringy and less sweet. Delicious and nutritious. After eating four berries I felt my stomach no longer demanded food.
- My name is Tush. If you want, I will be your companion and travel with you, — the Fluffy one introduced himself. - I am an interpreter between humans and creatures that do not speak human language. I can’t speak to everyone, but only to those who have a telepathic link open to me.
I’m not sure that Fluffy said those exact words, but the meaning of his phrase was clear and did not require explanation. . And how could I refuse such a companion. He weighed about two and a half pounds. Lighter than my shotgun. He made me seem stronger, more determined.
I gave Fluffy some water from a flask. When he had quenched his thirst, I asked him:
- Do you know the blacksmith Maleus?
Tush shook his head in the negative.
- And the old wizard Nix? Pyronax’s dragon family?
At the mention of a dragon, Fluffy looked around fearfully. I realized that I was in the same world, in an area where the names of my acquaintances were unknown.
- Perhaps you know the locale we are in?
To this question, Fluffy answered:
- In the forest.
- I can see that myself. Do you know where the dragon family lives?
Fluffy shrank back fearfully, signaling that he didn’t want to talk about it. The interrogation from my side continued:
- Do people live around here?
- The village is not far. But we must walk carefully, the roctopuses do not sleep.
- Who doesn’t sleep?
- Creatures that live underground. People call them roctopuses. They move underground, along subterranean pathways. They attack people, steal livestock, destroy buildings, kill trees.
- Take me to the humans!
Grabbing Fluffy in my arms, I took quick steps toward the village, in the direction showed by Tush. Fluffy sat on my shoulder. I felt through his fluffy coat the beating of a small heart.
On the way to the village, I thought over the situation I had gotten myself into by my stupidity. I shouldn’t have moved after the first failed attempt. I should have stayed still and waited for Nix to come after me. If he realized at that moment which direction I'd moved in.
The surrounding area looked like a dried-up forest. Deciduous and coniferous trees with bare branches made for a sad sight. No birds sang, no one ran in the dry grass. Dry trunks creaked in the air. A small spark could burn this entire forest.
I heard we were approaching the village from afar. First one dog gave his voice, and then another. The barking of the dogs roused the village. Men and young men came out of their houses armed with weapons. Some held bronze swords, others sharp spears. At least a dozen bows loaded with arrows were aiming in my direction.
I raised my hands, showing that I was approaching the people with good intentions. The parliamentarian was a muscular, tall man holding a bronze axe in his left hand. With his look appearance, he demonstrated that he held a high position.
- Who are you and what are you doing here? - was the question I had to answer.
- Tell him you’ve fallen behind the caravan and are lost, — Tush whispered in my ear. I followed my new friend’s instructions. The men’s faces softened, their brows lowered, and no one was aiming in my direction.
- May I ask you for shelter for a while? - This question was mine. I acted without prompting. I turned to the man, recognizing him as the elder. The forest dwellers dressed in clothes made from the fabrics and furs of wild animals. The village elder himself looked like an imperious guardian. He towered over his fellow villagers. On his shoulders lay a robe made of wild animal fur, and a tunic fitting his body, made of cloth created from linen fibers. On his belt hung a bronze knife and a dozen different amulets that protected him from evil spirits. The rough leather trousers that encased his legs had been cut by an experienced tailor. I liked the look in the man’s eyes. His gray eyes reflected determination and understanding of the situation. This is the look of people with a judicious mind and experience of years.
Next to the elder stood a woman. I thought it was his wife. Although she was not young, she still shone with beauty and dignity, dressed in the spirit of the village. Her dress, woven of linen fibers and dyed in muted earth tones, emphasized her delicate femininity and meekness. Her neck was adorned with a patterned necklace composed of precious stones. She didn’t have any special hairstyle. Her hair, falling freely over her shoulders like forest streams, reflected the woman’s natural beauty. She held a small bronze dagger in her hands, ready to defend her family with her chest.
Behind the woman stood a young girl. I think she was about fifteen, sixteen years old. She had the features inherited from her father and mother. The same commanding and determined look. Young and charming, she radiated her youthful energy and freshness in clothes created with care and love by her mother’s hands. Her dress, light and airy, was made of fine fabrics that gave her freedom of movement and lightness. An unknown master decorated the girl’s clothes with embroideries of bright threads, which gave her incredible charm and appeal. I think that more than one young man living in this village dreamed of becoming a relative of the elder. What caught my eye was the pendant on her chest. A large, sparkling ruby, set in a gold band. In our world, such a piece of jewelry could bring a lot of financial gain.
The rest of the villagers looked the same as their elder. It was clear that there were no idlers among the forest dwellers.
The elder looked me over carefully. In camouflage-colored hunting pants, a light jacket of the same color, and sturdy leather boots, I didn’t look like a trader. But I was unarmed, even without my usual club, and such a careless attitude toward my own safety raised questions. I should have purchased clothes appropriate to the era long ago, I was inexcusably slow.
- What can you do? - the woman asked. - What have you been doing lately?
It was good that she asked me that question. I could answer without lying. I told her I had been working as an apprentice in the forge and showed her my palms. As easy as it was for me to swing the bronze hammer, I still had blisters.
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- Luco! - The leader of the village called the young man to him. - Show him your house, let him stay with you for a while.
The young man they called Luco separated himself from the dominant group of villagers and waved at me. He looked about twenty years old. Broad-shouldered and strong, he led me into his house. The huts of the forest dwellers were elevated above the ground, dry and bright. I was shown the room in which I was to live. It looked much better than the one I had rented from Nix.
Since I didn’t have any belongings with me, it didn’t take long to get settled in. I left Tush in the room and followed Luco out.
- What are you doing? - I asked my guide. Luko shrugged:
- Hunting, fishing, mining for combustible stone.
Something like a hunch flashed through my mind. To confirm my assumptions, I asked:
- Is it for yourself or for sale?
- We keep some of it, sell most of it.
- Is it black and sometimes crumbles in your hands?
- Yes, — confirmed Luco. - We have several underground diggings. The craftsmen chop the stone, the younger and stronger ones bring it up in baskets. Only now it’s dangerous to be in the diggings. The Rocktopus have declared war on us and we’re losing so far.
Luko told us what these subterranean creatures look like. They were like earthworms, long and slippery. Only the diameter of the roctopus was ten times the size of an earthworm. A person could climb into the underground passage.
The head of each worm was equipped with teeth-drills, with the help of which roctopuses gnawed their underground passages. Along each torso earthworm was located with a dozen long tentacles with suction cups. With the help of these tentacles roctopus captured the victim, strangling it or tearing it apart. No one knew the number of worms that had taken to the warpath. So far one or two worms have been destroyed.
- They move underground, in different directions. It’s very difficult to determine when and where they will attack. We’ve got buyers coming in soon, and we’re very low on supplies.
- Who’s the purpose of the burning stone? - I had a rough idea of the purpose of the coal here.
- Melt copper, add tin to it and you have a ready metal, suitable for making weapons and armor, tools and much more. - That was my guide’s answer. He led me to a huge, tetrahedral pyramid truncated at the top.
- This is our one of our guard posts, he announced. - You put your ear here and listen. As soon as you hear the worm coming, you take this stone and strike this bell.
- And how do you fend off the attacks? - I looked at Luco. He ignored my glance and explained,
- It’s good when the worm chews a passage on the surface.We then pour a flammable liquid into the pit and set it on fire. The Rocktopus don’t like fire. I'm coming to take over for you.
- You were on solo duty before me? Where’s your partner?
Luko looked at the ground instead of answering.
- He was taken by surprise and torn on the spot. A few steps away from the cone.
I looked at the spot indicated to me. The blood had been thoroughly mopped up, the place where the roctopus had exited was blocked with rocks and covered with earth. If I had looked at the place before the story, I would have noticed nothing. The desperate struggle between the man and the slippery worm. Droplets of dried blood on the stalks of dried grass. The fresh earth that had become a grave mound for a guy who hadn’t had time to drink the cup of life to the full.
- This isn’t right, — I thought, adjusting myself to the listening tube. There was some movement beneath the ground, but Luko explained that these noises were natural and shouldn’t cause a sense of unease. There are people walking on the ground, fallen buildings being repaired in the village, and miners extracting combustible stone in the mine. - Each species exists independently of the other. Humans do not interfere with roctopuses, those with humans. That’s if you look at the situation ideally. Maybe the miners invaded the Roktopus’ domain. Or maybe the worms just got bored and went on a safari of sorts. I wonder if they have the beginnings of intelligence or if they act on instinct. I shouldn't have left Tush at home. He would have helped me. And there’s no one to send for him. All right, I’ll do a fair shift, next time I’ll take him.
I looked around to see if anyone was watching me. I was allowed to create, so why not give it a try? Pretending to put my ear to the cone and covering it with my palm, I whispered:
- Oculong! Long eye!
From my palm, a thin thread with eyes on the end floated down into the underground passage. The magic looked ugly from the outside, but the eye on the thin string allowed me to see into the underworld. Smooth, rounded walls, straight, long paths. It was understandable, worms had a hard time making right angle turns.
I oriented myself to the noise and surveyed the area above where the village sat. Not a single creature. I caught particles of slime left by worms, their waste products. Tree roots that had grown deep down, many small roots. Figuring that was enough for the first time, I returned my long eye back to the palm of my hand. As I explored the underground burrows, my watch time had expired.
- Did you hear anything? - Luko inquired. I shook my head in the negative. - Not bad for your first time, — he complimented me.
I noticed the bronze sword hanging from his belt.
- Are you a skilled swordsman?
The young man looked at me in surprise.
- You’ve never held a sword in your life? How can that be?
- I was holding a sword. - I did not deceive the young man. When I took the bronze sword out of the clay mold, I was holding it anyway. - I’m just not good at swordsmanship. I could use some practice.
- another pair should replace us, — Luco put his ear to the pyramid. - Then I can train you. Where’s your sword? I saw you come empty-handed.
- I briefly hid my sword in the bushes. I thought an unarmed man would be believed faster.
- Go rest, — Luco waved his hand, signaling that the conversation was over.
- What’s the name of the village leader?
- Elfric. - Luko waved his hand. - Go away! You’re disturbing me.
I walked around the village. There were no streets, and the houses were built in no particular order, surrounding the square and spreading out in a circle. The leader’s house did not differ from the others, and if the girl, his daughter, hadn’t come out of the house, I wouldn’t have known that this was where the leader lived.
- Hello! - she said to me. In her hand, she held an empty wooden bucket. - Getting used to it?
- Yes. - I was happy to talk to the beauty of the forest. Although it was hard to call her beautiful. She was a pretty, pretty girl. Not a hunchback, not lame. She smiles when I talk to her, though I didn’t save her from birds of prey.
- My name is Ulia.
- That’s a pretty name. Can I help you?
- Well, if it’s not too much trouble. We’ll have to go to the creek.
We walked along a path trampled by many feet. We exchanged glances, smiled at each other, cracked jokes. I felt wings growing behind me. In a figurative sense.
I told Ulia that I was traveling to different places and that I was just lost now. In part, I was telling the truth. She promised to teach me archery. After fetching water, we walked back to the village as leisurely as before. At the door of the house, her mother, Maria met Ulia. She looked at me with an appraising glance, but said nothing.
Tush was waiting for me in the house. He said he was bored alone and hungry. Instead of answering, I flopped down on the bed. I was going to be on duty again soon, and I wanted to get some rest.
Luco was waiting impatiently for me. Unlike me, he stood still and listened to the dungeon. The worms did not make themselves known. When he saw the fluffy little guy sitting on my shoulder, he smiled.
- I wanted a pet like that too, but he ran away to his own. They’re migrating, they’re flocking together and going somewhere.
Touche, my furry friend, to whom I was attached, was busily inspecting the eavesdropping pyramid.
- Will you leave me? - I asked him when Luko left. Touche was silent. Then putting his hand down, he said:
- It’s empty now, but not so long ago there were rocktopuses here.
I was numb. Luko was in danger, he could have been torn apart, and he hadn’t heard a thing. Fluffy tugged at my pant leg:
- I’m hungry.
- You were roasting berries before I woke up. Where did you get them?
- Over there, — Fluffy waved a small hand, pointing in the direction.
- If it's not too far from here, you can go get a dozen. We’ll eat together.
I had to check the underground burrows immediately. Maybe the worms were preparing an attack and I was having fun with Fluffy.
I took a careful look around, just like the first time. I didn’t want my abilities to become known on my first day in the village. The people who live here don’t seem aggressive. They would be happy to know that if not a wizard, then at least his apprentice lives near them. Though what good would I do them with my magic?
Long-Eye, as he had done the first time, scrutinized all the burrows. Long Eye’s route had already been checked, I was expanding the area I was exploring. Most of the burrows went deeper into the ground. I decided that a superficial inspection would be sufficient for the safety of the village. My long eye, or rather its string stretched for several kilometers, it would take a long time to return to its original position.
Looking into one of the corridors near the coal mines I found a bronze sword lying on the ground. My long eye had no arms or tentacles. I had to wrap myself around the hilt, imagining the long eye as a slender but very long boa constrictor.