swung to the side, but Ellie was there, mercilessly kicking him in the other ear with a foot. The boatman jumped up, jumped back, but then another Ellie kicked him. He swayed, waved his arms and fell overboard, screaming either from fright or from the cold that engulfed him. The current picked up the uncontrollable boat and carried off to the side, leaving the floundering boatman behind. In the boat arose confused vanity. It quickly became clear that nobody, in general, was able to row.

- I will try ... - the wanderer sat on oars.

He, too, was doing poorly, but at least he managed to turn the boat nose forward, with varying success, scooping ashore. However, before they got to it the river ended, the fast current brought them to the open spaces of another, much wider river. But the current here was smooth and slow. The stranger stopped trying to row, surrendering to his will, only occasionally adjusting the direction with oars. Finally, the bow of the boat, several times knocking and rattling over stones, stuck into the shore.

- We arrived.

- Where are we? Zak asked without addressing anyone.

They were carried far enough away from the confluence of the rivers, and Zak, in the confusion, did not even understand to which bank they had nailed.

- We are here. - answered the wanderer. - At the edge of the Damned Lands if anyone is interested.

The elf looked around in dismay, as though expecting unknown monsters to approach her, but everything around was still deserted and quiet. Alma immediately asked:

“Can you somehow bring the boat to that shore?”

- I would try, but ... See for yourself.

In the boat the water splashed merrily. The nose lay on the bank, and the food was almost completely flush with the surface of the river.

- Probably about a stone and a crack appeared somewhere. - Explained the wanderer.

- Can we fix it? - did not give up Alma.

- With bare hands? I can not. But if someone can - I do not mind.

Zack looked at the boat as taught in lectures, trying to understand the interweaving of lines characterizing the internal structure of the boards:

- Do not fix it. There was only dust left there and there, only in appearance. Yes, it generally swim here should not have been! And there it will crack at the first opportunity!

- I say ...

Alma had to abandon the thought of getting out of here in such a fast and convenient way.

“So we need to cross the cursed lands on foot?”

Well, why cross? - smiled wanderer. - This is superfluous, unless you are interested in seeing them. If we go there, we will pass along their very edge where we will be almost safely and soon leave the land border.

- How do you know where?

- I was interested somehow, I looked at the maps I could find, read ... This is a huge territory, abandoned, almost unexplored, where various strange, interesting things happen! I was going to get here, wander around, see, but did not find fellow travelers, and for some reason I didn’t want to go to these places alone.

Alma thought for a while:

- Well ... I'll have to trust you, since you at least know something about these places.

- Good. You do not think, I am also thirsty to quickly leave this territory.

- And what is your name? - Allie showed curiosity.

- Torello.

- This name? And completely how?

- Why do you need? You will not address me in full title.

- Oh well. Go here.

Zak took one last look at the flooded boat, and with all of them headed deep into the cursed lands.

The river is far behind. Zak was constantly turning his head, looking for anything to confirm the danger of these places, but the terrain was no different from the one on the other side. The same hills, trees and grass. Although Torello gave them a brief lecture on what can and cannot be done.It was possible to go after him and look around, and everything else is impossible. You can not move away, you can not approach the buildings if they meet, you can not touch incomprehensible objects ... And if something unusual is noticed - immediately call him. Once in the distance, the ruins of a city or a castle seemed to be - at such a distance it was not clear. Torello carefully rounded them in a big arc.

- And what's in there? - asked Laurie.

- I do not know. But it is better not to go there. Maybe nothing, just ruins, but I would not check.

- In general, where did they come from, these lands? Why are they like that?

- Oh, young curious lady! On this account there is no consensus. Too little has come down to us since those times. It is precisely known that once there was a great war in which everyone participated - humans, elves, orcs, and, rumored, even demons. Yes, they say that they really existed then.

- Oh, and I thought that there are no demons! Nobody saw them!

- I do not know, this is a legend. But magic was used in the war, and by all parties and very actively. At the same time, it is very bad at times. As a result, such forces were liberated that everyone here smashed and the territory became uninhabitable. Almost everyone left here, although they say that they have adapted. True, few have seen them. Only one expedition mentions this in the report.

- And the demons? Nothing can harm them, they are not from our world, are they?

“To kill is not, but to harm ... There is such a legend ... No, rather, just a fairy tale ... At the very end of the war, two demons took part in the battle for the main temple of one local city. They were opposed by serious magicians, there were many of them and while several of them distracted one, others managed to immobilize the second, turning it into something like a stone statue.

- The second? Was it a woman?

“Well, if you can say that about demons, then yes.” They were a man and a woman, very close friends. So, her friend, no matter how hard he tried, could not then return her former appearance to her. They say she still stands in the temple, waiting for someone to release her.

- And he himself?

- And what is he? The same legends say that he never left our world, looking for a way to rescue a girlfriend. However, this is just a legend, you should not take them too seriously.

The hill, at the foot of which Torello decided to stop for the night, was huge. Zak out of pure curiosity, asking permission, climbed up. In all directions, as far as the eye could see, the desert, overgrown land stretched. In some places there were obscure outlines of something tall — maybe buildings, or maybe just huge trees. And no hint of anything alive.

- Oh, look! Came Laurie’s surprised voice from below.

She, her mouth was open before the door leading deep into the hill. Previously, probably, two low wide doors, covered with intricate carvings, reliably protected what was inside from intruders. But then, it seems, someone strong and angry came. The doors were knocked out, wallowing right there, bristling with protruding slivers. Zak, glancing into the darkness, saw only rough stone walls and a dusty floor.

- I think you should not go there. - advised Torello from behind.

- Why?

- Because we do not know what could be there.

- Yes, there is no one there! Only dust is one!

“Indeed empty ...” she approached Zach Alma. “But Torello knows what he says.” Go here.

- What is it all about? - asked Allie. - Did someone live here?

- Actually, I recall that I saw similar pictures in one book - a pilgrim jabbed his finger at the broken door. - It seems that they refer to some kind of cult that was not very common in those times. I do not remember exactly, it did not interest me then.

Zak stepped out from under the low arch, looked back at Alma, still peering deep into the aisle, and went to get ready for bed.

Alma could not sleep. There, near these ancient doors, irrepressible curiosity awoke in her. She was sure that no one was inside for hundreds of years. So, it could well be something that remained from those times. Even if it is not necessarily valuable or useful.The most common household item, like a knife or mug, acquired ... Read more →