The sun slowly rose over the forest, illuminating the previously dark spaces. Birds and the sparse forest wildlife were coming to life. Selene sprawled on a tree branch, as much as space and the need to remain unnoticed allowed. She flicked the tip of her tail irritably, watching as one of the men hiding under the tree yawned. She was deeply upset that she had to get out of bed in the middle of the night and rush to prepare an ambush. All because the skeletons resurrected by the hired necromancer had been unable to defeat a traveler. Their task was to kill those traveling through the forest at night so they could loot their belongings. The necromancer informed Trelg, the bandit leader, that he had lost contact with his subordinates. They quickly concluded that only a trained mage could defeat the 20 undead, and, thinking that such a creature could command a hefty ransom, they decided to capture him alive. And so, half of the band, led by Trelg, found themselves hidden on one side of the road, while the other dozed beneath Selene's feet, waiting for the signal to attack.
Suddenly, the perpetrator of the commotion emerged from around a bend in the narrow path. He walked calmly, even slightly amused, down the middle of the path, clutching a travel bag under his right arm and carrying a two-meter wooden staff in his left. A knee-length black cloak with a red collar completed the picture. Only a pointed hat was missing. He looked unfazed by the night's journey through the thicket and the fight he had fought there.
Suddenly, Selene's attention was drawn to Ferro, perched in a tree beside her. He was a green-scaled reptile. He belonged to a race of skilled warriors and could communicate over long distances with almost inaudible whistles and hisses. He conveyed to her that Trelg was giving the signal to attack. She smiled and ordered the archer to fire an arrow the necromancer had prepared earlier. This arrow would blind the traveler and dispel any spells that might protect him. The wolf below quickly drew back the string of his longbow and fired the magical bolt with a faint hiss.
Adam knew about the trap even before emerging from behind the trees and entering the small clearing. The chain had picked up and translated the inaudible conversation in the reptilian language. While he could have avoided the people waiting for him, he wanted to get some exercise. Fighting the skeletons was trivial for him. As soon as a vibration ran through the chain, signaling danger, he covered his eyes with his cloak and threw himself to the side. Even through his closed eyes, he saw an explosion of light. Simultaneously, he felt the almost physical pain of the blow that the magical part of the chain had suddenly received. "A spell to dispel magic!" he thought. "Fools, they don't know what they're in for." Quickly shaking off his daze, he tossed aside his traveling staff and sent a half-mental signal to his weapon. The chain, wrapped around his right arm, traveled to his hand, where it straightened and stiffened, creating a weapon with a sword-like effect. The bandit standing closest to him, surprised by the strange sword that suddenly appeared in the unassuming mage's hand, died with a pierced heart. Another tried to block the blow with a wooden club. He survived only because the club was metal-coated, but this didn't save him from breaking his neck when his head collided with a tree. The next pair of opponents, a horse and a man, also armed with metal-coated clubs and wooden shields, blocked his movements with almost synchronous attacks. More attackers were running from the other side of the road, and he also noticed two archers. The other end of the chain, used as a club, stiffened in his left hand. The opponents were not surprised by the second weapon, even though he had used it to shatter the man's shield and likely shattered the bones in his arm. The surprise was that the previously stiff chains suddenly fell, and any of them who had managed to dodge, they wrapped themselves around their legs, knocking them both unconscious. Adam knocked them unconscious with swift kicks to the head. Another opponent, about to throw his club at him, died when the sharp-edged chain on Adam's right arm crossed the ten meters between them in an instant and pierced his stomach. He reacted quickly to the twang of the bowstring, shattering the arrow with the blunt end of the left chain. He ripped the right chain from the would-be thrower's belly and aimed it at a black cat running toward him with two wickedly curved daggers.
Selene watched with amusement as the seemingly defenseless mage fought. His movements, however, held the agility of a warrior, and his undoubtedly magical weapon wreaked havoc. She decided to see just how good he truly was. She didn't care that Trelg had forbidden him from killing. She chose a moment when he was busy pulling the end of the chain from his body, thinking he'd have to pull it back before using it again. She was wrong – the sharp end of the chain shot out like a viper towards her. Cursing fiercely, she jumped out of the way of the projectile, but it changed direction, aiming straight for her face. Before she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the worst, she saw two more bandits lying motionless on the ground. She felt only a slight puff of air near her face, then the loud sound of metal digging into wood. She opened her eyes in surprise. The chain missed her face by a few centimeters, slicing a clump of hair as it slammed into the tree behind her. Seizing the opportunity, she threw a bronze projectile at her opponent, aiming for his face. He noticed him only at the last moment and tried to knock him out with the blunt end of the chain. She laughed as she saw the bag filled with a powerful tranquilizer explode in his face. Staggering, he took a few more steps and blocked the attack with his baton, then fell to the ground, unconscious.
Late that same evening, Selene headed to the place where the prisoner was being held. She ignored the lustful glances of the other bandits in the camp. She was the boss's wife, and Trelg knew that if he tried anything she wouldn't allow, he would wake up with a dagger between his ribs, no matter where or how tightly he tied her. She watched the occasional couple copulating publicly, and not just the male-female pair. She despised these scum, but it was the only family she had. As the partner of the gang's leader, she was untouchable. She wasn't ugly – black velvet fur, white below the elbows, knees, and at the tip of her tail. Luckily for her, Trelg was quite shy in contact with the opposite sex. Maybe he was gay, so much the better for her. However, he respected her for her abilities and was probably a little afraid of her. Smiling broadly, she descended to the dungeon. The warrior/mage was hanging there. She stopped laughing when she saw him smiling, looking at her with almost sapphire eyes. He seemed not to mind hanging in a rather uncomfortable position on the wall, wearing only a headband made hastily from some rag. He had cut his left temple in the fall, but the wound had already healed. Several fresh wounds were bleeding on his chest, and he also had a dozen or so bruises. Clearly, they had already tried to interrogate him – or someone was taking revenge for the wounds he had received in battle.
"What are you so cheerful about, you punk?" she asked contemptuously.
"And I'm Adam, nice to meet you," he replied, still laughing.
She quickly leaped at him and, using her claws, left three long gashes on his chest, which quickly began to bleed. He didn't even flinch, but instead spoke,
"I'd love to return the favor, but I'm a bit immobile at the moment."
She noticed he had many scars, some quite old, though he himself was quite young. Examining some of them closely, she realized the wounds that had left them must have been fatal. Yet despite this, he was still alive, walking, and looking at her with those same blue-sapphire eyes. Trying to hide her embarrassment, she asked sharply,
"Who do you serve?"
"Nobody... only travels."
"And who gave you this... this chain? And how do you control it? He almost killed Sardek."
"Sardek?" "
A necromancer." She slapped him across the face. "I'm asking questions here!" "
From a friend," he said, as if nothing had happened. "And I don't control him... it's more like a mental friendship."
She was already genuinely curious about this... this Adam. He was the strangest person she'd ever met. Without a word, she left the cave. His warm voice caught up with her.
"See you later."
That day, sleeping off the trip, she tossed and turned nervously on her bed. She dreamed of a blue-eyed warrior, a chain that missed her face by centimeters, and a ten-pointed star.
The next day, they moved him to a small cell. Along the way, and during the interrogation that followed shortly after, he'd sustained several new wounds and bruises. He'd answered truthfully that he served no one and that only he could control the chain, but he knew they didn't believe him. At the same time, he felt mental pain as the necromancer experimented on his weapon. He knew he couldn't maintain this form for long. Thanks to the meditation Alabaster had taught him, he could regenerate his strength, allowing his wounds to heal faster than normal. He could summon his weapon at any moment and escape. However, he needed to learn more about this black cat. When he ordered his chain to kill her, he received a clear mental answer. "No." Alabaster explained to him that his chain would never harm truly good beings. He also told him that it would point him to other team members to find. He was certain that she was simply a good person.
She visited him later that day. He noticed she had charming green eyes. Overall, her figure was quite shapely, and the black leather armor, sleeveless and ending above her knees, gave her a seductive look. She seemed a little embarrassed, even though she looked at him through the bars with undisguised contempt and a sense of superiority. However, the mental contact with the chain made him quite an empath. He sensed her emotions and assumed the same cheerful and unconcerned expression, as if he weren't separated from her by thick steel bars and surrounded by at least a hundred thugs. He decided to break the silence.
"Hello," he bowed slightly. "I would greet you as befits a lady, but you would have to come closer... yes, sorry, I don't remember your name."
Without a word, she approached the bars. He seized the opportunity, quickly moving closer and gently kissing the back of her hand. She looked at him in surprise, and quickly jumped away from the bars, cursing under her breath. He pretended not to notice her blushing. Finally, she spoke.
"Do that again and you'll lose your arm."
Adam smiled mysteriously
. "It would be worth it. It seems you wanted something..."
"Yes, and you probably know what..."
"Who do I work for? Well, I'd be happy to tell you, but why should I reveal so much information about myself if I don't even know your name..."
"Selene. Speak. "
He sighed and began to tell
. "Do you know the story of the five heroes?"
"Those fairy tales from half a century ago about saving the world from an evil god? Yes..." "
So you probably know there's also a prophecy..."
"...about the return of an evil deity and a pogrom?" she interrupted. "I didn't come here to listen to nonsense
." "Neither. I mean the ten heroes. The ones who are theoretically supposed to fight the returning deity. Well, I'm not bragging, but I'm one of them."
He didn't expect her to believe him, but he wanted to see her reaction.
"You're not much of a hero if you can't hit someone with that weapon of yours."
"It was supposed to hit you, but it has this one catch: it will never harm any of the ten heroes," he lied, not mentioning that truly good people are also safe.
"So I'm a great hero who's supposed to save the world?" she asked, laughing. "You're telling the truth, you don't work for anyone. You're just a lunatic who stole someone's magical weapon."
"Bring me my package and we'll see..."
"Sure, oh great hero and traveling companion." Laughing, she walked out of his line of sight. Her laughter could still be heard in his cell for a while. Adam also laughed quietly in his cell.
An hour later, she searched his travel bag, deposited in Trelga's vault. Nothing special. A few coins, food rations, and typical travel equipment. No ingredients that magicians use to cast spells. No papers with insane prophecies. Suddenly, a small bag made of black leather caught her eye. She opened it and poured its contents onto the floor. It was a small, white gem, shimmering strangely. Carefully, through the bag's material, she lifted it to her eyes, fearing some deadly, or at least unpleasant, magic. Nothing happened. She transferred the gem to her hand. It was slightly warm and pulsating strangely. Suddenly, she saw light emanating from one of the old trunks that had been lying in the vault for a long time. If she remembered correctly, there was always some junk lying there. She dropped the white gem into the bag and pocketed it, then carefully pried open the lid with the tip of a sword she found nearby. Where the junk had been lying, she found two gleaming short swords. She picked one up. It fit her hand perfectly, almost as if made for her. The hilt was made of black, slightly shimmering metal. The blade had a strange red-silver hue. She ran her finger along the edge of the blade and hissed, realizing it was incredibly sharp. She experimentally swung it in the air. The sword seemed designed for swift, sudden strikes. She examined the second sword carefully. It was practically identical. In the trunk, she found two more belts with sword sheaths, which she placed crosswise at her waist. She sheathed both blades in them and looked again into the chest. She spotted a silver belt buckle, depicting the greater moon, Lune, and the symbol of the goddess of night. She fastened the two belts together. Returning from the vault, she saw Trelg making out with a necromancer. She quickly hid behind a nearby crate and began eavesdropping on their conversation.
"And that, uh... cat?" the necromancer asked, almost whispering.
"Heh, don't worry about her. I only keep her for one reason... because she's useful to me," replied a voice unmistakably belonging to the bandit leader.
"I let her think I'm afraid of her... No way, she might be good, and her old friends were even better."
Drzesz passed through her body, and her hand clenched with one of her new swords. "That bastard told me he found me at the caravan wrecked by the Redorians!"
"They were even doing quite well," Trelg continued, oblivious, "until a dozen or so arrows and bolts pierced them."
Behind the crate, Selene seethed with anger. "He lied, he lied all the time!" She wanted to rush to the hut and kill him, but the thought of having to deal with the rest of the gang stopped her. The conversation in the boss's room ended, replaced by slightly different sounds. Taking advantage of the necromancer's preoccupation, she easily broke into his room, wrapped his chain in Adam's cloak, and ran to his cell.
He hadn't expected her so soon. He noticed she was wearing two belts, each with a sword sheath. He consulted his weapon, which he sensed quite close. Yes, those swords had once belonged to one of the five heroes. She opened the cage and tossed him his clothes and chain. He quickly prepared himself and asked,
"So you're a hero after all, Selene?"
"I don't care. Let's say I terminate my partnership with them."
"And you need me to...?" "
In one of the rooms are Trelg and a necromancer. You are to kill them. Both of them. And without raising the alarm."
Adam looked at her seriously. He didn't know why he had to do this, but he had already decided. He sat down on the ground and let the chains fall to the ground. He sensed the necromancer's distinctive aura and sent his metal snakes after him. He did this partly out of revenge. Ten minutes later, he had his weapon back with him.
"Done."
He noticed Selene looking at him with a mixture of slight fear and satisfaction.
"I'm starting to believe you didn't miss," she said, smiling, revealing her fangs.
They made their way quietly and quickly into the forest.
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