Continue in reading Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3 - CONTINUED
When I regained my senses there was absolute darkness and disgusting stink coming from sewage. I felt pain behind my left ear and under my left knee.
But I'm still breathing…
I choked and coughed in the dust filled air. My eyes grew accustomed to the dark. The tunnel was blocked by rubble from either side. And the only sound was that of dipping water.
I'm buried here alive!
♠
After several hours of effort my situation didn't get any better. I managed to move a heap of stones from one side of the tunnel, but it was all in vain. The collapsed roof might extend a half mile or more. My hope of getting out was dwindling.
I'm trapped here. This sewer will be my grave! If only I had some light…
And then something miraculous happened. Right before my eyes a glowing sphere materialized. Its yellow light illuminated the walls and floor covered with dust and fallen stones.
In that light I saw my salvation. The wall on my right was cracked, and there was another tunnel beyond it which has survived the quake. The rift was too narrow for a grown man, so I hammered its edges with a sharp stone until I was able to wriggle through.
There was a new corridor.
And a new hope...
♠
A lonely breeze swept the pavement of Swallow Bridge as the sun disappeared behind the Wall. The city seemed calm and peaceful, but it was the most deadly and merciless place I have ever been to.
Especially for someone like me...
A rustling under the bridge sent my heart beat to a gallop.
Elisa!
I rushed down the stairs and around a corner she bumped right into me.
“I have dreamt about beautiful women falling into my arms,” I embraced her and she chuckled quietly.
Her lavender scent was intoxicating. She raised her palms from my chest to my cheeks, her skin so warm and pleasing that I forgot all about the rest of the world.
“You've got a scar behind your ear,” she said worriedly.
“I'm fine...”
She broke the embrace and looked into my face.
“What happened?”
I told her about my unintended meeting with the duo of wizards and my unpleasant adventures underground. I skipped the last part, where I had to borrow some money from Quasim to cover expenses for clean clothes and a thorough bath.
The story had an unexpected effect. Her eyes filled with tears...
She wiped them with her wrist.
“It's gone too far... I'm going to stop it. I will meet with my father,” she whispered and kissed me.
It caught me by surprise, and I was not able to speak for a while. She was dressed in a very thin sleeveless, knee-length robe and her neck was decorated with an amulet of some kind.
“What is your name?” Her eyes were bright again. “Do you know I couldn't sleep because of it?”
“My name's Syrdan,” I didn't recognize my own voice.
She looked dazzled. “Do you know what it means in the wizards' old language?”
“No.”
“Syridan means strong. Syraedan means foundling. I've expected something like that.”
I touched her hands, and this time she didn't pull away. My fingers explored her soft and gentle skin, and her slender fingers responded swiftly.
I bent to kiss her in a moment when a gust of wind covered her face with hair, foiling my intentions.
She brushed the hair back to shoulders, blushing and laughing.
What a fool am I?
“I'm sorry...”
She shook her head and kissed me hungrily.
♠
“Please, tell me what you know, Elisa. Who are my enemies? Why are they chasing me?” I asked when the world stopped turning.
She nodded. “That's why we came here. From Swallow Bridge you can see the whole city. So where to start... There is an opposition to the King, an opposition to the Council, and even an opposition to the Warlock. Everybody protects his interests by any means. I suspect that there are at least two fractions in the Council according to your story. Well, it's called politics...”
“It stinks.”
“Yeah. The King is a puppet, a clown with a crown. The Council is the third hand of the Warlock and Ver'del the Great is The Great Mistake...”
On the top of the bridge she snuggled to me.
“Are you prepared to learn the truth?”
“Yes, I am.”
But, in fact, I wasn't...
♠
In the eastern sky first stars appeared while the tops of the four spires were flooded in orange.
“Close your eyes,” Elisa said and tied a blindfold over my eyes.
I shivered in the wind.
“What are you doing?”
“Magic.”
That's not funny...”
“Done,” she announced. “You can take it off. And please don't scream.”
I blinked.
And then I gave a scream!
When I regained my senses there was absolute darkness and disgusting stink coming from sewage. I felt pain behind my left ear and under my left knee.
But I'm still breathing…
I choked and coughed in the dust filled air. My eyes grew accustomed to the dark. The tunnel was blocked by rubble from either side. And the only sound was that of dipping water.
I'm buried here alive!
♠
After several hours of effort my situation didn't get any better. I managed to move a heap of stones from one side of the tunnel, but it was all in vain. The collapsed roof might extend a half mile or more. My hope of getting out was dwindling.
I'm trapped here. This sewer will be my grave! If only I had some light…
And then something miraculous happened. Right before my eyes a glowing sphere materialized. Its yellow light illuminated the walls and floor covered with dust and fallen stones.
In that light I saw my salvation. The wall on my right was cracked, and there was another tunnel beyond it which has survived the quake. The rift was too narrow for a grown man, so I hammered its edges with a sharp stone until I was able to wriggle through.
There was a new corridor.
And a new hope...
♠
A lonely breeze swept the pavement of Swallow Bridge as the sun disappeared behind the Wall. The city seemed calm and peaceful, but it was the most deadly and merciless place I have ever been to.
Especially for someone like me...
A rustling under the bridge sent my heart beat to a gallop.
Elisa!
I rushed down the stairs and around a corner she bumped right into me.
“I have dreamt about beautiful women falling into my arms,” I embraced her and she chuckled quietly.
Her lavender scent was intoxicating. She raised her palms from my chest to my cheeks, her skin so warm and pleasing that I forgot all about the rest of the world.
“You've got a scar behind your ear,” she said worriedly.
“I'm fine...”
She broke the embrace and looked into my face.
“What happened?”
I told her about my unintended meeting with the duo of wizards and my unpleasant adventures underground. I skipped the last part, where I had to borrow some money from Quasim to cover expenses for clean clothes and a thorough bath.
The story had an unexpected effect. Her eyes filled with tears...
She wiped them with her wrist.
“It's gone too far... I'm going to stop it. I will meet with my father,” she whispered and kissed me.
It caught me by surprise, and I was not able to speak for a while. She was dressed in a very thin sleeveless, knee-length robe and her neck was decorated with an amulet of some kind.
“What is your name?” Her eyes were bright again. “Do you know I couldn't sleep because of it?”
“My name's Syrdan,” I didn't recognize my own voice.
She looked dazzled. “Do you know what it means in the wizards' old language?”
“No.”
“Syridan means strong. Syraedan means foundling. I've expected something like that.”
I touched her hands, and this time she didn't pull away. My fingers explored her soft and gentle skin, and her slender fingers responded swiftly.
I bent to kiss her in a moment when a gust of wind covered her face with hair, foiling my intentions.
She brushed the hair back to shoulders, blushing and laughing.
What a fool am I?
“I'm sorry...”
She shook her head and kissed me hungrily.
♠
“Please, tell me what you know, Elisa. Who are my enemies? Why are they chasing me?” I asked when the world stopped turning.
She nodded. “That's why we came here. From Swallow Bridge you can see the whole city. So where to start... There is an opposition to the King, an opposition to the Council, and even an opposition to the Warlock. Everybody protects his interests by any means. I suspect that there are at least two fractions in the Council according to your story. Well, it's called politics...”
“It stinks.”
“Yeah. The King is a puppet, a clown with a crown. The Council is the third hand of the Warlock and Ver'del the Great is The Great Mistake...”
On the top of the bridge she snuggled to me.
“Are you prepared to learn the truth?”
“Yes, I am.”
But, in fact, I wasn't...
♠
In the eastern sky first stars appeared while the tops of the four spires were flooded in orange.
“Close your eyes,” Elisa said and tied a blindfold over my eyes.
I shivered in the wind.
“What are you doing?”
“Magic.”
That's not funny...”
“Done,” she announced. “You can take it off. And please don't scream.”
I blinked.
And then I gave a scream!
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