The Hall of Heroes

18. - Cloth on the Water

River Výrval ran through most of the Baronies. It originated somewhere to the north of the Vontarn Gardens - a deep, mysterious wood that marked the easternmost border of the land of the four barons. Bisecting Teldar-Sóva, a large city at the heart of the Baronies and one of the four seats of the Barons, the river then continued south-west to the large Velbrčál swamps. Leaving the swamps to the west it ran between the plains of Klusáda and Křížemkrážem until it reached Medióla further south. It left the known lands of the Baronies after bypassing the vast Kmenba woods that lay to the west of Medióla. The inventor's tower was right at the large forest's edge.

The southern Výrval upstream from the Velbrčál swamp was not as majestic as its northern counterpart, but it was still a wide river with a strong current. There were no forests along the river between Medióla and Velbrčál, though the banks were littered with many groves and bosks. And in one of those, a duo of odd travelers rested for the night.

Crefar was struggling with the long expensive silk gown he had purchased in Medióla. The problem was, it was not designed for camping in the woods and it made lying down in grass or leaning against a tree a lot harder. Duzz on the other hand felt comfortable in her travel-ready leather and cotton outfit she had purchased at the local ranger just outside the city gates.

They were two days out of Medióla and their travel had been uneventful except for a few sightings of a herd of wild horses and an unnamed sinister thing in the distance that Duzz felt unnecessary to name, but necessary to bypass in a wide circle. Due to Alois's bad sight Crefar was unsure whether it was an actual monster or whether Duzz simply used it as an excuse to avoid human settlements.

There was little talking among the two. Duzz was more interested in the company of her squirrel than that of Crefar and Crefar himself, though usually jovial and talkative, seemed preoccupied with his thoughts. But every once in a while, the silence of the grove was broken by their voices.

"S-s-so, what are we ho-ho-hoping to find there in th-th-that monastery?" Duzz asked, turning her eyes from the squirrel, feeding on nuts on her palm.

"Frankly, I have no idea," Crefar sighed. "There seems to be very little magic and lore left in this world. I don't really believe we'll be able to find anything but more leads. But leads are the only thing we've got." Crefar answered, still lost in thoughts.

Duzz curled her lips and eyed him suspiciously.

"What do you want from me?" Crefar defended himself, seeing her suspicious gaze. "All I'm trying to do is get us out of these damn useless bodies. I'm not fooling around. I mean, don't you think I miss my good sight? This guy can see barely a few feet ahead of him. And the state of this body? Urgh! But things are not that simple.

"For example, I'm completely out of my element here. I mean, the magic I'm used to is all related to the titan gods. You cross a threshold and you get in subconscious contact with a god. And through this contact you channel a specific form of magic that can pass through. That is what I know. And now, I got thrown into this new world where this old magic is dead. Except for, as it seems, within me. And now I have to start digging into this entirely different kind of magic that has to do with the dead that was shaping itself for a thousand years after I was gone. I mean, have some patience with me."

Duzz turned her gaze to the ground. "S-s-so we are just g-g-going to sit in a-a-a library reading s-s-some old books and h-h-hoping we st-st-stumble upon something that will t-t-tell us s-s-something that we d-d-didn't think of. Wh-wh-what a life."

"If you have other ideas, out with them." Crefar mumbled.

"I j-j-just hope you c-c-can see things th-th-the way I see them. Y-y-you seemed to be enj-j-joying yourself pretty well wi-wi-with those girls at the La-la-lavendear." she commented.