Pete slept soundly before his first outing on the adventure.
In the morning he ate breakfast and fed the baby. It was light outside. There were few people on the streets of the city. The townspeople preferred to use portals. At the crossroads, he noticed a girl. She was sitting on a large sack. Shine greeted her partner with a smile. Pete approached and saw that the sack was too big. His good mood was gone,
"Are you kidding me? Did you find the biggest bag in town on purpose?"
The girl stood up and dismissed the vile suspicion,
"I like to work and rest in comfort! Don't be lazy, grab the sack and follow me. I'm telling you for the first and last time, the portal is safe."
She pulled a familiar box from her pocket. Pete knew that magicians kept scrolls with spells and effects in such boxes. The girl took out a small object and tossed it on the road in front of her. The pillar of bright light didn't make much of an impression on the young man. Shine entered the portal and disappeared from view. Pete struggled to pick up the bag and stepped into the portal.
He found himself in nature. Nearby, birds were singing and the thickets of the forest were beginning. In the distance a river was visible. Before his eyes lay flat plains with low hills. At the edge of the forest rose a stone structure.
"It's a strange place. I see a crypt, but I don't see a cemetery. What is a crypt doing in this place?" asked the summoner.
"It is the domain of a wealthy family. The castle is not visible from this spot. It is behind the forest. There are active evil spirits in their crypt. We must clean it up. Don't worry, I'm a master and I can handle the job. Put down the sack. Get the ax out of it. Go into the woods and get some wood. First a picnic in the fresh air. Time for work will come later."
Pete didn't argue with the experienced adventurer. He set down the sack and retrieved the ax. There was no need to go deeper into the thicket. At the clearing, he saw thick dry branches and chopped wood for the fire. By the time he returned, the girl had managed to set up camp. There were two folding chairs on the grass. A pot of food stood near the fireplace.
Shine acted confidently. She stacked the wood and lit the fire. Pete went to the river and filled the two cauldrons with water. The girl began to prepare food. The young man stepped aside and watched dracat running through the grass. He was concerned about one thing and asked her,
"Shine, how is your grandfather doing? I'm worried about him."
She didn't answer right away. But he heard her calm voice,
"He's fine. He'll be fine now. It's good that you asked. I want to set the record straight. There are no thanks to you. You're just Destiny's messenger. I've been pushing Grandpa for a long time. I provoked him. But he loves me too much. He didn't snap. You managed to get him off. It was an accident."
Pete didn't mind. He liked the old man and was sure he would see Roy again. He asked a new question,
"I know there's a wall in town and it's safe. How do people live in such wild places?"
The girl was silent. Then she answered in a quiet voice,
"Pete, you're acting like a savage. It's so annoying! You've ruined my mood. It's lovely weather. I wanted to go swimming in the river. Don't ask me any questions! The world is simple. Do you want knowledge? Pay the teachers. Buy a book. Ask a kindred man. You are an outsider and a wanderer. Don't come to me with questions. Do you understand me?"
"How cruel everything is. I apologize. But you can't keep quiet all the time," the young man muttered.
"You can't talk to strangers. It's the law of survival," said the girl. "What world did you come from? You're too naive and gentle."
Pete froze for a moment and realized that she was right. He couldn't get used to one important truth. That truth is clear and close to him! But like a fool, he doesn't want to understand it. Magic is the neighbor of Cruelty. The Sword and Magic! They are near, they are neighbors. He sees a world that resembles the Middle Ages. He is aware of the brutality of the Middle Ages. But he does not want to behave appropriately. He acts like a savage.
"My world lived by these laws. I understand you well. Man is man's enemy. I understand this law. I guess the proximity of my little pet influences me. I'm being naive."
She laughed,
"No, don't avoid your guilt. Your pet should reinforce your sense of caution. The summoner is a cautious and calculating mage. I am the one who can allow myself to behave boldly and openly. And your black beast is already a master of hiding."
Pete thought she was capable of making a very profound and accurate remark. He relaxed. She's right. No need to ask unnecessary questions. She doesn't have to teach him. The weather is beautiful. The fire is burning. Delicious fresh food and fresh air. This adventure is off to a great start.
The young people had a comfortable time. They ate roast meat and drank a hot drink that reminded him of the taste of tea. Pete was pleasantly silent.
After a time of rest, Sparkle gave an instruction,
"Now we are going to the crypt. You follow me. Don't hurry, don't come any closer. Be silent and be ready for trouble. You will be safe beside me. You can stay here alone. I don't guarantee safety. No place is perfectly safe these days. The last attack was seventeen years ago. To the south is the town of Plas. It is our closest enemy. Plas is a city of powerful shamans. Very cunning summoners. They are masters of espionage. There are special detachments in the city. You've seen Captain Silver Rose. They work carefully. Find a place of moderate danger. Put up a beacon and wait for the signal. The adventurers from the Plas will come to do their job. Our Cutthroats will respond to the signal and do their job. Year after year we accumulate a load of grievances. Someday the attack will begin."
Pete wanted to smile. The attack didn't bother him. He was still too much of a stranger to Ark. He was glad to hear her voice. Rare joy had special value.
Follow the girl and keep a close eye on the situation? He can do that.
He takes up a position in the rearguard! This is an important matter. Next time we should demand payment for the job. He keeps the peace in the rear.
The girl disappeared into the crypt. Pete stopped and squatted down. He looked around and listened to the sounds of nature. Then he saw Shine appear at the entrance and silently signal him with her hand.
Pete walked to the entrance and stepped into the crypt.
He froze in place. The sight was very unusual. Outside at the edge of the forest stood a small house of light stone. Inside, the space of the room had changed. Pete was surprised to see a room with a very high ceiling and more than ten steps to the far wall. The room didn't fit the shape of a small building at all. It was a wide corridor that went to the front and the left. The air was not fresh. On the wall, the young man saw cobwebs. But the floor surface was clean of debris.
He watched Shine move cautiously along the left wall. In both hands she held daggers. She stopped and waved. Pete followed her. He did not move away from the wall.
He saw a new part of the corridor. Now that was like a crypt. This part of the wide corridor had rooms on one wall. There was a statue of stone at the entrance to each room. Pete thought that the owners of this place had a very long history. And so many glorious ancestors are laid to rest in this place. The corridor was long and Shine disappeared around the corner. He heard new sounds. It was a sign that the girl had met with trouble. A trap? Undead? Enemies from another city?
Pete felt the urge to run forward quickly. He didn't run straight ahead. He sped up his pace a little and didn't leave a safe wall. Pete saw the girl bouncing off the flying skeleton's blows with her short sword. The sight was unusual. He was ready to see a skeleton, a ghost, a zombie, even a vampire. But a flying skeleton was an unexpected sight. The skeleton was dressed strangely. It was wrapped in cloth. Pete took a closer look and realized that multicolored pieces of cloth were wrapped around the skeleton's body. He had little idea of the exact details, but the skeleton's clothing resembled the uniform of a garment from ancient Rome. The skeleton tried to strike the girl with a large sword. Shine dodged and fended off the blows. There were sounds of metal blades clashing and clattering in the hallway. Occasionally Shine struck at the bones of her enemy. Soon the skeleton dropped the sword from the bones of his hand and fell to the floor.
Shine crouched against the wall. Pete wanted to approach her, but she stopped him with a gesture of an open palm on her outstretched hand. "Okay. I guard the back. I need to keep a close eye out for a surprise attack from behind. Wait! What if the sounds of fighting woke up the other local skeleton relatives?"
Pete leaned his back against the wall and began to turn his head. He didn't feel fear. It was an exciting and fascinating experience.
The girl got to her feet and walked forward. Occasionally she stopped. Pete couldn't see what she was doing. Did she see the trap? Was she destroying the trap? All this was interesting and gave new impressions. At one point Pete witnessed Shine fighting two skeletons. Shine was fending off blows and making counterattacks. She would find a moment and retreat quickly. As she retreated, she threw daggers at her opponents. Pete, too, would run back a few paces. Fortunately, these dead men flew slowly. They moved at the speed of a living person's step. But they were dangerous. Pete saw that the skeletons fenced with good speed and skill during the fight. Shine gained a great deal of authority for the summoner. This girl showed herself to be an experienced and strong adventurer. Pete didn't know when they reached the end of this corridor. Around another corner, he saw a dead end. Shine was sitting on the floor, smiling. Pete walked over to her and silently stood beside her.
"You can sit next to me. It's safe here now." She said quietly.
The young man looked at the skull in the corner and at the remains of a skeleton a couple of steps away. Earlier he had chased away any extraneous thoughts. He wondered where skeletons came from. How do they come to life? And why do they fly? They are material ghosts in the form of clothed skeletons! Perhaps the local skeletons can fly. Can mages fly? Of course, they can! Pete imagined his future. He would become a powerful mage! He would surely find a way to learn powerful spells.