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  Chronicles of Galadria III - Lessons

  David Gay-Perret

  Translated by Amy Trahearn

  “Chronicles of Galadria III - Lessons”

  Written By David Gay-Perret

  Copyright © 2017 David Gay-Perret

  All rights reserved

  Distributed by Babelcube, Inc.

  www.babelcube.com

  Translated by Amy Trahearn

  Cover Design © 2017 Joshua Wright

  “Babelcube Books” and “Babelcube” are trademarks of Babelcube Inc.

  The complete Chronicles of Galadria are made up of 6 volumes, which can be found in multiple languages in an e-book format (for a complete and up-to-date listing of translations and distributors, follow this link or look on the website www.gayperret.com, under the Chronicles of Galadria tab):

  Chronicles of Galadria I - The Other World

  Chronicles of Galadria II - Encounters

  Chronicles of Galadria III - Lessons

  Chronicles of Galadria IV - Tranquility

  Chronicles of Galadria V - A New Beginning

  Chronicles of Galadria VI - Hope

  Please note, some volumes of the series may not have been translated into the language you are currently reading yet. To verify which books are available and in which languages, or to see translation progress, follow the link above.

  Table of Contents

  Foreword

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Map

  Foreword

  Before you launch yourself into the saga that awaits you, let me just mention that I would like to have this book available in as many different languages as possible, so if you’ve mastered a couple and you’re tempted by adventure, visit Babelcube to get in contact with me! The original language is French (but I will entertain offers based on a previously translated language), but the target languages depend only on you – although some have already been covered.

  It is important to understand that the “coming of age” aspect of the Chronicles is the result of a patchwork of themes and ideas that I added in as they came to me, in a spontaneous way, without really thinking about their effects on the overall stream of the story—a bit like an intimate diary or journal. However, the completion of the writing process also marked a moment of comprehension and a new perspective on my life and the world; I now thought of elements that I ardently wanted to share, though the story was sadly already finished. As I reread the story in the light of this new realization, I discovered that all that I now wanted to say was already there, though perhaps poorly expressed (as I hadn’t constructed the story with those ideas in mind).

  So, I would also like to mention my latest project concerning this series: I am planning on creating an animated series, divided into episodes. For connoisseurs, it would be somewhat in the style of Japanese anime. Ideally, I would like to work in collaboration with an animation studio (perhaps seeking a scenario?) so that the story can benefit from the knowledge, advice, and resources of professionals, all while maintaining my point of view, my ideas for direction, and my music. Most important for me are assurances to respect the atmosphere and the story. The creation of an animated series would permit me to begin the creative process again, but with those key themes and message in mind, so that I could transmit them throughout the story, but in a clear, structured, and logical manner.

  So, if you know individuals who work in the field of animation who might be interested, or if you yourself are in such a position, don’t hesitate to contact me!

  And here we go. It is more than time for you to discover the adventure that is to follow. Enjoy reading, and enjoy the journey...

  To all who still know how to learn...

  Chapter 1

  THE two travelers’ bags hit the ground with a dull thud. Kezthrem had decided that when night came, they would pass it here, and now night was indeed falling. The place he had chosen wasn’t particularly special. There were just a few trees, situated at the summit of a small hill that would offer only a relatively small amount of protection to the two individuals, who decided to settle in there nonetheless.

  “The good part of this journey,” thought Glaide, stretching out his tired limbs, “is that it’s no longer necessary to set up guard duty.” The young man could now discern even the smallest suspicious sounds during his sleep. He and his mastered had been attacked during the middle of the night only once, but had been able to fight and vanquish their assailants easily.

  While Kezthrem began to prepare their supper, Glaide took care of the fire. He found some twigs to use as tinder, along with some bigger branches that he could use to build up the fire. Everything was ready in a few minutes, and while the two travelers enjoyed their well-deserved rest and meal, the adolescent studied his map. It had now been three days since their journey began. In the beginning, Glaide had found it difficult to sleep on the ground, after having become so used to sleeping on a real mattress. However, he’d quickly fallen back into the habit of things, and the activity and lack of predictability that their travels were spiced with certainly didn’t bother him! He found Kezthrem’s traveling pace rather unsettling, though; there was no regularity to it. Sometimes, they would walk until late at night, and at other times, they would stop almost in the middle of the afternoon. The randomness made it difficult to calculate how far they’d come, but when the young man stopped to estimate the distance they’d traveled, he decided at long last that they’d barely advanced at all. He sighed, then stretched out on his back, his gaze fixed on the stars above.

  “We should reach a village in about a week,” Kezthrem announced suddenly. Glaide jumped a bit, then settled back into his spot as the man continued, “It is marked on your map with the name Ojilon.” The adolescent turned his attention back to the map, and easily located the town. It was situated far to the east, near the border between the mountains of Oclin-Fer and the forest to the south of the mountains.

  “So that’s which direction we’re going, then,” thought the boy. His master hadn’t deigned to tell him anything about where they were going, so the boy had had to make do with a guess at best. It seemed, though, that their final destination had to be near Ojilon, because it would take about a dozen days in all to reach it, and Kezthrem had estimated that the entire journey would take about two weeks. As he thought about it all a bit more, he came to the conclusion that their destination was not one that was marked on his map. Whatever the case, he’d just have to be patient.

  “Master,” he began, “will we come across any other people before we reach that village?”

  “Probably, yes. I doubt that we’ll be alone for the whole journey. There are a number of villages of more or less significant size in the Known Lands, though only the biggest are usually marked on maps. And if we don�
�t come across any actual villages, we will at least come across the occasional isolated house.”

  “And will we be able to spend the night in any of them?”

  “I suppose that depends on whether they have space for lodgers or not. And of course, we’d need to offer something of our own to cover our room and board.”

  “You know I have money,” exclaimed the young man.

  “That’s true, but some of these people will need something else, instead: more of a service.”

  “Really?” he sputtered. “Like what?”

  “Well, I can remember one woman whose husband had left on a trip. He wasn’t expected home for a while, and they needed firewood. His children were too young to use an axe, so I offered to cut some wood for them. Believe me, Glaide, that was much more useful to them than a handful of dras.”

  “Hmm,” his companion murmured, his interest piqued. “I’d be glad to offer aid to anyone who offered me lodgings, whether with my money or something else.”

  Kezthrem smiled in response, then lay down to sleep, and his disciple did the same. After a moment, the deep voice of the man rose up again. “What do the stars mean to you, Glaide?”

  Naturally enough, the boy didn’t know what to say; he didn’t understand the question. Kezthrem answered the question himself, instead.

  “To me, they are happiness... serenity...”

  “What do you mean, master?” questioned the adolescent, his interest piqued.

  “Think about it, my young disciple,” he murmured. “The stars, though beautiful, are only visible at night. But they exist all through the day.”

  “Just like happiness,” murmured Glaide, as he began to understand. “It is present in all circumstances, but we only see it intermittently, and often all too briefly.”

  “And what happens when there is too much light around us?”

  “The stars disappear from view. You have to know how to see them, to seek them out, to get rid of whatever is preventing you from making them out. Just like you must work to see happiness and joy in all things...”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Glaide could make out the face of his master, lit at the same time by the moon and the flames of the fire. He was smiling.

  And so passed their third night on the road.

  Two days went by, and the master and his disciple still hadn’t come across another person. Kezthrem had mentioned that their route was a little-traveled one, and the adolescent wondered why. The man hadn’t given a clear answer, however, instead simply declaring that the reason would show itself in time. And so it did, in the middle of the afternoon, while the two were walking in silence.

  Glaide stopped suddenly in surprise, as before him stood a small barrier blocking the road. It appeared to be a number of years old. The wood was rotten, and he doubted that it would hold his weight if he leaned on it to jump over. The most astonishing part was that it was placed in the middle of nowhere. It didn’t seem to mark the edge of anything, as there were no fields, houses, herds, or flocks in the area. It seemed to be just one part of what was once a much bigger structure that had long ago disappeared.

  Kezthrem approached the barrier for a moment, his face giving away with nothing, then he spoke.

  “We’re drawing closer. You will soon learn why these roads are so little traveled.”

  The young man said nothing, but looked about, trying to find the answer to his question, and soon spotting it a mile or so to the north, in the distance. A village stood there.

  “Master, we could stay there!” he exclaimed, pointing toward the place.

  “Keep it down!” commanded the man quietly.

  The adolescent closed his mouth immediately. Something was obviously wrong. Kezthrem drew closer to him, his gaze fixed on the village in the distance.

  “Listen carefully, Glaide. We must be very cautious, because if no one comes here, and if only ruins remain, as you can see they do, it is because of that place. You see before you the only village in the Known Lands that you should never approach. It is inhabited by disciples of Baras who have renounced their origins and their own people: humans with corrupted hearts, barbarians who’ve been blinded by despair, dark elves, dwarves driven by greed... It is a dangerous place, where many are kept as slaves and a thousand other atrocities are committed.”

  The boy took a moment to process what his master was saying. Up until then, he had believed that all of the villages within the Known Lands belonged to men, and were under the control of Rozak. He had never once imagined that such a place could exist to shelter his enemies. Orks and other monsters lived in the wilderness, but it seemed they were not all so isolated after all.

  The boy grew angry at himself for never having imagined that his adversaries could also have true dwelling places in the Known Lands. Such negligence could have cost him and his friends their lives. They had approached every village they’d come across confidently, but any one of them could have been filled with enemies, and all four of them would certainly have been killed.

  The boy had always pictured the dwarves and elves as living along the edges of the kingdom, to the east and the west, with the barbarians living reclusively to the north. That had surrounded them with a sense of mysticism, of distance, the stuff of legends. But it only made sense that some people, even humans, would have decided to join Baras, and that they would then have a place of their own, as well. As Glaide’s thoughts fell into a logical order, he asked what he considered the most important question.

  “And has no one ever attempted to stand against the inhabitants of this place? If it is the only village in the Known Lands that shelters our enemies, wouldn’t it have been wise to destroy it?”

  “It would take a war,” sighed the man. “They are numerous, well-armed, and well-trained. And besides that, they have the orks and many other creatures on their side, as you well know. Confronting them is just not possible. As it stands, they attack the closest villages to pillage, steal, or even just to kill. So there are no—or I should say no more—habitations for a solid fifteen or even twenty miles around this place.”

  Glaide squinted his eyes, trying to see the village better, but the image remained blurry and distant. It didn’t look menacing. It was the opposite, in fact. It looked just like all of the other villages the young man had seen up until then. However, if Kezthrem wanted them on their guard, he had his reasons, and it would be best to avoid getting too close to the place in the future.

  “Master, do we risk crossing paths with any of the inhabitants of that place?” demanded the adolescent.

  “Try not to make too much noise, and everything will be fine,” the other man replied. “If we had had more time, we could have skirted the edge of the Forest of the Worlds, then approached Ojilon from the south. We should hurry, though, and it is faster to travel as the crow flies, crossing the Known Lands on a diagonal. Try to be inconspicuous, and walk quickly.”

  Glaide nodded, and the two began to move again, this time at a fast pace. A few hours later, though night had long since fallen, the two silhouettes continued to travel at that same pace; they didn’t seem interested in stopping. Kezthrem wanted to put as much distance as possible between them and Zakorth, the hostile village. However, Glaide was having trouble matching his master’s speed; he was out of the habit of traveling for such long distances, especially at such a quick, sustained pace, and suddenly, he collapsed from the fatigue. His master turned around at the sound, and the young man—afraid of disappointing him—struggled to get up. However, he found he couldn’t; his legs refused to hold him. After a great deal of wasted effort, he sat back down, and didn’t move again. Kezthrem circled back to join him, then he, too, sat down, facing his disciple.

  “We’ll rest here tonight, though I doubt we are terribly safe here,” he declared, his voice rumbling ominously. “We’ll continue on our way in a few hours. Take advantage of the break to gather your strength.” As he spoke, he took a few pieces of fruit out of his sack. Glaide consumed his
portion in record time, he was so hungry. Then, with his stomach comfortably full, he fell asleep. It took just minutes.

  The young man awoke with a start, though it was still night. His master was putting his things away in his sack and the sound, though quiet, had been enough to draw the young man out of his sleep. Seeing his open eyes, Kezthrem spoke.

  “Oh, you’re awake, I see. That’s good. It’s high time for us to move on.”

  Glaid got up, feeling more or less alright. His legs were still sore, but they were willing to carry him, at least for a few more kilometers. He knew though, that sooner or later, he would need to give them a proper rest. He knew, too, though, that it would be better if they were far from Zakorth before that. Kezthrem’s estimate of far enough was fairly pessimistic: it would take another two days at least before they could consider themselves out of the woods.

  However, Glaide wasn’t up to the task, and at the end of the first of the two days, he implored his master to let them spend one complete night in the area. Against his better judgment, the man agreed. Besides, as he said, it would be better to leave the area capable of fighting, rather than to remain exhausted and wind up being killed during an attack. The young man took full advantage of the break, though he made sure to keep one ear open.

  Before falling asleep, he thought back on their travels. More than once over the course of the journey he’d noticed how comforting the presence of his master at his side was. He knew he was in no real danger as long as his master was with him. However, deep inside of him, a voice warned him that one day, he would again be alone, or he would have his friends to keep safe, and if the time came and they found themselves obliged to travel in this area, things would be very different. He yawned despite those dark thoughts, and decided that he would have plenty of time to cross that bridge when he came to it.

  The night passed without incident.

  By the end of the next day, the two travelers had nearly reached the edge of Zakorth’s influence. However, the night’s sleep that the young man had asked for had slowed them down, and they found themselves forced to spend one more night within their enemies’ territory.