XVI

In far-flung Hirska lived an impoverished boyar, to whom nothing was born that year. They see no way out of debt, so they go to the wolf priest for help. The priest lived far away from any village on a secluded island. He oversaw the construction of Volun's Temple.

The boyar noticed a small shore bound for the shore, which did not look very solid to him. He was driving worse.

Workers use it for transportation, he thought. When they can, I can too.

The scaffold could have collapsed at any moment. He didn't care. He couldn't wait for his feet to touch solid ground.

The temple was crowded; a large oak door was just erected. They had to pull the tree because there were no oak trees of that size nearby.

In the center of the temple was a triangular statue of the god Volun, in front of the statue a small hearth that always burned no matter what time of year. The fire-casting shadows gave the statue an eerie expression. Red rubies instead of eyes gave the statues an even more horrifying look.

The priest appears around the corner, eyes that looked at royalty in the soul.

"What kind of help do you need?" The priest asked him.

"Everything I planted gave birth to nothing."

"Absolutely nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Are you sure you did not offend the gods?"

"No."

"There's a girl in the woods who can help you."

"And why not you?"

"You have not sinned against the gods."

The oak forest she inhabited was centuries old. It was dark in the woods and in broad daylight, the sun barely breaking through the thick canopy. The nobleman stepped forward safely toward the hut.

The hut was enough for one or two people, oak trunks were large.

The girl was sitting on the porch, watching him with her eyes wide open. It was too bright for her with decorations on the caban and silver buckles on the fur robe.

"I know why you came." The girl broke the silence.

"Can you help me?

"Yes and no."

"Interesting."

"When you see a snake on a stick, everything will be revealed to you."

"A snake?"

"Yes. Take her to her father, The Serpent Emperor. He will reward you."

The path through the woods was boring to him, nothing was happening. At the exit he saw a fire that was gradually spreading. In the midst of this fire, the branch is half-making the bridge on which the snake escaped as far as possible from the fire.

He remembered the words the girl had told him. He picks up the snake and puts it around his neck.

"We lead to my father."

"In what direction?"

"East at the Durtan Gate."