"Richard A. Knaak - Diablo 03 - The Kingdom of Shadow" - читать интересную книгу автора (Knaak Richard A)

for Chris Metzen and Marco Palmieri



THEKINGDOM
OF
SHADOW




ONE




The horrific scream came from the direction of the river.

Kentril Dumon cursed as he shouted orders to the others. He had warned his men to avoid the
waterways as much as possible, but in the dense, steamy jungles of Kehjistan, it sometimes became
difficult to keep track of the myriad wanderings of the rivers and streams. Some of the other mercenaries
also had a tendency to forget orders when cool water lay just yards away.

The fool who had screamed had just learned the danger of growing complacentтАФnot that he would
likely live long enough to appreciate that lesson.

The slim, sunburnt captain battled his way through the lush foliage, following the pleading call. Ahead of
him, he saw Gorst, his second, the giant, shirtless fighter ripping through the vines and branches as if they
had no substance at all. While most of the other mercenaries, natives of cooler, highland regions in the
Western Kingdoms, suffered badly from the heat, bronzed Gorst ever took all in stride. The scraggy mop
of hair, dark black compared with KentrilтАЩs own light brown, made the giant look like a fleeing lion as he
disappeared toward the river.

Following his friendтАЩs trail, Captain Dumon made better time. The screaming continued, bringing back
graphic memories of the other three men the party had lost since entering the vast jungle that covered
most of this land. The second had died a most horrible death, snared in the web of a horde of monstrous
spiders, his body so injected with poison that it had become bloated and distorted. Kentrilhad ordered
torches used against the web and its hungry denizens, carefully burning out the creatures. It had not saved
his man, but it had avenged the death somewhat.

The third hapless fighter had never been found. He had simply vanished during an arduous trek through
an area filled with soft soil that pulled oneтАЩs boots down with each step. Having nearly sunken to his
knees at one point, the weary captain suspected he knew the fate of the lost soldier. The mud could be
quick and efficient in its work.

And as he considered the death of the very first mercenary lost to KehjistanтАЩs fearsome jungles, Kentril
stepped out into a scene almost identical to that disaster.