[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."They are here for gold and riches? Fine, let them have gold and riches.Let them have their heart's desire, though it may destroy them!"The beast that had been Kelemvor relied on its senses as it padded through the beautiful forest.It recognized the scent of newly fallen dew, and the moist earth beneath its paws felt soft and burgeoning with life.The sunlight from above was magnificent; it warmed and comforted the beast, which stopped to lick a trace of deer's blood from one of its paws, then moved on.The trees in the garden touched the heavens themselves, and their branches, blanketed by amber leaves, swayed gently in the breezes that caressed the soft fur of the animal, sending a tingling sensation through its body.But something was wrong.The panther came to a clearing.Objects its limited mind could not identify rose into view.The objects had not grown from the earth, had not fallen from the sky.They had been placed here by man, and their purpose intrigued the beast, despite its low intelligence.Suddenly a stab of pain bore into the animal's skull, and the beast found balance and movement difficult.The panther snarled and threw back its head as something clawed at its gut from within.Then the creature let out a long, horrible wail as its rib cage expanded and burst.Finally, its head split in half and the thick, muscular arms of a man exploded from the ruined skins.Kelemvor tested his limbs before he attempted to rise.Bits of the panther's flesh still clung to him, and he clawed at the hated reminders of the curse his bloodline had fated him to endure.For now his naked skin was smooth and hairless, although he knew it would only be a matter of minutes before the soft tufts of hair that normally covered his body once again grew into place, spreading across his skin with a will of their own.Abandoning the quest had caused the transformation this time, Kelemvor decided.Without a reward, going on the journey with Caitlan, risking his life, had been for nothing.The curse did not approve, and the panther had been the punishment.In the clearing, Kelemvor found his clothing and his sword.His clothing had been soaked through with blood, and the clamminess of the wet leathers against his bare flesh made him wish to strip them off once again, but he knew that would be foolish.He did not remember coming to this place that seemed to be far removed from Castle Kilgrave.The garden looked little like the flatlands of northern Cormyr.In fact, it looked more like the setting of a tale of romance, where knights jousted for honor's sake and love always won the day.Kelemvor knew that he was smiling, and memories long repressed flooded back.Before him the memories took flesh, as marble podiums, glazed in soft blue and pink pastels, formed from the air, and a vast library of forbidden books arranged itself.As a child in Lyonsbane Keep, Kelemvor had been denied access to the library except when an adult was present, and then he was only allowed to read military texts or histories.Fantasies, adventures, and romances were hidden on the highest shelf, where only his father could reach them.In retrospect, Kelemvor wondered why they had been there at all.Was his father, the monstrous, mean-spirited man that he was, taken with these gentle tales? At the time Kelemvor did not think such a thing was possible.No, the books must have belonged to Kelemvor's mother, who died giving birth to him.From the amount of dust Kelemvor had found on those forbidden books on the frequent occasions when he disobeyed his father and crept into the library in the middle of the night, arranging the chairs and tables to give him access to the wondrous tomes, Kelemvor felt secure that the books were his private treasure, that even his father, at his most cruel, could not take away.In the books he found stories of epic adventure and heroism, and tales of strange and beautiful lands he hungered to one day visit.Hiding in the forest, after having killed his own father, Kelemvor drew strength from those tales — and hope.Some day, he would be a hero, too, instead of a beast that killed its own kin.And now a library, its huge shelves filled with wondrous exploits of heroes whose names and adventures had become legend, grew around the fighter.A few of the books flew from the circular arena that was forming in the forest, and opened themselves to display their secret dreams to Kelemvor.He was shocked to find his own name mentioned time and again in the tales of bravery and heroism.But the events recounted in the stories had not actually occurred.Perhaps this is prophecy, Kelemvor thought as a story in which he saved the entire Realms passed before him.No, he sighed to himself, there could be no payment high enough to satisfy the curse.And if I am not paid in full for doing something that is not in my own best interest, I become the beast.Kelemvor was so consumed by the words he read in the floating tomes and his musings on the Lyonsbane curse that he did not notice the changes that had been wrought in his surroundings until a familiar voice called out."Kelemvor!"He looked up to behold a beautiful hall that had replaced the forest.The books vanished, and hundreds of men and women stood in the hall.They were perfectly still, standing high upon platforms or pedestals.By their garb and their stance, Kelemvor was certain they were warriors.Each was bathed in a column of light, although the light had no source and melted into the darkness above their heads."Kelemvor! Over here, boy!" the same familiar voice called
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]