Chapter 1 - ENG

x The day of our meeting was not the happiest of my life.
x There are people that the gods seem to watch over, even though supposedly they are long gone.
x If there's something watching over me, though, it's a nasty devil.
x Maybe I should have prayed every now and again after all?
x Mom, dad, I don't think I'll be coming home soon.
- Is this really all the prey you managed to hunt down...?

x Good job, Xabra. There's nothing quite like stumbling onto a group of vampires in the middle of nowhere.
x I might have had a chance if there was only one.
x Not even the choker (jeśli chodzi o coś takiego rodzaju) from father can help me now, they will cut my head off for sure.
- This area is completely deserted, master. Not a living soul anywhere.
- We came across the girl near the Godforsaken Ruins, she was alone. (po prostu ruins to chyba będzie najlepsze słowo ;o)
- What was a human child doing at the Ruins? She doesn't even have a weapon.
- Maybe she commands some sort of magic?
- People aren't as stupid as not to know that magic is useless there. Perhaps she's looking to die?
- Or maybe she knows something about...
- My village is nearby. I wander around when I want solitude. I never enter the Ruins themselves.
x What a load of horseshit.
x She's lying, that's for sure.
x You think you can save your life with lies?
- What a wonderful coincidence! We need a guide!

- What? She's telling the truth after all.
x I lied though...
- Master, we have no need for a guide, but we have to feed!
- You must be joking. I won't eat something that looks this unappetizing. There's a village nearby and I have a flock of devoted servants.
- So, girl, where is this village?
x Without hesitation
- Take the path to the river, then turn left and follow the riverbed. Soon you'll see the village on the other side, master.
- Virael, this is a task for you. Heisan and Ismarei will go as your escort. It's time you learned to do this, my dear.
- Master, let me go as an escort too.
- I'm sorry, Ziig. With you at her side, Virael will never become self-sufficient.
- Remember the twins have a telepathic bond. Treat her wrong and you'll be punished. You don't want that, Ismarei, trust me.

x Ura was right telling me that a girl should look as unattractive as possible while traveling.
- Master, I think you're making a mistake.
- Ismarei is a snake. You don't play with snakes. If you can't kill it, you should avoid it.
- Are you worried about me, Ziig?
- Your fate is our fate.
- So stop worrying. If he could, he would have gotten rid of me a long time ago. You don't know half the stories from our colorful past.
- Even that's enough for me to worry...
- Hey, girl, what's your name?
- I'm Xabra, master.
- Are you afraid of us?

- You see, Xabra, I always thought artifacts are too pricey. Why waste a fortune on a magic item when it's just going to discharge after a few uses and you'll need to pay a fortune, again, for the right ingredients and a clever craftsman?
- How many artifacts do you own, Ziig?
- None, master.
- Exactly. I own one, I received it from the prince himself. Back to the question at hand, Xabra, since when can simple village girls afford artifacts? You can't tell me the thing on your hands is just common armor.
- Am I going to get eaten if I refuse to answer?
- I wouldn't risk it if I were you.
- I got it from my sister. She was an adventurer and just like all of them didn't live very long. But you're wrong, master. This isn't a valuable artifact.

- That thing you're hiding under your hair is not valuable either?
- Personally I am rather attached to my face, but I don't think many people would value it especially high...
- I'm not talking about your face, I'm talking about the mask under your hair. It's not something any adventurer could get their hands on.
- You should be kinder when speaking about the dead...
- Be silent.
- Ziig, have you ever seen an image of Arn's Face? (? jak mi powiesz czym jest arn to może znajdę stwierdzenie które będzie lepiej pasować) I am almost certain that it's this mask.
- My clan wasn't overly interested in artifacts. Is it that powerful?

- No, not powerful. Not especially valuable, either, or rather it wasn't until queen Hess / the queen of Hess (Hess to imię czy państwo? Px) was disfigured. The Face of Arn adapts its visage to the owner's fancy and can only be taken off by them. It's a toy for aristocrats.
- If it adapts its looks to the owner, then how can you be sure this is the mask?
- The shape seems right. And there's the signature left by the maker that can't be hidden or removed. Here, see? This is supposed to be a souvenir left behind by a dead sister?
- No. A gift from a wandering bard who took pity on an ugly girl. He's probably kicking himself right now for loosing a chance at a fortune.
- You're very lucky, girl. Once I finish my business in the Ruins, I'll send a messenger to the queen. If you're smart as well, perhaps you'll be able to live luxuriously for a while.
- I'm not selling this.
- Excuse me?
- No way. I'm wearing it because I need it.

- Tell me, Virael. Why are you on Lavus' side anyway?
- He's a fool, like every human. Even blood can't change that. You know what will happen to you once he loses?
- You are wrong, master. You underestimate humans.
- Funny. That's what the prince told me recently. As you can see, I'm paying for that. But after all this is over, Lavus will regret it. I'm sure you want to pay him back too, don't you Heisan?
- There's the bridge, looks like we're here.
- I asked you a question.
- Don't waste my time with nonsense.
x Ziig, we're here. What should I do first?

- You don't seem to understand. I left you alive because I wanted Ismarei to run around for a while. Your fate doesn't interest me. I can take the mask off of a dead body just as well.
- But I...
- Too late to learn from your mistakes.
- Master Lavus! My link to Vieael was severed. She's either unconscious, someone carried her far away in a span of seconds... or she's dead.