Necromancer and undead (Part 4)

Leonard looked around. He had a feeling someone was shouting his name, but when he turned, he saw only a veil of golden light enveloping him. People around him were yelling, pointing fingers at him or at some empty space between them. He did not understand what was happening. He could feel fear and frenzy hanging in the night.

Then the golden light embraced him like a cocoon, and the world around him disappeared. He was flying somewhere, and he was unable to control anything, nor his limbs. His whole body felt heavy like a stone. His head hurt as if he had drunk ten drinks. The light was too blinding now. He had to shut his eyes or he would go blind.

A collective sigh echoed through the space.

“The summoning is complete!”

“Look at his strange clothes! He must be from another world!”

“The hero has manifested, as foretold by the prophecy!”

Realizing the golden light had just faded, Leonard opened his eyes. He looked around.

It looked like he was in some kind of cathedral. It was a tall building with huge stained glass windows. Massive columns were supporting the roof, with the candles lighting the whole space up. Statues were standing at each corner, stone carvings decorating everything.

Between wooden benches, there stood a sea of people. Some of them wore simple clothes, others something more expensive. They were all staring at him, their jaws dropped.

“Where am I?” Leonard asked.

Another figure appeared in front of him. It was an old man. He had a hunched back, and his hands and face were full of wrinkles. Yet his eyes were clear and bright. He was dressed in red robes with a high collar. Golden embroidery adorned his clothes. There was also a golden circlet sitting on his head and a golden staff in his hands. It was the High Priest.

Leonard immediately knew this person was extremely important.

“Dear hero,” said the priest, his soft voice echoing between cold walls, “you were summoned to the kingdom of Silgorod.”

“Silgorod,” Leonard echoed.

He had never heard about such a kingdom. In the present, monarchy still existed, but he wasn’t so sure about kingdoms. Looking back to investigate his surroundings and people again, he realized that this must be some kind of medieval play. He heard about such events when people dressed in medieval clothes and acted in a historical play. This will be it. But… how did he end up here?

He remembered getting into the club and… seeing Selena with Kasian. Then he left and was standing near the road. And someone was shouting at him… Then he realized there was a golden light around him. And then he was moving. Was he kidnapped? And how?

“Why am I here?” he asked after a while.

“We summoned you because Silgorod needs you,” said the priest. “The prophecy says that when the North Star turns red, it foretells the coming disaster. The High Priest of Silgorod must make haste. A hero must be summoned to protect the kingdom.”

“I must say it is a very interesting concept. But can we stop with the acting, already? I never agreed to this, and I want to go home.”

“What is he saying?”

“He doesn’t understand his role at all!”

The High Priest looked at him, explaining patiently: “Kingdom of Silgorod is your new home, dear hero. The prophecy says the summoned hero shall lead the siege, triumph in battle, and bring back the Moon Princess, the holy saintess, who alone can save Silgorod from the calamity brought by the Bloody Star. This is why you have been summoned here. To fulfill your duty and protect our kingdom.”

“What?”

“Just yesterday, a bloody red star appeared in the sky. If we don’t bring the Moon Princess here soon, the kingdom of Silgorod will fall.”

He was completely dumbfounded by the priest's words. He needs to lead the siege? Himself? That was unimaginable.

“Why not just ask her for help?” he proposed.

“Dear hero, the Moon Princess is the most powerful saintess in the whole world. Do you think a mere ask would be enough to persuade the king of Lunaria to send her here?”

“Why not pay them for her services, then?”

“Perhaps you misheard. She is the only one in the whole world. Blessed is the kingdom in which the Moon Princess is reborn, for she shall protect it until her last breath. No disaster is so great that she shall not be able to face it. There is no amount of gold coins in the kingdom’s treasury sufficient to cover the expenses of the Moon Princess.”

“So you want to attack their kingdom instead and take her forcefully,” Leonard summarized.

Dissatisfied grumbling echoed around them.

“ This is what we must do to survive the calamity. So has our God commanded.”

“I never heard of any god encouraging a war against another country,” Leonard said.

Angry shouts interrupted him.

“Silence!”

“You dare to question our lord? Such insolence!”

“Blasphemy!”

“His Reverence, is he really the hero from the prophecy?“

„Yeah, what if he is a fluke?“

„How do we know he is the real one?“

„Is there a trial he can do to prove to us that he is our hero?“

“What if he could show us his swordmanship? The hero must know how to fight with a sword!”

“That is too dangerous!”

“What about a wooden sword? My kid has one with him. Here! Give it to him!”

Someone threw a wooden sword at Leonard. It fell onto the marble floor next to his feet, clacking.

“Hero, take the sword and dispel the doubts among our believers,” the High Priest said to him.

Leonard looked down at the wooden sword. The last time he held a sword was during his kindergarten days, when Kasian gifted him a blue plastic sword. He had a red one. They fight a lot with them together, once time he even hit his face and broke his lip. Their parents immediately confiscated the swords.

Leonard bent down and picked up the sword. The wood was hard and cold. Splinters were digging into his skin. He turned the sword in his hand slowly, checking its weight.

People in the cathedral were looking at him excitedly. He could feel heat rising into his cheeks. He was no swordsman.

The High Priest sidestepped next to him and swung with his golden staff. He hit his hand. Hard. Leonard yelped out of pain, letting go of the wooden sword. He did not even react to the sudden attack from the old priest.

The silence of the cathedral was shattered by outbursts of anger and cries.

“Did you see that? He did not even react!”

“How is that a warrior? Even my kid can fight better!”

“His Reverence, this needs to be some kind of mistake! Surely this person cannot be the one to lead the siege!“

„Lunaria has a small army, but they are experienced warriors, and they have the Moon Princess behind their backs. We need a strong warrior to win this siege!“

„Yeah, not this pitiful man!“

„He does not even know how to hold a sword!“

“Dear faithful, do not lose hope!” shouted the High Priest. “This hero is indeed unskilled for now, but under strict supervision and rigorous training, he shall improve. Coming from another world, he must learn the ways of combat in this realm.”

Leonard looked at him. He did not want to have any training, nor did he want to lead the siege to attack the neighbouring kingdom. It looked to him as if he was transported into his biggest nightmare…