LI S1 - Part 9: The Night Market, Under Suspicion, The Curse of the Mountain E-Book

Martin Wintersberger

• Herausgeber: Astro Entertainment
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: ASTRO Entertainment for KIDS
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 72

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

The trail leads Li and Scarlett from the shadowy markets of the clans through bloody battles in Xenos and into the cursed Tengu Forest. There, they uncover the true extent of the Dao Do Clan – prisoners, raids, and a hidden alliance in the shadow of Thororimgod. As friendship and trust are put to the test, Li risks breaking under the weight of his search for the boy Akio. Yet amid the darkness, he meets someone whose name will change everything: N.I.K.O.

Leseprobe

Authors: Manuela Wieninger · Martin Wintersberger

Illustrations: Midjourney

Cover: Acht Schätze & Midjourney

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This work, including all its parts, is protected by copyright. Any use outside the narrow limits of copyright law is prohibited without the written consent of the author and is punishable by law. This applies in particular to reproductions, translations, microfilming and storage and processing in electronic systems. ASTRO and all persons appearing therein and their names, all actions, circumstances and laws of nature are fictional. Any resemblance to living or dead persons or fish is purely coincidental and unintentional..

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Copyright © 2020, 2025 Martin Wintersberger

First English Edition 2025 – Based on the 2021 Austrian release

Published in Austria by ASTRO Entertainment e.U.

Based on an idea by Martin Wintersberger

Translated from German with DeepL

All rights reserved

ISBN 978-3-99119-258-9

SEASON 1

LI - THE PATH OF THE SWORD

Episode 25: The Night Market

Episode 26: Under Suspicion

Episode 27: The Curse of the Mountain

»EVEN THE LONGEST JOURNEY BEGINSWITH THE FIRST STEP«

EPISODE 25THE NIGHT MARKET

The air in the large cave was heavy and filled with smoke from the countless torches scattered across the walls and stands. The atmosphere was a peculiar mixture of oil, soot, metal and something reminiscent of burnt flesh. Merchants and buyers, all dressed in dark robes and wearing frightening masks, whispered quietly to each other. The shadows of the flickering flames danced on the rough walls, making the already surreal scene seem even more menacing.

One stall stood out in particular, but not because of its wares. Behind a steaming cauldron stood a fat woman whose robe glistened with grease stains. She wielded a large wooden ladle and scooped a thick, indefinable mass into rough wooden bowls. The sour smell emanating from her stall mingled with the already thick air, causing many to recoil.

‘Here! You there!’ she suddenly shouted, waving her scoop towards a masked customer who had tried to walk past unnoticed. ‘Don't you have any manners? You buy something when you walk past my stall!’

The man stopped, visibly taken aback. ‘I... I'm not hungry.’

The woman snorted contemptuously. ‘Not hungry? Didn't your mother teach you that you don't refuse food?’ She swung the ladle and dropped the steaming mixture into a bowl with a loud splash. ‘That'll be four copper coins, then!’

The man reluctantly reached for the coins as she practically threw the bowl into his hands. ‘Go on, eat. How about a thank you? Where are manners these days?’

Another trader who had been watching the scene chuckled quietly and turned to his colleague. ‘I don't know what smells less disgusting – their stew or the smoke from the torches.’

My colleague grinned beneath his mask. ‘I bet the torches...’

Another passer-by who tried to get past her was also targeted by the fat woman. ‘Hey! Yes, you!’ she shouted loudly. ‘How do you think you're treating a kind woman? Here, take this and stop sneaking around like a thief! Are you a thief? Guard!’

The man waved his hands reassuringly. ‘No, I'm not. You don't need to call the guards, I'm already gone.’ The cook burst with rage: ‘This is getting better and better! First you steal my air, and now you want to sneak away? Here!’ She slapped a ladleful of gruel into a wooden bowl. ‘That'll be four copper coins, my friend!’

‘I don't have any money,’ the man perspired.

The woman crossed her arms and snorted. ‘Then we have a problem. Anyone who comes here without money is definitely a thief. Guard!’ cried the fat woman as the other traders began to take notice. The dialogue became absurd.

‘I... really don't have any money, I wanted to...’

‘Huh?’

‘I wanted to...’

‘What?’

Then the man fell silent, his nerves completely shot, and the fat woman finished him off: ‘Go, and don't ever come back, or I'll chase you to the Creator!’

In one corner, at a stall displaying swords and daggers, stood a slender, unknown figure. Blue light shone through the menpō. Completely cloaked in a black cape, its hood pulled low over its face, the figure whispered, ‘Humanoids... fascinating.’

A burly humanoid wearing a mask resembling a growling wolf approached the stranger. His voice was rough, but not unfriendly.

‘Hey, you there! Yes, you with the blue eyes! Give me a hand! This shelf looks like it's about to collapse!’

The stranger tilted his head to one side as if thinking, then replied, ‘Was that a question? I'm not here to repair furniture.’

The merchant was unimpressed, took a pile of dusty sword sheaths from the shelf and grumbled, ‘Make yourself useful and find another shelf. I'm not paying you to stand around.’

The stranger hesitated, but then began to rearrange the sheaths on another shelf. As he did so, he remarked casually, ‘I'm not getting paid.’

No sooner had he finished his improvised task and was about to leave than another merchant stepped in his way. His menpō was shaped like a dragon's head and appeared to be made of copper. In his hands he held an intricately crafted sword with a blade that glistened in the torchlight.

‘You look like you could use a sword, my friend,’ the merchant began, making an inviting gesture.

‘I don't need a sword,’ replied the stranger with blue eyes, turning to leave.

But the merchant wouldn't give up. ‘They all say that until they hold one in their hands! Look at this masterpiece. Perfect balance, unbeatable sharpness. It will be your faithful companion – and for only three silver coins, it's a real bargain!’

The stranger bowed his head and replied dryly, ‘I have no hands that could hold a sword.’

The merchant paused briefly, looked him over, and then began to laugh. ‘You're a tough nut to crack, I like that. All right, two silver coins, and I'll throw in a dagger sheath for free!’

‘I am a cybernetic organism and have no use for primitive cutting tools,’ replied the stranger.

The merchant grinned broadly beneath his mask, leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially: ‘So you're taking it as decoration, eh? Show it to your friends! No one will take you seriously in this market if you walk around without a weapon. I like you. I'll give you a special price: one silver coin. What do you say?’

The stranger replied, ‘I am a machine, so I have no friends.’

Another merchant who had been watching the scene burst out laughing. ‘That one's a tough negotiator! Maybe he should join you and sell swords here!’

The dragon dealer nodded thoughtfully and tilted his head. ‘That's not a bad idea. Hey, how about this? I'm still looking for someone to haggle with the customers. You're good with words, and those blue eyes? A real eye-catcher!’

The stranger replied curtly, ‘I'm not a salesman. I save lives.’

The two merchants thought for a moment, then burst out laughing, patted the stranger on the shoulder and said, ‘You're one of us...’

Life in the village of Nari seemed unchanged. Women and men went about their work, children played with homemade toys in the shade of the trees. But for Scarlett and Li, everything was different today. The tension between them was palpable. They had decided to visit Oda Noba, the village elder of Nari, once again. It was their last hope of uncovering the truth and possibly finding out – if Oda rejected them again – that he was involved in the matter.

Oda Noba sat in his house, his hands wrapped around a steaming cup of tea, when Scarlett and Li entered. His brow furrowed as he noticed the determination on their faces.

‘You're back again?’ asked Oda, his voice calm but slightly annoyed.

Scarlett crossed her arms: ‘We were in the tunnels. We saw what's going on there, Oda.’

Oda shook his head, a hint of a smile on his lips. ‘The tunnels are old, Scarlett. Nothing but relics of days gone by. Whatever you think you saw is long gone.’

Li stepped forward, his eyes glowing with anger: ‘Don't lie to us! We have evidence – Rogosier is being put into forced labour, children are disappearing from one day to the next. Do you really want to just ignore that?’

Oda raised her hand to silence Li. ‘I'm not ignoring anything, young man. But we're talking about rumours here. Rumours that only the two of you are spreading, no one else. I know very well what I'm doing. As village elder, I am responsible for many people. I have to distinguish between what is true and what is not. I can't pursue every fantasy, every nightmare.’