A summary of "Dzhanga with Shadows" by Alexey Pekhov

This book is an adventure fantasy novel published in 2002. The protagonist, a cunning thief from the capital, Garrett, travels north through hostile lands with a ragtag group, seeking to retrieve a powerful artifact from ancient bone burial grounds. This book is part of the "Chronicles of Siala" series, following the novel "Stalker in Shadow" and preceding the final installment, "Snowstorm of Shadows." In 2003, the entire trilogy was awarded the Silver Caduceus Award at the "Star Bridge" science fiction festival.

Arrival in Ranneng

A detachment under the command of Royal Guard Captain Alistan Markaus arrives in the ancient southern city of Ranneng. The expedition consists of the dark elves Miralissa and Egrassa with their loyal bodyguard Ell, the sullen dwarf Hallas, the cheerful dwarf Deler, the restless goblin Kli-kli, a dozen experienced guardsmen from the Wild Hearts detachment, and the thief Garrett. The heroes secretly carry with them a magical key to the gates of the underground necropolis Hrad Spein. A delay in the city occurs due to the dwarf Hallas’s toothache. The dwarf categorically refuses to trust the local healers. During a lengthy search for a suitable barber in the bustling Great Market, Garrett unexpectedly spots the assassin Pale. A little later, the cunning thief encounters his old friend Bass the Sneaky. Garrett believed Bass was dead for many years.

After a drunken brawl with Doraliss goatmen at the Sun Drop tavern, part of the squad returns to the Learned Owl Inn. There they discover the innkeeper dead and the servants shot with heavy crossbows. The attackers stole a precious elven key. The traitor turns out to be the Wild Loudmouth. The guardsman had secretly served the dark mage, the Nameless One, for many years. Loudmouth coolly put his accomplices on the expedition’s trail. Garrett and the warrior Eel head into the city. The heroes fall into a prepared ambush by the Nameless One’s supporters. The enemies stun the captives with heavy clubs and throw them into a dank underground dungeon. Loudmouth comes to his cell and openly admits to betraying the ideals of the Wild Hearts. Seizing the right moment, the Garrakian Eel breaks the neck of the jailer nicknamed Purple Nose. Garrett and Eel narrowly escape being torn apart by hungry corpse-eating ghouls. The thief and the warrior break free and return to their comrades at the inn.

A social reception and the theft of a key

The situation is becoming more complicated. The key thieves have fallen into a deadly trap. The mercenary Pale and the servants of the enigmatic Master have killed the Nameless One’s men and taken the powerful artifact. The key is hidden in the heavily fortified mansion of Count Balistan Pargaid. Entering the mansion by force is impossible. The heroes resort to military cunning. The goblin Kli-kli proposes a daring plan. Garrett and the warrior Eel attend a gala social event. Eel has Garrak’s royal blood in his veins. Eel successfully disguises himself as the reclusive Duke Ganeth Shagor. Garrett plays the courtiers — the Dralan Par. To add credibility, the elf Miralissa casts a magical disguise on the swarthy Eel. As a gift to the Count, the heroes bring an ancient steel bracelet of the ogres.

At a lavish celebration, Garrett meets the stern Baron Oro Gabsbarg. This man protects the borders of the Border Kingdom. The thief secretly explores the empty second floor of the mansion and finds the count’s richly furnished bedroom. Garrett hides under the wide bed and witnesses a secret conversation and a magical ritual. The sorceress Lafres attempts to sever the key’s invisible connection to Garrett. The magic malfunctions due to the thief’s physical proximity to the artifact. After waiting for the tired sorceress and the count to leave, Garrett easily opens the box and takes the transparent key. A huge imperial dog stands in the way of their escape. The thief escapes the estate with the help of the goblin Kli-kli. The jester sets a fat ginger cat on the vicious dog. The party immediately leaves Ranneng. The expedition strives to increase its lead over their inevitable pursuers.

Black River and the death of comrades

The pursuit catches up with the heroes near the wide Iselin River. A clash occurs near the small town of Boltnik. The local ferrymen are celebrating wildly. The group negotiates a crossing with great difficulty. The heroes slowly cross to the other bank in two groups. Garret, Kli-kli, the foreman Uncle, Eel, and Arnkh remain on the ferry. Lafressa suddenly appears on the shore. The sorceress unleashes terrible ogre magic on the people. The ancient spell Kronk-a-Mor takes the form of a crimson, flaming ball. Garret and the goblin, who cannot swim, plunge into the black water. The dwarf Hallas saves the situation. Lucky fires a secret dwarven cannon directly at the floating ferry. The explosion destroys the enemies on the crossing. Garret swims with great difficulty, dragging the goblin along with him. Old Uncle and the bald warrior Arnkh drown in a cold river.

The long journey continues under cold, pouring rain. Suddenly, Garrett is attacked by his old acquaintance Bass. His friend had secretly tagged along with the party in Ranneng. A terrible secret is revealed. Bass is long dead and has been transformed by the Master into an obedient undead servant — a Sold-Out. The terrifying monster feels no pain from arrows piercing its body or knife stabs. Elf Ell cuts off the bloodthirsty undead’s head with an elven curved sword, a s’kash. At the last moment, the Dark One saves the cunning thief from certain death.

Sagra Court

Soon, the exhausted party crosses the border of the Border Kingdom. The heroes are met by the friendly Baron Oro Gabsbarg and the stern Lieutenant Alia Dalli, the daughter of the Guardian of the Western Border. Suddenly, the fugitives are caught by the enraged Count Pargaid with a detachment of well-armed men. According to strict local customs, the Count demands an immediate judicial duel — a Sagra’s Trial. The short lot falls to the warrior Mumr the Lamplighter. The next morning, a battle ensues on the flat, trampled ground of Mole Castle. Mumr emerges victorious in a brutal, bloody fight with the heavy two-handed swords of Master Meylo Trug. Count Pargaid is forced to retreat in disgrace, empty-handed. The Crystal Key remains in the hands of the expedition.

Ambush in the village of Perekrestok

On their way to the border fortress of Kukushka, the heroes pass the scorched wooden village of Perekrestok. The orcs have brutally massacred all the unfortunate inhabitants of the settlement. The squad carefully examines the cabbage fields and empty houses. The expedition suddenly runs into a cunning ambush by the First Ones. In a bloody hand-to-hand fight, Garrett nearly loses his life. The thief loses his balance and falls into the mud. Garrett is saved by the well-aimed throws of the goblin Kli-kli’s heavy throwing knives. The elf Miralissa identifies the enemy shaman by his voice. The Dark One freezes the orc, hidden by a powerful invisibility spell.

Unfortunately, the brave detachment suffers heavy losses. An orc arrow pierces the narrow visor of his helmet. A sharp iron blade fatally strikes Ell’s bodyguard. Young Wild Medok suffers a severe magical wound from the poisonous green soap bubbles of an orc shaman. Veteran Surok is brutally murdered. In the impregnable fortress of Kukushka, the survivors leave the wounded Medok with heavy hearts. Wild Medok is transferred to the care of experienced order healers. That night, the detachment consigns Ell’s body to the hot magical elven fire over the dark waters of the river. In the morning, Garrett, Miralissa, Egrassa, Eel, Mumr the Lamplighter, Hallas, Deler, and Kli-kli leave their faithful horses at the castle forever. Loading heavy packs on their backs, the heroes set out on foot into the dark forests of the dangerous Zagraba.