"Where the Forest Doesn’t Grow" by Maria Semenova, summary Automatic translate

Published in 2007, this book tells the story of overcoming a physical disability through the power of engineering and spirit, transforming the destinies of people and winged beasts. The protagonist is unable to walk. This disability forces him to construct ingenious mechanisms that replace his legs.

The novel is part of the "Worlds of Maria Semyonova" book series. The series brings together stories from the Volkodav universe.

Departure from Galirad

Seventeen-year-old Venn Korenga arrives in the Solvenn capital city of Galirad. The youth is unable to walk due to an ancient family punishment. Two hundred years ago, his ancestor showed cowardice on the battlefield. Since then, in every generation of the Kokorin family, one man has lost his legs. Korenga uses a wooden cart for transportation. It is pulled on a leash by Toron, a young tumak dog, born between a common dog and a winged simuran. Toron’s wings are weak and unable to lift the beast into the air.

Korenga is looking for a ship to sail to the country of Narlak. The renowned healer Zelhat Melsinsky lives there. His relatives have collected silver for the young man to pay for his healing. Korenga buys passage on the ship of the Arrantian merchant Irillir. In the port, the Venn meets the locals. A Galirad thief, Andarch, sneaks aboard because of his cart. The young man decides to hide the criminal from the crew.

Sea passage

The Chagrava, a vessel about six meters wide, sets out to sea. On the third day, the merchant ship is overtaken by two warships of the sea-dwelling Seghvans. The Seghvan chieftain, Skvirep Chugushegg, demands the handing over of Irillir. The Arrant merchant is responsible for the death of Gvegord. This Seghvan youth was the fiancé of the kuns’s daughter. The sailors betray their master to save their own lives. Irillir is sewn into a sack along with his silver and drowned.

Korenga carelessly argues with a formidable kuns. Chugushegg orders the impudent cripple thrown overboard. Toron dives into the cold water after his master. Soon, the segwans pick up the drowning victims. Korenga tells the chieftain the story of her pup. It turns out that the plump young segwan is actually a girl named Eoria in disguise. The kuns’ daughter was avenging her murdered fiancé. The chieftain drops Korenga, Eoria, and Andarh off on a deserted shore. The segwanka must find the sage Zelkhat. The chieftain wishes to invite the healer to the Islands.

Meeting with the Serpent

The travelers move along the shore. A sandy spit, over a kilometer wide, stretches into the distance. Soon, the sky is covered in a dead, pale haze. A flying Serpent approaches from the sea. The monster sucks in everything living and nonliving with its gigantic trunk. The companions hide under the thick roots of a low dwarf pine. Eoria covers them with a strong leathery canopy. Lightning strikes from the sky. The Thunder God engages in combat with the Serpent. The Thunderer severs the monster’s tentacle. The storm subsides.

A kilometer-wide mud lake forms where the coastal dunes once were. Korenga sees the ruins of an inn caught in a whirlpool. A grandfather and granddaughter remain on the roof of the crumbling building. Venn transforms his cart into a boat. He risks his life to save the old man Tikaram and the girl Tikiru. Tikaram refuses to abandon his heavy leather sack. Books and astronomical instruments are kept inside the sack.

Old acquaintances

At night, Korenga watches over the rescued people. The grandfather and granddaughter calculate the position of the celestial bodies using lenses. In the morning, armed guards from the merchant’s caravan join the party. Their names are Yorsh and Perekat. They start a quarrel. Eoriya brutally beats Yorsh with a wooden stick about a meter long. Then the travelers meet a wanderer nicknamed Shatun. An older man accompanies a noblewoman, Alavzora. The woman is in a state of mental confusion after the attack of the Serpent. Shatun leads the party to the main road.

The camp of the ruler of Narlak is set up there. Lord Alpin gathers the surviving travelers. Shatun and Alpin are revealed to be related. They are brothers. Shatun once renounced power for a life of freedom. Alpin receives Korenga in his tent. The court scholar, Eurich, recognizes the old man Tikaram as the great Zelhat. Eoria overhears their nighttime conversation. Zelhat admits that medicine is powerless to restore Venn’s legs.

Dead City

Having learned the bitter truth, Korenga decides to leave the camp. Eoria leaves with him. Andarch asks to be taken as a companion. The thief promises a generous reward. He claims to be a descendant of the ancient kings of Arrantiada. Andarch seeks the ruins of ancient Foyreg. Legend has it that under the rays of the Blue Moon, the burned city regains its former glory. Andarch desires the crown of his ancestors. The heirloom artifact will grant him unlimited power.

Toron leads a detachment to the Fire Ridges. The Simurans once saved Andarh’s ancestor from the flames. That night, the ancient city materializes from nothingness. The ancient ruler rides out to meet the young man. Andarh demands that Korenga and Eoria be killed immediately. The resurrected king takes back the golden crown. He denies the descendant the right to the throne because of his cruelty. The ancient city vanishes again. Andarh vanishes into thin air along with the ghosts of its former inhabitants.

The Trials of Irezeus

Korenga and Eoria continue their journey together. They reach the mountainous region of Irezei. The locals build large, box-shaped aerial vehicles. Priests fly them at altitudes of about three hundred meters to worship Fire. Korenga dreams of studying the construction of these heavy machines. The young man crafts models from bast and clay. Suddenly, a rabid Khalisun dog appears in the settlement. The sick animal attacks the young mountaineer. Toron intercepts the monster and breaks its neck. The rabid dog manages to bite off Toron’s wing bone.

The Iresians are terrified of the bloodstain. They drive the rescuers from the village. Eoria loads the wounded Toron into a leaky boat. Korenga travels in his amphibious cart. They spend the night at the foot of steep glaciers. During the day, a section of the ice mountain collapses into the water, creating a tsunami several meters high. Korenga’s cart is smashed against the rocks. The young man miraculously survives. Eoria pulls the Venn and the dog ashore.

Underground fire

The cart’s frame is completely broken. The girl carries Korenga on her back. They traverse steep mountain passes. On the way, Korenga reveals to the Segvan woman the secret of the family curse. Eoria gives him a hand-knitted warm vest. According to Venn custom, this gesture signifies consent to marriage. The girl is ready to leave and live in the forest land of her future husband. The lovers stop for the night in a dry mountain cave.

That night, a choking, toxic smoke begins to seep from underground. Toron bites Koreng’s hand and wakes him. Venn manages to awaken the segwanka. They crawl out just before an underground explosion. A jet of flame erupts from the cave. The fire destroys the remains of the cart, Eoria’s bow, and her drawn map. The travelers are left without supplies on the dead rocks of the mountain plateau.

Simurans

In the morning, Korenga discovers Eoria dead. She had been poisoned by a toxic gas in the cave. The girl hid her pain so the Venn wouldn’t panic. Toron howls, mourning the loss of his brave friend. Two true winged Simurans respond to the call. The beasts want to drive the Tumaka from the mountains. Toron’s golden collar stops them. This item carried the blessing of an ancient king. The Simurans recognize Toron as their equal.

Two years pass. Korenga lives on the banks of his native river. He has built a lightweight glider with wings. The frame of the craft is mounted on a wheeled base. A strengthened Toron accelerates the cart. The dog runs over the rocks and then unhooks the harness. The glider soars into the sky. Korenga gains the ability to fly. That same day, Korenga’s younger brother stumbles while running. The child falls, but his legs continue to function. The ancient punishment is lifted. Korenga’s courage and tenacity have atoned for the sin of their cowardly ancestor.