The war of Prince Muromsky against the Torks turned out to be surprisingly cruel. After their defeat, roads were opened for Russian merchants to the upper reaches of the Ural River—and, naturally, to encounters with shamans and Aryan magicians, with new gods and rulers, with peoples and customs unknown to Russia.
Meeting his friend the merchant Lyubovod, the Vedun expected to find rest on the deck of his boat—rocking on the waves, listening to the murmuring water, and laughing at the merchant’s little stories. He knew—if only he knew—that the favorable wind and the sail with a crimson cross carried him straight toward the blades of immortal, invulnerable enemies.