Dark Legacy

by Valery Starsky

  Lia, of course, had heard about the impressive Yar’s possibilities at the Council of Three, but surely this was too much even for him...

  Suddenly, she noted a flash of light and a small portal emerged in the center of her bedroom.

  “This is impressive indeed,” the governor said, and she stepped inside.

  Chapter 47. Glitter of Elven Gold

  “H ello, Lia. I’m glad to welcome you to Ryiri Palace.”

  She is still beautiful and attractive, Yar thought admiringly.

  “Hello, Yar,” Lia answered, smiling timidly as she viewed the Shadows’ country and the grand superstructures surrounding the palace with childish delight.

  The guardian appeared, and he greeted Lia with a nod and bowed to Yar.

  “Master, the place for negotiations is ready. A zone of silence with zero access parameters within a radius of one hundred yards is guaranteed. Will you allow me to accompany you?”

  Yar nodded.

  Instantly, Lia and he were on an open terrace with a perfect garden and stunning views. A small black table stood in the center of the terrace; it seemed to be cut from a single crystal. There were several carafes with light wine and juices, as well as glass bottles of carbonated drinks, a large porcelain teapot with tea, and a plate of pastries. In addition, the table was served with several golden bowls with colorful balls of ice cream, each with several bottles of syrup.

  These incomprehensible delights perplexed Lia. Unknown smells enveloped her, agitating and insisting to her to try them.

  When the elf, according to her status, sat majestically, Yar, without delay, asked her, “Lia, I’m happy to welcome you to my palace. But what made you write to me?”

  The elf, without concealment, laid out everything she had overheard at the secret meeting of the most influential light elves. She was disgusted almost to tears, not because of the act of betrayal, but that she didn’t like the content of the narration. It fully reflected the essence of her race.

  The governor, like many others, was no longer satisfied with the ecumenical image of beautiful ghouls, who had once been light elves that used to love their traditions and nature.

  Having heard this, Yar had an unprecedented frightening feeling flow through his body.

  We need to act urgently and be proactive, otherwise it will be too late, he thought, quickly sending an alarming message to the dark elf ruler, bringing the dark elf combat units to full alert. Yar also ordered the blocking of the palace urgently.

  Yar tried to calm down. He really wanted to kiss and hug his savior. However, it turned out somehow wrong...

  Lia didn’t have time to get scared! Well, she didn’t have time to inhale when Yar grabbed her like a small, weightless feather and kissed her. Lia had never experienced such a strong fury, pressure and temperament; it seemed to her that she was in the hands of no humane, but a typhoon in human form.

  Thoughts flew through her head. Oh, Eternity, please don’t stop!

  They began to dress silently and in sync.

  Lia, smiling, looked at the discouraged Yar and suddenly laughed softly.

  “Great kid-glove affair. I’d like to know for future reference: Is it protocol? Can I reserve a daily or nightly visit to the ruler of the Blue Planet?”

  Yar had to blush and blurt out the first thing that came to his mind.

  “Lia, believe me, I don’t understand how this happened. I couldn’t help it,” he said, his eyes still wandering.

  Lia laughed softly and gently.

  “Oh, Yar! Please don’t restrain yourself when we’re alone!”

  They laughed together, and the man saw three elven domestic spells that brought her body, clothes and hair to perfect condition.

  “That’s great,” Yar said.

  “Do you want me to teach you?”

  Yar shook his head. He copied spells that he liked automatically. Therefore, he answered, “I have already learned.”

  Yar used his first hygienic unit, which completely cleaned him up—even shaving him, refreshing him, and brushing his hair.

  “How?” The Governor gasped, realizing that these were the spells of her elf race, but they had been refined in literally a few moments.

  Yar smiled and kissed her hand.

  “The dark elves’ Totkhen should have his own secrets... Well? Are we allies? I swear by the Mother System, not to betray you, and to be honest, and when you need me, I will come to your rescue!”

  Yar held out his open palm to the governor. Lia repeated the oath at the same time, to their mutual pleasure, and the man and the elf secured the oath with a passionate kiss.

  Yar forced himself to stop and said sadly, “Lia, stop it. We are out of time. Being a Totkhen, I have responsibilities, and my intuition predicts a deadly danger to me. I’ll leave you for a few minutes. Please take no offense. I’ll be back quickly. Try this first.”

  Yar opened a bottle of cola and poured the foaming drink into a crystal glass, while moving the ice cream bowl closer to the elf.

  When Lia, amusingly glaring with pleasure, ate the next portion of ice cream, Yar returned.

  He approached, bent down, and kissed the elf on her neck.

  “This is my preliminary thanks.” The Lord of the Shadows put a nondescript and massive ring of obsidian on the table and immediately showed the characteristics of this artifact.

  Ring of Spatial Refuge

  Reality: impossible to steal, take off, detect

  Subspace: cannot be detected

  Interactive visual image of the external environment: a radius of 10 miles.

  Ensuring full-fledged livelihoods - 8 modules

  Hidden access to the global network of messages and exchange

  Maximum autonomy work 25 years

  The key is to turn the ring.

  * Addition: At a full binding of a ring to the host, additional bonuses are available

  Manufactured: Forget-me-not Brotherhood of the First Exodus

  Lia seemed to stick to the chair, swallowing nervously as she wheezed softly with emotion, as if her voice was completely gone.

  “Yar, this is an artifact of the ancients in perfect condition with full potential. I’m afraid to think about its price.”

  “Lia, don’t even think about it! This is the least I can do for you, my most beautiful ally. Believe me, you will not regret that you came over to our side and made a very significant contribution to the common cause…”

  Lia nodded and put the huge ring on her finger with a trembling hand. The ring rapidly narrowed and, sparkling, disappeared from view. The elf jumped, smacked Yar on the lips, and gently stroking his cheek, she said with obvious regret, “It looks like I have to go.”

  “Yes,” Yar confirmed briefly, and almost instantly he opened the portal.

  “Yar, take care of yourself and don’t risk yourself in vain. To be captured by my fellow tribesmen means the abyss forever.”

  Having sent a kiss, Lia gracefully entered the portal.

  ***

  Half an hour later, the Midnighter clans’ commanders gathered in the tactical room around a huge stone table. Mimi, the guard of the tower, and the gloomy IM were present too. A huge model of the elven Sugar Palace towered on the table. It was finely detailed. All those present had argued and exchanged views for the past hour. It was time to sum everything up. Everybody looked at Yar.

  He thought for a moment and calmly said, “We are, of course, interested in the clashes between the light elves and how they rob global clan treasures. Nevertheless, the most important and dangerous thing for us is the trillions of gold, for which the elves buy stat points without restrictions in creating a squad of destroyers. I think we have three days maximum. I propose to strengthen the small group. Mimi, how many billions can we free from the clan’s turnover without disturbing our financial stability?”

  Mimi paused for a few seconds, and then she squeaked loudly, “Master, one hundred and fifty-one billion.”

  “Order the financial d
epartment to buy the goods we need urgently. We will level-up. Vey, we need powerful subspace warehouses, storage houses of the ancients, and a well-thought-out swing plan for the level-up of our sabotage group.”

  Chapter 48. Decision

  T he tactical room was still noisy, despite the fact that they took a break for their favorite St. James tea.

  “Okay. I agree with everything.” Having raised his hands up, Yar declared, “It’s settled. Sixteen will go to the raid. Vey, do you really withdraw your candidacy?”

  He looked surprised at the wizard.

  “Yes,” Vey the Shamrock replied carelessly. “Firstly, let the youngsters take part in it. Secondly, one of the experienced wizards should stay here. And thirdly, the clan simply needs to increase the number of top-level players. So, go ahead, Midnighters.”

  “Okay,” Yar said shortly, “Then all the Shadow centurions will go on this raid. IM and Elsie Leil will cover us. Elsie, I assign you as a chief in this group. Accordingly, you must level-up your power skills.”

  “Yes, Master,” the former Totkhen barked, the formidable dark elf's eyes flashing like fire.

  Yar continued, “Blacky.”

  The gorgeous cat buried her muzzle in his forearm, and Yar seemed to vibrate with her satisfied rumblings. Yar hugged Black Rainbow, squinting in pleasure.

  “You will be engaged in long-distance reconnaissance and escort our detachment in the elven forests. You’re very skillful. I believe in you.”

  “Mm-a-ff!” Blacky shook the space with her roar.

  Uyu was neither alive nor dead, apparently fearing that the ruler of the Blue Planet might not take her to the raid for some abstruse reasons. She kept saying a mantra to herself, Oh, System, mother of gods and heroes, help me, let Totkhen of the dark take me.

  Finally, she heard what she had so insistently requested.

  Thank you! I’m happy again, the head of the diversion groups thought with relief.

  “Uyu, Gelic,” Yar’s confident voice thundered, reflected from the arch. “And I,” he pointed to himself, “are the main sabotage group. We need to level-up all the skills related to sabotage work. I will develop the Gap Spindle and the Atomic Scanning additionally—they’re our main transport in rock formations and hope! Vey claims that all the vaults of the ruling light clan are deep underground in stone voids.”

  Yar suddenly laughed, looking at the inspired faces of his comrades-in-arms, who it seemed, didn’t care where they had to go: to the dungeon or to hell.

  “Friends, calm down. Don’t worry so much. I have the title Master of the Subsoil, so believe me, we have a great chance, but it is important not to waste too much time. Our mission is to break the thousand-year mechanism of the light clans’ financial consolidation rather than just capturing their treasury.”

  “Master, attention!” Mimi squealed. “We’ve managed to buy forty-nine thousand four hundred points of characteristics and no one could trace us as the final buyer.”

  “All right, Mimi. Please distribute everything equally.”

  “Stop!” Vey the Shamrock shouted suddenly. “You mustn’t do that! Why, Yar? The safe outcome of this crazy raid depends on your Atomic Scan and Gap Spindle being successful. So, I insist , you should have half or even three quarters of all stat points and use them in your spells later.”

  Yar wanted to abandon this privilege, but he was forced to agree, because the head of the clan had always had three quarters of the loot in any raid since ancient times.

  “Mimi, how much is there for everyone?”

  “You have twenty-four thousand nine hundred stat points. All the others have eight thousand three hundred.”

  The gathered colleagues gasped enthusiastically.

  Suddenly they faced an insoluble problem. The network couldn’t find the desired image with the landscape ten to twenty miles from the Sugar Palace’s location. The elves were gloomy, but not Vey the Shamrock.

  “Yar, can our familiar Emperor’s inspector help? He was more likely to be on Elate. Who knows, he might help us to investigate the neighborhood.”

  The clan leader tried to write a letter without delay.

  “It says the connection is blocked by the security service of the Imperial Palace.”

  Vey the Shamrock spread his hands.

  “We have not been lucky; our possible source of information is already in the palace of the Emperor.”

  “Got it. I’ll go to the tower. Maybe I will be able to cope with the problem somehow,” Yar said and disappeared.

  ***

  The search engine of the tower found the Sugar Palace quickly, drawing on data nearby.

  Yar nodded and ordered, “Retreat thirty miles from the object and reduce the scale. A bit more. Enough,” he confirmed.

  Finding a convenient place, a small gap in this seemingly endless forest, Yar tried to install a portal. A huge projection blinked red, but nothing happened, and he heard, “Attention! Attention! Crash navigation and teleportation!”

  In addition, this alarmingly loud voice preceded the message right on the projection, and it was duplicated on its internal interface.

  You cannot install a portal on the planet Elate.

  Reason: (martial law, protocol CC0003343)

  A binding is required: the beacon of the Midnighters clan or the Allied side.

  Damn! Yar thought irritably, measuring the former observatory with long strides.

  Maybe Burn will help? it dawned on him suddenly.

  Yar communicated with Burn mentally and asked him, Hey, how are you doing in orbit? What are you doing?

  Hi, Master. We are chasing meteorites, swallowing debris, and cleaning the orbit, as you ordered. It’s funny and tasty. Thank you, sir. All the fiery balls are contented, Burn replied, wandering somewhere in orbit...

  Well done, man. Well done. Look at this picture. Can you get there?

  Yar sent him a projection of Elate.

  He received an answer immediately. If Master orders it, we will get there, and the journey will take three hundred and twenty-eight years, one way.

  “Heck!” the discouraged Yar commented aloud while examining Burn’s stats. He still had a hope.

  “Oh, yes!” In the characteristics of his fiery friend, Yar saw the saving information: there were three almost unused but promising abilities.

  Burning Higher fiery essence

  Level 154

  Unchangeable characteristics:

  Power 20,000 MW Rechargeable (star energy)

  Speed ​​(Minimum - 1 mile per second, Maximum - 78 miles per second)

  Beat (1-3 kilotons)

  Fire damage 12,000,000 ° C (epicenter 5 yards, complete destruction)

  Variable characteristics:

  The main points of distribution:

  Adaptation 1

  Pairing 1

  Modification 1

  Characteristics Points:

  Health 1,540

  Mind 30

  System navigation 132

  Long-distance navigation 3

  Hyper Jump 0

  * Addition:

  Additional features may appear.

  Creator, Yar Row Dark

  Yar increased Burn’s health points to two thousand and his mind points to two hundred. He also added a thousand stat points to Hyper Jump and Long-Distance Navigation.

  He could not understand what was happening in the orbit for a whole minute. Yar was even forced to interrupt contact in order not to go deaf from the explosion. It seemed that Burn and his friends were mightily happy. Yar waited a bit and then yelled, Stop it!

  There was silence... In ten seconds, Burn said timidly, I’m sorry, Master. According to the new opportunities, I will need eighteen jumps and two refuelings. The total time is two hours and forty-six minutes. Master, may I bring assistants with me?

  “Wow!” Yar exclaimed. “That’s great! This route lets me level-up my fiery entities.”

  Burn, how many assistants do you need?

  He rec
eived a clear answer immediately: About twenty, Master.

  Great. Wait for replenishment. Leave your old comrades in orbit, they know how to defend the Earth. Tell them that after your return, I will raise the characteristics to your level for all those who participated in the assault and the defense of Ryiri Palace. I promise. Now get ready, Burn.

  Yar broke the connection, realizing that the triumph would now begin in orbit, despite his previous warning.

  He didn’t feel remorse and pity when he selected candidates for turning into fire beings from the Cage of Oblivion. Yar moved to the Constructor, and twenty male and female fire creatures rushed into the sky in a very short space of time.

  Burn, here are you new assistants. Be stricter with them. When you are ready to leave, then let me know.

  Yes, Master, Burn said in deep, bass voice.

  Yar did not have time to finish drinking the glass of water, brought to him by Mimi, before he heard a voice from orbit. Master, we are ready. Allow me to start a hyper jump!

  Come on, Burn, act! Good luck to you!

  Thank you-

  The connection was broken.

  Well, I think it’s starting. I hope we will jump in three hours, Yar thought with satisfaction as he moved to the tactical room, immediately alerting his hotly arguing comrades.

  “We found a way out. Burn and his twenty assistants went into deep space. Their journey to Elate will take approximately two hours and forty-five minutes.”

  “Why twenty?” Vey the Shamrock asked.

  Yar interrupted him. “I increased our orbital grouping significantly. Five warriors remained in our orbit, and all the others went into deep space. This is great training for them: eighteen hyper-jumps, several refueling stops, and restorations from the energy of stars. So, it’s time for us all to prepare.”

  Time passed quickly. They were waiting for half an hour in nervous anticipation. Vey the Shamrock whispered something to Yar. “Don’t rush. Do everything thoroughly. Think first. You worked well, and it is very good that you have added another serious trump card. On departure, Burn might be a very important factor. Now, please take this. I wanted to keep it for myself, but…”

  The wizard gave Yar a cold like ice, narrow twenty-inch crystal. It was opaque and blue-black with violet splashes.