"Thank you," Mary nodded. "I tried to stop him, but he just ran faster. Stupid horse!" She shouted irritably.
“When the horse is galloping, you should stop it in another way,” Trix said. "I listened to a groom's lecture, while Alex was choosing horses."
"Mary, Trix! You're alive!" Alex shouted happily, coming closer to them, then quickly jumped off his horse, ran to Mary, who was still sitting in the saddle. "I was so scared!" He shouted and hugged her.
“Lemme go,” Mary moaned and tried to get out of his hugs.
"How are you?" Alex asked frightenedly and finally let the girl go.
"I'm fine!" Mary shouted annoyedly and began to straighten her flattened clothes. “To be honest, I don’t really want to ride a horse again,” she admitted.
“And we don’t need it,” Alex smiled and pointed at the city on the hill ahead.
"It is still at least a kilometer away. Will we go on foot?" Rina asked with dissatisfaction.
“We should get there quietly, horses can draw attention to us,” Alex explained. “That's why we will have to kill our horses,” Alex nodded to Rina and Trix, pulled out his sword and killed his horse with an accurate hit into the eye.
"What are you doing?" Mary screamed. "I always know that you are cold and cruel, all your love words were just words. I won't let you do it!" Mary stood between her horse and Alex, protecting the animal.
“Why are you protecting the horse?” Alex looked blankly at Mary. “He’s not real, and he will die anyway, since we’ll not be able to feed him.”
“It doesn't matter, I like all animals,” Mary said stubbornly. "He can eat grass."
“First of all, they should eat special food , which only groom has. Secondly, I thought you don't like animals,” Alex frowned. "If I knew that you like them, I would have come up with another plan, but now we have no choice."
"Why did you decide that I don't like animals?" Mary asked.
"Well, what did you eat in the morning?" Alex parried her question.
"Fried potatoes with veal and salad," Mary said. “But we're not speaing about it now...” Alex smiled slyly. "If I eat meat, it doesn't mean that I don't like animals, especially such beautiful ones," Mary stroked the snow white horse.
"Do you like only beautiful animals?" Alex asked.
“Well, we can eat cows and chickens,” Mary answered uncertainly.
"Do you mean that they don't feel any pain?" Alex said.
“I didn’t think much about it, but maybe I’ll stop eating meat,” Mary mumbled.
“I doubt it,” Alex shook his head. "I think everyone is indifferent to everything in this world, there is no public opinion and no one will judge you, you can honestly admit some of your desires, which embarrased you before."
“But I really love animals...” Mary whispered uncertainly, she wasn't ready for such tricky questions.
“Okay, we'll talk about it later,” Alex waved his hand. “I see only two options: you are riding a horse back to the Grink, or I kill a horse, and we will complete the quest together."
“Okay, I will go with you,” Mary decided after thinking. "Will it be painfull?“
"I will use manna and kill him with an attacking skill, he will die instantly,” Alex promised.
"Okay," Mary lowered her head and went towards the city.
"Mary, I'm not angry or insensitive," Alex caught up with her in some seconds. “I should have done it now...” Alex stopped talking, when he saw Mary's crying, he decided not to bring up this matter of in the near future and just walked along in silence, trying to study the ways to the city attentively.
"Well, how are you going to get there?" Mary stopped at the edge of the forest and pointed at the guards near the gates.
“Give me a couple of minutes,” Alex muttered thoughtfully, and looked appreciatively at the high, stone walls that surrounded the city. "We cannot climb them, but we can go thought the gate."
"What do you mean?" Mary didn't understand.
“Do you see the difference between the computer character and real person?” Alex asked.
"They dress and talk differently," Mary shrugged her shoulders. “But it's not about your assistants."
"And what if we stop talking?" Alex asked and, having caught Mary's glance, explained. “Various personages enter the city, we will dress like them and just pass by the guards."
“The armor gives us a big bonus in the battle,” Mary said. “A guard will probably kill us with one blow if we don't have armor."
“If they find out who we are, the Skull will come here and we will die anyway,” Alex said. “But if you disagree, then you can ...”
“I won’t go back to Grink!” Mary shouted angrily. “I like your plan, I will go with you.”
“Then let’s find the village,” Alex decided.
“There is a small farmstead half a kilometer south-eastwardly,” Trix said quickly. “I saw it when we were walking through the woods.”
“Lead us there.” Alex nodded.
Trix quickly led the group to a small village with five huts. Alex bought some old clothes and a horse in the nearest yard.
"Change clothes," Alex threw the girls a pair of old long shirts and a worn out pinafore. “Put the weapons and armor in the pony-cart,” Alex ordered. "We will throw brushwood on our equipment and hope that they won't check us."
They came to the capital’s gate in half an hour. Alex was the first.
“Faces down, shut up. If they ask something, I will answer.” Alex whispered the last commands.
“Stop! Where are you going?” The pony-cart drew guard’s attention.
“To Skull.” Alex mumbled and stared down.
“Okay, go.” He waved his hand and turned his back on them.
“What will we do?” Trix whispered when they entered the capital.
“I don’t know,” Alex looked around and realized that’s it wouldn’t be easy to find a public house here. “I thought there would be some signs…” He mumbled embarrassedly and looked at the narrow streets that went up to the hill, on which a small palace with a blue roof and two red towers was. All houses where grey, one-story and similar. “Do you see something, Trix?” Alex asked her hopefully. “You saw everything in the forest.”
“It’s too noisy here,” Trix shook her head. “It’s the first time I’m here and, to be honest, I’m frightened.”
“Do you have any ideas?” Alex asked everyone.
“Let’s walk up to the hill now,” Mary suggested. “We will find a public house sooner or later.”
“Okay, let’s go slowly and tell me if you see something,” Alex ordered and led the horse to the nearest street.
“Are we looking for something except the public house?” Trix clarified.
“It’s our main aim.” Alex thought for some minutes and decided to tell them about his plan. “I think the quest starts in the public house, but if we see an interesting shop, we will go there. So look attentively.”
"Smith!" Trix pointed at a large house with a large open stove. Some huge men in sloppy dickey were working there.
"Why should we go there?" Alex waved away.
“Weapons and equipment should be repaired from time to time,” Mary explained.
“Our equipment is still in good condition, we are looking for something else,” Alex decided and led the horse further.
“A bottle store,” Trix again was the first to see something interesting.
“Let's get closer,” Alex nodded.
"Healing alchemical pots!" The tradesman shouted, having seen the people approaching him, and immediately ran out to them. "What do you want to buy?"
"What do you recommend?" Alex asked confusedly, examining a large assortment of bottles of various colors and sizes carefully.
"Unique healing potions and strengthening elixirs! Only here and now at the lowest price!" the tradesman waved his hands, praising his goods.
"We need more details," Alex turned to him finally. He was an old
man with black hair, a ragged beard and brown eyes. He was dressed in a suit with a lot of empty pockets, bottle with liquid, which was changing its color, hung on his belt.
"Healing and strengthening pots cost 250 coins. I can also offer you some special pots for 1000 coins."
"Why are they so expensive?" Alex was looking at that bottle, which was changing color.
“My pots give both vitality and energy at the same time, strengthening pots increase a specific characteristic by a quarter, and special ones can be used for attack or defense,” the alchemist proudly pointed at numerous jars arranged on the counter.
“Tell me more about the special ones,” Alex asked and turned his eyes to the counterб filled with bottles of different colors and sizes.
“You break a protective potion near you and you are covered with a protective magic fog,” the alchemist took a small glass bottle of lilac liquid from the counter and handed it to Alex.
“I'll take it,” Alex nodded and gave him coins. "What about the attacking pot?"
"Throw a bottle at your enemies,” the alchemist shrugged his shoulders and pointed at a small shelf on which there were four bottles.
"Green is gas, blue-ice, brown scatters a lot of stones around, dark red - a low-power explosion."
“Give me the one which explodes,” Alex decided and again gave him money.
"As you can see, both bottles have sealed neck in order to avoid undesirable effects." The alchemist explained.
"Girls, should I buy more pots?" Alex turned to the others.
"Of course!" Rina and Trix shouted almost simultaneously.
"If you have money, then why not?" Mary shrugged her shoulders.
“I buy each of you one strengthening and one combined,” Alex decided, and again gave the tradesman coins. "I will buy strengthening pot, and the girls will choose themselves," Alex took the orange bottle and began putting the pots in his pockets, he attached the healing pot to the belt.
“Thanks for the potions, but...” Mary hesitated. "What if your plan fails?"
“Well, if we met Skull, then I will fight, and you will run away,” Alex shrugged his shoulders.
“I'm not talking about that,” Mary winced. "If there is no legendary weapon quest? What will we do?"
"We will think about it later," Alex muttered and turned his back on Mary so that she would not see he was confused.
"Thank you!" Trix caught up with Alex, saw his sad look and shrugged her shoulders. "What's wrong?"
“I have doubts,” Alex whispered.
"What is it?" Trix looked at Alex blankly.
“This is when you start doing something, and then you think that you won't succeed in it and give up,” Alex whispered. "I'm not sure that I gave a good example, but you understand."
“It's useless,” Trix said thoughtfully.
"I would even say it's harmful," Alex laughed. "But unfortunately, I cannot get rid of it."
"So I shouldn't adopt it?" Trix clarified.
“Yeah," Alex nodded. "Actually, I didn’t want to talk about this..."
"Look!" Trix interrupted him. "There is a strange girl!" She pointed at a large pink two-storey house, which stood out strongly among the grey buildings. A young girl, dressed in a translucent light dress, was dancing near the entrance. Sometimes she was inviting people to come in. "She obviously invites us to come in!" Trix guessed. "Can we go and check what's inside?"
“Trix is right,” Mary agreed cheerfully. "What do you think, Alex?"
“We obviously shouldn't go there,” Alex said and led the horse further.
“Look, another strange house,” Rina was the first to notice the strange construction.
"What does the sign mean? Dots and cubs..." Trix asked with interest.
“I think this is a gaming house,” Alex answered reluctantly. “We don't need to go there either.”
"What does it mean?" Rina became intrigued.
“I'll find out quickly,” Trix said, and before Alex could say something to her, she ran to the building and went inside. In some minutes the girl left the gaming house and ran to them. "We can get rich quickly!" She screamed, running to Alex. "I understood everything! They explained me the rules of the game, I played and won! Do we still have coins? We should play immediately, because I'm lucky today!" She said quickly.
"We're not going anywhere!" Alex said firmly and, having seen her upset face, immediately explained. "You cannot win there."
"Why? Do they cheat? Did they want to deceive me?" Trix was upset. "Everything is much more complicated,” Alex raised a small pebble from the pavement, put his hands behind his back, and then stretched two clenched fists toward Trix. "Tell me in which hand the pebble is."
“I think I understood,” Trix looked thoughtfully at his clenched fists. "You don't have any pebble. Right?"
"Choose the hand," Alex repeated the question. "If you guess, you will receive a coin, and if not, you will have to give me the coin."
“Well, this one,” Trix pointed at his left hand.
“You guessed,” Alex unclenched his fist and showed the stone.
"This means that luck is still with me," Trix was very happy. "We should go there and play immediately."
"Wait," Alex caught her hand. “You played with me, but the casino has slightly different rules,” Alex smiled slyly. "Rina, come here!" He called the assistant and whispered her something. “Guess now where the stone is" Alex and Rina extended their fists.
“Now it’s more difficult,” Trix thought and pointed at Rina’s left hand. She unclenched her fist and showed an empty palm.
“You lost and must give me the coin,” Alex said and took the gold coin. “But if you had guessed, you would have won only one coin.”
"What does this example mean?" Trix looked at Alex blankly.
“This means that the casino doesn't cheat, it simply doesn't need it,” Alex explained. "If you come there to play, you will lose."
“Okay, won't go there,” Trix agreed. "I’m trusting and stupid,” she added sadly.
“Most people are like that,” Alex said.
"Do you mean I'm like most people?" Trix smiled.
“Maybe,” Alex shrugged his shoulders indifferently and continued leading the horse up the street.
“It's very noisy ahead,” Trix warned.
“I hear,” Alex nodded, hurried his horse, and within ten minutes the whole group entered a small square. A grocery marker was in the middle of the square. And the large, three-story building with the sign "Public house" was located on the other side of the square.
“We'll go around the market,” Alex decided and began getting through the crowd to the public house.
“I've never seen so many people before,” Trix whispered and followed Alex.
"Try to think that they are just the element of decor," Alex grinned.
"Am I also an element of decor for you?" Trix was offended.
"You're an assistant, so you have a chance to learn to think and they don't have it," Alex waved away from the nearest shopkeeper who offered fresh fish and stopped the horse near the public house. “Trix, Rina, find a stable and leave the horse there, because we look suspiciously now” Alex took Mary's hand. "And we will look for the quest."
"Do you think we have enough strength to complete it?" Mary asked hopefully.
“Yes,” Alex nodded confidently, opened the door and waited for Mary to come in.
“Okay, okay,” Mary said, went into the public house and looked around.
“Not what I expected.” She heard Alex's disappointed voice.
“Everything is almost the same as in Grink,” Mary mumbled sadly.
"Yeah," Alex looked around the big dark room, crowded with NPS, who were giving quests, and assistants, who were waiting for their tenants. “Let's not waste time,” Alex said and lead Mary to the table.
"There are lots of thugs around the city!" An old man, dressed in a green trench, shouted, when he saw Alex and Mary coming closer. "Help us cop
e with them and get a reward!"
"How many coins?" Alex asked quickly.
"Thousand gold coins." He answered quickly.
“Sorry, no,” Alex shook his head and went on to ask another one.
"You will get a lot of gold!" Somebody said once, and Alex sighed sadly. "We can look for another public house." He suggested, turning to Mary. "Moreover, some NPS offered a treasure map."
"What if we don't get legendary weapon there?" Mary asked irritably. “Your stupid plan didn't work!”
“And why do you tell about it only now?” Alex asked angrily.
"Because you explained your plan when we were here!" Mary shouted furiously. “Your plan is as stupid as you are! I've thought about your offer," Mary braced herself. "I don't love you, I'm leaving you!" She turned around and left the public house, slamming the door.
"Mary, wait!" Alex ran after the girl, trying to stop her and heard a typical electric discharge sound behind the door, he quickly opened the door and saw a smiling bald man with a hooked nose and huge green eyes, and the dead bodies of Mary's assistants, lying around him. Mary stopped near the door.
“It was supposed to be another boring day,” Skull smiled. "I was going to hunt, but they asked me: “What about the carriage which you demanded?”. I went further, having thought that these stupid NPS misunderstood something, but then I realized what happened, rushed here and met her. The girl just wanted to leave us without saying goodbye."
"Mary, run!" Alex shouted, he didn't have time to think, so he pulled out a bottle with a protecting pot quickly and threw it in such a way that it landed exactly between Skull and Mary, but then Alex glanced at the bottle and saw that it was red. Alex realized too late that he had thrown a bursting pot, he grabbed Mary and threw her aside, noticed that Skull made a lightning shield. Alex wanted to jump off, but the bottle broke. He saw a bright flash , then felt a strong push in the chest and lost consciousness.
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