Web of Worlds

by Michael Atamanov

  Mental Fortitude skill increased to level sixty-nine!

  What was this? Was someone trying to attack me mentally?

  “Hey, come on. No magic!” my shout of rage was aimed at the General’s companions, two mages in identical black robes:

  Gerd Avir-Syn La-Pirez. Human. La-Fin Faction. Level-109 Psionic Mage.

  Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi. Human. La-Fin Faction. Level-96 Mage Diviner.

  These were some no-nonsense dudes! And dangerous. Especially the first one: the wrinkly old man had smoldering blue eyes and I could feel with my skin the deadly hatred emanating from him. The second was a young man also with glowing magical eyes, but his gaze was not hostile, more studying like I was some rare and engrossing little animal. By the way, I now saw their faction as “La-Fin” rather than “Dark Faction.” Was that because I’d become a Leng and was for now “out of the system,” until I chose a new team?

  “Grandpa Avir-Syn, magic is also a weapon and is forbidden at negotiations!” the Princess reminded the geezer, and he threw his hood down low, covering his face and no longer boring into me with his smoldering gaze.

  Astrolinguistics skill increased to level eighty-five!

  Grandfather?! So this ghastly big old man was my wife’s grandfather on her father’s side?! Minn-O had told me about the tragic death of her parents in a terror attack, and her father’s family did happen to be La-Pirez. Hrm, both of my wife’s grandfathers, Thumor-Anhu and this Avir-Syn looked like they came out of a horror movie. Who was to say what dirty magical tricks this old man was capable of? So I quickly tossed all three free stat points into Mental Fortitude, raising it to seventy-two. After all, extra mental defense was always good when talking with a psionic!

  “Yes, no magic!” Gerd Ui-Taka turned to his companions. “We’re just talking. Where shall we go Gerd... Leng Gnat???”

  I pointed to the farthest table, separated from the rest. Geckho Diplomat Kosta Dykhsh was already sitting there. We all walked closer. Wow!!! Even I was impressed, even though I was generally quite hard to surprise with luxury and abundance. It wasn’t enough that the table was straining under the weight of the food itself, all the plates, platters and even glasses were made of red monetary crystals of various shapes and values attached together. I never suspected objects could be made of Geckho currency like LEGOs.

  “Leng Gnat, admit it, is this your doing?” the Diplomat asked strictly, pointing at his still empty plate which was worth around three thousand crystals.

  Uline Tar answered instead, taking a big red salad bowl and studying it in the light with intrigue, staring at the dozens of skillfully interlaced crystals:

  “No, we had nothing to do with this. This must be the administration of the local spaceport awkwardly attempting to make up for not providing security during landing.”

  “Yes we saw your... let’s call it a landing,” snorted the young mage, demonstrating a brilliant knowledge of Geckho.

  He repeated it in his own language, and his two companions also broke down laughing. The general gave himself a generous splash of wine in a glass and pronounced a long phrase I didn’t totally understand, so Minn-O had to help me with translation:

  “Gerd Ui-Taka now thinks the starship will be out of the game for a long time because we don’t have the money to repair it. And all this garish luxury on display now won’t be much help to repair the frigate even if we take all the plates and glasses apart and use them as crystals.”

  And when I translated that to Uline Tar, it was our turn to laugh. To start the Trader showed the Diplomat then everyone else her tablet, showing an official contract with the spaceport administration saying they would repair our frigate. It gave a concrete timeframe for the repair as well: five days.

  “And I hope the future viceroy,” Uline said pointing at her furry compatriot, “will guarantee the quality of his underlings’ work.”

  “Of course, now it’s a question of honor,” Kosta Dykhsh confirmed. “Leng Gnat can be sure that his ship will be ready within that timeframe.”

  Authority increased to 56!

  “What’s more,” Uline put the tablet away, took an item from her inventory and demonstrated it in her open palm, “you don’t know my human business partner well. Gnat has a knack for finding money everywhere, even on a pirate station or in open space. Just this journey he earned me... what did you call this Leng Gnat? An or-ranzh?”

  “A blood orange,” I corrected my friend. The “fruit” she was referring to was a highly valuable crystal, Uline’s share of the reward for destroying the pirate frigate. Worth a whole million, it really was reminiscent of the red citrus fruit in size and shape.

  “So you’re deeply mistaken about the idea that we don’t have money. But most importantly,” Uline turned back to her compatriot Kosta Dykhsh and spoke passionately almost like an animal roaring as it tears into some meat, “future viceroy, tell these human aboriginals what my clan Tar-Layneh is known for.”

  The diplomat looked embarrassed and pushed his plate away, chewing the food in his mouth, then answered with clear deference to my partner:

  “Clan Tar-Layneh controls a significant part of trade routes in the known part of the galaxy, more than five hundred starships and is considered one of the richest Geckho families and trading clans. Their financial reserves are basically unlimited. By the way, Uline. It would be a great honor for me to speak with you separately after these negotiations.”

  “Endless financial reserves...” General Ui-Taka frowned, nervously tapping the tips of his fingers on the table and casting an extremely unhappy gaze at the Mage Diviner, which made the young wizard tense up in fear. “Sure. That doesn’t play much of a role. In five whole days I can wipe the Human-3, Human-6 and even the distant Human-1 Factions off the face of the planet. Diviner, confirm!”

  Astrolinguistics skill increased to level eighty-six!

  Alright then, I understood that whole long phrase completely! Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi froze motionless, just his pupils were darting very quickly in his wide-open blue eyes. Ten or fifteen seconds passed before the young mage sharply exhaled and, trying not to look at the General, spoke without too much confidence:

  “Something has changed in the lines of the future... Just three hours ago I saw a ninety-three percent chance of total victory over a coalition of enemies. And that was with Gnat in a starship in orbit. But now even with a defective frigate I see no chance for a complete military victory. Zero percent. I mean, we are still stronger and can dominate on all fronts, but I don’t see total victory in any of the possible futures.”

  I couldn’t understand everything there, but my wife translated. The Strategist then started nervously clenching and unclenching his fists. It seemed to me he was imagining breaking the young mage’s neck because of his earlier inaccurate prognosis. Nevertheless, when Gerd Ui-Taka started speaking (with Minn-O translating), hid ideas were completely sensible:

  “An endless war of attrition without the possibility of final victory is not at all what we were after. And it is actually very good that all three of you are not directly in the Human-3 Faction and can look at the situation with an impartial eye and no fanaticism. I’m reporting the facts as I see them. In fact, the side I led was victorious...”

  Here I wanted to object, but Geckho Diplomat Kosta Dykhsh suggested I first allow my opponent to finish his speech and argue only after.

  “The enemy coalition has fallen apart. The Human-6 Faction lost its capital and is basically defeated. I specifically ordered not to destroy their coastal hexagons because living players have much higher prospects as vassals than the NPC’s that would move into the empty territories. The Human-1 Faction... Yes, their arrival was a surprise and rolled back the timeframe of my victory, but they also took a big kick to the teeth and sent a Diplomat to agree to terms for freeing their many prisoners. And finally, the main enemy...”

  The General splashed himself a bit more young rosé and, savoring the bouquet with clear satisfaction, continued:


  “The Human-3 Faction’s defenses have been destroyed both on the southern and northern fronts. The two southern hexagons are already lost and the cliff hexagon to the north only survived because I was in a good mood and announced the negotiations and ceasefire. I also allowed the Second Legion to escape a deadly trap after they were already crushed to dust. So show some appreciation for my mercy for the vanquished! But I don’t think any of you will doubt that my army won this war. And thus I should be the one to dictate the terms of the peace!”

  After making sure my opponent was finished, I asked the Geckho observer to listen carefully to my answer because a few parts might need confirmation. Kosta Dykhsh set his unfinished wine glass aside and told me he was listening carefully. Okay then, I was ready to respond. The only hard part was not to accidentally use magic. I really didn’t want to be accused of breaking the rules.

  “So then, incorrect initial data led General Ui-Taka to rushed and deeply mistaken conclusions. Let me begin with the fact you cannot possibly win now, which so surprised the experienced Mage Diviner,” I pointed at Gerd Mac-Peu Un-Roi, who was listening to my words in the most attentive fashion. “Yes, it is impossible for our side to achieve a military victory! I have the right, given by the master of Earth Kung Waid Shishish himself, to select three nodes which the Geckho will defend as if they were their own.”

  “Impossible! The Geckho do not interfere in their vassals’ squabbles, it’s the law!” Psionic Mage Avir-Syn objected heatedly, to which I simply suggested that the Geckho Diplomat weigh in.

  “Yes, Leng Gnat speaks the truth! He may select three nodes for us to officially protect. Anyone who attacks them will be at war with the whole Geckho state,” the suzerains’ Diplomat declared, which caused an extreme flurry in my opponents’ ranks.

  Authority increased to 57!

  “Beyond that, my starship will be repaired sooner or later. And that’s where things get interesting... No, I’m not planning to break our agreement and destroy La-Fin Faction citadels. Instead I’ll attack the nodes of the La-Varrez or La-Shin factions from space, the other corulers of your humanity! I’ll attack the nodes of all other mages I can find! And I’ll give these influential mages a choice: either their states declare war on the Second Directory or their factions shall be wiped out in the game that bends reality! A final death in the game is equivalent to dying in the real world, so the mage rulers will listen. They simply won’t have any other choice.”

  Based on how the vaunted general lost control and started cursing ornately (“greasy hooker’s ass” was nowhere near the limit here), this was an unexpected move. No longer hiding my satisfied smirk, I built on that:

  “Oh yeah, I still haven’t said the most important part! Before that, I’ll make a speech to the magocratic world and, as head of the First Directory and legal heir to the La-Fin family, I will officially accuse the ruler of the Second Directory General Ui-Taka of the bloody terror attack at the funeral of great mage Thumor-Anhu La-Fin and the attempted murder of my wife Minn-O La-Fin! How many governments are now at war with the Second Directory? Four of thirty, I believe. Well, soon General Ui-Taka will have many, MANY more enemies!!!”

  Chapter Fourteen. Claims Confirmed

  AFTER MAKING accusations right to General Ui-Taka’s face, I was expecting the sharpest possible reaction: denials, threats, maybe even physical attacks. But the huge muscular giant, not taking his piercing black eyes off me, sat back in his seat, crossed his powerful arms over his broad chest and... gave a loud laugh! And I could sense instantly that this was not mischievous or acrid laughter, it was purely good-natured:

  “Oh boy we really did spook each other! It’s nice to talk to a person that can’t be scared with threats, and who comes back blow for blow! I love people like that!”

  The Dark Faction Strategist took another little sip of wine and spoke to my companions:

  “After all, Leng Gnat understands perfectly that I have nothing to do with what happened at the funeral. But he does see his enemy’s pain points and hits them very hard as a true warrior should. It inspires unwitting respect and awe. In that regard, he reminds me of another Leng of the La-Fin dynasty...”

  “Yes, I also pictured Coruler Thumor-Anhu La-Fin while Gnat was making his speech. My legs buckled in an inadvertent desire to fall to my knees before such fearsome power,” the young Mage Diviner chuckled nervously, slaking his fears with more wine. “You are truly worthy to head the La-Fin dynasty!”

  “What, have you totally gone blind?! This Johnny-come-lately is very far from the majestic and (unknown) Thumor-Anhu!” the old Psionic Mage Avir-Syn La-Pirez didn’t agree one bit. “My late friend inspired respect and fear in all with his indominable magic powers. Gnat only inspires disgust with his pitiful vain attempts! He is unworthy to lead the La-Fin Faction, and furthermore he has no place in our world!”

  What was this? The three Dark Faction speakers were not at all ashamed to discuss me aloud in front of me, as if I wasn’t even there! What was more, Princess Minn-O La-Fin joined in:

  “Grandpa, you’re wrong! Yes my husband still has little experience in the magical arts, but he is definitely talented! Beyond that, very powerful rulers of the Geckho and Miyelonians know and respect him! Gnat is worthy to lead the La-Fin dynasty and the whole First Directory!”

  The decrepit mage, spraying spittle in fury, answered my wayedda with inexcusable harshness:

  “Foolish whelp! Respect alone is entirely insufficient here! The head of a magical family can only be a mage! And the head of the most powerful La-Fin Dynasty with its ancient and glorious history can only be a very strong (unknown, probably a synonym of mage) — anyone else would be instantly torn to shreds by innumerable enemies and competitors! Gnat is completely not up to the task! But you have been blinded by your foolishness and love. To everyone else, it is obvious!”

  “Wait, wait!” I jumped into the conversation not at all in my turn and in elevated tones. “I will not allow anyone to insult my legal wife, even if it is a very close relative! What’s more, we are here in the Geckho spaceport to discuss terms for a peace between the La-Fin and Human-3 Factions, not my magical abilities or my relationship with the La-Fin Dynasty!”

  “Well the first is inseparable from the second and third,” Gerd Ui-Taka chuckled. “I am merely a steward hired by the undoubtedly great (same word, and again in the sense of mage or enchanter) Thumor-Anhu La-Fin to carry out a clearly specified mission: break through the enemy defenses, provide a military advantage and do everything in my power to lay the groundwork for a peace treaty with the most favorable possible terms for the La-Fin Faction. Despite the death of my employer, I am not accustomed to giving up on an unfinished job, or betraying people who trust and follow me. Now I have fulfilled my mission, but my subjects have already seen the one who came to replace their former leader. Just a bit more... Uh, what is that? A violation of the terms of the negotiations?!”

  General Ui-Taka’s last words were about Eduard Boyko, who came unexpectedly into the restaurant in a full exoskeleton suit. Something very serious must have happened. Like the rest of my crew, my friend had been given very clear instructions not to interrupt the important negotiations. But here he had broken the rule and come into the meeting armored and armed. I apologized, got up and hurried to meet the Space Commando before Geckho Diplomat Kosta Dykhsh accused our side of violating terms and slapped us with another heavy fine.

  Eduard, nervously peering at the Dark Faction players, immediately explained why he’d come:

  “Gnat, we just got a message from headquarters. While tallying the Second Legion soldiers after respawn, we discovered that one is missing. Well, you know her. It’s their leader, Gerd Tamara the Paladin. She also hasn’t come out under the Dome in the real world. They guys combed the swamp along the road very carefully. They figured she was lying wounded or unconscious. But she’s nowhere to be found. The most probable explanation HQ can think of is that she was taken captive by the Dark Fa
ction and stunned or has been anesthetized so she won’t wake up and be able to say where she is. Commander, you know how much Gerd Tamara means to our guys. So they want you to ask the enemy and, if HQ isn’t wrong, take measures to get Gerd Tamara back. And they also want you to ask about Anna the Medic.”

  * * *

  I went back to the negotiating table and, without wheedling, demanded right to their faces to immediately tell me what had happened to Gerd Tamara, leader of the Second Legion. The three Dark Faction negotiators exchanged glances and the old Psionic Mage Gerd Avir-Syn answered:

  “This is not the time for you to make demands of us!”

  The ghastly mage looked me right in the eyes with clear mockery as if goading me to respond. Or might I risk challenging him to a mental duel?

  Danger Sense skill increased to level fifty-eight!

  Even without that message, I already knew this was not the time to be going head on and accepting a challenge that was sure to end in my defeat. Avir-Syn was an experienced mage who was a whole thirty levels higher than me, and he knew psionic mind-control inside and out. His skills there were much better levelled, he had more Magic Points. La-Pirez had at least an order of magnitude more experience than me in real-world mental duels as well.

  Still, it also would have been wrong to pretend nothing extraordinary was happening. That ran me the risk of a serious drop in Authority. But what to do?

  I didn’t cross gazes with the ghastly old man. In fact, I turned away to a wide panorama window with a view of the space port. And playing right into my hand, there were three Sio-Mi-Dori assault antigravs right there. They’d already finished loading the new thrusters and were waiting for the end of negotiations to collect their leaders.

  “Well alright then, if you won’t understand the nice way... I’ll have to be a bit mean and show you what gives me the right to make demands!”