The Right to Choose

by Andrey Vasilyev

  “Me?” It looked like Miurat was even offended. “Them? God, no, what do I need them for? You know me pretty well, and you’re perfectly aware that I never touch anyone unless I have to. All I do is protect myself.”

  “Yeah, sure, it’s just a shame I’m having a hard time believing you. For some reason, when people tell you they don’t have what you need, you generally kill them just to make sure they’re telling the truth.”

  “An accident,” Miurat said, clasping a hand to his chest. “I swear, an accident. Also, that idiot—you know who I’m talking about.”

  “Fine.” I looked up at the sun. The day is short, it’s getting late, so come on, my friend. “What did you want? Just don’t try to tell me about New Year’s presents from a friend.”

  “Actually, that’s exactly it!” Miurat exclaimed, practically clapping his hands. Then, he pulled the wreath off his head, as it was apparently his headgear, pulled his New Year’s hat out of his bag, and pulled it on. He stuck his fists in his sides and continued in a booming voice. “Ho, ho, ho! Hagen, have you behaved yourself this year? Didn’t lie to anyone? Didn’t kill anyone?”

  “I’ve been fine, grandpa Miurat,” I replied unwillingly. I don’t like when people play the fool, especially, when I don’t know why they’re doing it.

  “In that case, here’s your present.” Miurat shook his hand, waving for me to open my exchange.

  I wasn’t about to argue with that; when someone wants to give you something, you don’t say no.

  “Voila!” With one fist still in his side and the other on the pom-pom atop his hat, he did a quick jig.

  I opened my bag and felt my heartbeat quicken; it was a rune. He gave me a rune.

  Berkin Rune

  One of a set of runes the gods are said to have created in ancient times.

  As long as the rune is in the player's inventory, the player gains +0.4% experience and +2 movement speed.

  Check the appropriate table to see the bonuses this rune gives when combined with other runes.

  Class limitation: none

  Minimum level for use: 45

  What a beauty! I was going to have to do some experimenting with it as soon as I could, though not right then.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t have anything to give you,” I replied sadly. “If I’d known we were going to be seeing each other, I’d have figured something out, but I had no idea.”

  “Ah, it’s okay.” Miurat beamed happily. “The best present is you.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “I’m inviting you to ring in the New Year with my clan.” Miurat yanked the hat off his head and swept into something like a respectful bow. “We would be happy to have you.”

  “I’m sorry again, but I have other plans.” An uneasy feeling crept over me. “I’m not going to be in the game; it’s a family holiday and all.”

  “Oh, come on,” said the old Miurat, a steely glint in his eye. “You can’t find a few minutes for an old friend, can’t drop by for a glass of wine? Why, that’s just rude. I practically carried you on my shoulders, saved you from certain death…”

  “Hey, do you think I’m some kind of girl you can guilt with all of that? Not to mention the fact that I, unlike some people, don’t live in the game. Most of my interests are in a different dimension—the real one. For some people, the game is everything; for me, it’s just some fun. Am I making myself clear?”

  “Just some fun?” Miurat clucked his tongue. “Mm-hmm. Okay, I hear you.”

  I decided to soften the blow a little. “No offense. I mean, we could get together and have a drink in neutral territory. In a week would be fine. We can have some fun and enjoy each other’s company.”

  “Why not?” Miurat replied with a charming smile. “Like old friends, like in the old days… That works.”

  “Excellent.” It was time to go. I had no desire to continue the conversation. Whenever I talked to him, I got the feeling he was some kind of enormous snake, something like Apofss, and I always had to convince him not to bite me. “We’ll be in touch.”

  “Of course,” he said, the smile only broadening. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll let you know when and where we’ll be meeting.”

  He nodded to his companions, and they disappeared into the darkening alley.

  Chapter Twelve

  In which the hero takes a few steps forward.

  That bastard. He’d shown up, spouted a bunch of garbage, and spoiled the holiday mood for me.

  “Come on,” I muttered to my companions, who were standing there watching the proceedings silently. I wasn’t surprised they didn’t have any commentary. What did the whole thing matter to them? It was player business that didn’t have anything to do with any quests. Sure, they could have jumped in with advice and other remarks, but it wasn’t really the place for that.

  I especially didn’t like the last thing Miurat had said. I didn’t like it in the least. The snake never just ran his mouth, so I knew there was a plan. And whatever he’d thought up, it probably wasn’t something I’d like. He had the power of the Double Shields behind him, too, and that just made it worse for me. I’m going to need some backup on this one.

  “Jarl, the square is in the other direction,” I heard Flosi say. “We’re not going the right way.”

  “Oh, yes?” I scratched the back of my head. “Well, let’s go in the right direction, then. We need to find a mailbox.”

  I could have written the Gray Witch using the internal system, but I preferred to make it more official.

  Happy New Year, my dear Gray Witch,

  From the MacLynn clan and myself, I would like to wish you a wonderful holiday and…

  Honestly, you already have everything, so I’m not sure what to wish you. The strongest clan in Fayroll? Check. The best swords and staves in the world? Check. Wit, honor, and integrity? Check. The respect of everyone around you? Check. Otherworldly beauty? Check.

  Actually, I do know what I can wish you—a little luck in all your endeavors, as they won’t go anywhere without it.

  Yours truly, Hagen

  P.S. That nasty Miurat waylaid me in an alley in Holmstag. He was insistent that I stop by for a visit and started threatening me—disguised, of course—when I turned him down. Now, I’m sitting here wondering what he could be so excited about. He couldn’t just want to dance around the tree with me, could he?

  After sending the letter and pausing to think, I sent out a few other holiday well-wishes to the different people I’d crossed paths with in Fayroll: Glen, Cyrus, Reineke Lis, Fat Willie, Gerv, and even Elina. Why not? It let her know that I hadn’t forgotten about her. Even if she did think I was nasty, I could at least balance it out by being polite.

  I also availed myself of the chance to go through my mail, finding nothing there but the usual junk—a note from the game admin wishing me a great first New Year in Fayroll (they could have sent me something), spam invitations to join a bunch of different clans, a list of New Year’s events, and all the rest.

  That done, it was off to find the wizard. I had another three or four hours, but then I was going to have to log out. I had the event that night. I needed time to grab a shower, shave, and maybe even sleep for a few hours beforehand, too. Wait, do I even have a nice suit? The one Zimin had given me wasn’t good for anything but turning into rags, so I wasn’t sure what I had to wear. I can’t go in jeans, can I? I didn’t care, either way, but Vika would.

  She’s going to be all over me in Kasimov, too.

  I could see the wizard from a ways off. The lanky old guy in his black, worn robe was dancing around the middle of the square, surrounded by a group of children. Every once in a while, he clapped his hands, sending sparks and confetti flying.

  “We should bring your kid here,” Flosi laughed. “She’d have a great time with that old goat!”

  “Yes, the old man looks like he’s a child, again,” Brother Mikh said. “I’ve seen some wizards in my time, and they’re all crazy, but that guy takes t
he cake.”

  Right then, Aidus hitched up his robe, showing off scrawny legs, and started singing a slow song as he spun around in circles. A second later, the kids had joined in. Must be some kind of local New Year’s tradition.

  “Qui-iet night, ho-o-oliday night, the lone tree happy-y-y, born in the fo-orest!” Flosi boomed. “A ni-ight no wolf wolf would to-ouch a bunny!”

  “Sometimes, I’d rather he drank than sang,” Brother Mikh said. “He’s easier to take then.”

  “Come to my arms!” Flosi roared, breaking out of the song and throwing his arms wide. “Here we are fighting, and today’s a holiday!”

  “Stop it,” Brother Mikh shot back in horror. “Laird, come on, talk to that mage, already, and let’s get out of here. Flosi’s head isn’t right as it is, and he’s about to go completely crazy.”

  “You just don’t have the holiday spirit,” Flosi replied with a good-natured kick.

  “You bastard,” Mikh broke out. “I’ve been hanging around you half a day, and your holiday spirit is all over me. Nobody’s going to be able to stand near me when we get back to the castle.”

  Nazir suddenly started clapping, looking at the friar with understanding and Flosi with dislike.

  “Thank you, strangers.” Aidus had finished his song while my underlings were going at it, and he thought the assassin was clapping for him. “I’m undeserving of your approval, however; that is a song for a better voice than mine.”

  “As long as you put your heart into it,” I said as I walked over. “You were obviously singing from your soul. When you do that, it doesn’t matter how good your voice is. I’m practically in tears!”

  “Ah, a true connoisseur of the arts,” Aidus said, flashing a toothless smile and coming over to hug me.

  “Yep, that’s me. Happy holiday, wise one, may your Yuletide be wonderful!”

  “And now, let’s give our favorite dance a try,” the mage yelped. “The Little Troll Child Dance! Everyone together!”

  With a wave of his hands, music broke out across the square. It was some kind of barbarian motif, and the crowd of NPCs started singing along.

  Oh, the trolls, so little,

  Teeth in line with spittle,

  Growing out in rows of ten,

  The trolls, so little, once again!

  Everyone in the square danced, the moves in some kind of choreographed order. From what I could tell, nobody really liked the little trolls. The set of dance moves made it look like the unfortunate creatures were being strangled, then having their hands cut off, and then having their legs cut off.

  Flosi danced and sang along, Brother Mikh stared at the spectacle, mouth agape, and it looked like Nazir, for the first time in his life, was regretting leaving home sweet Atarin Castle.

  Stay away from little claws,

  Stay away from little jaws.

  There’s Northern folklore for you.

  “I love dancing!” Aidus said with a clap. “Ah, what a delight for the soul.”

  And he was the mage who came with us to visit Fomor? How did we possibly get out alive?

  “You’re a good dancer.” Someone collapsed on my shoulder, and I turned to see an impressively hefty Northern woman. “Come on, cutie, let me pour you some beer. I’ll even find you some dried fish!”

  Is it…true love? I was just afraid that I wouldn’t last long with true love like that. The whole thing smacked of the archipelago.

  “No, thanks, beautiful,” I replied with a crooked smile. “My brother is really sick, and I can’t leave him alone. Look, he’s right there.”

  I pointed at Flosi, who was getting so into the spirit of the holiday that he was still dancing long after the music had stopped playing.

  “Ah, yes,” the Northern woman said with a pitying glance at him. “You can’t even tell; he looks like the picture of health.”

  “It’s all because we have nobody to take care of us,” I said with a miserable expression on my face. “We’re orphans—no mother, no father…”

  The woman went over to Flosi and hugged him, pressing his beard into her immense chest. “Come on, poor boy. I’ll give you some fish pie.”

  “Yeah!” Brother Mikh and Nazir yelled at the same time. “Feed him, beautiful!”

  My squad was thinning, but, to be fair, Flosi had been more trouble than he was worth that day. I figured getting him fed and having some fun would let us get some work done.

  My hirdman’s muffled cries came from under her Rubenesque form. “Ja-armph! Don’t le-eamph!”

  “Thank you, kind woman,” I said. “I apologize that I have nothing to give you for your goodness. We’re poor…”

  She looked at me sternly. “What are you talking about? People should help each other.”

  With that, she dragged Flosi away into a side alley. He wrenched and tried to break free, but all to no avail.

  You left your clan mate in a dangerous situation. Don’t forget to come back for him within 48 hours. Otherwise, your clan will be assessed penalties.

  Wait, what dangerous situation? She was just going to give him some fish pie, and maybe…umm… Okay, I’ll come back for him. Probably.

  “Aidus,” I called to the mage, who was busy pulling lollipops out of the air and handing them to the happy children. “Have you ever heard of the land of the White Light?”

  I wasn’t sure how to approach him, so I decided to just jump right in and ask what I wanted to ask.

  Aidus wrinkled his forehead, looking, for a second, like some kind of Pekingese, and blinked. “Hmm, I think so. A long time ago…a very long time ago.”

  Having told me that, he considered his job done and went back to handing out candy.

  I tugged on his sleeve. “I’m sorry, but what did you hear? When? Where? It’s important.”

  “Today, the only thing that’s important is the holiday,” the wizard said as he handed a rooster on a stick to a girl with enormous cheeks. “Who needs all those lands of the White Flame, the Fiery Abysses, the Roads of Skulls? What do you care? They’re ancient places of power, entirely useless today. Everything there died and was forgotten long ago, the places themselves just clumps of soil from a time forgotten.”

  “I just adore ancient stories and legends,” I replied fervently. “And when are you going to tell them if not on this wonderful day?”

  “Oh, yes?” The mage looked at me dubiously. “Well, maybe, maybe. Except, I don’t really know anything about those places; I just heard about them in my youth.”

  “What did you hear?” I glared at the fat kid pulling on my arm and telling me to leave Aidus alone. “Don’t worry about the rest; I just care about the land of the White Light.”

  “When I was young, handsome, and arrogant, I studied at the Academy of Wisdom, which is in the great city of Aegan.” A thoughtful film fell over his eyes as he relived the days when he had all his teeth and the affection of the ladies. “Oh, the fun we had. Hey-yo!”

  He snapped his fingers, a melody started playing, and he broke into a dance.

  “Oh, come on!” I barked. “And he’s not even drunk, yet!”

  The music stopped just as suddenly as it began.

  “Well, there are children around,” Aidus puffed, out of breath. “For that song, you have to sing, but the lyrics aren’t the best when they’re heard. Do you have any idea how I sang back then?”

  “Nope. How could I?”

  “Ah, that’s true,” he nodded. “All of Aegan came out to hear me sing. And everyone wanted to be like me. They all tried to sing exactly the same way I did, but regardless, I kept it up. I can hear the master still, telling me that I just had to sing. I told him I couldn’t. ‘Aidus, take the dutar!’ And then, I…”

  What master? What dutar?

  “I was born too late.” I had to break in somehow, as the rambling magician was verging on the ridiculous. “If only I’d been around to hear that. I’m sure it was great, though. Anyway, how about that place I mentioned?”

  “Oh
, right, the White Light. So, Professor Flams, who taught us the history of the magical arts, got off-track in one of his lectures and mentioned a few places of power he said were scattered around Rattermark. There are eight of them, and the roads to them have long since been closed. You don’t even notice them when you walk by; only if you know what to look for. Then, he got a stern talking-to from the provost.”

  “Why?”

  “The places of power are left over from the Departed Gods,” Aidus replied, lowering his voice. “The Academy of Wisdom looks very much askance on mentioning them in public, especially when you have young adepts there… Anyway, Flams didn’t care; he was too old.”

  “So, how are you supposed to find them?”

  “Why would you want to? What’s the point? They’re only called places of power. The actual power is long gone. My friend Naver spent thirty years looking, and he only ever found one: the Alley of Moon Statues. And what do you think happened?”

  “What?”

  “It sucked all the magic power out of him.” Aidus sighed sadly, throwing his arms out. “He was a mage; he left a normal person. And that’s the worst thing that can happen to one of ours.”

  “But how did he find it?” Keeping him on track was tough.

  “He found some hermit in the mountains, out in the middle of nowhere,” Aidus muttered hesitantly. “He was a servant of the old gods and knew some rite or spell that helped my friend find the place of power.”

  Ha! The circle was complete. The mage’s friend had found Ort Ashen, who really did know quite a bit. For instance, he had to know that I’d be looking for the place of power, and that was why he’d smiled evilly when he left. His knowledge had left with him. Damn it!

  “Naver told me before he hung himself that it was knowledge invented by the Departed Gods and that it belonged to them and was controlled by them alone,” the mage muttered sadly, wiping a tear from his eye. “‘Not even their servants know everything,’ he said.”