The Way of the Clan 7

by Dem Mikhaylov

“Thanks,” I nodded sincerely.

  The Baroness went to the guard while I opened the message screen. I typed in the nickname Lénolie Legros and began to write.

  Hello, dearest Elena the Judas. Writing to you is a certain Rosgard, who is also Rostislav Grokhotov, your useless and boring ex-husband. How is your precious health? And the unforgettable Andrei Vasilyevich? You know, Elena the Judas, there is still rain here! Puddles everywhere! There is a special charm in the cloudy weather, do not you think? And you know… are you a goddamned idiot, Helen? What the hell are you doing?!

  I wrote it, that is true. And then did not hit the send button.

  What was the point?

  I would write to her. She would answer. The dance would begin - the backhanded offenses, the insults, all taking up a lot of time. And that’s what I do not have - time. Right now, I am trying to solve several problems at once, and cannot take another passenger on board. Because my ship will simply sink!

  But it was impossible to leave Lena without a warning. She showed her true colors for a bribe. I could not brush it off. And so I got up, went to the far wall, where three local servants were modestly standing and asked for a pen and paper.

  With a magnificent peacock feather, I quickly sketched a short message to my ex-wife - this time, avoiding sarcasm.

  “Hi! You do not know what problems you got yourself into by speaking about Rosgard! And the problems aren’t coming from me! They are very serious - no joking matter. I am not trying to scare you. I am warning you. Keep a lookout! I will contact you soon! Rosgard.”

  The letter could easily get into other hands, so I did not sign my real name. The message itself was neutral - it proved nothing. Having given the letter to the guards, I asked to have it sent as soon as possible. I was assured of it. I am certain that someone of the Sleepless will intercept the servant on the way and read the letter, but I do not care - I am used to it. And perhaps Elena will understand the reality of things now. She sold me out… damn it!

  But soon, all the paintings hung in taverns of the world would finally reveal themselves and the whole world would see that the spell was learned by Rosgard, whose real name everyone already knows… that’s a kicker! The stakes were rising to the skies!

  The blow came from where I did not expect. Classic, damn it. With one swift movement of the hand your life becomes public! I just have to make sure I do not run into her in “real” life… because I am so angry now, who knows what will happen. What kind of person sells out an ex-husband for a damned emerald bird?!

  I wanted to shout to the skies: Destroyed! She destroyed me!

  I just needed to up my security - the new information changed a lot. Though no one has yet proven the information from Lena, it will certainly happen. All interested parties will eventually know that I am the Great Navigator.

  “Lena!” I found myself furiously barking at the top of my lungs, filling the restaurant hall with its echo.

  “Gena!” Someone from the next room shouted.

  “Rinaldo!” Someone screamed from the other side.

  “Iglesio!”

  “Go-o-o-oal!” The finale sounded from above - the hanging flowerbed.

  “Damn it,” I huffed, involuntarily snorting from laughter. “Malice is killing me.”

  “Not yet,” said the player, who had appeared in the doorway. “Hello!”

  “Hello,” I nodded. “Sorry to startle you.”

  “Oh it is fine,” I was assured by the mage, dressed in a dark cloak with a large hood. “I am tired of looking for the salt golems in the pouring rain. You do not even know what your friends did! To the point where I did not know what side to take. And where is that goddamn mammoth, the one whose trunk the god blew into? Where is he?! Give him here! And the bald rider! On a platter with an apple in their mouths! I will fry them myself!”

  “Do not touch the Kolyvan! I will kill…” came the voice through the doorway.

  “That bad?” I sympathized sincerely.

  “For the clan - profitable,” said the Baroness, having approached. “Orbit is like a radioactive moving mine. He messes things up and keeps going. And we come after and ask - cannot we help clean up the rubble and toxic waste? More often than not, we are thanked and given dangerous work to do. In this case, when the small uprising of salt golems turned into a full-blown battle and turned peaceful locations into battlefields… Orbit was no different. All your friends did their best. But they will tell you later. In the meantime, Comrade Malice will help you how he can.”

  “What do you need?” Asked the mage, hanging up his cloak on the back of the chair.

  “Lots of mana, in short!” I confessed.

  “Smart,” agreed malice. “More specifically? Name the amount, please.”

  “Ten thousand!” I blurted out.

  A pensive silence hung in the hall.

  “Ten thousand points of mana,” Malice bit his lower lip. “Huh… hell of a wsh. Okay… Ros, I need full access to your info, characteristics, skills, achievements. And… please, please tell me that you have the highest class of the account. You’re not a wooden Pinocchio are you? Not that I have anything against poor laborers, but in any case…”

  “The highest one,” I nodded, and the mage exhaled in relief.

  “Then everything is much easier. Did you provide access?”

  “A second,” I nodded once again. “And… here…”

  “Okay,” muttered the mage. “Okay.”

  A flickering window with an abundance of lines and numbers appeared in front of his face. Not only Malice watched, but also the Baroness. Not unreasonable - it is foolish, after all, to ask for help with stats and not give them access. Show Malice, and conceal them from the Baroness - for what? He will tell her everything over a mug of ale. They will laugh together at my stupid stats and aspirations. I know them…

  “Copied,” my future instructor said. “I won’t give the info to anyone. Give me a couple of days, okay? I will develop a model, estimate all the options, conduct experiments with volunteers. Overall, I will do everything to the best of my ability. Only one important request: do not distribute free points anywhere by yourself. If you suddenly get an achievement - any! - just message me about it in private. Okay?”

  “Yes,” I said with gratitude. “Thank you!”

  “Do not mention it,” said he. “It is for our own sake, too. Okay, see you in a couple of days - though I will try to finish early. For example, if someone removes me from the task of killing sat golems, I will…”

  “No,” cut off the Baroness. “You know the situation yourself, Mal! The prospects!”

  “Mal,” I muttered with a small laugh.

  “The clan is being torn to pieces,” said the Baroness evilly, “And as hard as I try, things are always multiplying. Did Sinner already come back from break?”

  “This morning,” said Malice, taking out a scroll. “Mad as hell… he was sunbathing with his wife in Okinawa. And we made him return… his wife filed for divorce… I am serious… they went to the beaches to try to patch it up. Find romance again. Tenderness, shopping, stormy nights together… and you ruined everything with your order… ahem…”

  “Damn…” said the Baroness with a long sigh, staring at her whiskey. “Damn…”

  “That’s why I do not join clans!“ I croaked, with a tinge of age-old wisdom.

  “But someone has got to be on the frontlines,” laughed Malice, and disappeared in a flash. Gone to destroy the salt golems.

  “Damn hero of the magical front!” I grumbled, angry that the last word was left for him.

  “A name for the child, Ros,” reminded the Baroness. “Quick! Do not you remember the age-old saying? While you are sleeping - the enemy is swinging! In your case: while you are lazing around - Guorra is preparing to break your head open! How do you like that?”

  “Damn it! Okay. I will think. I will think up one by the evening!”

  “And you’ll remember that you have plenty of problems to solve
before evening! Ros, no one is too blame but you for the heat you are in. You are like a hamster trying to cram more problems into his bloated cheeks. Now! Just name the child!”

  “A name…” I breathed angrily. “Name…” It had taken almost the whole day to name the wolf. And now a daughter!”

  “Dad!” A sonorous child’s voice resonated through the entire restaurant hall. “I was given a teddy bear! And dad! Dad!”

  “What, what is it?”

  “Everyone asks me what my name is! What is my name?”

  What bastard dared to ask? I thought angrily.

  “Daughter, dear, give Dad a minute! Play with the teddy bear.”

  “Okay!”

  “And the name?” The Baroness pressed on,

  “Ease off, mistress,” I snapped. “You’re doing my head in!”

  “Mistress? If I did not know you, I would say that you enjoy submission.”

  “Ask my father. He’ll tell you a lot about by obedience,” I chuckled, thinking. “Damn! A name… name…”

  “Attack!” I wild roar came from the roof, from the dozens of flower beds. The warning was so desperate and enthusiastic that I instantly realized something very, very bad was happening.

  Trouble… again trouble… how the Sleepless love when their boring weekdays are violated by some terrible misfortune…

  Chapter Two.

  A threat from the sky! Elephant marathon…

  “Attack!” Repeated the cry of alarm. From somewhere far away came the ringing of an alarm.

  An urban alarm, not the clan’s! Algora had sounded the alarm!

  “Damn!” I felt as though a spring had knocked me off my chair. In two jumps, I was near the screen, behind which the tailors were still dressing and doting upon my nameless daughter. And only then did I ask - “What is it?!”

  I turned to the Baroness, but did not see her - she was already in motion. After a moment, her voice was heard from above. And her voice did not bode anything good for me:

  “Ros! Yes, you! Do you take pride in the destruction of Great cities?”

  “What is it?” I asked timidly, and muttered anxiously - “Dress faster, darling.”

  “The shoes are not ready yet! We have to sew the beads on! Red and white ones!” Came the voice, and I could hardly restrain myself from hurling curses at them. Oh women! Is there a passion for dressing in your genetic code?!

  “Do not rush,” I squeezed out, feverishly checking my arsenal for teleportation scrolls. “Tyrant - come!”

  I commanded in vain - the black and white wolf was already standing by my side, clawing his hands into the floor in anticipation. This one cannot live without a fight!

  “Tyrant! Protect!” My and fell tenderly on the blonde hair of the child. “Guard her!”

  “R-ruf!” The wolf confirmed, and his red tongue passed over the child’s face.

  “Oh,” I said involuntarily, crouching and closing my ears with my hands. In my eardrums a thin annoying ringing sounded. Cracks passed through the walls. Ultrasound! An acoustic shock!

  A piercing scream came from above again - but for some reason, I was sure that this time, any member of the sleepless clan did not make the noise.

  “Ros! Give her a name quickly!” Said Whisper, rushing into the doors.

  “What is it?” I cried in response, and then, screamed even louder: “Oh shit! Damn it! Watch out!”

  The mammoth Kolyvan flew into the hall. No, he did not soar in by himself. This monstrous prehistoric carcass had been kicked. And so hard, that he was thrown into the air and through the wall. His scream was deafening, and the bald elf clutched to his side. Pieces of plaster, bricks, and glass shards flew through the air. A wicked, howling phantom sprang into the sky, summoned by Orbit to help.

  “Ros! Give the girl a NAME!” The angry cry of the Baroness was so loud that it blocked all noise - the screams, the curses, the wail of the mammoth and the piercing cries from heaven.

  “I am! I am!” I shouted back, and bent down to Whisper, who had just ducked the flying mammoth. “Who attacked? Who kicked the mammoth?”

  “Harpy! A rock harpy!”

  “Guorra’s personal guard!” This was the voice of the Baroness. “Ros! Give the name now! Anything! You can name her anything! But now!”

  Attention!

  The peaceful status of the location is removed!

  Fighting in progress!

  Beware!

  Algora is under attack!

  All forces to protect the city!

  Current events summary:

  A harpy in the sky

  “You’re kidding me!” I muttered.

  “Ros,” said Whisper cheerfully. “Arrange attacks for a couple of more great cities, and you’ll be loved by the whole of Valdira! The line to meet you will be the longest in the world!”

  “Fuck off!” I muttered, and turned abruptly. “Honey! Daughter!”

  “Yes, daddy?”

  A wild cry and several shadows skimmed across the roof.

  “Baroness! The harpies begin the Sky Dance!”

  “O-o-h,” I squeezed out, and hurried, “Daughter! Come for a second!”

  “I am trying on shoes! One second!”

  “Uhh-huh!”

  The Sky Dance is an extremely rare ability of some of the flying creatures in Valdira. Usually, from ten to a hundred creatures can pull it off - birds, harpies or dragons. In essence - the creatures fly in a round circle, and in the center, a portal opens… through which passes someone, or something…

  “The fifth, seventh and ninth attachments have arrived! Ready for battle!”

  “Shoot them down!” Commanded the Baroness, standing atop a ten-meter column. “Break their dance!”

  “Fire!”

  From somewhere in the streets of Algora, missiles were fired. Dozens of missiles of colorful fire and ice shrapnel burst upwards. Several of the harpies were hit.

  “Yes, dad!”

  “Dear, I remember your name.”

  “What is it? What is my name?”

  “Your name is… Ko… no! Ku… no! Coa.. no.. damn it! No! Roska! Your name is Roska!”

  “Roska?”

  “Roska!”

  For a moment everything seemed frozen… even a piece of plaster flying through the air seemed to do so with a slow crawl. Well… makes sense. Giving a name to a future goddess is not like assigning a name to a pet. The gaming system is probably sorting through a lot of information.

  Attention!

  Do you really want to give your daughter the name: Roska?

  This procedure is irreversible!

  YES/NO

  “Yes!”

  “My name is Roska!” Cried my daughter joyfully, raising both hands upward. “Roska!”

  Again, time slowed, debris dragged through the air as if through honey… my legs and arms so heavy I was sure I could not move.

  Attention! Four random questions requiring MANDATORY response!

  Question one:

  What creature of Valdira does Roska like the most?

  Do not say the answer out loud! Type on your virtual keyboard!

  (Do not share information about your answer with anyone else)

  “Wolves!”

  Answer accepted.

  Question two:

  What profession of the world of Valdira does Roska like the most?

  Do not say the answer out loud! Type on your virtual keyboard!

  (Do not share information about your answer with anyone else)

  “Hmm… Fishing!”

  Answer accepted.

  Question three:

  What metal of Valdira does Roska like the most?

  Do not say the answer out loud! Type on your virtual keyboard!

  (Do not share information about your answer with anyone else)

  “Silver!”

  Answer accepted.

  Question four:

  Does Roska like to read books?

  Do not say the answer out loud! Type on y
our virtual keyboard!

  (Do not share information about your answer with anyone else)

  “Hm… Yes!”

  Additional (special) question:

  How does Roska prefer to solve conflict? With a word or with a hit?

  Do not say the answer out loud! Type on your virtual keyboard!

  (Do not share information about your answer with anyone else)

  “With a word!”

  Answer accepted.

  Many thanks.

  Congratulations on your fatherhood and good luck on this difficult journey!

  “Phew,” I exhaled, and the acceleration of the game resumed.

  All my attention was focused on the child.

  Before this, she, being the size of a twelve years old child, still behaved like a little girl. Now Roska’s posture had changed. She had become sharper, more reasonable. Like a veil had been pulled from her eyes. A change in behavior? Very interesting…

  Throwing a strand of hair from her face, my daughter looked at herself and murmured wistfully:

  “The skirt is too long! We have to shorten it!”

  “We will leave it long,” I growled.

  “O-o-oh,” said the bald elf, crawling by on his belly.

  “Hm…” Roska said thoughtfully and, with one light movement of her hand, stopped a wave of flying glass fragments that was heading towards us. “Dad… do I have a mother?”

  “Darling,” the Black Baroness landed in front of Roska. “I must tell you the whole truth…”

  “Hey, hey!” I yelled. “We will deal with that later! Baroness! Do not even think about it - or I will appoint you as her mother’s murderer! I swear!”

  “I will give you something to appoint!” The Baroness hissed maliciously, almost piercing me with her gaze.

  “And if you are quiet,” I hissed into her ear, tempting the devil. “I will tell her you’re a distant relative. A second cousin, for example…”

  “Sister!” Said the Baroness. “At the very least - aunt! But in that case, a direct aunt!”

  “And I am your stepdaughter!” Said a knight, running past. Unable to bear the humor, he collapsed onto the floor rolling with laughter, crashing into the elegant furniture.