In bug form, I landed on the megasaurus’s back with a light hum, then turned back into my usual fluffy ginger kitten self.
“Whiskers!” Varya picked me up right away and held me close. “I was so worried about you! Woah! Level thirty-six! It must have been a hard fight.”
“Wasn’t easy. But I did it and won you guys time,” I said, tapping the message out with my paws. “But I see you decided to stop for a rest and a bath instead of running for your lives. Looks like you even had time to make food.”
My nose had caught the scent of roast meat from Varya’s bag and her clothes were still damp from washing, and there was no sign of the former grime on the Scout’s skin. Laika and her rider had had time to clean off too.
“Don’t be angry, pussycat. Julie and I are girls after all, we have to look right. Anyway, we were so tired that we just couldn’t go any further. So we stopped on the shore of a little lake. Our meat was going bad too, we had to cook it right away. Oh, here’s some for you, by the way.”
I didn’t refuse. My empty stomach had been growling in hunger for some time. While I tore apart the chunks of meat greedily with my sharp teeth, my companion suddenly decided to get changed. Either she felt no shame getting naked in front of a cat or this was her special way of rewarding me for my bravery. The girl took her old service shirt out of her bag, along with a white blouse, scrubbed so many times it was nearly worn through. Then she took off her wet leather jacket and warm woven sweater along with her bra. A piece of meat fell from my open mouth.
“You don’t have to turn around,” the girl said, too late. She laughed wickedly, which confirmed my suspicion that she was putting on this rare show specially for me. “But… what’s that?!”
I turned sharply. Varya’s shout of surprise related to the sight that opened up from the crest of the hill, or more precisely, a column of thick smoke on the opposite bank of the river. Right where we’d hidden the Dreadnought in the thick reeds…
* * *
I mentally wrote the Philosopher off pretty quick, remembering that he was on his last life and had no battle skills whatsoever. If unknown aggressors had attacked the raft, there was little chance he survived. So I was amazed to see our Diogenes alive and well, sitting on the river bank surrounded by our creeping crocodiles. But there was something strange about him… An odd calm, a detachment from what was going on around him, and an usual title above his head.
Wise One.
Just ‘Wise One,’ no mention of a name or character level. Who knew that was an option? Or was he somehow hiding his game info? We all noticed this oddity, and immediately showered our wise companion in questions.
He smiled and started to tell us. That morning, he finally finished his epic labor — a list of all the most important laws, theorems, formulas and everything else he could remember in the last few days. And before he could even blot the ink on the final scroll, our familiar friend in the old-fashioned suit appeared next to him on the raft — the immortal and practically all-powerful gentleman whom our veyer called ‘vallar.’ He had an ‘offer that can’t be refused,’ and it came as a big surprise. It made the Philosopher think long and hard.
The vallar suggested that he take the scrolls, split them into separate fragments and spread them all across this huge planet, distribute them among the treasuries of hundreds of ancient ruined castles, pyramids and burial mounds. So that brave explorers could steadily find them over the coming centuries and assign them the greatest value, gathering the knowledge of a previous age piece by piece. He said that was the only way to guarantee that this priceless knowledge persist — only this way would subsequent generations treat it with the proper respect. Every page found, every formula and theorem would arouse the greatest interest and set the best minds of the planet to the task of puzzling it out. Otherwise the risk was too great that it would all be lost at once. Which, according to our all-knowing vallar, was due to happen in about twenty minutes, when the howitzers of the New Pharaohs wiped this independent squad of losers off the face of the earth. The vallar even pointed at a group of humans that had appeared on the opposite bank of the great river, with Lady Victoria, the Pharaoh’s wife, in command, gesticulating with fury.
The Philosopher himself was offered the role of immortal and incorporeal Wise One, who would meet explorers of ancient ruins and help them to understand the enormity of the treasury they had discovered. To ensure that poorly educated humans or members of other species didn’t use the scrolls to light fires or wipe their asses.
“Incorporeal?” Varya asked. That part seemed to catch her interest in particular for some reason.
In response, our companion laughed and asked the girl to extend her hand. The Scout’s wrist passed right through the Wise One’s body without the slightest resistance. The girl pulled her hand back sharply, her eyes wide with horror. No wonder — it really was a creepy sight.
“I could, of course, have tried to escape or use the information from the book of transformations left to me. The spells there are most interesting. Whiskers would like them. Only one page is missing, the page the cat needs most of all. The book is over there, by the way…” the Immortal Wise One pointed at a thick tattered tome lying on a stone, “but I couldn’t abandon my notes. So I agreed to the vallar’s offer. All I asked was that he save the valuable bean sprouts and give me some time to meet with you. Otherwise, friends, you would have had too many questions about what had happened.”
“That’s for sure,” little Julie said. “I still don’t really get it, even with your explanations. Without them, we’d have no idea.”
“Anyway, the plots of beans have been moved out to the world beyond the barrier. They’re here…”
The Wise One stretched out his incorporeal arm and touched Varya, and a small rolled-up scroll appeared in the girl’s palm.
“Take a quick look at it and remember it well! I can only create objects that last a short time!” he said. The Scout hurried to unroll the note.
I took a look at the pencil image too. A mountain with three peaks. Something like a temple or palace on its slope. It looked long abandoned. In the foreground were the plots of beans.
“The shoots recovered after the fire and started growing fast. I even had to tie them down as they raced for the sun,” the Wise One said. He pointed at the image. “Right there, next to the beans, there’s an old library. I can manifest myself there and keep an eye on them. Yes, my friends — after this conversation ends, I will disappear. After that, I will be able to move through the world instantaneously in the form of an incorporeal spirit, a ghost inhabiting old ruins, crypts and pyramids, wherever there are scrolls and books of knowledge. The gods of this world have their own sense of humor. All my life, I complained that day-to-day affairs kept me from reading. Now I’ll have all the time in the world to read… And I have been promised that I can appear in libraries and vaults of knowledge when they are built in this world. But now…”
Both girls burst into tears before he could finish, imagining that they were saying good-bye to Diogenes forever. The Wise One smiled beatifically and tried to calm them both down, told them that he would meet us all again and help us with advice.
“I wanted to suggest that you hurry back to the Southern Ruins. I know you’re exhausted, and the evening is already late. But the road is clear for now, and you have to take advantage. Hurry — Sergeant and the others may need your help. You see, according to ancient mythology, the Minotaur with whom our mutual friends are now housed is far from the only son of Zeus. He isn’t even the only half-man, half-beast among them. There is also the Lamia. She is half-woman, half-snake. Far more dangerous. Unlike all the other monsters of ancient mythology, none of the heroes ever killed the Lamia, but she slew countless humans. She is a very interesting character, who has persisted through millennia and been described in a multitude of religions in the old world. Her second name is Lilith, the first wife of Adam, before the Eve that everyone knows about. The church has tried to
scour away the name Lilith, but it has still reached us through the ages as a symbol of terror and deadly danger in the night. And although things are somewhat different in the new world, and the Lamia here is more likely the Minotaur’s spouse than his sister, she is no less dangerous for that. Go, help your friends! Soon, I too will be able to appear in the Southern Ruins and help you in the battle against the legendary monsters!”
Chapter 33 [Sergeant]
Snap Goes The Mouse Trap
FIRST OF ALL I found out that Anita Ur Vaye never did manage to find out from the sherkhs of the Southern Garrison how to get low-level characters, in particular small children, through the energy barrier. Despite her failure to glean this knowledge, our long-eared companion had taken part in an attack on Lady Victoria Bastet’s mansion. While the other sherkhs fought the extremely strong and experienced guards, the Huntress crept into the high-level Courtesan’s palace and kidnapped the sleeping babe from the cradle. And she managed to leave quietly before the Pharaoh’s reinforcements arrived and the sherkh attackers choked on blood.
“You idiot!” I said, my fists clenching in rage. “What the hell were you thinking? Your orders were to gather information, and not act alone! I could have helped you later by talking to Victoria Bastet, discussing the child’s fate. I think she would have agreed to return the girl, and then all we would have to do is wait for the Philosopher and quietly go through the barrier. Now we have to start all over again — we have a child who we can’t take out of the sandbox. And by the way…” I got a bad feeling all of a sudden. “Did any of the humans see you?”
“Well…” The sherkh Scout hesitated before answering, dropped her gaze guiltily.
She didn’t have to say anything else, I already got the picture… The castle defenders did see the Huntress, and no doubt made special note of her, since Anita Ur Vaye was the only member of Eastern Garrison among all the attackers. Without a doubt, the Pharaoh’s wife had already been told. And Lady Victoria Bastet would easily remember that she had already seen this very sherkh girl in my company, when she came to the river bank in her carriage. The picture looked bleak. In fact, ‘bleak’ didn’t begin to cut it. This was a shitstorm, to put it mildly. Especially since Victoria Bastet knew just where to look for me and my League of Losers, since she was the one who sent us to the Southern Ruins to catch the minotaur.
“Idiot!” I said again, grinding my teeth. “You failed your mission and you put us all in critical danger! You’ll be severely punished for this! I don’t know how yet, but you’ll be sorry you ever set foot in the Pharaoh’s wife’s mansion…” I glared angrily at the long-eared Huntress. She nodded resignedly.
“I admit that I broke your orders, Sergeant. And I will accept the punishment for it. It will not happen again, I swear it! I am willing to carry out all your other orders to the letter, but I will not return my daughter to that terrible woman!”
With the tiny baby in her arms, Anita stubbornly held my gaze, her eyes set with determination. The eyes of an animal ready to protect her child at any cost. I broke first, looked away. What was I supposed to do with this mule-stubborn woman who had gotten it into her head that little Hope was her fate-gifted child? I sighed heavily. In calmer tones, I told the girl to go into the castle and ask the others to milk the Chimeric Cougar to feed the no doubt hungry baby girl. At the same time, I told her to prepare the others to leave the castle before the Pharaoh’s people got there. Time to gather our things and saddle up the mounts.
With the sherkh girl gone, I was left with the Cartographer, who had been listening closely to my conversation with Anita. The traveling merchant outright refused to help me with the child. He was a neutral character, he said; he couldn’t get involved in the conflicts of players. In addition, he knew the Pharaoh and Lady Victoria Bastet well. He traded with them regularly and valued their acquaintance. And that meant that he wouldn’t tell me a way to get little Hope through the barrier even for a good payment, although he wouldn’t deny that various methods did exist. The Cartographer also refused to help me with the Minotaur for exactly the same reasons.
“But I can buy that disobedient sherkh Huntress off you,” the traveling merchant offered. “I’m sure your people could use supplies for the road, magical trinkets and so on.”
Seeing my confusion and even disgust in response to that offer, the Cartographer just shrugged and added that the veyers and veichs both considered it perfectly natural to sell superfluous members of the tribe. And humans, too, in most guilds, were not shy of slavery — the New Pharaohs had even built a specialized slave market where player slaves of all races could be bought and sold. Including sherkhs, so it wouldn’t be hard for him to buy himself a cute long-eared babe if he wanted.
I’d seen that slave market with my own eyes. But all my upbringing, all my values screamed out against slave trading. Although… why not make as if I accept their rules and take advantage of the situation?
“I can’t sell the Huntress. She’s a free sherkh, she doesn’t belong to me. But I can sell the human baby Hope on the condition that you’ll take the girl out to the world beyond the sandbox,” I said, offering the Cartographer another deal. “I’d even pay you generously on the other side to buy the baby back. How about this Fiery Manticore Signet Ring? We’ll throw in some milk to keep the girl fed for a couple of days.”
“Ahem, no, I’m afraid not…” the traveling merchant said, shaking his head reproachfully. “You see, such an act cannot be called neutral. After that deal, I would lose the ability to pass through the barrier, which for me, as a merchant, is unacceptable. But I am willing to buy that interesting ring. For several magic scrolls, plus some valuable information. But again, not a way to get the child out of the sandbox.”
Now it was my turn to refuse. I needed the Fiery Manticore Signet Ring more than what he offered.
“As you say, Sergeant. My role is only to offer a profitable deal. Well, since I have nothing to offer you, then I have nothing more to do here and will fly away. But let me give you one piece of advice for free.” The Cartographer raised his head thoughtfully again, looked at the heavy clouds spreading across the sky. “If there was some doubt that the Lamia would return to the castle in the coming days, then it has vanished with the arrival of this child. The monster will come, perhaps even today. Nothing attracts those man-eating monsters like small children. And so I recommend that your little group change its deployment plans at once, before the Minotaur’s dangerous lover arrives. Although… if you’re very lucky, the Lamia might attack the soldiers sent from the New Pharaohs to hunt you down. I don’t know who will win that battle, but either way, you’ll have one less problem!”
I laughed bitterly — with my low Luck Modifier, I doubted I could rely on that outcome. Knowing my luck, the Lamia and Lady Victoria would put their heads and forces together to destroy my little group…
“One more thing…” the merchant said, halting in mid-turn back to the castle. “Your Fiery Manticore Signet Ring has given me an interesting idea. Yes, the Lamia is very strong, fast and resilient, but if you somehow manage to lure her into a trap and immobilize her, you can seal her into an item instead of killing her. The monster should want it herself, and any ring or necklace will do. You’ll also need a soul-imprisonment scroll, but I have those too, and for this purpose, I will give them to you at no cost. If this works out, Sergeant, you will gain a magical item with even more power than the Fiery Manticore Signet Ring! On our next meeting, I will exchange it for any item from my assortment!”
* * *
The members of the League of Losers met me by the arch of the main gates, where they had just used a block and tackle fashioned together from rope and wood to hang the first side of the heavy gates on its hinges. My friends were less than happy. They didn’t understand much of Anita’s complex explanation except that we had to drop everything and skip town right away, for some reason.
“We can’t do that, Sergeant!” our Mechanic complained, louder than
the rest. “Firstly, you promised the Minotaur that we’d help in the castle. A leader has to keep his word. Secondly, I still haven’t leveled my skills up to twenty-five! And where else will there be a place as good as this for leveling up Mechanic skills?”
Before answering the questions streaming in from all sides, I had to pause a moment while the Cartographer’s mighty dragon took off and the flapping of its mighty wings drowned out all other sound. I waved good-bye to the traveling merchant. “Good luck!” I shouted.
“Until next time, Sergeant!” came an answering cry from above. “Don’t forget about the scroll and the ring!”
I sighed heavily and told my companions the news. That the castle’s master was spouse to the Lamia, who liked human meat best of all. And the Minotaur had the bad habit of feeding guests to her. And most importantly of all — Anita Ur Vaye now held the daughter of the Pharaoh’s wife, and the enraged mother was on her way here, no doubt at the head of a whole battalion of New Pharaohs.
Diplomacy skill increased to level six!
The Mechanic’s eyes widened. “That changes everything! We have to get out of the castle right now!” he said, forgetting all his complaints of a moment ago and ready to run wherever his feet led him.
I called over our sherkh prisoner Tamir Vai Ugashi and explained to him that he was free and could go wherever he chose. The Southern Garrison Tracker’s eyes widened, but he didn’t need to be told twice. As soon as he got his weapon back, he disappeared into stealth, and, judging by the rapidly retreating footfalls, he ran away as fast as he could.
In Service of the Pharaoh (League of Losers Book #2) Page 31
