by G. Akella
"That's a sick look," Bonbon echoed Masyanya.
"Are you two messing with me?" wiping her tears, Alyona cast a skeptical look at both Bonbon and Masyanya, then turned and looked at Max.
"They're right," my friend gave a broad smile, stepped forward, pressed her to his chest and whispered something into her ear.
Looks like I'm getting off easy, I sighed with relief.
An Elder, and pure-blooded, my wife mused. And not a succubus, so your friend's in luck. But this is hardly surprising—a sister takes after her brother. I told you before that nothing valuable comes to you without a reason...
You cannot imagine how grateful I am for this...
You'll make it up to me, dear. And soon. I'm sure of it. Lita said with a chuckle, and was quiet.
Oh, that "soon" couldn't come soon enough...
"Hey, look!" Masyanya exclaimed, drawing our attention.
"Here comes the cavalry," Bonbon sighed, watching a procession of fighters riding onto the temple territory astride wild boars.
Chapter 6
Anyone who had ever served in the armed forces remembers a situation when a general and his entourage swoops down on your unit with a surprise—or, perhaps, very much planned—inspection. The normal and immediate reaction is to take flight, and get as far as possible from the chewing-out that will almost certainly follow. But just as that wouldn't fly in that other world, it wouldn't fly here, either. And it wasn't that I wasn't happy to see Kirana or any of her companions. Rather, it had become an unfortunate routine that whenever a god appeared in my life, that was invariably followed by yet another headache of intergalactic proportions.
We were still inside a dungeon, with a very different reality existing outside the gates. And I was sure that none of the squadmates stationed outside the temple were seeing this merry procession. Perhaps Saverus and Vaessa were sensing some magical vacillations, but even that was far from certain.
Kirana was wearing her anime outfit—the green ranger digs that had been on her during our first encounter. Her hair was woven into a thick braid beneath a Tyrolean hat, matching the outfit in color and festooned with three colorful feathers. Running alongside her boar was a lean wiry creature distantly resembling a greyhound. The razorback carrying the goddess looked no bigger than my Gloom, and the boars of her eight companions a fair bit smaller. Of course, none of them were likely spoiled with apples and apricots like my pig. And they weren't going to bulk up on acorns...
The goddess' companions wore outfits that matched their Mistress: dark-green hunting clothes with bows at the back. The only one that looked out of place was a stocky dwarf clad in heavy armor. Scitti... Yeah, that was him all right. He hadn't been in the goddess' entourage last time. Perhaps Kirana hadn't been able to promote him until after becoming Two-Faced again.
The goddess and her companions reined in their mounts by the columns sticking out of the ground. Dismounting in one fluid motion, they entered onto the temple's territory, treading warily over the ground scorched by magic. The young woman threw up her arms without stopping, her wrists touching for a flash of a moment. The ruins shook and... everything changed for the better. As if in a fairy tale. Only this wasn't anyone's idea of a happy ending, not just yet. The ash and the blood disappeared, replaced by lush grass of a scintillating emerald color, out of which elegant, lily-like white buds blossomed before our very eyes. Broken tree trunks snapped as they straightened, the air became scented with lilacs, and a dazzling light beamed down from the skies, striking the five columns and stirring the bodies of our resurrected friends. No levels were lost, like in the battle with the necromancer, the tale of which Max had relayed to me on the first day of our reunion. Looking around at our revived companions, Kirana grunted with satisfaction, gave me a slight nod in response to my greeting, and shifted her eyes to Max. A slight, barely visible smile touched the goddess' lips. It was the way a teacher might look upon a favorite student. Taking a position at the center of the temple, Kirana stood still, waiting for the resurrected friends to fully recover their faculties. Her retinue crowded behind their Mistress, while the razorbacks and the greyhound stretched out on the grass behind them.
"How you doing, Roman?" Max asked in the group channel.
"As we discussed. I'll hang out on the side, by the tree," I said, walking toward the nearest column. "This isn't my quest, so why get in the way?"
"Alyona! What happened to you?!" Ellanca gasped, wide-eyed. "And what happened here?!"
"That's right, spill it," Helliona echoed her friend, getting up off the ground.
"Oh yeah, let's keep chatting while the goddess waits for us to finish," Bonbon quipped. "Keep it up, and she's liable to forget her congratulatory speech, and reward us with donkey's ears instead of scalable epics..."
"Pipe down!" Max barked into the channel. "Save the questions for later! Everybody fall in beside me, and at least try to keep some semblance of battle formation."
The command has a soothing effect, as everybody did as they were told. Taking the initiative, Max took a step forward, bowed his head in a greeting, and spoke with conviction.
"Mistress, we have found it!"
So thick was the ensuing silence that you could almost touch it. Her steps soundless on the lush grass, Kirana approached the guys standing in tense formation, and kept going, peering into their faces, one at a time. Upon reaching Alyona, the goddess paused, then nodded.
"And so shall the sister stand with her cursed brother, having been wrested by him from the Void. Two demons. The only two arrivals from the foreign world. And Thunder shall strike, and the crowns of our Father shall tremble in anticipation of changes great and inevitable..."
"Why is the brother cursed?" Alyona asked with defiance in her voice, meeting the goddess' eyes.
"Yende... Do you think that a prophecy is any different from a curse?" the ringing of bells in Kirana's voice turned from triumphant to doleful. The goddess turned and nodded to me. "Ask him if you don't believe me. Can he steer from the path he has embarked on?"
"What is the Thunder you speak of, Mistress? What are the changes that await us?" Donut asked, having mustered his courage.
"Not even I know that," the goddess gave an easy shrug. "The prophecy has proven true so far, which means changes are indeed on the horizon. But enough about that!"
Taking a step back, Kirana threw up her hands, and a massive wooden trunk materialized in front of the troop.
"I thank you, noble knights, for never retreating! For fulfilling your duty! I shall never forget it!" the goddess' voice changed tonalities again. The bells were gone, replaced by the sharp steel of a legate leading an army into battle. "Those who came here with you and remain at the gates shall be rewarded, too!" Kirana took another step back, and gestured at the trunk wrought with adamantine bands.
The next moment, the guys' figures went up in a golden blaze marking a jump in levels, the illumination lasting a good twenty seconds. Eight elves and a demoness were perfectly still, savoring their good fortune. Cries of exuberance followed shortly after—and no wonder, what with all of them going up a couple of dozen levels in one fell swoop. Unlike yours truly, they were not accustomed to such surges. Max was now level 205, and the others a respectable 183.
"Keep order when collecting presents," Max commanded in the channel. "One at a time, starting with Rexar."
"Alyona, if you're going to take armor, make sure it's heavy," I reminded her.
"What freaking armor?" my sister said.
"Heavy armor. Demons wear heavy armor..."
"They can wear whatever the hell they want," my sister waved dismissively. "And don't you be telling me what to wear. You've got a wife for that."
Great, just great. Was it her new personality to match her transformation, or was she just being her usual pain in the rear? But I wasn't going to escalate things, lest she take some junk just to spite me. Though she was a smart girl and probably wouldn't do that, I wasn't quite comfortable with a "probabl
y."
"Max, talk some sense into her, would you..." I turned to Max for support.
"Really, Alyona," my friend readily responded to my plea. "You know what you are now..."
"Oh, leave me alone, both of you," my sister grunted. "I'll take a staff, if there is one. You've already promised me armor to match my boots, remember? Or is the set bonus not worth it in your esteemed opinion?"
"Do whatever you want," I sighed, suddenly noticing that the goddess had been looking in my direction for some time now.
"And what do you want, Dark One?" she asked, cocking her head. "This is the second time you've helped me, and I wish to reward you as well."
"How about a sow?"
I've been waiting for that question, so my reply was near-instant.
"A sow?!"
The goddess' brows arched upward, her mouth agape with surprise. Whoever said that gods were all-knowing beings with no capacity for surprise should really start hanging out with me.
"For my boar," I clarified, breaking the silence hanging over the temple. "Your present from our first encounter. I promised him a lady friend, so..."
Not knowing what else to add, I simply shrugged and fell silent.
Seven forgive me for my choice of a husband... a voice lamented in my head. Looks like the black-haired chicken is as shocked by your foolishness as I am.
A twinkle flashed in the goddess' eyes. Peering at me intently, she sighed... and then smiled.
"When you get to my sanctuary in Ellorian, you may seek out any of my servants, and they will find your razorback a worthy bride. And not just one. You may even take some of the litter for your friends..."
"Oh, me first! I want a piglet!" my sister shouted in the channel at once. "You promised!"
What's the world coming to... Jaelitte sighed, though she appeared to be following what was happening with great interest. And then she said something quite unexpected. Save me a piglet, too. I've actually grown rather fond of your furry friend.
To say that those words threw me was to say nothing at all. Then again, Gloom was always a hit with the ladies—much more so than his master.
"And seeing as you're so concerned with your razorback's happiness, I think I know just how to thank you," Kirana continued. "Have a look." She waved a hand in my direction, and a shapeless heap of black-as-coal armor pieces appeared on the grass. "This will grant good protection without restriction his movement. Tylwyth Teg craftsmen are renowned leatherworkers."
I focused my vision automatically.
Full Razorback Armor of Stoneworm Hide
Epic scalable...
Seven pieces of leather that looked and felt more like plastic. A war saddle with stirrups. Fifty one percent to armor class and stamina, and a full set bonus to maximum HP at level 255. +5.1% to all maximum resistances and +1 to all special skills! This wasn't armor, this was the stuff dreams were made of! With this gift, the goddess repaid her astonishment in spades....
Struggling to keep my emotions in check, I raised my eyes at her, and said:
"Thank you, Mistress!"
Kirana gave an understanding smile, nodded, and turned to one of her companions, motioning at the altar. The latter approached the altar leisurely, rounding Donut bent over the trunk, and picked up the Tear still lying there, then got down on bended knee and laid his palms upon the stone...
"No way! How did they get Vendetta here?!" the rogue's exclamation brought me back to reality.
The channel was abuzz with a kind of light euphoria. The troops were chattering, sharing impressions, evidently still unable to believe their luck. From what they were saying, besides epic scalables, every one of them had also earned a promotion. Perhaps it wasn't an accident that the goddess had referred to them as knights earlier.
As for the prizes, everybody chose only weapons. Alyona picked up a staff fashioned from curved dry wood, Rexar and Masyanya were admiring their new composite bows. Bonbon wielded a short double-edged sword with an ornate guard resembling the weaponry of German lance-knights. Luffy's new staff shimmered with a soft crimson color. Ellanca and Helliona likewise sported staves of their own. The only two that hadn't made their selection yet were Max and Donut, the latter still rummaging in the trunk. Finally, the rogue straightened his back, his hand clutching a plain-looking straight-edge dagger, and started toward the rest of the group with a mischievous smile playing on his lips. Max needed no more than ten seconds to make his choice. Walking up to the trunk, he barely hesitated before pulling out a braider purple ring. The warrior demonstrated it to the others with a smile, then turned toward the goddess waiting nearby.
"Mistress! We wish to express our gratitude for—" he began to say, but Kirana stopped him with a gesture.
"No need for words, warrior," she spoke softly, looking around at the trees framing the platform, then turned back to him with a sad smile. "Everything has already been said. My temple will be moved to a safe place. Things will get hot here in Darkaan before long. We're leaving. So, if anyone still has any questions for me, now is the time to ask."
"Here, Mistress," taking a step forward, Max proffered the quest stone to the goddess. "I cannot read this."
What happened next, I couldn't quite explain. The goddess ran her hand over the quest item, whereupon Max looked down and appeared to have succeeded in reading the inscription. The stone shattered, crumbling to the ground like husk, and leaving a small green case in the warrior's hands. At that same second, Kirana's face became deathly pale. The goddess recoiled, a hand over her opened mouth... Suddenly I found myself struggling for breath, hazy images flashing through my mind. Giant centennial trees coated with a silvery shimmering dust, the sun blazing brilliantly overhead...
Max started, opened the lid, and looked up in surprise. The ground quaked underfoot, and a deafening din went up all around. The grass began to sway, as if swished by strong winds, then blew up to knee-high level in the blink of an eye. Something crashed and rattled as twisting leaf-covered boughs began to sprout from the tree trunk behind us, and it seemed as if somebody released laughing gas into the air. The goddess' elven companions shouted something unintelligible, while Kirana herself froze with hands folded over her chest, the paleness in her face replaced by gladness and serenity. A pillar of emerald light shot down from the sky, shrouding Max, as the troops' exuberant cries were drowned out by the sounds of a symphony orchestra!
Attention all players and clans in the Realm of Arkon! The Steel Wolves clan has discovered mallorn seeds, completing the Millennial Search quest. Rejoices, elves everywhere! The Great Forest has chosen its new Guardian!
This unimaginable concerto lasted for a solid thirty seconds, which made the absolute silence that fell over the temple right after even more deafening. Still clutching the green jewelry case in his hands, Max stared wide-eyed at the goddess' kneeling companions, his level a round 230.
"I knew it! I had faith that they would be found..." Kirana took a step forward, her face streaked with tears, and did an elaborate curtsy.
"Lesuilanta Heb Atar Taure!" she exclaimed triumphantly to Max, who appeared to have fallen into a stupor.
"Lesuilanta Valie Atacarme," he replied with his head bowed, and in apparent disbelief of his own words.
"I shall wait for you on the border of the Silvery Grove, brother," the goddess added in common tongue. "I shall wait forever if I have to! But... please do hurry. Our people are in dire need of your help."
The goddess raised her hands, and everything disappeared at once: the trees, the grass, the temple, the boars... Only the dreary Darkaanese plain remained, and our squad, all of us shaken by what we had just witnessed.
"Somebody pinch me," Donut muttered in shock, staring into the blazing campfire, the squad having pitched camp for the night. "Our Max is the Guardian of the Great Forest, with gods themselves bowing to him... And we're all lords..."
"Alyona is a princess," Masyanya corrected him.
"I can claim land within the Great Forest, the same
as every one of you," my sister said musingly, her eyes fixated on Max standing nearby.
"What the hell is going on?! What am I supposed to tell my wife?" Luffy shrieked, his voice breaking. "She's going to eat me alive! Look how excited they all are over there!"
"I must plan mallorn seeds," Max explained after a short pause. "By myself, over in the Silvery Grove. Kirana gave me the portal, and will be waiting for me there, as you all heard. I am no longer a pariah in exile. Moreover, I can build a portal to any point within the borders of the Great Forest. And out of Darkaan... No!" he threw up his arms, stemming the barrage of nascent questions. "Later, once I've figured it all out myself."
The warrior slid the case into his bag, nodded to Alyona, and started toward the camp.
"Mallorn seeds..." Donut shook his head as he watched him go. "Steel Wolves... I do wonder where else we might make an appearance..."
***
"Judging by that surly expression, it's almost like you're displeased with what just happened." Taking a seat on the log next to Max, I lit up, took a deep blissful drag, exhaled the smoke, and leaned back against the smooth surface of a boulder. The clouds above were a cotton swirl from here, streaked with gold by the setting sun. "Come on, out with it, before they all die from curiosity. And that sister of yours with the black fur goes mad altogether. She is your sister, right? Or maybe a niece? I'm hopelessly confused by the familial ties of felines. All I know is that she's crying her eyes out while everyone else is celebrating... Would you care to explain what's going on?"
"Milimbeista, limbenimbe…" Max sighed.
"In a language I'd understand, thanks," I sniffed. "I know that you're still digesting whatever that was, but don't make worry now."
