The Cursed Princedom (Realm of Arkon #2)

by G. Akella

"Sure," said Max gruffly, turning away from the girl. "I just wish I knew where the hell I've brought everyone."

  "Well, we're not such easy prey," the girl shrugged. "Why would anyone risk their levels? There are hundreds of times fewer PKs in noob zones nowadays." Alyona pulled the glove off her hand with her teeth, preparing to start counting on her fingers. "Firstly, PKs feel pain, just like everybody else. Secondly, killing the subjects of the king of dark elves lowers one's reputation with the entire race, and we are all considered his subjects. Thirdly," she bent her middle finger, "should a PK bite off more than they can chew, which happens almost always, they will lose levels and wind up in the starting zone, only to be grabbed by the guards. And you know what happens next, don't you? You pay a minimum fine of five gold for every player you killed, or they send you to a forced labor camp. It might be possible to get away with killing an NPC, but when you kill a player, all they have to do is press a button in their options menu, and the information about the PK is transmitted to the administration of the nearest city. Max," the girl looked him in the eye, "it really doesn't pay to be a PK these days, and, taking the latest events into account, being that you can no longer escape into the real world, it is also really bad for your health. Unless, of course, you specialize in killing NPCs, who don't really differ from us all that much. At worst, this is someone's lousy attempt at pranking a noob."

  "Alyona, if a PK belong to a strong clan that has a base somewhere in the wilderness with a bind point of their own, he doesn't give a damn about the city guards or the troops of the Great Houses," the elf sat down on the grass next to the girl, leaning against the thick black trunk. "I feel exhausted. Like we're stuck in a quagmire, shuffling our feet but not moving anywhere. Worst of all, I don't see any way out."

  "Oh, come on," the elven maiden smiled to the warrior encouragingly. "Let's look around and find a spot where we could level up. If nothing else, we'll raise our herbalism and alchemy."

  "Maybe we should head back to town? Take on a few social quests?" Max looked at the girl. "We'll manage to get some experience at least, no matter how puny, but it's much safer there."

  "Didn't you hear what Helliona said?" Alyona picked a blade of grass and slipped it between her teeth, then looked at the elf, wearing a contemplative expression. "At the current pace, we'd be getting a level a month. Players are waiting in line for days for every NPC with a quest. Reminds me of the archival footage from the turn of the century, remember? Folks camping out days in advance for the launch of some stupid phone or sneakers."

  "It's the same with mobs in starting zones," echoed the elf.

  "We've only visited a handful," the redhead waved dismissively. "If we head north, there will certainly be fewer people there. When Rexar gets back, I suggest we turn back and go around Talyan. I'm sure we'll find plenty of stuff to do in the north," Alyona winked to him, and rose to her feet in a single graceful motion. "I'll go have a chat with Masyanya, and don't you dare get all mopey here," she shook a finger at him and started toward the huntress, who was combing out her bear's fur.

  "As you say," Max smiled, following her slender silhouette. Then he hung his head and started thinking.

  The girl was right—he was probably overreacting. Their situation was actually pretty good. Right before their departure for Amané, the party grew by three members: a priestess, a ranger and a dps druid. The trio were part of a squad that had split up—their tank and one of the melee fighters could not handle any more pain, so they threw in the towel and headed back to civilization.

  Eight fighters were already a force of some worth. They could complete dungeons designed for five to ten players, and, luckily, all of them turned out to be agreeable companions. If not for the constant bickering between Luffy and Ellanca, everything would be totally perfect.

  They were also enormously lucky to have tamed a brown bear who had ambushed them during a crossing. He now played the part of an alternate tank, soaking up damage nearly as well as Bonbon. Max marveled at the toughness of this bald-headed elf, formerly a physics teacher at a Moscow school. He adored his wife, so much so that he was prepared to withstand unbearable pain as a tank, i.e. a punching bag for mobs. Well, at least they can communicate through friends, thought Max with a frown. At least he knows she's fine. As for Roman's aunt, she's still not answering her phone. Alyona is putting on a brave face, of course, but...

  He had known Alyona since she was a child. She was an awkward girl with unruly hair that would always get into her eyes, always sticking her nose into affairs that were none of her concern, meddling in his and his friend's plans. By eighteen, however, she grew into a stunning young woman. Unfortunately, Max was already married... And now it somehow turned out that he had no one left but her and Roman—he didn't have so much as anyone to call... Max drew a heavy sigh and smiled, looking at the girls chatting nearby. No, he would confess nothing to her until they found her brother—it wouldn't be fair to his friend. Besides, they had more than enough on their plate as it was. He had promised Roman that he would take care of her, and he had meant it. The confession would come in due time, whatever the consequences.

  "It's a dead end," a branch cracked nearby, and Rexar dropped down to the ground next to Max, pointing at the bushes. "I looked—there isn't anything remotely resembling a village here. That bastard took us in."

  "So what did you find?"

  "A ravine about two hundreds yards to the north. There's a fir wood, and the ruins of some hut," reported the ranger. "The good news is that I found three clearings there, right behind the ravine, with about thirty wild boars on each, levels 33 to 36. So, we're in luck," Rexar stretched, his joints popping, fished a flask out of his inventory, took a drink, and offered it to the warrior. "I didn't look any further, but there should be more clearings like that further on. We can use the hut as our base—we don't need much, do we? So gather up the party, captain. Let's give them the good news."

  "Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything?" a level 36 assassin materialized out of thin air, his open-palmed hands raised toward Max and Rexar, who instantly jumped to their feet. Taking a step back, he continued. "I have some business with you. It's important."

  "Donut?" Max placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, eyeing the figure swathed in dark fabric. "What the hell are you doing here? Have you been following us?"

  "I have," the young man smiled, taking the hood off his head. "Fortunately for you."

  "You're supposed to be our good fortune now, eh?" Rexar grunted, shifting his weight from one foot to another. Having grabbed the bow from his back, the ranger still held it in his left hand, relaxed yet looking around himself vigilantly.

  "Not really," the assassin shrugged. "I mean, I could be, depends on who you ask. But that's not what I'm here." His face suddenly grew serious, and he continued calmly. "You guys are up shit creek without a paddle, and you don't even realize how deep."

  "What the hell are you doing here?" Masyanya joined the conversation, the bulk of her bear pet looming behind her. "I thought I told you to leave me alone! Or are you deaf?"

  "There's no deafness or any other disabilities in the game," Donut corrected her with a sigh.

  "Oh, whatever! Have you been spying on us?"

  "Why would anyone spy on you?" the young man chuckled. "You walk like a herd of elephants. A tractor would leave less of a trace. Some dark elves you are, wood lore and all..."

  "Who are you to speak..." the huntress hissed, and the fur on the back of the bear's neck bristled. Sensing his mistress' mood, the pet was ready to pounce on the object of her fury.

  "Chill, Masyanya, he isn't here for you," the warrior stopped the angry huntress with a placating gesture, then turned back the assassin, and said gruffly. "Now, explain..."

  "The Red Ravens are there," Donut nodded in the direction whence he came. "They have blocked the path. There are eight of them already. They are waiting for five more rangers to join them, and then they'll start hunting you. They like your girls,
and the rest of you would do as raw materials," he concluded gravely.

  "Are these the ones who took out the five Night Blades?" said the huntress, growing pale in the face.

  "The very ones," said Donut. Then, seeing the confused looks on the faces of the elves, he explained. "Two weeks ago, five Blades got ambushed. One of them died, and he was the lucky one, even though he got knocked back to 107. When the Blades managed to catch two of the Ravens, they questioned the bastards, and then went straight for their den. They only found twenty six captives there, half of them in a vegetable state... The guys were tortured real bad. They worship a dark god of some sort, so... And the girls..." the young man clenched his teeth, lowering his eyes to the ground. "The girls got it even worse... Fortunately, Vagabond is a stand-up guy—he paid 26 grand to an NPC from Talyan who's an expert in mind magic. The dude promised to wipe the girls' memories of captivity from their minds..."

  "How do you know all this?" Rexar put his bow away, eyeing the assassin with suspicion.

  "I have a friend who's been with the Blades a few years now—he's already level 160. We played D5 on a few arenas together for a few years."

  "D5?"

  "Diablo 5," explained Donut. "Those were the days..."

  "So how did you manage to get past them? You said there were eight—your invisibility should not have worked," the ranger was unrelenting.

  "Duh. Because they're lamers," the assassin chuckled. "All above 120, but no smarter for it. I even managed to eavesdrop on their conversation. Anyway, make up your mind," he raised his eyes at Max, "there isn't much time. You only have two choices. And I'd hate to see Masyanya, or any of you for that matter, end up like—"

  "Which choices would those be, now?" Max looked directly into the assassin's eyes, his companions gathered around him.

  "I hope you realize that fighting is useless? They don't intend to kill you—they mean to capture you and drag you far away from here through portals," said Donut, and instantly explained, staunching any objections. "One of the mages is wearing a epic Mantle of Passage, so he can stick anyone into a portal, even without making them part of their party."

  "Get to get point, will you?" asked Max.

  "Isn't it obvious? You have to take turns taking each other down. Or if you find that too distasteful, you can drown yourselves in the swamp," he shrugged. "But you'll lose your equipment in that case, so a sword would be preferable. I'll be able to get back the way I came, and I could take your kitty with me," he nodded in Heliona's direction. "Assuming she'd put two points into invis."

  "You mean my invisibility skill?" inquired the woman. "If so, I do indeed have two points there."

  "Well, that option is clear," the warrior frowned. "What is the other?"

  "We might try pulling off something," the assassin pointed off in the distance. "We can try hiding out in the swamp—there's a spot I'd marked earlier."

  "You believe him?" Masyanya gave Max a long stare. "What if there are no Ravens? What if he's just playing one of his usual jokes?"

  "You'll have enough time to settle your differences later," Max stopped her. "Donut, join our party." He eyed the faces of his companions and added. "We move out in one minute."

  "Max! He's more likely to lead us into an ambush himself!" Masyanya wouldn't stop. "How can you trust him?"

  "Anyone who disagrees with me," Max sighed, "is free to leave the party. But so long as I'm the leader, I make the decisions. Do you understand?" he gave the huntress a stern look.

  "Sure, whatever," she shrugged. "I'm not going off on my own."

  "Rexar," Donut held the ranger by the arm, "You have group camouflage, I hope? The skill that follows Stun in the left talent branch?"

  "Nope," the young man shook his head. "I dumped all my points into damage."

  "Oh man," said the rogue with rebuke. "Some of you guys never cease to amaze me. Ever tried reading a guide before creating a character? Until you reach level 100 at least, all this damage you've added will do you as much good as..." he gave a wave of the hand. "Max, if you're done, let's hurry up." Donut produced a cylindrical object from his inventory that resembled a two-liter soda bottle. Tearing off the lid, he swung and threw the bottle onto the road that had led them all to this spot. "Follow me, quick!" he shouted when billows of gray smoke began to rise in every direction from the bottle that had smashed open as it hit the ground.

  "What was that?" asked Luffy, his mouth agape.

  "An item from my class' quest chain. It will hold the pursuers back by exactly one hour," Donut turned around and waved to the mage. "Come on, manga boy, get a move on," and started for the trees.

  It took their party roughly two hours to reach the swamp. They didn't talk much along the way, everyone engrossed in their own thoughts. On a few occasions they had to fight groups of five to seven wolves, while most other animals avoided crossing paths with them. Max looked calm on the outside, but doubts kept gnawing at him all the while. He didn't know Donut at all, but there was likewise no reason to trust his words. The young man seemed fond of the huntress, but his silly prank with taming one of the farmers' cows, which resulted in Masyanya making a wide berth whenever she saw that herd, had left the assassin with no hope of ever winning the favor of the vindictive elven maiden. The blonde had quite the temper, and had been bearing a grudge ever since.

  "We are here," Donut announced when the party emerged from the forest. The sight that opened before their eyes was rather gloomy.

  A marshy plain sprawled as far to the south as they could see, with rare hillocks protruding from the water here and there. The swamp eventually merged with the mist, making it impossible to discern anything three hundred yards away from the shore. Areas of open water alternated with whole colonies of marsh moss that lay on the surface in a solid brown carpet. Suddenly the water started churning not thirty feet from the shore, releasing massive streams of miasma that rose from the surface with a deep muffled sound that made the whole party shudder.

  "Now isn't that cute?" grunted Bonbon, sitting down on a stump sticking out of the ground. "Y'all go ahead, I forgot my swimming trunks."

  "Well, what now?" Max asked the assassin. "Where exactly are we supposed to hide?"

  "Look there," the assassin pointed to a crooked stick near the shore, all covered in moss and mold. "I left this mark during my previous visit. There are some stubby trees growing straight ahead, with nothing but open water between here and there—a little over a thousand feet. Trees only grow on solid soil," he continued. "Obviously, I never ventured there on my own, but I marked the site as a potential hiding place all the same, just in case."

  "Do you suggest that we fly?" Rexar grunted.

  "Much easier than that. Your druids have Symbiosis—a connecting talent at the fork between intellect and agility. It is a more or less useless feature with a five-minute cooldown, and you cannot transfer anything substantial with it, but it's precisely what we need in our present situation."

  "Could you put that in human terms?" Max frowned. "I didn't understand a damn word you said."

  "Sorry, I forgot who I was talking to," Donut grinned. "Anyway, your druids cast Symbiosis on me, refreshing it every time it comes off cooldown, and I transfer my Water Walk skill to each member of the group. This buff only works for one minute, but even a turtle could run four hundred yards before it runs out."

  "What's going to stop the Ravens from resorting to the same trick? Their rangers will see us on their maps from half a mile away, won't they?" Rexar looked at the assassin with distrust.

  "So what? Any damage dealt to whoever walks on the water will dispel the buff. Do you hold them for morons?"

  A mournful howl rose over the swamp, heard for miles. It echoed above the water, and was shortly answered by a similar sound from the opposite direction.

  "Farmers claim that the Hounds of the Baskervilles howl like that when searching for their prey," Bonbon chuckled, pointing at the swamp with his finger.

  "I could do without y
our humor right now," Alyona shuddered. "It's bad enough as it is..."

  "Decide on something already," Donut eyed the flummoxed elves over. "You can always go for the first option—what have you got to lose? Two or three levels are nothing compared to the risks—those Night Blades captives were lucky the Ravens didn't know who they were messing with. Vagabond did place a bounty of 100 gold for each Raven's head brought to him, but I doubt anyone's going to do anything if you lot disappear..."

  "There is another option, a much simpler one—the possibility that you're lying through your teeth..."

  "Masyanya," Donut looked at the ground. "I really didn't want it to happen that way back then... You know I—"

  "Enough chitchat," Max cut him short. "Rexar, you go first. Once you reach the spot, tell us what it's like over there." Then he looked at the assassin and added, "You do realize that in case of anything funny—"

  "Sure, you will hunt me down, come hell or high water," Donut finished his thought. "How about we actually stop talking? The smokescreen will only hold them back for an hour. And, believe me, level 100 rangers move twice as fast across woodland as we do. Rexar, you have to run in a perfectly straight line. Ready?"

  "It's all good here," Rexar reported some twenty seconds after disappearing into the fog. "A small island sixty feet across. There's some item sticking out of the ground—a sizable two-handed sword with a droplet-shaped pommel. I'm not touching anything until the rest of you arrive."

  It took all eight of them about twenty minutes to get to the islet.

  "You should warn others in advance," Rexar, who had been watching the water intently, looked sideways at the enormous black panther that was the last to appear. "If you leave me stuttering for the rest of my life, who's gonna read you bedside stories?"

  The cat yawned with gusto, stretched, then its silhouette blurred for a moment and transformed into a smiling Heliona. The girl winked to her boyfriend and went to explore the islet, her hips swaying deliberately.

  "We don't touch the sword so far," Max commanded in the chat channel. He approached the archers, who were watching the water, and tapped Masyanya on the shoulder. "See anything yet?"