by Elian Tars
Duration: 10 seconds
You become the embodiment of your “Element.” Your stats and skills increase tenfold. Your attacks are strengthened by random elemental skills.
The skill was very powerful thing, but also really expensive. To get that much Faith Points I’d have to find all of the Parts of Zurtarn, create another Lake of Grace, fight the Decayed and Followers of other Gods, and even meet enemy Gods themselves! It wouldn’t be such a big deal if I needed that much just to unlock the skill, but I needed that much for each use. Not to mention that I’d need fifteen skill points to learn it, and that was equal to twenty-five levels. Of course, the problem with the skill points could be easily solved with gold, but still.
However, the Old Man wouldn’t offer me anything bad. He was pretty serious about my studies. It sometimes seemed to me that I was a combat pet or a character in a game, and that he was a hardcore gamer.
I shook my head, chasing away the thought. I didn’t intend to start a rebellion. All of us: the Old Man, Kane and Mara, Berg, and I — we were together in this, running away from our pursuers. We were like a row of dominos — if someone started to slack off, they’d fall and knock down the others, taking everyone down with them. I was sure that my friends would understand my point of view if I explain it well enough.
Now, back to the Avatar. Accumulating that many Faith Points would definitely let me unlock the skill, even if I didn’t have enough skill points to learn it. I had nothing else to spend my Faith Points on for now, and the skill, no matter how you looked at it, was pretty damn good. Secondly, the Old Man was still licking his wounds, and in order to recover, he needed strength and energy, which is why he gave me the offer he did. And I was only glad to help my patron recover as soon as possible.
I closed the menu, stood up, stretched my back, and headed to the guards to tell them that I was leaving on some business. I already told everyone that I had to leave the camp again, but sometimes it was good to repeat yourself and make sure that everybody heard you.
Once I was some distance away from the camp, I stopped in the middle of the forest.
Elusive Darkness.
In the last twenty-four hours, I visited two of my resurrection points. Now it was time to visit the third. I had made before the other two, but I’ve never visited it.
“Athefeh’s Gravestone,” I responded to the familiar question.
The Darkness whirled around me, and a moment later, I found myself in a small room, beside a writing desk that was near a window with closed shutters. A chair was lying on the floor near the table. Right there, at my feet, was Berg, propped on his arms and blinking in astonishment.
“Hi,” I smiled. “Sorry to scare you.”
He shook his head, skillfully sprang to his feet, and put the chair back to its place. Once he fully regained his composure, he outstretched his hand to me.
“I’m glad to see you again. It seems like you became even stronger. You even changed your name.”
I returned the handshake, and then pulled the astonished archer into a hug and patted him on the back. Damn, I was glad to see him again.
Turning my head, I looked at the table. I wondered what had my companion been doing when he realized that I was going to appear out of the Gravestone that was in his inventory.
Under the candlelight, Berg had been reading someone’s message. A yellowish piece of paper rolled up on its own, having lost the support of fingers that were keeping it open. I couldn’t see what was written on it. Next to it was a thread with a broken wax seal with an intricate engraving of lightning on it.
Letting go of Berg’s hand, I glanced around the tavern room in which he had settled in. There was nothing special in it — of other furniture, there were only a battered looking closet near the wall to the left of the entrance, and two single beds at the opposite walls of the room.
“Sit down,” Berg said, pointing at one of the beds, “and make yourself at home. I’ll move the table and then we’ll go downstairs to ask them to start making breakfast.”
“Wouldn’t the hosts be surprised to hear that you had a guest appear in the middle of the night?” I asked suspiciously, taking the offer and plopping down on the hard mattress. A thought flashed through my mind: I had been sleeping on the ground for several days already, while some people were enjoying the comforts of civilization. Humble ones, but comforts nonetheless.
“Don’t worry,” he answered, moving the table and looking me attentively in the eyes. “They’re our people. And, after all, there are skills that can make you get into the tavern inconspicuously in broad daylight. Let alone in the dead of the night, when the waitress in charge could have easily fallen asleep at the counter.”
“Still, let’s not wake up anyone for now,” I said, materializing a bottle of wine and the ever same traveler’s breakfast: bread, cured meat and a wheel of cheese, all of which had been put in one bag so that it’d occupy fewer slots. I added some delicacies, too, like a pot of special broth made by Shawn’s wife. It should be eaten before it got sour, though it’d last much longer in the inventory.
Pouring the flavorful, but cold soup into the plates, I moved Berg’s portion him.
“Tasty,” Berg said after trying the treat. “Where have you found such a cook?”
“Our chief’s wife knows what she’s doing,” I said, observing his reaction.
“I don’t know the details, Bay… Daerk,” he admitted. “The God of Darkness only told me that you’ve found new Followers.”
“I don’t know much of what you’ve been doing here either, other than helping our allies,” I replied. “So lay it out. Our patron thinks that you might be in trouble without me.”
Chapter 9
The Big Game
During my conversation with the archer, I formed a more or less clear picture of what was going on.
We were now in the town of Urhon — the capital of the Duchy of Urhon or the Urhon Dukedom, whichever one preferred to call it. It consisted of four counties, unlike the other two duchies of Longoria, which had three counties each: the Kors County in the northwest, the Lier County in the northeast, the Olte County in the southwest, and the Rutz County in the southeast. The residence of the duke was the rich city of Urhon, which was situated on the territory of the Olte County, but was pretty close to the border with the Free Beldera County — the only county of the eleven counties of Longoria that wasn’t a part of any duchy. It was ironic that even though the territory of the Free County was bigger than the territories of others, the ruler of Beldera didn’t subordinate to counts — his power was much weaker than the powers of the other counts. The reason for it was that the capital of Longoria, Longera, was situated on the lands of the Free Beldera County. So, the Free County was just the king’s de facto demesne, and the count was its administrator. But, on the other hand, all the territories of Longoria were the de jure property of the Crown. The dukes remembered that, but they would hardly give away their lands without a fight if the monarch suddenly decided to take all that belonged to them by right.
Caer De Bleit, the ruler of Urhon, both the city and the whole duchy, was most likely angry with the king. While I was busy in my little sandpit — running back and forth over the northern part of the Lier County, rather serious conflicts arose on the continent. The religious persecution against the Followers of Rugus resulted in making the Duke of Oruel, the ruler of the independent Duchy of Oruel, the one whose golden coins Una found in the basement of Bon’s father, go to war with Longoria. The reason was simple: the duke wasn’t a king, so his patron wasn’t the “God of All Kings.” The Duke of Oruel was a Disciple of Rugus, and that meant that he was our ally. His troops had almost reached the southeastern border of the Olte County. The Count of Olte asked his direct suzerain, the Duke of Urhon, for help. The latter, in his turn, asked the king for help, because Caer De Bleit wasn’t doing very well — most part of his two northern counties would be soon consumed by the Decay.
However, His Majesty Leor IV considered t
he safety of the Olte County not to be as important as expanding the territory of the state to the south. That was why the armies of the other two counts of Longoria made an incursion into the Great Steppe from the southern counties, having decided to push back its inhabitants — the nomadic tribes. And that was quite a risky affair, according to Berg, but the chance of success was pretty high, too. A little while ago the troops of Ishiria — the sandy country at the very south of the continent (where Berg’s wife had come from) breached the southern frontiers of the Steppe. The nomads were pressed by the enemies from two sides.
“But why have the Ishirians decided to attack? For religious reasons or...?” I asked the archer.
“For the same reasons why Leor IV asked his two dukes to equip their armies and go to the Steppe. Ishiria is being devoured by the Decay. But not from the north, as our country, but from the south. Just as our king, Omaneh-Shah, did to soothe his people and keep the territory of his empire. Or expand it.”
“Okay, let’s say I understood that,” I drawled. “The king got an opportunity to snatch a fresh piece of land, and at the same time keep the knights, who have lost their lands because of the Decay, busy, promising to give them new dominions, right?” Berg confirmed my words with a nod. “Okay… But I still don’t understand why he’s keeping the angry duke nearby and the enemy’s troops on the territory of his kingdom.”
“Shelton, a Disciple of Rugus and a commander of his saboteurs here in Urhon, says that a lot of people in Rugus’s Abode think that Leor IV decided to punish Caer De Bleit in the first place. See for yourself: Carl Tsunter took Ekheim by force, the city that was under the direct protection of the Count of Lier. The counts usually just turn a blind eye on the quarrels between their baronies-vassals. And the barons don’t dare argue with their suzerains. But Tsunter dared. None of the other barons of the County disobeyed him openly. And that meant that Carl had another patron. A very powerful one, against whom the count wouldn’t dare go against. Who, you may ask? It’s logical to assume that it was the suzerain of the count himself — Duke De Bleit. So, it was he who sent people looking for Parts of Zurtarn. Most likely, the king found out about it and organized a small-scale, demonstrative whipping.”
“Small?” I frowned. Berg wasn’t the type of person who would use sarcasm in a conversation. Apparently, I failed to understand something.
“That’s right,” the archer nodded. “Leor IV won’t let the count of Oruel’s troops run freely around Longoria. They’re going to push Caer De Bleit back, wear out his forces a little, trample the lands, and then…” He suddenly stood up, went to his kitbag, and took out a rolled-up map. Spreading it, he put it on the table. It was the first time that I saw a map of the continent. “And then, if the Steppe campaign ends successfully, the king will lead his main troops through the newly gained lands and invade Oruel from the south. It’ll take some time though. Enough for the Pampey Principalities Union,” Berg traced the net of divided lands with his finger, “that’s dying under the pressure of the Decay to make up its mind and finally attack its neighbors. Of course, the Principalities may go crazy and attack the Olte County, but they’ll more likely go south — to the Duchy of Oruel.”
“So there’s a big chance that the Followers of Rugus will be clamped from two sides?”
Berg shook his head. “From three sides,” he corrected and traced the western part of the continent with his finger, where four small kingdoms were situated. “Persecutions against Rugus and his Followers are happening everywhere. Luara, Gnalk, Delme and Kuiron are also attacking Oruel. It looks like their armies are already on the way.”
I scratched my forehead thoughtfully. Well, yes, if these four countries were kingdoms, it’d mean that their kings were Followers of the God of All Kings, Rheingeit, and he apparently wanted to punish Rugus even more than Leor IV wanted to punish Caer De Bleit.
“All that being said and done,” I said, looking Berg in the eyes, “I don’t understand why the Disciples of Rugus decided to make an incursion into the lands of Longoria instead of fortifying the borders of the Duchy of Oruel and holding the fort there.”
The archer nodded like a bobble head, maintaining his most serious expression.
“I asked Shelton about it. ‘To bring the Zurtarn back,’ he said.”
“Berg,” I said, burying my hand in my hair. “What exactly is this Zurtarn thing?”
He shook his head and sighed heavily. “I don’t know.”
We were silent for a while. I supposed we were thinking about the same thing. Just when I was about to return to the conversation, he spoke.
“Actually, that’s why we’re in Urhon. The Shelton group has two tasks. One is to sabotage and make Caer De Bleit fall in the eyes of his vassals and supposed allies. And the second one is to get information about another Part of Zurtarn.”
After that, Berg told me that there was a feast happening in the duke’s castle now. Such events could usually go on for several weeks, but this one would last only for a few days. It had been going for three days already and could end any day now. The haste made Caer De Bleit “experiment” and break the tradition. Neither the war with the Duchy of Oruel, nor the Decay brooked delay. Having realized that he couldn’t expect any help from the king, and seeing that a third of his lands were plagued by the Decayed, he made a small “company party,” in an effort to keep what was left of his power and his troops. Gathering the vassals and celebrating, dubbing a few armor bearers knights, and giving away a couple of small plots of land should’ve been enough to make the feast inspiring. However, the duke raised the stakes, and on top of everything decided to bestow his daughter in marriage, thus attracting even more guests — because the groom hadn’t been chosen yet, and any noble man could try his luck.
They organized everything fast, and doing so cost a lot. But the Followers of Rugus were also worthy of praise. In fact, a huge fist was being clasped here, ready to strike the Duchy of Oruel, or at least slow down its expansion. But the aristocrats were skittish, proud and touchy people. If something went wrong, the strong fist could turn into a feeble palm.
“At first glance, Shelton’s plan seems simple. When the last day of the feast is announced, today or tomorrow, they’ll get into the castle, make a commotion, snatch the duke and pry out of him information about the Part of Zurtarn. They’ll then flee through the portal to Rugus’s Abode. Sounds pretty simple,” Berg chuckled. “However, preparing everything was hard work: finding out the floor plans and guard shifts — with the help of their abilities, the Followers of Rugus, ‘accidently’ bumped into the guards on the streets or in the taverns, and put their own orders in their heads. They had to act carefully. When the feast nears its end, when everyone is drunk and merry, the guards will let Shelton and his people into the castle.”
“It sounds pretty ballsy,” I said with my usual skepticism, stroking my beard. “And what are our tasks?”
“We’ll be covering them,” the archer answered immediately. “If something goes wrong, we’ll help them retreat.”
“Really?” I got surprised. “And what about that ‘for the Zurtarn’ thing?”
“They’re hardly going to retreat before they catch the duke,” Berg said, observing my reaction.
The plan sounded strange and risky. All of Rugus’s previous ventures ended successfully. Then again, he didn’t worry about the lives of his Followers much. Achieving his goal was the only thing that mattered to him. I had an impression that people were just pawns in his game. Expendable. However, he did worry about his Gleam. But Una, although a queen in this game of chess, could be sacrificed, too.
So, what was it then? If the plan fails and Shelton’s group is discovered and attacked, then Berg and I will have to divert everyone’s attention and escape using my Elusive Darkness. And even if all of the Followers of Rugus die, the God of Control would still have achieved his first goal. The authority of Caer De Bleit would be ruined. A ruler, who not only let his enemies sneak into his castle dur
ing a feast, but even managed to let some of them go, was a bad ruler.
The “fist” wouldn’t be guided by power and unity. The supposed allies wouldn’t want to get mixed up with the duke, and some of the vassals might even betray the suzerain.
On the other hand, the same effect could be achieved without any losses on our ally’s side. If I were to memorize the floor plans, I’d be able to get right into the duke’s bedroom with the help of Blind Eye, my upgraded Acrobatics and Twilight Wanderer. Then, after bothering the Old Man, I’d be able to, using Elusive Darkness, take Caer De Bleit with me. I remembered how Berg suffered when our patron was fighting for his body. The pain was equal to torture. I thought that that should be enough to make the duke reveal where to look for the Part. And if the ruler of Urhon was just a common Follower, and not a Disciple, or let alone a Gleam, then he might even become a Disciple of the God of Darkness after that!
But there were two little problems. The first one being that I’d have to use Wanderer in the presence of a Disciple of Rugus, and thus reveal to the God of Control that I could get into the Twilight. And I didn’t want that at all. On the other hand, Aerida knew about it already, and it meant that the other enemy Gods probably knew about it, too. So why should I hide it from our ally then?
The second problem was that the Old Man was in a bad shape. I didn’t want to make him suffer without knowing what the consequences would be.
“Look, who’s De Bleit’s patron?”
“Guer-Shui most likely, the God of Balance.” The archer made a wry face and added: “Lade must’ve served not Tsunter, but De Bleit. It looks like the duke sent his man to look after his new protégé. Lade was the last of us to become close to Mayor Elliot.” He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. “It’s good that you finished him off.”
Chapter 10
Plans and Secrets
