(World of Valdira 01) The Way of the Clan

by Dem Mikhaylov

  Plosefont met me with noise and rave of colors. There were at least two thousand people and all of them were constantly moving from one place to another, Fountains – that the square was named to honor –were seven snow-white marble columns soaring into the sky and emitting streams of whitewater. Having a look at the human mess I even got puzzled wondering where to start looking for information interesting for me. If I take up searching blindfolded, I can stay here till the evening that isn’t actually my plan. While I was scratching my head, a hint unexpectedly came to me – a sharp lad from ‘local’ porters with a wicker bucket on his head jumped out of the crowd and ran into me to almost knock me down as he couldn’t hold back. Keeping his balance with an effort the porter apologized hastily:

  - I’m so sorry, sir! I haven’t seen you.

  - Never mind – I grumbled after making sure that it was really a coincidence and nothing from my personal belongings was stolen.

  The lad was about to run away when I caught his sleeve to stop him.

  - Hey, where can I find story-tellers who praise great heroes, tails about past times and so on?

  - Are you kidding, sir? – the porter stared at me – Anyone with a high-crowned striped cap is a story-teller. He can tell you such a story that you won’t sleep at night.

  - Are there many of them here?

  - Well… I can’t count but I think they amount for six dozens. Or maybe seven!

  - Well… - I drawled sadly puzzled by his answer. How long will it take me to hang out here?

  - Sir, what would you like hear? Truth or a beautiful story?

  - Me? Truth! I can tell beautiful stories myself.

  - Then you should go straight to veela Snesse, sir! She knows everything!

  - Where did you say I should go?

  - To veela Snesse – the porter repeated patiently and nodded at the center of the crowd – This way. Go straight ahead and in about one hundred fifty steps you’ll see tents. Great Snesse’s tent is light blue with a white snake painted over the entrance. Veela Snesse will tell you all the truth if you really want to hear it!

  - Thank you – I nodded with surprise amazed by such a full answer given by an ordinary porter – Why do you know it?

  - I’m her first cousin at one remove – the ‘local’ replied readily but seeing my face becoming long confirmed me hastily - But that’s not the reason I recommend her, sir! She is really a good veela! Others can give you a long song and dance only to take your money! But veela Snesse will either tell you the truth, or keep silence or won’t let you in her tent at all! She’s that kind! She sees everybody through! Trust me, sir – you won’t regret if talk to veela Snesse!

  - Take it – I handed some copper coins to the porter.

  - Thank you, sir, you’re so kind! – the lad got delighted – Oh, I almost forgot! I will give you one tip… Don’t even think of bargaining with veela Snesse! Pay as much as she says! But if you want to have it cheaper, you’d better go to storytellers or other veelas but they lie like hell! Good-bye, sir, take care!

  - Take care! – I shouted at his back.

  Screwing into the crowd I moved forward slowly trying to follow the shown direction. Wild patterns were flickering in front of my eyes, traders’ calls were dinging in my ears but I couldn’t understand what they meant.

  - Take the fifth death curse off! No pain, for only five silver coins!

  - Boiled chicklups! Boiled chicklups on sale!

  - The beginning of chapter five! So he got furious! Fierce hatred was boiling inside him, effusing from his eyes like glowing lava burning at first sight…

  - Handreading! Lines on your virtual palm reflect your fate in real life!

  - Portrait drawing! Very cheap! Almost free!

  - And I cognized the respawn! And it cognized me! I used to be a gracious elf, a stout dwarf, a slimy achilot and a powerful half-orc! But now I’m a human! Since I saw the great…

  - Treasure map on sale! High price!

  Ironically, all these half-mad calls were from gamers, as for rare ‘locals’ they were shaking their heads with puzzlement when similar calls reached their ears. So was I. Although I tried to concentrate on finding the path between counters, stands overwhelming toys, hefty half-orcs that I had to bypass as well as on looking on the ground carefully to notice short dwarves in time. But after all I did it – I reached my destination.

  Tents tightly neighboring each other occupied almost all western corner of Plosefont. All the tents differed from each other. Sizes, shapes, colors and even material – everything was different. Linen, silk, made from hides or felt, the base shape differed from circle to square and even triangle. Multicolored flags were waving over the tents; entrances were decorated with flowers in garlands, leather pieces, beads and other items seemed to be put there by chance. All these constructions looking rather insecure were trembling and swinging in the warm wind.

  The needed tent was in the third row of that giant tent camp. The tent from dense blue textile was squeezed between a big dome-like igloo from sparkling ice and a red tipi. I stopped in front of the skyblue tent to make sure that there was a white snake painted over the curtained entrance – actually it was painted very carelessly like the painter made one brush stroke as he was in a hurry. Surprisingly there was nobody at the tent. City guests and city dwellers were passing by constantly but there was absolutely empty space in front of the tent, no one attempted it. No sign of a line of individuals eager to know their fate or get answers for mystical questions.

  I shrugged my shoulders and stepped in but stopped puzzled at the entrance as there was nothing resembling a door-bell or even a door that I could knock on. I didn’t want to break into without any invitation – it was unlikely to help build up friendly terms.

  A high-pitched female voice sounded inside dispersed my doubts:

  - I won’t know much standing at the doo. Throw off the curtain and come in.

  Very interesting…

  I accepted the invitation, came in and found myself in light blue shade. The first thing my eye caught was a clearly glowing crystal sphere standing on a circle low table in the center of the tent. Only after that I noticed the hostess – veela Snesse resting on a small mat in front of the table. If it were she since I couldn’t see her body covered by blue clothes and her head under a hood. Not frightening but rather enigmatic and obviously typical – yup, semi-darkness, a glowing crystal sphere, a veela hiding her face and surprisingly, a name Snesse perfectly suitable for her profession. I had seen it somewhere before. It looked like the respected veela before taking up predicting had read the book ‘Fortunetelling Basics: How To Create the Right Atmosphere’. Her interior was high-level. I gazed at the veela to make sure she wasn’t a gamer. ‘Local’. Actually I had expected it as the young porter said she was his aunt.

  - Veela Snesse is glad to welcome you, Rosgard.

  - And I’m glad to greet you, veela Snesse – I got into my role fast and showed a short half-bow. I knew that was a pure cooch, it wouldn’t be a good idea to argue though. They are sophisticated – well done! – the nephew’s running around the square and seducing naïve patsies like me into his beloved auntie’s tent, then they share their profit. Brilliant!

  - Erm… dear veela, I’m here to…

  - Wait! – Snesse uttered boss-like and I stoped short – I haven’t decided yet whether to help you or not… let me have a look at you… it’s too complicated, too much fog around it’s hard to find the right way in it…

  Well, Snesse moved on to the second stage – to make a potential client realize that such a kick ass cool veela doesn’t help any Tom, Dick or Harry! And when I start begging her to help, she’ll give a wink about double pay. A pure fraud skillfully performed!

  - Perhaps, a certain amount of money can help you to disperse the fog and see the truth light – I made a broad hint.

  Snesse laughed in a low voice, the crystal sphere flared bright to light for a second the veela’s palms covered with strange s
cab resembling snakeskin or fish-scale.

  - Have you decided that I’m increasing my price? Well… if so… let it be as you wish. My help will cost you all the money in your pocket. And you’ll have to complete one difficult but quite possible assignment for me. Is such a price good enough for you, Rosgard?

  - - Hrmph… I’ll be happy to give you all five silver coins for your help that by a twist of fate and due to gods’ kindness emerged in the hands of such a poor man as I am.

  - You’ll give me eight gold and fourteen silver coins. This exact amount is at your hand now. That’s my final price. No use to bargain, noble Rosgard, I don’t like it! And don’t forget about the assignment that you’ll take up after our talk.

  Well… the veela is likely to know what is inside my sack. No doubt. Bu shall I give her all my cash? In exchange for what? For a couple of hand gestures above the crystal sphere and misty prediction? No way.

  - No doubt, your gift is very powerful, veela Snesse – I bowed again and without unbending my back stepped to the exit – But to leave all my cash here…

  - Grim the Inconsolable and his silver legend…

  - …is what I’m going to do right now – I finished my phrase fast and stepped forward. – Where can I si down and what shall I look at, great Snesse? Oh, yes, I obviously can see something in this magic sphere! Is it…

  - Stand where you are, Rosgard. And I don’t need the sphere to see the answers you’re looking for. Shall we make up an agreement? All your money and my assignment completed? Is it a deal?

  - It’s a deal! – I replied without thinking – I’ll do what you ask me to do, veela Snesse and give you the money right now.

  I felt like diving into dark deep water. But since Snesse mentioned Silver legend before I started speaking about the question torturing me, it’s clear that she ‘reads’ the quests I obtained without any difficulty.

  - Here you are – a small handful of coins clanked on the edge of the table and I became a skint bum without a cent again.

  - There is a small village called Mossy Hills. It will take you two days to reach it. Find an old man Joglie, a former fisherman, retired now, he’s living with his son and daughter-in-law. Talk to Joglie, inquire him properly and you’ll receive a part of answers to your questions. Did you remember my words, Rosgard?

  - Yes, I did – I nodded impatiently – Mossy Hills, an old fisherman Joglie, inquire him. Tell me more, oh the greatest of the greatest!

  - That’s all I can tell you. There is nothing more I can say.

  - Is that all?! – being astonished I stared at Snesse sitting still – Nothing more?

  - Too much time flew away since then – the veela responded in a low voice – Mortal life is so short… Hurry up, Rosgard – old Joglie is also a mortal. Shall he die and perhaps the last string leading to the silver legend will be cut off. But now listen to my assignment. It will take you five days to walk from Mossy Hills to an old almost impassable ooze-filled bog. Find a hut lost long time ago in the very heart of the bog. That’s my assignment – you must burn it to the ground!

  You’ve got a quest ‘Burning Past!’

  Set off to the bog Ravendark, reach its center and burn down the old lost hut.

  Minimum requirements to complete the quest: to burn down the hut.

  Award: 1200 experience points.

  - There is nothing I can add – Snesse murmured – Good-bye, Rosgard.

  An invisible air wave pressed my chest, my feet got separated from the floor and I was turned around and brought out of the tent into busy Plosefont. I shook my head wildly and cried out ‘Wait!’ while turning back to the tent and got frozen as there was no sign of a blue tent. Only a completely empty square site, where the wind was playing with some dropped leaves. The tent with the veela inside had disappeared. What’s happening?!

  After standing with my jaw fallen open with astonishment for a while, I finally came to my senses, threw the sack over my shoulder and hurried up to leave Seven Fountains Square. I mustn’t waste my time on unnecessary questions. Once the tent disappeared, it happened for a reason.

  First of all I have to get a little money to buy some gear for beginning, a pair of combat potions and level up. I can get one spell free as soon as I join a guild, but I’m not going there now because all the guilds are situated on the opposite side of the city as well as shops. Ok, then I can visit them on my way back from the first expedition in search of experience and loot. But right at the moment I must hurry up to go hunting. The faster I do what I planned to do, the sooner I hit a long road to Mossy Hills.

  A thornbush grown from the ground hugged a yelling piglet and I swore like hell looking around in haste. Bloody pork! What hell are you screaming?! If the piglet’s mom hears its yelp, I’ll have to run away for all one is worth. While I was looking back, the thornbush disappeared and the mob dashed to me, moving its sharp hoofs briskly. But I had expected it and guessed the proper moment to move my right hand and to set another bush on the piglet’s way. An ear-piercing yell again, I dashed from the place I was standing on and in two leaps I reached the victim to land some hits targeting its head. Its yell suddenly broke off and I became the owner of experience, swine skin and two pieces of fat pork.

  The experience gained was especially useful, I’ll level up after one more similar fight and I was happy about that fact. To be absolutely happy I needed only one thing – to choose a safer location for hunting.

  Remembering my combat past, I chose a cozy location on the hill top of a small piny wood for hunting. That place was beneficial because of many reasons. Local mobs belonged to the levels from ten to twenty and, importantly, they never attacked first. The ground was covered by wavy grass as high as an adult’s knee, there were some healing plants and mushrooms hiding in its thick. There were also plenty of living creatures – woodchucks playing in the grass, lazy badgers, voles, nests full of speckled eggs and birds. There was a vibrant crystal pure stream brawling nearby. All in all that was a haven for hunters. Other gamers wandering around couldn’t spoil my positive mood. They had their own business, I had mine. Besides, I knew that a careful mom – a wild boar of level twenty – was strolling nearby. She didn’t like the guys who dared hurt her young ones. I had already seen it from distance – its humpback had flickered behind the furthest hill. I had also seen how fast it finished off one of the gamers. I had learnt a lot watching their touch-and-go battle. That beast could run very quickly, knock down its enemy easily and had a significant health capacity. So it would be unreasonable to hurt that swine. Woodchucks and piglets would be quite enough for me so far. Soon mice and birds got to know my staff and a thornbush. Nice… Both practice and experience.

  Having hidden my loot in the sack, I looked around to find another mob when I noticed some movement a few dozens of step away from me. I peered to distinguish three high shapes moving in zigzags through high grass. Gamers. A half-orc, a she-elf and a human. It appeared that they were in one party and acted very skillfully. A half-orc who was the forward in their party ran into a badger wandering in the grass and immediately landed a short hit on it. Then put his shield forward to protect himself against the mob’s attack while his partners stepped aside to opposite sides. The she-elf started releasing arrows one by one, while a human gamer raised his hand abruptly to cast his throwing knife into the mob. When the badger drew his last breath, the trio moved on looking for a new enemy. I even envied them. How fast they worked!

  I signed, threw the last glance at the approaching gamers and was about to turn around when an alarming red message flashed in front of my eyes:

  Attention!

  Enemy is near! Character: Dort Viderrr!

  At the same time I noticed that the human gamer that used to be laid-back, suddenly tightened, started turning his head around and finally fixed his eyes on me. An excited scream tore off the air and Dort Viderrr dashed towards me. So did his partners. There were about twenty steps between us, when the system highlighted their nicknames co
lored scarlet red. Aggrs! Together with the dark jedi that I had left once as a good meal for rats. Holy shit!

  In a moment I was running burning the earth hurried by excited screams of the drive-beaters, Dort Viderrr’s triumphant shout was the most prominent:

  - I caught you! Run, Rosgard, run!

  Neither answering nor looking back I was almost flying hardly touching the grass controlling my fatigue indicator becoming more yellow with each step. That was my main trouble so far. Fatigue. I was afraid to burn out soon and stop. The success of a pursuit depends on stamina – the higher stamina level the longer distance you can run. I ignored the she-elf from the very beginning. I doubted that she had distributed many points into her stamina attribute rather into agility and strength. Jedi Dort the knife-thrower must have done the same And had sacrificed his health level in sake for additional hit. My stamina was a bit over ten, I supposed they had less. In such conditions I had a chance. In the worst scenario for me we would halt simultaneously. But I was really afraid of the half-ork – the tank. A tank is a tank, a living wall absorbing all the enemy’s hits, that’s why health level is crucial for it. I only hoped that the gamer was playing the part of defender temporarily and the stamina wasn’t his dominating attribute. Plus some gear bonuses… but who knows those bonuses…

  Zing. An arrow buzzed on my left. Bloody she-elf… The she-elf with a bow dressed in a bright turquoise cloak of the tournament participant waving in the ai.