The Way of the Clan 3 (World of Valdira)

by Dem Mikhaylov

  So it is a tricky choice, a pet… it is extremely important and a huge responsibility…. hmph… and as always… I didn’t choose anything.

  Tyrant literally fell on my head. Sort of like the arrival of a package, receive and sign. A search for information had been useless— a unique pet of legendary class. No one player had ever had it before. The wolf was unique. As it turns out, I bought a big in a poke. Meaning, a cub in a bag. The devil knows what characteristics he will acquire in development, or what skills he will have. I don’t even know how much he will grow. He may turn out to be a giant beast when he grows up, and maybe will remain an ordinary looking wolf, no taller or shorter than any other. But it’s obvious that my pet’s development is quite steep. Steeper are only the mountains… and butterflies…

  He is also a lazy coward, and isn’t eager to work hard and strive to please his beloved master!

  Goddamn hairy Tamagotchi!

  After each murdered butterfly, Tyrant dragged me his sparse trophies and strove to get into his nest. Every time he was dejected when I motioned for him to trot to his next target, and he did so, displeased. Not a legendary wolf but the usual yard terrier with accidental markings… But that’s okay…the puppy was a puppy. Probably the creators of Valdira had decided that if a tiny “newborn” cub was like the terminator, and immediately began to smite all living creatures, that would be a bit strange. Therefore, in the early days, the cub was to grow rapidly— at an incredible rate— and whine, fool around and frolic, and so forth. And then only gradually become a formidable beast. Anyway— I very much hoped for this.

  Congratulations!

  Your pet has reached the next level!

  Oh, thank the heavens…

  To achieve the third level, Tyrant had to nail a couple of dozen insects. I stared curiously at the increased performance bar of my pet— the numbers on the life display reached 40 points, but the power indicator remained at zero.

  No unique skills for Tyrant, but this was understandable… the first skill set was to appear only in pets of the 20th level.

  My blissful spell of doing nothing and thinking about the future of my pet was violated in the most unceremonious way.

  It was an incoming message. From a character already known to me— Chloe Tierra, damn her…

  “Hello! Rosgard! Where are you now?! I have so many questions!”

  Hm…

  Thinking for a minute, I set Tyrant upon a lazily humming bumblebee and with a steady hand put Chloe in the blacklist.

  Don’t need all your indiscreet questions. I’m a shy guy, not accustomed to talking about erotic dramas…

  It wasn’t long before another message came in. With this sender, I was not acquainted. Some Ron Scrivener.

  “Hello dear Rosgard! I own quite a well-known and popular blog network. I would be very happy to interview you about the recent developments with Lizanna the Ravishing. If you report your location, I will personally…”

  Now the fame is coming to me… Damn!Not having read the message, I put my comrade Scrivener in the “ignore” list. Where he belongs.

  Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, six messages came in at once. Throwing up a little, I deleted them without reading; there were no familiar addresses among them. All of them sent to the blacklist.

  Here I had to become too distracted from the analysis of the “correspondence”— there was a squeal and, putting his tail between his legs, Tyrant rushed to me, closely followed by an angrily buzzing bumblebee.

  -- You striped little bastard! – I yelled, activating “flaming coal.” A gentle flash, and the bumblebee turned to coal and scattered in a cloud of ash.

  -- Good for nothing!— I snapped at my cowardly assistant— Only stung you a couple of times! You could’ve just gnawed him!

  -- Oo-oo-oo!— Tyrant did not agree with me, his whole appearance indicating the terror that the fat bumblebee had inflicted.

  -- Go catch some butterflies! – I unleashed the puppy on the next insects, having healed him a little.

  How true it was… that’s what they sent me here for. Go to the farm, catch some butterflies.

  Another notification. Don’t they have anything else to do?! I was already reaching to remove the icon, when I discovered a strange letter from an unknown player, but with a strange subject: “From the Claw.” Familiar nickname. Let’s see, what are they writing?...

  “Ros! It’s the Claw! What the hell are you ignoring me for?! Comeon, take me off blacklist!”

  He asked the clan to write me from his name? But why not write himself? Oh… Right… I had blocked Vlas when he wrote me something about Kira. Back in the old days when I was fighting the werewolf Grim. Well… I’ll pull him from the blacklist them. And, what next?

  Then I did not have to wait long for a new message coming directly from Vlas.

  “Hey! Where are you?!”

  Scratching my head, I sent an unintelligible answer…

  “Hmm…”

  Tyrant killed another butterfly, when another message popped up:

  “What are you hmming about, idiot?! I asked where are you?!”

  “Why do you wanna know?”

  “Ros! Do not wake the beast in me!”

  Letting out another sigh— this time bitter— I replied:

  “Apple Grove Farm. Near the marshes of Ravendark. Steps from the rebirth location, just behind the steps, by the hill.”

  “One min!”

  -- Huh— I muttered, looking at Tyrant, and shrugging my shoulders— And that’s how it goes. And you, don’t get distracted! Keep biting!

  --RR-rr-rr! – the cub shook his head, and ran on to the next victim. Soon the little parasite will have attained the fourth level. Then he might be able to munch through a bumblebee.

  Meanwhile, I put my willingness to accept messages to none. No one at all. The recipient is temporarily unavailable. I had no desire to meet gamer friends, neither to meet Lizanna’s fans nor to conduct any interviews.

  Interesting, what did Vlas want? Maybe another assignment? If so, then I would immediately decline. Too much work to do. Let them solve their own problems. And I have grown tired of playing the scapegoat.

  My old friend did not make me wait. Less than five minutes later, I heard a heavy stamping, and then the cracking fence and the bitter cry of the farm owner:

  -- Where are you going?! You knocked the entire fence over!

  -- Sorry, boss! – Boomed the newcomer confidently— Here’s a dozen gold pieces.

  -- Oh thank you, good man! – joyfully wailed the farmer. Do you know that I’m selling footwear? You can go on the swamp water and not sink. Hm?! For such a man as you I won’t regret it!

  -- Oh what a bitch! – I jumped.

  -- Yourself!— roared the player— Confess! Was it you who snogged her?!

  -- You chose the expression yourself! – I growled, looking at the colorful character.

  A man, of the 222nd level, blond, burly and in powerful armor with a shield behind and a rich sword in his belt sheath. On the left cheek, a long curved scar. Overhead hovered a green nickname: Grey Claw. Same old Vlas. A powerful guy, I could say nothing. And expensive.

  -- Ros! Well, it’s because you’ve done it! The whole forum is buzzing!

  -- But what the hell have I done, though?!

  -- You snogged Liza!?

  -- Aye— I confessed— I admit it. So what?

  -- Ohhh.. if you only knew how jealous I am right now! – howled Vlas, flopping on the ground next to me— No, really, do you know?!

  -- Listen, have you lost it too about this damn Lizanna?!— I couldn’t restrain myself— Vlas, certainly I did not expect this from you, I swear! A healthy man, no shortage with broads. She is not even real!

  -- How to make you understand! She… she’s a fairy tale, you know?

  -- Don’t tell me you came all this way to ask just one question about this NSFW erotic tale, spent a whole teleportation scroll!

  -- Mhm… you’re a lucky
guy, Ros.

  -- Hm… I don’t know what to say – I chuckled and ordered— Tyrant! Stop dilly-dallying! Get the one over there, the one waving her wings too brazenly.

  -- Are you gonna release the record? – eagerly asked Vlas, fairly puzzling me with this question.

  -- What record?

  -- The one! The view from your goddamn arrogant eyes! You probably wrote it down, right, how she came over to you, embraced you, kissed you! Yes? Have you recorded it?

  -- No. Not recorded. And… move away from me a bit.

  -- What do you mean you didn’t write it?! What do you mean move away?

  -- What if someone passes by and thinks that I’m just like you— I said and, seeing how Vlas tightened his fist, quickly added— Not good to be an Aggr! And beat little ones, either!

  If someone punches me with the force of two hundred levels or more, I would not get off well. Would fly straight away.

  -- Bastard… you are really such a bastard after all! – seethed Vlas— How in the world did this happen, anyway? The kiss?

  -- Accidentally – I answered honestly, and then began to lie— They got me at the exit of the hotel, offered a chance to make a bit of gold, and I agreed. That was the deal— knock about a bit in the crowd, get a kiss, and fly to prison. And with pockets no longer empty. One time work, a single payment, that was all.

  -- Why didn’t I come out of the hotel at that time! Eh…

  -- What were you doing?

  -- Chasing mountain trolls aboard Lapta— waved Vlas— They run, and I throw explosive potions on their heads. Explosions, smoke funnels. Nothing interesting in general.

  -- Um…-- I mumbled vaguely- truly, what’s interesting about that?

  -- And what’s this ragged mutt that’s running around here?

  -- Not a mutt but a wolf! – said I, offended— My pet. Just sitting here, training it…

  -- You got a pet? That’s good. A pet is always needed— nodded the Claw, peering at the wolf, who was carelessly chasing a butterfly— And why a wolf? He’s not better than a reindeer…and a black and white one… come on… one of the 16 great beasts of Valdira… Hum… I don’t get something. One more time…

  Vlas peered at him a little more closely and then started to talk again:

  -- Legendary… one of the sixteen great beasts of Valdira. Still I don’t get it… one more time… one of the sixteen… great beasts… Fuck!!!

  -- Yeah— I could not agree more and forcibly removed my boastful smile. I could not, and my face smugly radiated contentment. Now I know how owners of prized horses feel.

  -- What do you mean “yeah”? This is a legendary pet!

  And now should follow the logical question. Vlas did not disappoint.

  Staring at me, his eyes piercing, he asked hoarsely:

  -- Where? Where did you get it?

  -- Accidentally— I shrugged— even, unexpectedly. Can’t say much else. What’s the point of talking anyway? This is not some recurring quest to weed the garden of some weak-sighted granny. In general, a clean and pleasant coincidence.

  -- Huh?! By accident you kissed a superstar, accidentally received a legendary pet… do you believe it yourself?

  -- No damnit! – I could not contain myself— On purpose! Uhuh! The director got down on his knees and begged me to do it! Kiss Lizanna, please do it! Like that?! I’m telling you— by accident. I did not expect it myself.

  -- Who even knows, with you…! You carried out two of my dreams today! And got a mega pet and kicked it with a star!

  -- Envy is a terrible thing, Vlas— I said didactically, and turned to the wolf— Tyrant, do not listen to the bad uncle. Eat your butterflies. Fetch!

  -- On the other hand— said Claw thoughtfully— On the other hand… I envy you and feel bad for you at the same time. And some of it I don’t understand…

  -- And why is that?

  -- You’re not catching on yourself? Because you’re a jerk! Lizanna I understand— you kissed her, ok. But the wolf cub… do you even realize what it takes to get such a unique pet? Just weird as hell.

  -- What’s weird to you? – I asked, surprised, though I already knew what he was talking about.

  -- The strange thing is that a man living almost in the slums would abandon a whole bunch of money! You let that puppy go down in the auction— you’ll be rich. That’s strange, Ros! Behaving like a millionaire! Although… although you’ve never cared about money, I’m gonna give that to you— Vlas answered himself— But, big money…

  -- Or maybe you became strange, Vlas? Hm? – I muttered darkly, rising to my feet.

  -- A righteous assumption— sneered Vlas.

  -- I finished the job Gosha assigned to me. I received the money. Now I just play to get a buzz. I’ve created a break for myself, before looking for another job. Soul rest, you know? And here you are with your clan or sea birds, it seems, having gone completely nuts over money. Making everything about money. The cost of the wolf already calculated. And even my price calculated. Right, Vlas?

  -- Hey… what are you going on about?

  -- Well, of course— I pulled my lips into a bitter smile— Throw me to die in a cool dark place, and then be surprised— what are you offended by? Why’d you bring poor Kira to tears? They paid you the same! Here’s some money, and nothing to cry about. Right, Vlas?

  -- I have nothing to do with affairs, you know that already! Stop talking bullshit, Ros!

  -- I know— I nodded, and shook my head sharply— It’s just— I’m sorry, Vlas. No offense— I just broke. You know, it’s just a game, but at that moment I nearly went insane. Got me so bad, couldn’t keep going. Alright!

  -- Alright?

  -- I’ll go. I’m overwhelmed with work here— I threw up my hands— spinning like a squirrel in a wheel.

  -- I thought you’re on vacation!

  -- Holidays can be different— I snorted— Some like the azure beaches, and I have a rotten swamp.

  -- Quest?

  -- Uhuh. Quest. I’m gonna go.

  -- Alright run, playboy with a legendary beast! – said Vlas rudely— Oh! Wait, do not run!

  -- I’m still standing.

  -- Then stand! The statuette! Where’d you put it?

  -- What statuette?

  -- The usual one! As reported by the competent authorities, such pets have collectible figurines attached!

  --Authorities? … Stop. Are you saying you already blabbed to everyone about my wolf?

  -- Not to everyone, but only some— said Vlas— the managing director only… And anyway, you can’t conceal it forever. A black and white wolf, a very particular description. What’s the sense in concealing it Ros? You cannot hide it. Anyone can see it and say something … myself, for example. Soon everyone in Valdira will know about your Tyrant and be fiercely jealous.

  -- That is true— I agreed— Well… I’m gonna go!

  -- No no no! Ros! Do a good deed for your friends in the clan…

  -- I will not gift it!— I snapped.

  -- But…

  -- You said it yourself— I’m behaving like a millionaire. So I decided to make amends— I’ll set the statuette on auction for real money. If you wish— buy it then.

  -- Ugh— the Claw winced— No compassion for a friend in trouble…

  -- Where have you learned to speak like that? – I was surprised to the core.

  -- Where, where… sell the statuette!

  -- I already said…

  -- Sell it straight! Without the auction! For “real”… yes, I’ve already blown it!

  -- Huh?!

  -- I’m not talking to you! The manager is just excited! I do not have time to read the messages! Tell him, what the offer is, let’s think about this and take into account these tendencies! By the way— he wrote that he could not get through to you. Are you ignoring all of Valdira? Or have you blocked him?

  -- I put a block in. Vlas, I’m not up for trading right now. I’m telling you— things to do.

  -- Ro
s, if you leave now, the whole clan is going to have it out with me! And if you put the statue up for auction— I will just be hung on the castle flagpole! Because I did not convince you! You wouldn’t do that would you?! Right? Right?!

  -- Tyrant, go— I ordered, and walked with an unhurried gait into the veil of fog. Vlas trotted behind me, not forgetting to moan plaintively. He also assumed a pained expression which, on his brutal face, was not an easy feat.

  An interesting procession it was— myself walking ahead, after the skipping of the lop-eared puppy and the stomping steel-clad high level player walking after me, whining tediously:

  -- Sell! Sell! Sell! What’s it gonna cost you?

  -- Vlas, shut up! Are you going to follow me for long like this? Piss off and… I don’t know, hunt some trolls!

  -- I am your shadow, I am the phantom of your opera! – came Vlas’ sepulchral voice.

  -- What?!

  -- In short, Ros, I admit— my job is to keep you here. And soon the barterer will arrive ready to bargain with you, right here in the swamp. Right here in the marsh, if you would have it so. If anything— this is where you’ll be buried— ominously promised Vlas.

  -- Tyrant!

  -- Ruff?

  -- Come on!

  -- Rr-uff!

  -- Wait! Where are you running, you?! I’m going to shoot! Rooosss! – he yelled and then, recollecting himself, sprinted after me and easily caught up— What am I… you can’t escape from me! I’m better! And have more endurance! I also have running shoes! And you have what?

  -- I have some teleportation scrolls— I meekly confessed— I got them from you, as it seems.

  -- Ros, I’m asking you as a friend— don’t do this! I’ll be done for!

  -- Why the hell do you want this trinket? The chances of collecting all sixteen are pretty much zero.

  -- I have no idea! I don’t know the commercial details. What’s the difference to you, whom to sell it to?