The Way of the Clan 6: World of Valdira

by Dem Mikhaylov

  If you make a composite of everything I presented myself as: I was a “well mannered, humble, generous and rich man in the prime of his life, accompanied by a lovely young bride, travelling to the most beautiful places in the Lake District to enjoy the views.”

  When they asked what I do for a living, I told about my large inheritance, and that I collected legends about mythical creatures living in the Lake Naykal.

  I asked if anyone heard about the monster called the “Bog Nessie,” named so for its passion for devouring bog creatures whole. The mouth so big, it could swallow them easily. The contours similar to a fish, and some say— to a giant pike…

  Everyone shook their heads in unison, looking at the glimmering lake with bulging eyes. Better not frighten the locals…

  The mayor, with my permission, took Kira under the arm and led her to a large canopy in the square. There were several tables covered with white cloth. Once we were seated, the mayor pushed a porcelain dish towards us and, kissing the tips of his fingers, said:

  “The Frog Filet!”

  The dish was a half-meter frog lying on his back, his paws outstretched— there were flowers under his head. In his own tiny hands, the amphibian held what seemed to look like his own eyes. Hell… I was surely in some kind of French town…

  “Just fantastic,” I smiled sympathetically, pushing the dish towards Kira. “Help yourself dear. We cannot reject such a dish from this beautiful city. Begin with the eye… if you manage to unclench the fingers…”

  “Ros… Ros…” Kira whined softly.

  “Let’s drink!” I was given a hefty wine glass with a thin stalk.

  The wine filled it to the brim— some of it even splashed onto the tablecloth, but no one paid any notice.

  “Let’s drink,” I agreed. “To this great city!”

  “To the city!” Came the response, along with the clinking of glasses and gurgle of wine.

  That was how we carried forth for half an hour.

  I drank a lot of wine. Some special kind. The penalties on mobility didn’t bother be— it was only a slight wiggle. I said about five toasts, and Kira phrased her own elaborately. By the way, she did eat the frog eyes…

  In the end, I assured the mayor that I thought it was very sad that the ancient temple lay in ruin. I hinted that I was ready to open my purse, but first, wanted to know in detail about the deity the temple belonged to. Who knew if it was a dark and evil one. I didn’t want to be a sinner…

  The mayor understood everything and assured me that it was a light god, so light that it pained the eyes. I let him know that I was ready to begin a conversation, but only after the opening of the big fishing competition, since I had to perform all of the necessary formalities soon. But I would donate some of the money now— for good luck in the contest. Maybe the gods would bless us…

  Strogus immediately put ten bags of money on the table in front of the mayor.

  “A trifle,” I said, smiling shyly. “A thousand gold sacrificed to this bright deity. I ask for good luck. The restoration of the temple will go as planned. And I also seek blessings for myself and my fiancée.”

  The mayor’s eyes bulged. It was a miracle they remained in their sockets. His fingers drummed on the table, and boots knocked on the stone pavement.

  A clear symptom of a disease called greed.

  “I also want to know if there might be a room here for a league… to rent out for a while… maybe a small house in the center somewhere. It’s so nice and peaceful here. I want to stay forever…”

  The mayor instantly agreed. I was immediately assured that the best available space in Tishka would be at my disposal. And I could look at it as soon as I wished.

  “Thank you,” I bowed my head. “Your help is beyond all praise.”

  And I laid down another three bags of gold in front of the mayor.

  “A small gift,” I explained. “For the expenses of the city council. And this… this is a gift from me, personally.”

  Taking off a golden ruby ring from my finger, I gave it to the mayor.

  “I-I,” stuttered the mayor. “I…”

  “You are very good at guiding this city,” I smiled again for the thousandth time. “Excuse me. I need to refresh myself.”

  Exchanging glances with Kira, I walked away, and the butler stepped towards me instantly.

  “Strogus,” I sighed. “Tell me, is it possible to hire you permanently?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “Then consider yourself employed. Please take care of all the formalities,” I said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I also plan to buy that quiet house. The one with ten rooms. In addition, I wish to buy the limo that brought us here. And to hire all the servants and guards— of course, if they agree to it.”

  “Yes, sir. They will be very grateful.”

  “The house must be very well protected. Its permanent residents will be me, my fiancée and my daughter.”

  “Daughter? I’m sorry, but…”

  “Perhaps, I’ll introduce you today,” I reassured the butler. “And now, Strogus, your main duty will be to provide her security. This will also be the job of a few of the Deciduous Dawn soldiers. After all, they are atheists, right?”

  “Oh yes, sir Rosgard. They believe only in the forest.”

  “Fine. So buy the house with the garden. Strogus, I ask that you complete this today. Time doesn’t wait. And neither does my daughter. It’s high time she attend school…”

  “Everything will be done, sir. The servants and guards are in your service as of today. I will give you all the documents to sign in three hours. Do you wish to also buy the postal hawk?”

  “Yes.”

  “Alright. Then in two hours, all the documents will be ready. Gold…”

  “I’ll give it,” I promised. “But in precious stones. You’ll have to exchange them.”

  “Not a problem, sir. You were interested in the temple…”

  “Yes. Is it a light temple?”

  “Yes, and more. But services haven’t been going on in that temple for a while. It was abandoned. There hasn’t been a deity there in a century.”

  “The temple will be rebuilt.”

  “They say that it was cursed, sir…”

  “Hm…”

  “In ancient times there was a pagan settlement here. They prayed to no other gods. When the current rulers seized the lake district, they destroyed a lot. And they built the temple on the ruins of another sanctuary. And that was the result…”

  “Damn it…”

  “We didn’t find this out until recently. When the builders decided to clear the old ruins, they moved a lot of earth and stone. And then they saw the entrance to an underground temple below it. And then the builders began to disappear, sir…”

  “Trouble…”

  “The city gathered volunteers. But even though the city is not poor, the local mayor…”

  “Greedy,” I chuckled. “He’s a miser. And would rather die than release a gold coin from his clutches. And then?”

  “There weren’t many volunteers. When they went inside, they didn’t return. The corridors there are narrow. You can hardly turn. And after a dozen dead adventurers, no one wants to go. The builders won’t take up their shovels. Construction costs money. The fundraising continues. But the mayor holds to his money and doesn’t share. If this keeps going, the builders will leave too.”

  “Listen,” I made a decision. “I’ll pay for the adventurers to go. Find out what the reward is and increase it threefold. We will choose the worthiest.”

  “Right now there is only one, sir.”

  “Then offer the reward to him.”

  “As you wish. But dare I say, he looks a little…”

  “What?”

  “He is a thief,” decided the butler, contemptuously wrinkling his nose. “I’m sure of it. I saw it. All wrapped in a dark cloth. And he doesn’t just walk around… he darts! He darts around the city, sniffing, muttering
something… and there is a pet with him… a pool of jelly that consumes everything. He darts around, and the pet crawls behind him…”

  “Um… is he a foreigner? He who darts around the city…”

  “Yes,” said Strogus immediately. “Exactly. As you are, sir. But you are different! And he… he is…”

  “I’d like to take a look at him,” I said thoughtfully.

  “Easily, sir. I saw him a moment ago across the street where he was trying to tear some tiles off of the stone wall… vandal!”

  “Duly notes,” I smiled. “Show me the adventurer.”

  “As you wish, Rosgard,” the butler sighed. “Eh… different times, these are, quite different…”

  I was again glad of my recent acquisition. Strogus seemed to know exactly what was good and what was bad.

  Thieves have to sit in jail!

  And this kind of stream of thought indicated that Strogus had no qualms with me. That’s good— I couldn’t have found a better educator for my daughter.

  Why was an educator necessary?

  Because I certainly wasn’t going to give my daughter to the first temple I found. I wasn’t going to visit her once in a blue moon. Hell no! She will grow up to be a normal daughter. If she is to be a goddess— excellent. If not— even better! I only need her to grow into a decent person, to marry a good guy. I was planning to be the quintessential overprotective father.

  It was a joke, of course— but every joke is only funny because it’s true.

  I had concocted the plan in a matter of hours. The idea was born when I heard about the ruined temple. I would sacrifice a large amount of money to restore the temple, in order to assure that the priests would give my daughter the highest consideration.

  Simple, huh?

  But not everyone around my daughter would be well-intentioned. Some influences would certainly be dangerous. And therefore, it would be necessary to get the mayor on my side.

  I must lure him in slowly, and turn him into my own personal goldfish— fulfilling my desires and forgetting everything after three seconds.

  The other important part of my plan— my personal team. And it began with Strogus and the servants selected by him. Later, I would add more soldiers to this team. The next part of my plan was traditional— my house would be my stronghold! I would buy one of the townhouses and convert it into a well-protected castle. I would need help with this part of the plan. Damn… time was running out… the plan had come to me at the most inopportune time. Exactly when I had no time left.

  “He left!” Said the butler with dismay. “And the plaque is gone! There was a brass plate here with the coat of arms on it! An intricate one, lettering like a maze… And the inscription reading something like “Tantor” or “Tantar!” There was a tablet, I swear it! He stole it! How are people going to find their way now? They will get lost! And who is to blame? This thief! Fie on him!”

  “We need to find him,” I sighed. “And fast. When you find him— immediately assign the thieving stranger to the task.”

  “Your kindness is too great, sir… Maybe we should knock on the door and inform the guests of the thievery?”

  “We didn’t see him,” I didn’t agree— and Strogus pursed his lips and nodded reluctantly:

  “Didn’t see. And we cannot speak without certainty. Your order will be executed. From Rosgard the Glorious, correct? And the details? The reward amount?”

  “Hm… from… um… the mysterious benefactor of Tishka. The task details: penetrate the catacombs beneath the ruined ancient temple and find the cause of disappearance of the builders. Once the cause is found— to eliminate it. If the builders are alive— to bring them to the surface. For the salvation of each builder— an extra ten percent of the total award. The reward amount— if the hero takes on the project now— five times the award the city is offering. If he begins tomorrow— triple. But Strogus, it’s better if he begins today.”

  “Yes, sit. We will have him go down today… heh. And if this rogue shall request and advance? Shall I spit in his face?”

  “Give an advance,” I shook my head. “A fifth. And hint that if the order will be carried out quickly, there will be more of a reward at my discretion.”

  “Very good. And if he takes the advance, and doesn’t begin the job?”

  “If he takes it and doesn’t begin in twenty-four hours— tell the local guard.”

  “Excellent solution, sir! And even if he completes the job, we shall give him to the guard— that will teach him!”

  “It’s only important that he does take it on,” I said. “And also… send a servant to the local cartographer right away. I need a detailed map of the city.”

  “Here you are, sir,” a thin scroll of parchment was placed in my hand. “I gave such an order ahead of time, when I heard your conversation with the mayor. This is the best existing map. It marks out the empty land in the city.”

  “Thank you!” I said with appreciation.

  “With your permission, I’ll go find the rascal and give him instructions. And then I’ll begin preparing provisions and refreshments, and lead your fishermen to the vehicle. They are eager to meet their benefactor.”

  “Good, Strogus. Recruit as many fishermen as possible— we still have to fill out a few teams. I will not claim that it will be a victory, but we shall participate with merit.”

  “In order not to damage reputation,” the servant nodded. “Will there be more orders?”

  “I would like to talk to my fiancée. Please try to discreetly call her over.”

  “Consider it done. But less than an hour is left before the ceremony, sir. And you need to change for the occasion, as well as your bride.”

  “Mhm,” I nodded resignedly. “We’ll change…”

  Strogus, straight as a spear, retired quickly, and I unrolled my map on the first available table, pushing the wine glasses and bottles to the side. I peered into the arrays of color coded houses, and almost immediately found the ruins of the temple at the center of the city. Then I knew exactly where to look for my new home.

  “Sweetheart,” I linked arms with Kira, who had just come up to me. “We are off to see a house. Time to acquire some real estate.”

  “Ros, don’t you wanna slow down a bit?” Trouble stared in surprise. “You’re just like a meteor. Fast and unpredictable...”

  “Circumstantial,” I shrugged, “Let’s go? Or are you craving conversations with the mayor and fried frog filet?”

  “Thank you, no. Let’s look at the house…”

  And we went on a trip down the narrow city streets. We had a good old time, walking with glasses of wine, tearing fruit from low branches. Behind us our servants carried the bottle of wine and some napkins.

  So this is how the rich live…

  We found the place quickly. And we stared at the vegetable kingdom that reigned behind the tall fence. There was a barely discernable two story building above it— and a chimney on the roof, where sat a couple of unknown birds. The garden had grown to the state of an impenetrable thicket.

  “What do you think?” I asked, after a pause.

  “Well… if you have an ax, a saw, and clippers… then I can see the house and give you my honest opinion,” snorted Kira.

  “I think it’s great!” I concluded. “We have a solution!”

  “For what?”

  “We will raise our daughter here, my dear! Ahem…”

  “Explain, please!”

  “A bit later, Kira,” I promised. “At lunch in the real world. Don’t expect fried frog from me. We’ll have hot soup and talk about this daughter business. But right now I need a dwarf… a really hard working and reliable gnome!”

  “For what?”

  “To make a passage,” I said shortly. “An underground passage leading directly from the house and under the city park, straight to the ruins of the temple. Not necessarily a dwarf, of course, but they have to be able to dig. Is there one of these around?”

  “A player or a lo
cal?”

  “Local,” I replied without hesitation. “A player will talk, or try to blackmail. It’s an underground passage! A secret one! So what we need is a local gnome, who lives as far as possible from here. You can also kill the digger right after he gets it done… quick and painless…”

  “Ros!”

  “What? By all the laws of the genre…”

  “Come on now! We can’t kill gnomes just because! And what is the passage for?”

  “A safe path into the temple school,” I said. “The daughter will live here, and learn there. Oh! I almost forgot, damn it! The most important thing!”

  “What? What is it?”

  “About the builders! Those who will restore the temple! A lot of them have already disappeared… I hope that these will meet the same fate…”

  “Ros! You are a villain! You’re even smiling at this! You’re going to the dark side!”

  “Power… infinite power… Uh-huh… I’m gonna put on a black cloak and a helmet and declare to my daughter with an ominous hiss: “I am your father! Muahaha!” Kira, don’t invent things, okay? I just need to make sure my people are in construction. Even better if I can replace the entire construction crew with my men. So they rebuild the temple quietly, and add a door leading to the passage in the house… Right. So I need a reliable team of builders! Do you know where I could find one?”

  “Nu-uh… I won’t let you kill them! That’s what you’re thinking, right? Kill the surviving builders, so that others disperse in horror… and then offer your services to the mayor. Right? Villain!”

  “You are so insightful,” I smiled broadly. “That’s exactly my plan… first we put them on the brink of collapse— and then offer a helping hand and show them the road to salvation! And the city will be ours! Oh yes! That is the plan! Ahem… I mean, not really. Anyway, if you want to save the lives of the innocent builders… make them leave the city. Choose, my dear— either you make them go or I destroy them in my villainous ways.”

  “And I have a daughter with this man?!”

  “Alright, so… anyway, jokes aside, I’m going to go to the mayor and talk with him about buying a home. And about a good building team available for me to hire. You, meanwhile, go and take out all of the city builders one by one.”