Sicilian Defense

by Andrey Vasilyev

  You completed a quest: Recompense.

  To get your reward, talk to Bayron Fergus MacSummers.

  “Gregory, I’ll be picking out my new sheep from your flock myself,” came the calm voice of one of the leaders. “I know how you are—you’ll just give me a few half-dead ewes.”

  “It’s done.” I pushed Rennor MacLynn’s body away from me, got up, wobbled, and looked around at the crowd. “Give him a good burial. He was scum, but he fought honorably.”

  Ooh, hey, I can search the body. I hadn’t gotten anything from Flank, especially since MacMillan had given me his sword. But there was something to get from Rennor.

  I dumped his things into my bag, deciding to look through them later, and then went and grabbed my shield and sword. Who knows what kind of people they have hanging around here? Everyone had started talking, in the meantime, discussing the duel and gesturing with their arms. Tissa ran over.

  “That was unbelievable!” She was overcome with emotion, and struck me as something similar to an unopened keg of beer. “I couple times I forgot it was just a game and thought he was going to really kill you.”

  “Cover me,” I said. “I need to drink some potions.”

  Tissa slapped herself in the forehead and whispered a spell.

  Lifegiving Stream was cast on you.

  You will regain 50 health per second for the next two minutes.

  “Why drink potions? They cost money!” she said, her feminine prudence showing through.

  “You couldn’t have done that during the fight?” I asked, looking at her in surprise.

  Tissa blinked as she stared up into the blue sky, apparently gazing at the birds flying up there.

  “Well, you sure look great,” Rinald said as he walked over. “If I didn’t know it was you, I’d have thought the brown man of the moors had come to pay us a visit.”

  “What don’t you have around here?” I asked him, kind of sadly. “The Borderlands bestiary is about as rich as it gets.”

  The warrior didn’t quite understand that word, though he nodded in agreement.

  “Yep, we have a lot here. Stick around and you’ll see for yourself. For now, though, the bayron is going to say a few words, and then come on over to that barrel over there. I kept my word—you have your people waiting for you. You can talk things over with them there, where nobody else can overhear you.”

  Rinald walked away, leaving me in the gaze of a pair of curious, gray eyes.

  “Interesting,” the girl said. “What’s your plan? I’m with you, no question.”

  “Yeah, right,” I said in an attempt to dissuade her. “You still haven’t gotten your fill of all this?”

  “Not yet,” Tissa replied with complete sincerity. “I love all this stuff. So where are you going? Tell me, tell me, tell me!”

  “Thane,” said a tall matron with a stern expression on her face, “your girl has no idea how to behave herself—would you like to give her to our clan so we can educate her? We could make a woman out of her. Or just give her a walloping—that usually helps.”

  Tissa squeaked and broke into a nervous sweat.

  “Thank you, kind lady,” I said, bowing my head. “I will think about your offer.”

  “You’re still not getting rid of me,” Tissa informed me quietly when the woman had walked away. “You don’t know me if you think you are!”

  “I don’t know you at all,” I replied with a sigh. “We just met an hour ago.”

  “I’m–” Tissa stuck her fists in her sides and was about to tell me something. Right then, however, I heard a horn accompanied by Fergus’s voice.

  “Thane Hagen of the Western Reaches, your debt of honor has been paid. Come over here.”

  The crowd again formed a circle, this time around MacSummers, and looked at me.

  I went over him and bowed.

  “Your friend Lossarnakh and his fallen friends have been avenged, and you may inform him of that fact should you meet again. He now has the right to visit the council of leaders and lay claim to Morrigot and the surrounding lands.

  “I guess that’s good,” I replied. “He’s a good guy, and I imagine he’s learned a good bit over the years.”

  “And as for you, accept the reward you earned from me and the council of leaders.”

  You completed a quest: Recompense.

  Reward:

  2000 experience

  5000 gold

  Renowned Borderlander Blade

  +15 to your reputation among all the clans involved in your side of the assault

  Additional information: You get an additional reward for completing Additional Quest 1:

  1100 experience

  Renowned Borderlander Cloak

  Additional information: You get an additional reward for completing Additional Quest 2:

  1100 experience

  Renowned Borderlander Amulet

  Everything rattled into my bag, and another message popped up in the interface.

  You unlocked Level 64!

  Points ready to be distributed: 5

  The two lugs I’d taken out had apparently given me a tidy pile of experience, which was why I leveled up. Congrats to me! Although, I was still a long and difficult way away from the Knightly Collection.

  “Know that you are now a welcome guest in the MacSummers clan,” Fergus finished.

  “And in the MacMillan clan,” added the tattooed leader. “And give my offer some thought, son.”

  The rest of the leaders also invited me to come visit, though, as it so often happens, they neglected to tell me where they actually lived.

  I listened to their praise and gradually edged away from the circle, as Fergus had moved on to the second part of the event. He was starting to explain to the MacLynns who would be in charge. I couldn’t care less about that, however, and so I headed over to the barrel and the dozen people around it. To my surprise, among them was one-eyed MacLinds.

  “These are the warriors who would like to go with you to Kallidon Forest—they all have a bone to pick with Old Lady Goud,” Rinald said seriously. “I think it’s ridiculous, and that you’re going to your death, but that’s your choice. Did I keep my word?”

  “Completely.” I shook his hand. “Thanks, we’ll take it from here.”

  “Give this some more thought, gelts,” he said as he left. “It would be a shame if our hills lost swords as good as yours.”

  Fergus’s lieutenant walked off, leaving us standing there staring at each other—the warriors at me, and me at them.

  “There aren’t too many of us,” I said, breaking the silence. “I don’t think there are enough of us to get through to Faif.”

  “I doubt we’ll even get past the Burnt Mosses,” Geling said, doomed but still completely calm. “But I’m willing to risk it if there’s even the smallest chance we can kill that accursed witch.”

  “What did she do to you, if you don’t mind me asking?” I replied. “You must have a good reason for hating her that much.”

  “She killed my father.” Geling’s fist tightened to the point that the knuckles cracked. “She flayed him like a pig without letting him die, and then she came over and noticed that I wasn’t watching. So she ripped out my eye, telling me that, one way or another, I had to watch the whole thing.”

  “Phew,” I said, a chill running down my spine. “Life sure is different here. How did you get away?”

  “She let me go, though I was ready to die. She said she’d be back for my other eye and my life sooner or later. I don’t want to just sit around waiting, so I’m better off killing her or dying in the attempt.”

  “That makes sense,” I agreed. “From what I can tell, the old woman keeps her word, so I can’t imagine she lied to you. The rest of you, I assume, also have scores to settle with our little, old friend?”

  “Yes,” Geling responded for them. “She stole the children of some, killed the brother or friend of others… We all have our reasons for going after Old Lady Goud. Really,
there are quite a few more of us, though everyone is afraid of the revenge she’ll take if we fail—we’re just the only ones with nothing to lose. But you’re right, Thane, there aren’t enough of us to get to the middle of Kallidon Forest.”

  “What’s over there in the forest?” I needed to know what to expect before I made a decision. Maybe I should just tell the inquisitors to forget it? Is it really worth the effort?

  “It’s dark, wet, and mortally dangerous.” Geling missed his calling: he should have written books. “There’s a road to the witch, and it’s easy to find, though we first have to get through the outskirts guarded by the souls of the dead. Then there’s Burnt Mosses, a village the witch completely ravaged and left for her henchmen to inhabit—both people and animals created by her sorcery. After that, there’s a windbreak, and only then do we get to the meadow, Faif.”

  “Mm, sounds promising,” I said, scratching the top of my head. “We really won’t get far with a group like this…”

  “You’re not going to go?” Geling wasn’t mocking me in the least; he was simply asking a question.

  I thought about it and realized that there was still something in it for me. There was a solution, too, and a good one, even if it was going to cost me. On the other hand, that’s the way things are—sometimes you’re in the red, others you’re in the black, and it always happens quickly. Well, sort of quickly.

  “No, Geling, I’m still going. Tell me this: could you use a portal scroll to send us to the field the way we got here today? That would be way easier. I mean, if you’ve been there before.”

  “No, Thane,” Geling replied with a deep frown. “I don’t remember it in the least. Pain, the cries of my father, fear… No, Thane, I’m sorry.”

  “That’s a shame,” I sighed, “though it’s okay. Here’s what we’re going to do: the day after tomorrow, on Tuesday at eleven, be ready at the bar in Agberdin, which is in Morrey. I have an idea, and we’ll knock off that old lady if it works.”

  “At eleven in the morning?” Geling asked, his face lightening slightly.

  “Yes, of course, eleven in the morning. The last thing we need is to walk around the forest at night,” I muttered.

  “If I get revenge, you’ll be a brother to me,” Geling said, nothing in his voice out of the ordinary. “You’ll be able to add my family name to your title of thane, and, if I die, you’ll be able to take over my clan. If you want, I’ll even give you my sister as a wife.”

  You unlocked Eye for an Eye.

  Task: Help Geling MacLinds avenge the death of his father and his own wounds.

  Reward:

  1500 experience

  Kinship with the head of the MacLinds clan

  Igrein MacLinds’s Sword

  “Thanks, I really appreciate that,” I said in surprise. My dreams were coming true: a clan, a brother, and yet another fiancée. Kinship! And there was no going back anymore…

  I said goodbye to my future comrades in arms, walked across the courtyard, and found what I was looking for: a mailbox. Okay, let’s drum up some help.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Featuring a number of different moves—some smart, some less so.

  I opened the message form and entered the recipient: Gedron the Elder.

  Hey, Gedron.

  Something came up that I think could turn out well for both you and your clan. As you may recall, I’ve never let you down when it comes to these types of things, and I’m not planning on starting now. So if you’re available, it would be great to see you in Selgar at five, Moscow time, near the auction. If that sounds good to you, let me know.

  Respectfully, Hagen

  Sure, it was a little pushy, but we were old friends. And if he turned me down, I had another clan I could try to get involved as a mercenary force. The only thing was that I hadn’t had anything to do with them previously. The best option for me was for him to agree—I could trust his people with my back, and that was crucially important.

  I had things I could use to pay for their services, too: some items like the High Grass Boots, the bear skin, and even the bile, though I had to look up how much it was worth. Of course, I could have sold all that to cash in, and it was a shame to lose it…but that was a very one-sided way of looking at things. At stake was friendship with yet another NPC institution, and, from what I could tell, a serious one. Connections are more important than money, and I didn’t know how much more time I’d have to spend in the game. All that to say, the whole thing wasn’t worth skimping on. And things? What are things? A bunch of junk…

  Oh, speaking of things. I’d completely forgotten why I went there in the first place. I certainly didn’t take on the fight just to help Lane out. Where’s the crown? What an idiot!

  I frantically pulled open my bag, and the first thing I saw was a pretty ugly looking golden crown with a funny, circular figure on top. Of course, Rennor carried it around with him. To the winner go the spoils.

  Pulling it out of my bag, I wrapped my fingers around the circular part, and managed to tear it out of the crown.

  You completed a quest: First Part of the Key.

  Reward:

  2000 experience

  +3 to strength

  To get the rest of your reward, talk to Ort Ashen.

  I was surprised to get the experience and strength right away, since the NPCs usually gave it when I went to see them. Anyway, he was the kind of character who might very well just dump something from his stores right on top of me and kill me in the process. But I got lucky with the attribute—there were no two ways around that. That bonus let me drop the points I had to distribute on wisdom and intellect. My mana could use a little boost.

  That quick, if pleasant task done, I looked around. Fergus was still talking to the people from the MacLynn clan, who were all around him, though some of the rest of the warriors had vacated the courtyard and even the castle—looting was forbidden, so there wasn’t much left to do there. Tissa had run off somewhere, too, which surprised me. She’d gone on and on about how she wasn’t going anywhere, and voilà. She probably has plenty on her own plate. Anyway, she was gone, and that was one less thing for me to deal with. I decided to get a move on things myself. There was no point wasting time, and I’d spent enough time in the game that day.

  “Rinald, can you tell the bayron that I left the castle? I just don’t want him to be offended that I didn’t say goodbye,” I said to the warrior as he passed by.

  “Certainly,” he assured me. “You’ll be stopping by the city again, right?”

  “Yes, of course,” I said with a nod. “In a couple days, I think.”

  I pulled out a scroll and was about to fly to the hotel in Selgar when I heard a sound telling me that I had a new message.

  Good afternoon, Hagen.

  I’m not sure I’d say we’re good enough friends for me to just drop everything and do what I can to fit your schedule. With that said, I have to admit that you’re a lucky son of a bitch, and you’re obviously working on some long quest. That means you’re good for me and my clan. Because of that, I’ll see you at five tomorrow by the auction building.

  Gedron the Elder

  Excellent. Though I had quite the packed day looming in front of me…

  ***

  I logged out of the game, climbed out of the capsule, crawled onto the couch, and stared up at the ceiling. It wasn’t that I was physically tired—thank goodness, I hadn’t been hauling sacks or chopping wood. But mentally… The duel had really taken it out of me with how emotional and life-like it had been.

  I’ve never been a violent person. Really, I’m a goodwill kind of guy, but when I was thrusting that dagger into Rennor’s stomach, I fervently wanted him to die. The pleasure I felt when the steel tore into his body was almost sexual—I didn’t even think about my abilities as I stripped him of his life. I saw him as more person than digital image, even. And that made me nervous, as the game was manipulating my consciousness and modifying my moral values. Honest
ly, I had to think it was nearing the edge of what was allowed by the penal code. Damn, it was like I was really killing him! It was a good thing I was an adult; but what if some pimply, teenaged loser had gotten the quest? And what if he’d decided to get revenge on the kid in his class all the girls liked? The good-looking guy with the quick sense of humor? Again, that wasn’t the only quest like that—it was nothing out of the ordinary, and absolutely anyone could have gotten it. I could have been the issue, perhaps having gotten too involved in the game, but, whatever the case, Raidion had gone too far. There were no two ways around that.

  Suddenly, I realized I was smelling borscht, and that pulled me away from my thoughts. I need to get me some of that! Two bowls, at least. And maybe a cutlet… Rennor was off in his virtual hell being fed to virtual devils anyway, and everything else could wait. I decided to give the bosses my point of view if it came up and I felt the mood was right.

  Vika wasn’t at home, though that didn’t worry me much. It was five o’clock in the afternoon on a Sunday, and there were plenty of places a young woman might like to go while her not-so-young boyfriend was playing his games. We’re going to have to figure out our relationship after Kasimov and New Year’s. Maybe I really should propose? I was getting older, and it was time to think about an heir—my parents weren’t too far off there. But before that, I needed to take care of the assignment Zimin and Valyaev had given me. Then I’d have a better idea of what was what. Our trip would also give me the chance to see how well I got along with her parents, and that was important, too. At least, that’s what was going through my mind back on the couch. I yawned, which was less than surprising: I was full and satisfied, with my thoughts coming slower and slower until finally…I fell asleep.

  ***

  “Seriously, would you wake up already?” I took a stiff shot to the ribs, someone was shaking me, and I thought I felt someone’s fingers clamping down around my nose.