The Way of the Clan 2 (World of Valdira)

by Dem Mikhaylov

  'Hey, sir! You have not bought this jacket! You cannot do it this way! I'll call the guards! But before that, I must say that the jacket really suits you! It fits perfectly, and it looks trendy!’

  'I’ll take it,’ I replied curtly, and started using game terms that I didn’t enjoy using while in Valdira, ‘I need pants, gloves, a hat and a cape. And a belt if you have any. Main characteristic is stamina, then the intelligence or wisdom. Hurry up!’

  'What color would you like? There is…’

  'Faster! Any dark color. And tell me the total price. I'm in a hurry.’

  It took the shopkeeper one minute to throw over the counter a pile of things.

  'One hundred and eighty-two gold coins, sir!’ He blurted out catching his breath.

  'Take it,’ I gave the required amount and began to frantically put on the purchased equipment. Damn, and in fact I wanted to go back to the jewelry store and ask about the price of rings, even the most unpretentious...

  The last thing to put on was a peaked cap resembling budyonovka, a pointed helmet worn by Red Army soldiers. Then I put my old stuff into the bag and fished out a teleport scroll.

  'Sir! You forgot the gift!’ the trader hastily trotted up to me, holding a piece of stretched gray textile in his hands. ‘Scarf! Thank you for coming!’

  'Thank you!’ I cried out, wrapped a scarf around my neck and moved my finger over the blank box and whispered, ‘Selen village.’

  Algora and a huge silhouette of the ship disappeared in the bright flash.

  A rainbow wave flowed over me silently and soon I was back in the fishing village Selen, a few steps from the hotel entrance.

  Once inside, I climbed to the second floor and nodded hastily at the girl sitting behind the counter, then opened the door into my private room. After reaching the safe place I leaned against the wall and slowly slid to the floor.

  That’s just great…

  My lips stretched into a smile involuntarily - that's just great. For a long time I have not had such a wild injection of adrenaline in the blood. That effect was reached by a few words said by beautiful girl said. Kind and gentle, she even excused, but that shocked me like a sharp knife at my throat in a dark alley.’

  Baroness, Baroness, I see you follow the ancient wise proverb - "If the mountain will not come to Mohammed..."

  Now there is only a very important question left – if they registered all the gamers who climbed the ship, and how? I have not seen any gamers at the ladder, intently looking at the incoming buyers and onlookers.

  And the second is an interesting question: did the Sleepless find out what would happen when the navigator rose on the ship? I did not know that!

  Or was it a simple guess?

  If so, the Sleepless don’t spare big money to check a guess. However, the prize at stake was worth the sacrifice.

  Thanks god that the activation of Navigator’s abilities did not occur immediately, it took about a couple of seconds. During that period other gamers coming right behind me went up the ship. The trap was overflowing with people. Mishmash. Someone was trying to go down, someone to go up. A bustling crowd, waving chaotically in different directions.

  Only one word was throbbing in my head - logs! If the ship was the clan’s location, the head of the clan and her deputy could view the logs, where the names of the location visitors and the exact time of the visit were fixed. In this case, a shortlist of "suspects" in the possession of miraculous ability would be reduced to a dozen of gamers.

  If the ship was the usual decoration, located in the square of Algora by a "kind" clan, to the delight of all the gamers, then fuck them, no logs of the whole city are available. Amreetas would never let even get closer to this kind of information.

  Then I activated the interface menu and brought before the eyes of information about the unique spell.

  Nothing. No further information. No word about Navigator’s passive skills.

  Closing the book of spells, I pressed the exit button. It's time to check out the forum.

  Flash.

  Exit.

  When I crawled out of the womb of the cocoon into the light and cautiously looked at the bed, I found that this time there were no surprises waiting for me. Actually nobody was waiting for me – the bed was empty and neatly made.

  Stretching the muscles of my body, I walked around the apartment and concluded that I was all alone. Keira had disappeared.

  I found a note while putting the kettle on the stove and began to knead the muscles of the pelvic. And the next time I turned your skinny ass, I suddenly saw a piece of paper pressed by the key.

  "Thanks again, Ros. And you are really stupid. See you in Valdira. Keira."

  At first I exhaled with relief, then serious thought - why I was stupid?

  Is it fair?.. I took her – miserable and helpless – home, warmed, fed. And then I’m charged of being stupid. It reminds me a silly joke...

  Okay. The main thing that all ended well and I was again the absolute master of my own apartment.

  Whistling loudly, I waited until the kettle boiled to have a snack, then poked in the drawer and found another piece of paper, gently leaning against a cup.

  What the hell…

  "Don’t look for the mug! I took it. Thank you so much for the gift! Bye Keira."

  'S-s-s-s-s...' I clenched my fists. My favorite mug!

  That's just great! Oh, you’re a little... well... well...

  Breathing hoarsely and muttering "calm down, Ros, calm down," I crumpled the note, grabbed the first available cup and began to prepare my coffee.

  Coffee turned out wildly bitter - maybe I have thrown too much powder in a nervous state. Although there... My favorite mug was twice larger than that cup...

  Throwing another spoonful of sugar, I mixed the resulting swill and sipping a decent drink, suddenly burst out laughing. Well, Keira!

  Okay... Now, immediately hurry up to the computer! Browse the forum and find out what's going on. And then back to the game and make an impact around the wolf tribal genocide in the surrounding countryside. And then move on to spiders. After increasing the level of goodwill with the locals and then at full speed to the gate of the manor of the landowner-collector. And…

  I did not have time to develop the idea until the end, - the phone standing at the bedside burst into shrill. As a result, I spilled hot coffee on my pants and jumped up to the ceiling.

  Perhaps that's why my voice was not extremely gracious when I picked up the handset, and barked,

  'Speaking?!’

  'Ros! Ros!’ Gosha’s choking voice on the other end was just exuding tension under a thousand volts.

  For a split second my mind flashed a thousand assumptions – a vision of another wrecked car, Gosha’s bloodied face and unconscious body of Keira... but I managed to blurt out, 'What happened?!’

  'What happened? What happened?’ Gosha was nervously yelling. ‘Ros, why are you at home not in the game?! Where have you been? Keira can contact you neither in real life, nor in Valdira!’

  ‘I’ve just come out,’ I said in surprise, calming down sharply. It seemed that nothing really terrible had happened.

  'Dash back into the cocoon, right now!’

  'What happened?! What are you yelling like hell?’

  'Time! Amreetas changed the date!! And all because of the damn fucking Navigator, damn his steering wheel!’ I choked, and spilled coffee on my pants again. ‘The second part has already begun, the temple opened! Although, I'm happy about that, I swear! Funky chance to finish the second part earlier instead of waiting for a long time. Have you got teleport scrolls?’

  'Yes, I have,’ I said mechanically without really understanding his idea. ‘What's the second part? What temple? Gosha, can you explain, please!’

  'Yes... I'm sorry, Ros. It happened so suddenly. Now you can start the second part of the chain. You have finished the first, when you won the tournament, and now it’s time for the second! It's a chance, Ros! Funky chance!
A real gift!’

  'Oh... but earlier you said it will be in a couple of weeks!’

  'And I said - the terms have been changed and the temple opened! Some game events start earlier to allow gamers to use them safely without all that mess about sailing on Zar'graad. The administration gave it as a gift. There is no time to explain everything. Simply return into the game and immediately use the scroll to go to the location Sorrow Foot. There you will meet Keira, she’ll explain everything. Repeat!’

  'Go to Sorrow Foot. Keira who is waiting for me there will explain everything. But we haven’t leveled up enough, Gosha!’ I yelled desperately into the phone. ‘We are still noobs! I am only the twenty-third level!’

  'I know! But I can repeat - it's a chance. Ghostly, but a chance. If you fly away, then at least I will not regret about lost opportunity. The risk is worth it.’

  'Wait a minute. And if we fly away? If you cannot cope?’

  'So, you will have to start from the very beginning – remove your character, the Cradle, the tournament and so on. Come on, Ross, I hope you’ll succeed! You can’t imagine how much! If you can do it, it will change for our clan! And I... I do not know what I’ll do if you cope - all the best girls of the city will be yours! And Ros! Remind Keira! Tell her: "Raise the stone up to the face of fire!" Do not forget! Good luck!

  The communication was interrupted, and I was staring dumbfounded in front of him, scrolling in my head the words I had heard: " you will have to start from the very beginning...".

  No way! Sorry, Gosha, but you had no idea how badly you are wrong. I won’t remove Rosgard whatever the circumstances will be!

  After sipping the remains of coffee, I ripped off the spoiled pants and dived into the cocoon.

  Try to use a ghostly chance? Why not! I'll do my best!

  But! But if not, then a different person will start from the very beginning together with Keira . Not me, that's for sure. No offense, Gosha, no offense...

  Flash.

  Encouragingly smiling rainbow carries me away.

  Entrance.

  Chapter 6

  Sorrow Foot. Scarred Face. Algae and Columns. There is One Step from Love to Madness.

  Sorrow Foot... I've been here before.

  In a tiny and relatively flat rocky patch there is... not even a village, just a few randomly scattered long stone single-storey buildings with a very grim entourage. Gray stone walls, dark-crimson tiled roofs and narrow loopholes of inhospitable windows.

  Above the rooftops there is a mountain wrapped in thunderclouds. On its hillside there is a temple with a nondescript clung tightly sealed door, where you can get by narrow and steep steps carved directly into the rock. And rain never stops pouring there.

  There is one shop for the whole location with a very stingy selection of goods and the shopkeeper is unlikely to increase the range. There are almost no mobs in the surrounding area, and the terrain is extremely difficult - broken stones sticking out under unimaginable angles. All that does not encourage any desire to stay here. Locals are reserved and not very friendly, they don’t provide any quests. This location is unpopular among gamers and is almost always empty.

  But sometimes the sealed temple door slowly opened, and moody melancholy howl, reminiscent of the Hound of the Baskervilles ascends to heaven. The door remains open from dawn to dusk and until the arrival of the first hours, Sorrow Foot becomes a place of pilgrimage for all gamers, without exception. Hundreds and thousands of gamers gather there at the foot of the mountain and slowly climb to the temple - an incredibly spectacular procession, if you look at it from a bird's flight. Video clips on this topic are quite popular on the Internet.

  When the day ends, the invisible air wave squeezes hungup gamers out and stone leaf slowly closes. And then instead of dreary howl you can hear dirty words of those who are late for catching a tear.

  What kind of tears? This is the reason why everybody is so eager to participate in this event.

  The temple are absolutely empty inside. No jewelry, no coffins, no altar. There is only the face. The grotesque mask.

  A huge and extremely ugly face protrudes from the rear wall of the temple. The face mottled with terrible scars and wounds. The face of a weeping woman. Stone glows red, glowing with heat, and from the half-closed eyes fiery tears are pouring, reminding lava.

  These bitter tears is the subject of hunting. If you put any item of equipment or weapons under a falling tear, the thing gets more positive characteristics, without losing existing ones. Features are added randomly, but free and plentifully. Last time I was unlucky – I put my bow under a tear and it added tear thirty-five intelligence points absolutely useless for me as an archer. But some are much luckier. Once I saw a half-orc getting extra a few dozens of force points to already powerful sword. The thing immediately became almost a rarity.

  In general, it is the magic lottery without losers. However, the object can be enchanted only once. If you put a thing under falling tears for the second time, it will instantly turn into a pile of ash. Another important condition is one subject per a single entry into the temple. You cannot go twice a day. The system instantly identifies the cheeky fellow, gently pushing him back. If you don’t understand the hint and again steps forward you’ll be gently incinerated and gust wind will blow a handful of dust into the abyss along with a clot of silvery mist. There were some precedents...

  An important fact is that during the period of the "open" door of the temple absolute peace reigns throughout locations. No attack, no theft. According to the legend - the deity of the temple prevents violence. In fact - a defense mechanism for kids who have recently gained good things. Not to allow large and violent guys to pick out a new toy.

  Gamers go to the temple in a strict order, determined beforehand. As such, there is no waiting - stream of people is constantly moving forward, it does not stand still. It doesn’t seem difficult - tuck an item under the drop and it’s done, you can exit.

  That is why I was genuinely perplexed leaving the comfort of the private room and pulling the teleport scroll movement. What is Gosha relying on?

  If we stand in the slow trudging now, in any case we won’t have time to even come closer to the far door of the house of Sorrow. We will not miss a queue.

  But I equipped thoroughly. I took all but the legendary bracelet and money. Actually I wanted to fasten the bracelet on the forearm, but remembering the "slim chance of success," I decided not to do it. Who knows what is expecting us in the second part of the chain.

  What kind of the chain is it by the way?

  The scroll worked flawlessly. As soon as the light cleared, I found myself standing in the middle of the rain wet area. Visibility worse than ever - under streams of rain slowly torn shreds of whitish mist swirled. Or were clouds creeping so low?

  'Ros! Ro-oh-oh-s!’ looking to the side, I saw a familiar figure waving her arms and dancing in the rain.

  That thief of mugs...

  'I'll punish you now!’ I promised ominously, heading for Keira. Inhaling deeply, I looked closer and said a absolutely different phrase. ‘Only fifteenth level?!’

  'Yes, I know I haven’t leveled up!’ said Keira angrily, removing a wet strand of black hair from the face. ‘Pure adventure! Obviously Gosha was hit against the windscreen stronger than we thought!’ And then completely illogical I concluded, ‘but he is right! Did you take everything, Ros?’

  'Yes, I did,’ I said.

  "Then hold on tight,’ briefly threw Keira, stepping closer to me 'I have already called delivery.’

  'What have you called?’ I asked and at that point a powerful gust of wind covered, followed by a powerful jerk, suddenly I couldn’t feel the ground under my feet and it began moving away rapidly. ‘Shit!’

  Twisting my body, I looked up and found that a huge claw was holding my collar, Keira retained exactly the same way was dangling beside. I heard a piercing and furious scream above our heads where some wings rhythmically clapping.

  'Calm
down! It’s Bastshoe, our clan griffin!’ the girl shouted. ‘He’ll deliver us to the top of the stairs.’

  'Good name for a griffin,’ I called back. I was glad that I wasn’t afraid of heights - even if it was the virtual world, the view over of sharp fangs of rocks speeding under us was impressive.

  The mountain peak was approaching rapidly, in a couple of strokes of the wings the griffin dived sharply and flew directly over the crowded stairs.

  'Here they are!’ Keira shouted. ‘Brake, Bastshoe!’

  Screaming again, the griffin spreadeagled the wings and in spite of all the laws of aerodynamics "halted." We were severely shaken in the air. Before I knew it, the following command followed, 'Bastshoe! Throw!’

  'Throw?!’ I yelled.

  Bastshoe obediently opened his grip, and Keira fell down soldier-like with a piercing cry,

  'Geronimo!’

  I flew down after he with a fierce cry:

  ‘Shiiiiit!’

  A brief moment of weightlessness and I got in touch with the ground furiously, having to take the hit on the bent legs. I was driven forward, barely standing on my feet, still touching the stone by one hand. I landed badly, but actually there was no place to tumble, people everywhere. Luckily I landed in the center of free space carefully purified from humans. And what if it crashed on their heads?

  Mechanically tested health - fifteen percent off.

  'We did it!’ Keira relieved, her voice was coming from somewhere above.

  Raising my face, I discovered that I was rolling at the feet of three massively stacked half-orcs, one of them was keeping the girl in the hands carefully.

  'They caught her but not me again!’ I muttered standing up, ‘if I wasn’t caught one time - I was a fool, if I wasn’t caught a second time... Gosha, I feel like visiting in the hospital... with stone oranges la string bag of barbed wire and an even set of flowers...’

  ‘Hello! gray-skinned orc bared his impressive fangs, dropping Keira to the ground. ‘What are you mumbling?’

  'Oh. Some calming mantra,’ I dismissed hurriedly making several steps forward: the queue was constantly moving, in both directions.