The Way of the Clan 2 (World of Valdira)

by Dem Mikhaylov

  the angry shout came behind us, ‘Hey! What’s the mess?! Everybody must stand in the queue! Climb back to your bird and go down!’

  'Calm down!’ orc Gvantanamena raised both hands. ‘It is fair! The three of us are leaving right now, and these two will stand in the queue instead of us! That’s good for you - one person is reduced.’ And then added in a low voice speaking to us, ‘Okay, we must leave. Otherwise, they’ll rise this scream to heaven. You are here after this elf with pink hair.

  'Purple!’ the aforementioned girl outraged, poking into the air above her head. ‘Can you read?’

  The next moment we were all busy enthusiastically reading her nickname, then digesting it. The nick was as follows ‘Purple-haired Snow White’. But her hair was pink... or we're all colorblind.

  'We’re disappearing,’ the half-orc repeated and slapped me on the shoulder, ‘good luck.’

  Keira’s friends “disappeared’ in a very extraordinary way – simultaneously they made a step toward the stairs and under the astonished cries of the crowd collapsed down.

  'Not bad!’ I commented, Keira shrugged, ‘Bastshoe will catch them... I guess. Ros, I understand that you have a lot of questions, but a little later, okay?’ Keira hurried to add, significantly looking at gamers standing nearby.

  'Ok,’ I said with an effort. ‘Just a moment...’

  Entering the interface, I quickly "scribbled" a short message and send it to Keira:

  "Gosha asked to recall: “Raise the stone up to the face of fire. What is this nonsense about? ".

  The answer came immediately:

  "Yes, I remember! I’ll explain late. Join the party."

  Keireya the Protectress offers to join her party.

  Agree Refuse

  Agree.

  You have joined the group! Leader: Keireya the Protectress!

  Mild pearl radiance appeared around Keira and stretched over me. A short gesture and the cloud reluctantly melts into air.

  Group leader Keireya the Protectress asks your status!

  Agree Refuse

  She is stubborn!

  Refuse.

  There was nothing special to hide now, but why should I suddenly change my actions?

  'Again?’ Keira uttered in surprise by making a couple of steps up the ladder. There are not more than ten people between us and the doors of the temple.

  Instead of answering, I grinned and my workmate combat snorted,

  'And you called me boss before.’

  ‘I’ll take revenge for my favorite mug…’ I smiled even wider.

  'After all, you're... oh, we are almost there, Ros! So, we joined the part, I’m the leader, I remember the words... yes, the words. And now... the main catch.’

  ‘When we come to the ranks of fire, stay close to me. Don’t say anything and don’t even try to poke anything under the falling tears. When it starts, take my extra stuff, otherwise "Overload" is displayed at every step."

  After reading the message, I nodded, and we stepped under the arches of the temple. It was dim. The red-hot stone face was standing out in the form of a bright crimson spot. Although I had been there before, I winced when I saw a terrible face, wrinkled, scarred, with gaping wounds. Moreover, the overall impression was that first the woman was disfigured while alive, and only then turned into a dead stone.

  Gamers running in front of us one by one approached the stone mask, climbed a small hill, holding one or the other thing in the outstretched hands, "caught" a tear and then retreated a step to the side, giving the place to the next gamer.

  A gamer dressed in a blackout hooded robe put a small book under a hissing fiery drop, a moment later, we heard a muffled gasp – he seemed luckier than he had expected. He instantly hid the book in the inventory and almost jumped rushing toward the exit.

  But the person clad in steel armor put peaked hat under the tear and painfully grimaced in frustration. Obviously the warrior swordsman received characteristics absolutely useless for his class.

  There were five gamers left before us… four... two... and finally our turn came. A gamer usually rose to the hill alone, that’s why I started to slow down in a couple of steps, but Keira grabbed my hand and whispered, ‘Together.’

  We overcame the last meters shoulder to shoulder and stopped one step away from the face almost melting from its own heat.

  Keira took out a chain hanging around her neck, and it was the first time I saw the award that she had received from Grim the Inconsolable - a thin gold chain with a transparent stone filled with shining pearl light.

  Still holding my hand and without removing the chain from the neck, Keira leaned forward and gently held up the stone under another fire drop.

  The fierce flash of fire brightly lit up the dark temple for a moment, the ground trembled noticeably under our feet, we heard the gamers’ cries of amazement. I also could hardly keep from crying.

  Not paying attention to what was happening, Keira said quietly and clearly, 'Revenge!’

  'It must be taken!’ the voice that filled the house of Sorrow was full of such inescapable fury that made my hair stand on end.

  With a wild crunch the stone face contorted in an evil grimace, glowing stone gnashed its teeth and mouth slowly began to open, revealing roaring flames. Flames curled hoarsely into a howling infernal funnel, a tight wave of air pushed our backs. The next moment we were got off from the ground and literally thrown into the giant mouth, straight into the raging fire maelstrom.

  'What the hell is going on?!’ I heard the cry of one of the affected gamers, then all the sounds were abruptly cut off and fiery waves of transition started spinning around us.

  Flash.

  Transition.

  A strong jerk, I briefly felt weightless, fast flying into the unknown direction along with the flames enveloping us. After a short flight Keira and I fell into water. Sizzling flames tried to follow us, but stumbled on the surface of the water and reluctantly quenched.

  Realizing that well or not, but the transition was over, I started swinging my legs heading for the surface. With a noise I popped up and spitting, spun around. Keira was not there. The flat expanse of blue with lazily rolling waves rolls, brown seaweed whips, some loose chips on the water and nothing else.

  Cursing, I dived again, and began to look into the thick greenish shade. I saw the girl at the first attempt - relatively close to the surface. Keira was working frantically with her hands and legs, squirming all over the place... but not moving, hovering in the water like a fly in molasses... Now she could drown! She must have clung to something!

  Straightening my legs, I sank deeper, swam to Keira in a few strokes, grabbed her by the neck and pulled up to the light streaming through the water. Relentless timer was counting down the remaining seconds but I managed to jump into the air before life points started to decrease. Keira emerged next to mewith a whistle making a lightweight breath. Releasing her I, in turn, repeatedly breathed – actually there was no use to do as in Valdira there is no need to ventilate the lungs, dive time limit restores with the first inhale. But the habit is second nature.

  I turned to Keira to ask what had happened, and bulged in amazement at the empty expanse of water - she disappeared again.

  "Get me out!" a panic message popped in front of my eyes and something gently slid my leg.

  Hastily diving, I managed to grab slowly sinking Keira and pulled her back into the light.

  Spitting, scattering in all directions, splashing, Keira managed to say, 'Overload... it is pulling me down. Take my stuff! Trade.’

  'You can’t swim, can you?’ I said softly, jerking Keira up and re-releasing the hand. ‘I see.’

  'Take things, Ros!’

  Ignoring her cry, I bit my lip thoughtfully, looked at slowly sinking Keira, then lay down on my back and put my hands behind my head, said, ‘No, I still cannot remember if I allowed you to take my mug?’

  'Ros, Ros...... I’m sinking...’

  Throwing her arms, Keira man
aged to grab my leg and gasped in relief, drilling me with an angry look.

  'You have not got a ticket for this floating craft,’ I muttered, pulling my leg.

  'Ros! I’m sinking,’ slowly sinking Keira squeaked.

  Ok, sink – I allowed generously.

  "I... I was wrong when I took your mug without permission,’ Keira gurgled stretching her hand to me. ‘Roooos...’

  'Well,’ I sighed swimming to the sinking paladin. ‘You’re progressing. Grab my shoulder and open trade!’

  As she clung to my shoulders, Keira let out a long sigh and growled, ‘Still, you are...’

  'Yes, I am,’ I said. ‘Trade. Did you take too many greed tablets? You could have got rid of some stuff before!’

  'No way! I didn’t stuff rat skins to throw out them to right and left!’ Keira replied, her morale had returned to her. ‘I have a whole bunch of useful things in the backpack! Trade.’

  'Trade,’ I repeated, without looking I confirmed the transfer of items. And I grunted in surprise when discovered that the backpack became three dozen items heavier.

  'Fuf...' she sighed with relief, but not disengaged from my shoulders. ‘So...’

  'So…’ I nodded looking around. ‘Where are we? The sky is blue, there are some clouds. Let’s check...’ I downcast the face and took a sip from the coming up waves, smacked my lips. ‘It seems fresh. Anyway, life is regenerating, no system message pop up. Where are we?’

  'Just a moment...' said Keira, moving on my back and lying down on my whole body 'Where did I put it? Yeah, I’ve found it.’

  Evenly raking my hands, I managed to look over my shoulder, and found that Keira pulled out a book of the backpack and was passionately reading it. Lying on my back!

  'Hey! You mixed me up with a passenger liner. Sorry, ma’am, where is your beach chair and a cup of coffee?’

  'Stop grumbling, Ros,’ replied Keira. ‘I cannot read and swim at the same time. So... “Raise the stone up to the face of fire” we have already done it. Say the words of the oath – it’s fulfilled. It opens the way to the palaces of sorrow - and this is done successfully. Ros, we in the Halls of Sorrow!’

  'Great!’ I snorted, sipping a couple of sips, trying to catch up to the maximum health in the cheapest way.

  'So what?’ Keira thought. ‘Go through the torments of the soul. Here! That is what we are going to do now.’

  ‘What?’

  'We are going through the torments of the soul,’ the impudent girl informed me and pointed at the space. ‘We should go there. And on the way I will tell the details.’

  'Shall I swim?’I asked, turning in the indicated direction. Squinting I actually saw the dark edge of the shore and a kind of white sharp peak.

  'Yup! Swim and listen. In this book, there is something like a poem or a poetic tale. No rhyme, but the sea of information. However, it is so confusing. Just listen: "Pass through the fire of rage and you’ll get into the ocean of sorrow." That's what we did. Burning fire inside the mouth of Myrtle’s stone face is her rage and simultaneously transition to the next level of her soul. In another book, there is a mention that Myrtle’s soul was gripped by grief wept so bitterly that cried a sea of tears. We are swimming in her tears.’

  'Pah-pah! Shit! I drank them!’

  'Calm down, Ros! It's a game! So it turns out we have already passed two rounds – fire and water.’

  'Should have warned me! What's next? Copper pipes?’

  'After passing the sea of tears you’ll stumble upon the remains of love,’ Keira read with anguish in her voice, making me wince. ‘This shore must love. We’re swimming to love!’

  ‘No, I am swimming,’ I said. ‘I don’t need this love!’

  'Ros, it's a figure of speech!’

  'Maybe figuratively, but I am really swimming! Continue reading... a poet!’

  ‘The next round is...

  'No! What else can you read about this shore of love? We need to know what to prepare.’

  'Shore of Love... Here are a couple of lines. There are no threats, no violence. A tiny stronghold of hope.’

  'Oh, how... it sounds ominous. And it is absolutely unclear. Fire, water and earth. Anger, sorrow and love... I'm afraid to assume what is further.’

  'Madness,’ Keira said quietly. ‘Next is madness of the woman who was betrayed by her lover. But there is practically nothing about it in the book. Madness is briefly mentioned and that’s all. I think this will be the most difficult area. With aggressive monsters and other delights. Here, look, "the flow of blood, wounds, scars! The madness of the storm blew all the churches. Miasma of evil will poison souls, will bring confusion in the minds!...". Such a description is here... and here's a snack, "dark horror is crawling from all the cracks."

  'Sounds nice,’ I agreed. ‘It makes me happy!’

  'What makes you happy?’

  'Knowledge,’ I stated briefly and clearly. ‘It is dangerous there. Miasma of evil... so it's the air. Fire, water, earth and air. They are also: rage, grief, love and madness. I'm more concerned about this strange shore of love with its stronghold of hope. We must be alert because such places usually conceal some nasty tricks,’ I paused for a moment and asked, ‘It turns out that our final stop is madness, right? It doesn’t sound optimistic…’

  'No. This is the penultimate stop. But then there won’t be any problems - at the foot of the icy peak we’ll meet Myrtle. According to the book her body is buried inside the ice and her lost soul is wandering around. There are no monsters there.

  'It is encouraging. Of course, according to the book. And what kind of book is it, then?’

  'Who cares, Ros? Just a book,’ she sighed, putting the book into the inventory.

  'Okay. And what will happen when we get to the icy peak? I hope there won’t a battle against a big boss?’

  'No. Nothing,’ said Keira.

  'You did not answer,’ I said, staring at the slowly approaching coastal edge.

  'I know the answer!’ Keira said suddenly emotionally. ‘And all your questions make me feel worse. Believe me, Ros, if it depended on me, I would have told you everything. Gosha is too cautious! So secretive, that any intelligence agency can envy us! Shit!’

  'Take it easy,’ I looked in amazement at my furious companion. ‘I won’t ask, just calm down.’

  Keira did not seem to hear me,

  'You almost saved his real life, pulled me out of the car! Took care about me. I called Gosha and told him directly - Ros can be trusted. And he dug his horns and no way!’ After a while, Keira stroked my shoulder and added, ‘I'm sorry, Ros. The clan has its laws. I hate this situation… but I cannot tell you anything. I can explain you the already completed steps and briefly describe the problem. The goal is simple 'to go through all locations and to get to Myrtle’s soul. And it’s forbidden to die – there is no a respawn location here. We’ll fly away into the "big world" at once and this quest will be closed for us forever.

  'It’s clear. But if only I die? Will you be able to continue the way?’

  "We are a quest couple. Under the terms we must finish in pair. It’s obligatory. So no one must die. As for locations - I do not know what is waiting for us there. The books give only vague hints, but you must be ready for anything.

  'In fact, we should have come here being at least the sixtieth level characters,’ I said.

  'Uh-huh. But the temple was opened a little earlier, and Gosha decided to risk it. That’s the way…’

  'That’s not the best possible way,’ I chuckled and glanced at the message that popped up:

  Achievement!

  You’ve got the achievement "Swimmer" of the second rank!

  See the table of the obtained achievements in the settings of your character.

  Your reward for the achievement: + 2% to movement in water.

  The current bonus: 3%

  Closing the message, I estimated the distance to the shore and mercilessly tune, sang:

  'Where we are sailing with my Pigl
et is a big-big secret! And we won’t tell anyone about it, oh no, oh no, oh no!’

  'Ros! Do you think I look like a pig?!’

  'Nope, but why? It's just such a song from a cartoon!’

  'Sing another one!’

  'Well... you start it again... And after all, the captain can choose the music.’

  'I’m the captain, and you’re an oarsman!

  'Who am I?!’

  'Well, the one who rows! They are usually chained to the sides of the ship.’

  'Get down! And I row by yourself! If you don’t get down…

  'Ros! It’s a joke!’

  'Such jokes can lead to...

  'Would you like me to sing for you?’

  'Stop! I’m keeping silence and swimming. But, please, don’t sing! I’m begging you.’

  ‘Ros!...’

  We swam up to the shore in about half an hour. Six meters away from the gently sloping golden beach, I finally found the bottom and stopped my marathon swim.

  Standing up to my neck in water, I looked around warily, but I noticed nothing dangerous or threatening. The beach stretched far to the side, there were palm trees towering in front, lazily swaying green tops from the mischievous wind gusts. Between the trunks of palm viewed there was tall grass and an abundance of wild flowers. I could hear the cheerful chirping of birds, colored clumps of feathers were flying in the air occasionally soaring into the clear blue heaven and ducking down again.

  'There's no threat, no violence. There is a tiny stronghold of hope,’ Keira recited finally getting down from my back.

  'Tropical Paradise,’ I concluded in turn and shrugged – A good place for shooting a commercial.’

  'Yeah,’ Keira laughed loudly. ‘Bounty bar sequel. The Taste of Paradise!’

  'It will not work,’ I sighed, starting to move forward cautiously.

  'Why? Landscape is just the same or even better,’ Keira got surprised.

  'We need a very pretty girl for it!’ I said, and snorted like a seal, having caught a shower of spray.

  ‘Bastard!’

  'Exactly,’ I agreed and growled. ‘Stop!’

  'What’s wrong?’