The Life

by Paul Kite

  “Princes, princesses, rulers,” I muttered. Politics and peace treaties. It’s all clear. As always. She was abducted because someone didn’t accept the marriage between the two dynasties, right?”

  “Most likely,” the wizard confirmed. “Moreover, despite the fact that Ariana is the ruler’s youngest daughter and will never have a claim to the throne, she still knows a lot of secrets of the kingdom.”

  “Hmm, it makes no sense to ask you about what you did there, right? I know the answers. Secrets, secrets and more secrets,” I added wistfully, and Lsaeros was amused.

  “Is the door closed?” I nodded toward the entrance.

  “Of course,” the wizard smiled.

  “Then wake her up.”

  Lsaeros approached the sleeping girl, touched her forehead and uttered a short phrase.

  At the same moment, Princess Ariana opened her eyes and looked at the eyes of the wizard, who was leaning over her.

  I was afraid that she would cry out or yell or... well, it was hard to predict the reaction of a scared child. However, what happened the next second, neither I nor the wizard could have expected.

  “I know you,” Princess Ariana said in a pleasant and beautiful voice, then turned her head and looked at me. “And you.”

  * * *

  “Hello Alex. How’s my son?” A short, stout man entered the room and asked with a weary voice.

  “Hello, my friend,” the neurosurgeon replied. “Your son’s recovering slowly. Look here,” he pointed to the monitor that broadcasted the information from cameras embedded in a fancy device. It was created using the latest generation regeneration chamber and virtual capsule. “It’ll take a little time for his body to fully recover to what it was before the accident. However,…” Alex Grant paused to light one more cigarette, although the ashtray was already overflowing. “His brain... I just can’t understand what’s happening to it. All processes are normal, the neural connection is stable, but the consciousness itself is... how should I put it... well, it’s missing…”

  “How can it be missing?!” James Gray reached for a pack of cigarettes. “He’s alive! And he’s connected to this stupid game!” The man inhaled smoke nervously. “Kiera, by the way, has already found my son and is going to meet him soon. He’s now in some closed area, which she can’t penetrate. Kiera’s waiting for him to return to the mainland. However, I won’t go into details of this utterly strange gameplay. The facts themselves are important to me …”

  “I’d like to talk to you about the game,” Alex said thoughtfully, after waiting for James to finish. “The fact is that these capsules work on a different principle than the specimens that are now massively distributed throughout the world. If I hadn’t had this case with your son, I would never have known about it. The old generation capsules only connected the user to the game servers, let’s say they copied his mind. And this one,” he nodded toward the chaotic external design, “somehow completely transferred his mind there!”

  “It’s impossible!” James shook his head. “I know these capsules and their capabilities. Could this error be because that we’ve modified it?”

  “No, alas, but no. I rechecked everything several times,” Alex denied. “You know that! You should find and study the full documentation on their development. Were there any strange block, whose properties were slightly diminished? If so, our intervention could well activate it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I want to say that we don’t know everything about Life Corporation and those who are on the very top,” Alex pointed his finger at the ceiling, hinting at the mysterious employers, whom none of the board of directors had ever seen.

  “In spite of the fact that we’ve been working here from the beginning. And if we add the sudden disappearance of Daniel Ross and his thoughts about…” the neurosurgeon didn’t continue, because James understood him perfectly.

  “Okay. I’ll get copies of the documents within a week or two.”

  “Look, be careful! I don’t want you to be caught. After all, the capsule that you brought here was never found. Even though you were cleared of all suspicions, I insist that you be very cautious.”

  “I will,” James smiled slyly. “I covered my tracks so carefully that it was easier for Life to admit that it was the first test sample that was destroyed in that car because of unexpected events leading to the accident. The security service has been keeping me under scrutiny to this day because of this.”

  * * *

  Princess Ariana was also an oracle. It became obvious after she told us her old dream. It wasn’t even a dream, but a waking vision, which allowed her to look at the world in a completely different way. However, there was one problem. Oracles didn’t exist in the realm of Noria. Not a single one! Neither did soothsayers or other forecasters of the future. Basically, this wasn’t possible. Well, I could assume that one of the local NPC characters was able to predict the behavior of the other NPC or the events that were to follow. But a player! It seemed unbelievable that Ariana could foresee my coming.

  It sounded like nonsense, didn’t it? However, it was true! She knew that an immortal man would appear in the prison and save her and a certain mage named Lsaeros! She knew who I was! She knew my real name! By the way, she pronounced it with more confidence than my game nickname. It was hard for me to believe that artificial intelligence that, of course, had access to the global network, would violate the unshakable laws of the game so obviously. Although my experience convinced me otherwise! In my memory, these laws were often broken along with all the scenarios and principles of the gameplay.

  Well, at least the wizard didn’t try to figure out why Kraven wasn’t Kraven any more. He didn’t seem surprised when he realized that the girl was an oracle. He called her that according to his terminology. Lsaeros explained to me later in the carriage, after we’d left the village, that such people as Ariana were born once in a millennium. Many legends about such intelligent creatures existed in Noria. The gift of foresight could wake up at any time and at any age. Therefore, it was absolutely impossible to identify such a person in advance. Moreover, it could be an elf or a dwarf, a representative of any race.

  Was it a coincidence or was she captured by the monks because of her unique abilities? I wondered.

  “We’ll be there soon, right?” the sweet charming princess’ voice said.

  “Yes, child,” Lsaeros answered. “Then we are going to board a ship and leave this inhospitable island.”

  “And then we’ll go to the orcs,” the girl smiled, making my shoulders flinch nervously. It was a bit scary to realize that someone could predict your future at almost any time.

  The funniest (or strangest?) thing was that when we were discussing a possible chase with the wizard and how to get away from the island alive, the girl cheerfully said that we wouldn’t die today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow. Then Lsaeros asked her whether she knew the exact date when each of us would die. The girl nodded. The wizard didn’t dare to ask the exact date, and Ariana herself wasn’t going to say. I thought she understood perfectly that it was better not to discuss certain things. Even if someone wanted to know, it was better to remain silent.

  “When we arrive at Fadlas, stay with her,” Lsaeros took me aside and began to explain what to do next. “There’s quite a decent tavern near the port. Rich merchants often stay there. It’s called "Elbron". Wait for me there. I’m going to go around the quays, taverns and pubs. I’ll look for a ship and a captain. It’s pointless to use Blood magic on a low-ranking sailor.”

  “Maybe we should just pay them?” I didn’t think everything would be that easy.

  “Well, we may have enough money to get to the nearest port of Nazhar on the mainland,” the wizard explained. “I’m sure that Zorkhan’s people will be waiting for us there, and in the Dark Forest, and don’t forget about the Ardals. We need to get into the wastelands of the orcs. However, not a single crew in their right mind would go there for any amount of mone
y! It’s too dangerous.”

  “Then what’s the point of affecting the captain with magic?”

  “Because he’s a captain,” highlighting the last word, the wizard pointed upwards. “And his orders aren’t discussed! Only the first mate and the wizard can argue with him. I don’t think it would be very difficult to deal with the mate.”

  “What about the wizard?” I asked innocently, knowing perfectly well that the wizard was a real problem, especially if he was of a high level.

  “The wizard...” Lsaeros said thoughtfully. “I’ll figure something out later.”

  Well, Lsaeros’s self-confidence was very commendable. I hoped he knew what to do. Otherwise, everything would be in vain!

  Chapter 16

  With our plans lined out, we continued our journey to the city without a word. The girl was dozing and we preferred to spend the rest of the trip in silence.

  Despite my fears, the guards didn’t cause us any delays at the gate in Fadlas. We were immediately let in after they looked into the carriage and made sure of the high position of the travelers. The guards received three hundred irens for their good service. We were almost out of money. There were very few coins left in the bags I took from the bandits.

  Speaking of my appearance! I removed the amulet of Arum a couple of miles before we came to the city, regaining my true appearance. The guards saw truly noble people - the princess and me. And the wizard, of course. He radiated strength and majesty, despite his completely devastated magical source. Therefore, the small amount I gave to the soldiers, so they could “drink to the masters’ health” only confirmed our aristocratic credentials.

  I paid for the room in ‘Elbron’ and went upstairs with the girl. We avoided staying on the ground floor of taverns. Lsaeros, after he made sure that everything was in order, immediately left our company. He took almost all the remaining money and promised he would have everything ready as soon as possible. I agreed. The sooner we left the island, the better.

  “Do you want to eat?” I asked the girl.

  “Thanks, no,” Ariana smiled sweetly, realizing that she had almost uttered my real name, “...Kraven. I don’t understand why you dislike your real name so much?”

  “I don’t like it, that’s all,” I didn’t want to discuss it. “I’ll come down. Will you be alone? I’ll just take a drink, bring some food, and come back. Here’s the key! Lock the door from the inside. Don’t let anyone in except Lsaeros and me.”

  “Okay.”

  The tavern hall was pretty calm and peaceful. Nobody rustled or swore. It was an elite establishment. Although the guards were present. Armed guards, of course. There were three strong tall men — one was standing at the door, the other near the counter, and the third at the stairs to the second floor.

  I found the innkeeper, he took my order and went to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, I climbed back into the room, carrying a decanter with soft wine and a small fried bird in my hands.

  “Kraven!” As soon as I knocked on the door, the princess instantly opened it and rushed towards me with an agitated cry. “We need to run to the port urgently!”

  “Mm?” I mumbled with my mouth full. I couldn’t resist biting off a piece of roast meat along the way.

  “The monks are in the city! I have…” the girl thought, choosing words, “...seen them.”

  “Damn it!” I swore, putting the plate and the decanter on the table. “Where are they now?”

  A confused shrug was the answer, “I don’t know.”

  “Oh!” I waved my hand emotionally. The princess hadn’t yet learned how to manage her gift of foresight, and all the visions came to her chaotically and independently of her wishes.

  “Let’s go! Quickly!” I grabbed Ariana by her arm and pulled her along.

  If the Arads weren’t fools, and they weren’t, then they would quickly guess where to look for us. We didn’t have many options left! There was no portal in Fadlas, the scrolls also didn’t work. There was only one way to leave the island—by ship!

  Running out of the tavern, we rushed to the warehouses in the port. At least we could hide there. Indeed, in this part of the city, there were many huge buildings, probably half the size of a football field. There were a dozen warehouses, if not more, and they all looked the same. The buildings were so close to each other with narrow passages in between. They were crammed with boxes, bags, boards, broken old carts, and other rubbish. A large armed unit could easily hide there, and not just Ariana and me.

  “Where are you, Lsaeros?” I whispered quietly, hiding with the princess in a warehouse. It was a good location to see the danger in advance and move quickly to the port, hiding from the enemy.

  Three double-sided mooring piers protruded far into the harbor to the left of the warehouses. There were two long berths for boats, and two cargo piers with special devices for unloading ships to the right.

  Taverns, pubs and other places of entertainment, as well as commercial buildings, were lined along the port. The city line began immediately after them.

  Some fifteen ships were now in the Fadlas harbor. Eight of them were moored to the piers, and the rest anchored at the very exit to the open sea.

  With the port of Fadlas being so huge, I could search for our wizard for a very long time. It was good that the monks themselves hadn’t been seen yet.

  “Kraven, Lsaeros is over there!” the girl tugged at my sleeve, attracting my attention, and then pointed to the berths.

  What sharp vision! I squinted, peering into the distance, she instantly spotted the wizard. Well done!

  Lsaeros was walking along the second pier with a tall man in a black suit with gold embroidery and a cocked hat. He was pointing to one of the largest ships standing in the depths of the harbor. It was a gray-brown frigate with snow-white sails and a statue of a naked girl on the stern.

  Hmm, hasn’t the wizard subjugated this man to himself yet? At that moment, I saw them shaking hands joyfully and patting each other on the back. Just like old friends.

  Although I had no idea how Blood magic should have worked properly in that case. Maybe it only obscured a person’s mind, but didn’t completely subjugate him, making him into an obedient dog.

  “Let’s go,” I called to the girl.

  Making our way between the warehouse buildings and trying not to lose sight of the wizard and the man, we ran to the pier.

  “Kraven?” Lsaeros spoke in surprise as we approached them. “What’s the…”

  “The monks are in town,” I said quickly, interrupting him.

  “Where are they now?” the wizard stared at me.

  “Why are you asking me? Do I look like an oracle?” I hinted that the question should not be addressed to me, but to the girl. “Ariana said they’re here now.”

  The man with the cocked hat looked at us silently, standing slightly apart. He listened attentively, but judging by his calmness, he wasn’t going to join the conversation. Still, he didn’t show interest in us, as if he’d already known who we were.

  “Kirk,” Lsaeros turned to the man, “can we sail right away?”

  “We can, but some of the sailors are still in the city. There’re about five people,” he grimaced with displeasure. “I wouldn’t like to leave my people here. They may love a strong drink, but I won’t find better sailors than them. Well, maybe among the drow.”

  “It looks like you’ll have to,” I noticed. “The Ardal monks are over there.”

  On a wide stone-paved road used to transport goods from the port to the city center, three monks and six soldiers were heading towards us. Each of them had a crossbow behind his back and a sword in a sheath on his belt. Of course, they hadn’t noticed us yet, but this could soon happen, considering how quickly the people in the port began to disperse. These were local NPCs and players - rare guests of Fadlas. We loomed on the pier as an eyesore.

  “We’re leaving,” the wizard declared at once, and we hurriedly went to the top of the pier. “Where’s your boat, Kirk
?”

  “Over there,” he nodded toward the farthest pier.

  “Heck!”

  “They’ve noticed us,” I commented on the actions of the monks. “They split into two groups for some reason. Three warriors and a monk stayed there, the rest are coming here.”

  “I’ll take the girl and head for the ship,” Kirk quickly reacted.

  Lsaeros waved away, “Yes, hurry up. Ariana, go with him. You can trust him,” the wizard answered the girl’s silent question.

  “You’ve got an hour,” the captain added, taking out the saber from the sheath and throwing it to the wizard. “Try to get to the ship alive. Kraven, unfortunately, I have no weapons for you.”

  “I’ve got my own,” I grinned, materializing the daggers of Chaos in my hands.

  The captain and the girl ran to the boat, and we rushed to cut off the Ardals.

  “Who are you?” stopping his people with a gesture, one of the monks threw back his hood and gave me a predatory look.

  I immediately recognized Ra-Lam, despite his blistered face and burnt hair. Obviously, he came under fire from people who attacked the monastery.

  We need to distract them! the thought has dawned me. Kirk and Ariana haven’t reached the boat yet.

  “I’m the one to whom you proposed to become your novice,” I smiled wryly.

  “Kraven?!” The monk’s surprise knew no bounds. “You’re...” he hissed angrily, “a foul creature! A traitor! Moreover, a killer! How…”

  “I didn’t kill any of your people, Ra-Lam,” I shook my head, interrupting the man.

  “Do you think I’ll believe you?”

  “I don’t care. You’re no better than those people who killed your priest and made a fiery performance in the monastery.”

  “He isn’t lying,” a voice suddenly came from under the hood of a tall monk, whose thinness was hardly concealed by a baggy robe.

  “He isn’t lying,” Ra-Lam repeated disappointedly. “Then don’t bother us, Kraven! We’ll take the wizard and the girl, and leave. I’ll spare your life. This is more valuable than the money that they paid you to save them.”