by Paul Kite
Meanwhile, Lsaeros was still trying to convince me to take his offer, and began telling me where his refuge was and what it included. The ownership couldn’t be transferred using the portal key, that was a reusable scroll, enclosed in an object and tied to a specific place. By the way, it actually broke the game rules. Actually, I noticed long ago new and unexplored phenomena that shouldn’t have existed, but at the same time they perfectly fit the logic of the world’s history of and its physical and magical laws.
I agreed in the end. Lsaeros’s refuge turned out to be an ancient castle, hidden in the mountains of the Khazar range in the Dwarf Kingdom. This was the ultimate dream of any clan or guild. I’d be its sole owner! Albeit only for a few years. This was enough for me. I was planning to find out what had happened to me in the real world, and why my father decided to connect my mind to the virtual world, and most importantly, how he did it.
Chapter 35
Two elves, different not only in appearance, but also in character, were having a very serious conversation in a huge castle on the edge of the Dark Forest near the border with the Free lands. One was Hontar, a drow-NPC, a former master of the guild ‘Elghinn Dal Veldrin’, Zorkhan’s brother, and the other Tanaral, a drow-player of the ‘Black Wolves’ clan, but in reality — the director of a large company and the founder of a fairly successful network project, which increased his already huge fortune.
Initially it seemed that the serious conversation between these two powerful characters was sliding into an argument. Luckily, both drow knew better than to fight each other. If the two high-level monsters clashed in battle, it wouldn’t be a simple tavern fight between two drunks. Many people would suffer.
“You promised that you would share the secrets of your former guild and teach my people if we get Kraven!” the player reminded the brazen NPC about the contract for the second time.
“I did,” Hontar agreed. “But you didn’t fulfill any of my conditions! You missed him on the island. You didn’t catch him at sea either. Kraven could hide even in the desert of the orcs!” the former Master of the Shadows angrily dismissed the annoying immortal man.
“We tried to follow the rules…”
Tanarel wanted to say “of the game”, but he remembered in time who he was talking to, and corrected himself, “of the gods! My clan couldn’t have slaughtered the orcs in the wastelands, it would have seemed like an impudent invasion.”
“Were you afraid that other immortals could interfere?” the drow grinned. However, your clan wouldn’t survive a full-fledged war. The indigenous people of the forest would hardly have supported you. We don’t stick our noses in other people’s business, unlike you, immortal!”
“Yes,” the player hissed, gritting his teeth in anger, which he managed to suppress. “We had to negotiate with someone and pay a lot of money,” he emphasized. “We paid for the destruction of the scorpion queen’s nest the same day Kraven made a deal with one of the local caravan drivers that he would take him to Tir-Dom. What is most important, this smartass Kraven tried to hide behind his amulet, changing his appearance! Well, my people described not only his real appearance, but also the one that his amulet creates. By the way, another man accompanied Kraven. They left Harith-Hodor island together.”
“I know,” the master of Shadows said sarcastically, knowing perfectly well who the damned half-breed sinrim saved from the prison of the Ardal monastery. But he, of course, wasn’t going to tell Tanaral about the wizard named Lsaeros. “By the way, don’t forget to return my artifact,” the drow reminded him, referring to the object with which one could easily open the illusions of any type and complexity. “I didn’t intend to give this invaluable thing to you! You should already have it, since your people gave the orcs only a description of both Kraven’s forms.”
“It’s …”
“Don’t say that your subordinates haven’t returned from the island yet, I won’t believe it!” the dark elf interrupted the player menacingly, shaking his head.
“They’ve returned,” Tanaral really wanted to keep the rare artifact, but... something told him that he shouldn’t mess with Hontar, despite the fact that he was just a set of program code, though too original and sensible. “Should I order to bring it here?” the player took out a negotiating amulet.
He could, of course, write a letter to the warehouse manager of valuable items that weren’t the clan’s property. However, it might take too long for him to reply, you never knew where he was, until he found an employee who was on duty there at the moment... It was easier to do everything himself and contact someone in the warehouse directly. Moreover, all officers, managers, and especially responsible and trusted persons must always carry amulets of communication with them on the castle grounds.
However, Hontar was in no hurry to reply, thinking about something else.
“No,” the former master of the Shadows stopped Tanaral with a gesture of his hand. “I’ll pick it up later, I don’t need it right now. You can even use it a little longer, for your own purposes,” the drow allowed graciously. “Don’t lose it!” Hontar chuckled ironically. “As for learning... It should cover your expenses. But as for the secrets of my former guild, alas!” He spread his hands, “You don’t deserve them!”
Hontar turned around and walked confidently toward the exit.
“Uh,” the clan leader was taken aback by his interlocutor’s drastic change of mood and his contradictory actions and desires. “We won’t lose,” he muttered behind the dark elf’s back, who for some reason hastily left the small room.
However, Tanaral didn’t remove the negotiating amulet. He made an urgent call to his intelligence chief, whose department also included the clan’s player killers. The subordinate was surprised by this method of communication and pointed out that the clan leader could simply send him a letter. Tanaral immediately got to the point.
“Anregal, prepare a small group of player killers by the evening. I will need them tomorrow! Appoint Nargal the leader of the squad. He seems to be the most responsible of all your crazy subordinates.”
“Um,” the head of intelligence said thoughtfully, “have you decided to ‘punish’ anyone?”
“No,” Tanaral answered, “not this time. I need them to snatch one place in the Turin mountains.”
“Have you forgotten that there are,” Anregal uttered perplexedly,... “illusory spiders! Are you crazy?!” He could afford such liberties in dealing with the clan leader because they had been friends since childhood. However, in reality, the head of the intelligence department, while communicating with his boss, could also speak quite rudely.
“I’ll fire you!” the clan leader uttered sternly. He was Anregal’s boss in both worlds.
“You can do it right now”, the man laughed, not taking his friend’s words seriously. “Tell me what you have in mind! Moreover, I want to hear about that drow,” he hinted at a recent Taranal’s conversation with Hontar...
At that moment, the aforementioned drow left the Black Wolves’ castle and, activating the teleportation scroll, went straight to the capital of the Free Lands — Avsteneya. Hontar didn’t dare to move to Alatkhdor, where Kraven and Lsaeros intended to get. After all, the other training camp of the guild, ‘Elghinn Dal Veldrin’ — Noar-Rahor, was in the capital and the dark elf tried to avoid meeting his former colleagues! The representatives of the Shadows guild would hardly have killed or captured him, but they would certainly report to Zorkhan about his brother’s location. He would be able to find him in the blink of an eye.
Hontar planned to intercept Kraven before Zorkhan reached him. It was best to catch him on the border of the Free lands. There were few places through which Kraven could leave the Wastelands. Since the caravan which he and Lsaeros joined was heading for the Tir-Dom oasis, most likely they would be found there.
Of course, the dark elf could not kill the immortal man, but he was able to send him into a different reality. Hontar was one of those elves who knew about the existence of t
he other world reality, and he knew very well how to send Kraven there. But the drow could kill the wizard. Hontar didn’t care that Zorkhan needed Lsaeros. Derolighler’s wishes and motives were quite understandable, but Hontar was still afraid that the shinrims could survive. He gritted his teeth angrily and involuntarily reached for his sword at the thought of this. If the dawn elves survived, then let them remain locked in the Cursed Lands for all eternity! Letting such creatures back into the Realm of Noria would be an unforgivable mistake!
In addition, the elf strongly regretted that he had never visited the area in the wilderness. He once traveled to the other end of the Orc Wastelands, closer to the islands. After all, if Hontar visited all the oases of the fanged orcs earlier, then he would not have to waste time on wild races from the capital and through the forest to the border.
* * *
The dead and practically lifeless desert didn’t seemed small from a bird's eye view. But as soon as Verlain looked at the map, she understood that a flying pet appeared to become her best investment. The journey would have taken much longer if she had chosen a land animal.
Verlain was in a great hurry. After she received the necessary documents, she carefully studied them, and got ready for the trip without any hesitation. Verlain read a short and recent mention of Kraven, as it turned out he had Dazrael’s mark, a certain bright elf and master of the Shadows for company, and was in the oasis of Der-Hawk. Verlain’s hopes were up that she would soon finally meet Kraven!
Now she was almost there and she would meet Kraven in three hours at most. Meanwhile, Kiera, which is what her real name was, had no idea what would happen next. Of course she would help her... beloved. She would do all she could for him! Verlain would be with him in the game every day until his body was restored. She would make him quit racing these damned flyers. It was time for them to move to the next stage.
Her family, alas, would be against their wedding. Kiera was a little worried, because only she would decide whom she would spend the best years of her life with, have children, grow old and see her grandchildren! Kraven was unlikely to be happy when he found out what kind of title he was to receive after the wedding. Kraven didn’t like these outdated laws and the considerable responsibility that they brought. But he would soon get used to it! Kiera didn’t doubt it.
Suddenly, the young druid noticed a strange forest with a lake in the middle. There was a forest with a lake in the desert! Incredible!
“I should have studied the history and terrain of the Orcs Wastelands,” the girl said quietly. “Are there flying mobs here?”
Despite the fact that Kiera didn’t encounter any airborne danger on her journey, she was still cautious.
At full speed, she flew over the squad of orcs, who were milling around near the foot of the mountain range at the site of a recent battle, and she was glad that none of them had guessed to look at the sky at that moment...
But the flight came to an end. The first low buildings and green thickets of a large oasis appeared below, and Verlain, circling over Der-Hawk and attracting considerable attention, ordered the magnificent Alkher pterod to land.
As soon as she descended on the sand, the system displayed several warnings. And the most important of them said that the dryad would be affected by debuffs on the rate of mana and life recovery in the desert, despite the proximity of the oasis. The other messages only reminded her again that she wouldn’t be able to use some of her spells and abilities, and the other spells would increase the mana consumption and the rollback time by thirty percent.
“It’s okay,” the girl waved off recklessly, glancing suspiciously at the orc NPCs hurrying to her landing site, while several players, who decided to choose a green-skinned fanged race for their characters, were walking behind them.
However, the orcs looked at Verlain with suspicion, they didn’t understand was one of the ancient tree people — the original inhabitants of the forest — doing in their dry, windy desert.
“Um, hello. How are you?” Verlain said loudly, when a shaman and two warriors approached her, but the players were in no hurry to come closer, waiting to see what happens next.
The pterod anxiously moved about, and the girl ran her hand over its wing, soothing her pet.
“Unfortunately, I cannot welcome you here,” the shaman began politely. “And I would ask you to leave my...” he emphasized this word, “... oasis! We have never quarreled with dryads and respect your patron goddess, but if you’re going to stay here, conflict is inevitable.”
Chapter 36
The orc nodded behind his back, as if to show that she should not expect a welcome from some of his other compatriots, like the players who were watching the girl with suspicion.
Verlain knew perfectly well that the local orcs wouldn’t harm her. Virtually all races respected the divine patroness of the dryads, who was also responsible for the fertility of the soil. It was clear that the orcs living in the desert worshiped the goddess the same as their own patron god. To offend the dryads meant to incur the wrath of the goddess. The conflict could cause a bad harvest and the crops were grown with great difficulty only in the region of four large oases in the Wastelands.
However, the shaman was right. The players could decide to kill the dryad. They could do it for profit, money, or in an attempt to seize the pterod, who was completely attached to her owner. This meant that the reptile couldn’t become the property of any other player in any way. The girl didn’t really want to quarrel with the orcs — that would complicate the search for Kraven. Therefore, Verlain nodded and pretended that she was about to fly away, she climbed back to the pterod under the watchful eyes of the orc players. Raising her pet to the sky, she flew away from the oasis, looking for a safe place to wait for the night.
Verlain found that place about two miles from Der-Hawk, not far from a small lake with abandoned dilapidated buildings. There was no one there but a couple of wild dogs and three varans. The smart dogs ran away as soon as they saw a huge landing predator, but the dryad had to kill the stupid lizards.
Verlain had already come up with a plan how she would penetrate the oasis. The potion she received from the druid as a reward for completing the quest was valuable. She prudently learned about its properties from the best wizard. It turned out that the potion made it possible to turn into a black wolf for about an hour. It wasn’t just transformation; the dryad could become a real forest predator with all the advantages and disadvantages.
Therefore, Verlain had to have time not only to penetrate the oasis, but also to explore it thoroughly at dusk, before the full moon rises, because it would illuminate the desert like a searchlight. The sight, hearing and scent that were supposed to be enhanced by the potion would help her. The girl could imagine what a man should smell like, and she very much hoped that there wouldn’t be many creatures of this race in Der-Hawk. Then Verlain should examine each of them closely, because she remembered Kraven’s description of the necromancer! She also needed to avoid the rest inhabitants of the oasis, especially the orcs. However, the wolves were like local wild dogs, it was her advantage.
Verlain, like Livion, had no idea that under the terms of the contract between Master Zorkhan and Captain Arkenrid, Kraven was provided with the Arum amulet, which changed the appearance of its owner. In general, very few people knew that, except for master Zorkhan, Derolighler and Hontar, who, of course, had some connections in his own guild.
The waiting was long and painful as ever. Finally, dusk came, the sun went down the horizon, and the first stars began to appear in the sky. The creators of the Realm of Noria sometimes implemented unmatched images worthy of the artist’s brush — there was a fantastically beautiful sky at a cloudless night!
Verlain took out the potion, pulled out the cork and immediately drank it all up. Then she crouched right on the sand, waiting for a system message and for her appearance to change — well, at least temporary. She disliked not feeling like a human being! It influenced her psyche too much.
A second passed, then another, a third and …
Attention!
Your black wolf treatment potion will last for 68 minutes.
All your options will increase by 30%.
You will receive: the predator’s instinct, night vision, heightened hearing and scent, as well as the following skills - ‘beast leap’, ‘howl leader’, ‘rupture of the flesh’ and ‘hunter’s rage’. Description of skills can be viewed under the ‘help’ tab.
We warn you that the use of such potions can affect your psychological state! Therefore, after the spell ends, we recommend that you take a break and go into reality for at least a couple of hours.
After returning to your native appearance, you will receive a debuff of -5% to strength, -15% to agility and -10% to intelligence for a period of 6 hours.
Damn it, the girl said to herself, since she couldn’t speak for the next hour.
What can you pronounce with a fanged mouth of a wolf?
Barely restraining herself not to howl, the wolf ran to the oasis at full speed.
I wish I could always move at such a speed! The girl smiled when, after about five minutes, the first sand-colored huts and colorful tents, set in the empty space between them, appeared before her.
The wolf bent its head to the ground and, covering its eyes, breathed noisily. A whirlwind of smells filled the wolf's nostrils, and picking out the human scent among them, Verlaine went up to the nearest one.
Not the one, the wolf snorted, seeing the man in gray leather armor sitting on a bench, and she rushed to the next target.
Neither the second one either, nor the third, nor the fourth, or even the fifth person fit Kraven’s description. Time passed and a little less than half an hour remained until the end of the transformation. The black wolf snarled nervously and viciously scratched a completely innocent tree she was hiding behind. Her sharp claws deeply tore up the wood, and the tree creaked, shaking its branches offensively, although there was no wind. The wolf clung to the ground, realizing that it could well attract undue attention. Verlain saw a large tent in five steps to her right, there were several orcs and one light elf in there. No one was moving in there, they were just having a conversation.