Dungeons of the Crooked Mountains
Page 11
But before I got comfortable and fell asleep, I felt an insistent patting on my shoulder. Not opening an eye, I tried to sluggishly move away. But the patting didn’t stop. Crum’s happy voice joined in.
“Rick, look at you dozing off all sweet! Get up! Time for work!”
What did he mean work? Already?!
Despite myself, I opened my right eye and looked toward the window. He was right. There were tentative rays of morning sun already peeking through the boards.
“Why did the night go so quick?” I asked Crum resentfully as he sat at the table.
“Get up lazy bones,” the kid mocked me. “All the amenities are outside. I put down the ladder. You can wash up in the old barrel against the far wall. The water is clean. I fetched it yesterday.”
Outside it was quite fresh and damp. I quickly handled my needs, washed up in the ice-cold water and ran upward. It was time to refuel. When I left, Crum was already crunching and smacking away at something.
We ate in silence, just trading the occasional meaningless phrase.
“Eat more,” Crum muttered, his mouth full. “My mom always said breakfast should be a big meal. If you don’t eat much in the morning, might as well kiss the whole day goodbye. And you know, she was completely right. After she died, my breakfasts were far from ideal. Ah, what can I say? I practically didn’t have breakfast at all...”
After we’d eaten our fill, Crum extended me my bag.
“I put some food in there for lunch. More than half of what was left. Cheese, fish, sausage and bread.”
“All salty,” I scratched the back of my head. “I’m gonna be drinking a lot.”
“That’s the idea,” Crum said with a clever smile.
“I don’t get it...”
“I’m almost positive that whoever Livid sends out to shepherd you will take all your food. So take these little sandwiches and this apple separately. Hide them somewhere, and you can eat them once your shepherd dozes off.”
“You think he’s gonna be napping?”
“Of course!” Crum said in delight. “I’d bet my bottom dollar! But to be sure, have him drink the ale in this flask.”
I twirled the container, which we got yesterday, around in my hands.
“I bought some ale this morning in a tavern,” the boy explained. “And mixed it with a bit of sleeping potion.”
“Where’d you get that?”
“Last week, our healer pulled one of my teeth and gave me a bottle of sleeping medicine... You know, in case it started to hurt so I could get some rest. My tooth stopped bothering me that same day, so I never even opened the bottle until today.”
“Hmm...”
“So then... Your shepherd will eat way too much of the salty food, then he’ll want to sate his thirst. And believe you me, none of those dummies drink water if there’s a flask of nice cold ale to be had.”
“Well thought-out. And you’re sure you didn’t add too much sleeping medicine?”
“Yes,” Crum answered confidently. “The medicine man explained it all in great detail. And the cheese and sausage will mask the flavor of the sleeping potion.”
“That’s very good! You’re a smart kid, Crum!”
“You bet I am!” the kid proudly patted himself on the head. “Investing in Mind like old Targus told me was the right move after all... Basically, as soon as your guard starts snoring, get to work. The potion will last plenty of time.”
Chapter 9
LIVID WAS WAITING at the barrack to meet me. As was Frodi, happy as ever and smiling openly. And Happy, yawning wearily. I looked my former friend in the eyes and didn’t understand how a person with such a pleasant and kind face could do such nasty things.
Yesterday, Crum told me everything he knew about Frodi. He was born somewhere in the west. In a wagon belonging to some wandering performers. I guess his mother was assistant to a magician and, after performances, he would see if any well-heeled townsfolk wanted to spend the night with his pretty stage-hand for a bit of extra coin. That means Frodi’s father could have been anyone.
And starting in early childhood, he also took part in the performances. I bet the young Frodi learned the power of Charisma on that very stage. You could level it like nobody’s business up there.
When he grew and got stronger, he ran away from his mother. In the big city, he linked up with a street gang whose leader had an appreciation for the newcomer’s particular talent. Basically, with the kind of life he’s had, it’s no surprise he turned out the way he did.
“How’d you sleep?” asked the traitor. “Ready to get to work?”
He wanted to give me a friendly pat on the shoulder but I dodged.
“Haha! So you are mad after all!” Frodi said with a laugh. “Ungrateful! I spent all night thinking of ways to help you... I can protect you from all kinds of danger, you know? Happy came to meet you and agreed to keep watch over you. He’ll even show you a place where lots more moss grows...”
In my head, I understood that Frodi was mocking me, but his open face and expression seemed to show the opposite. I have to resist! Think about yesterday’s betrayal! That way his charisma won’t work! As soon as I thought about it, I saw a strange message before my eyes:
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! You resisted the mind control of a being with Charisma more than 5 points higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (50).
- Clay tablet of Mind.
- Clay tablet “Resistance to Mental Attacks.”
- Clay tablet “Lie Detection.”
That was followed by another few similar messages which I quickly swiped into the archive, quavering with overflowing emotion. It took some effort not to show it in my face. But seemingly I pulled it off. Beyond that, thankfully, the door to the barrack opened, distracting Frodi and Happy, and I quickly looked down.
“Why aren’t you in the mine yet?!” I hear the squeaking commanding voice of the thin criminal who searched my knapsack yesterday with such a deft hand.
“Shut your face, Probe,” Frodi answered calmly. “Or is your tongue getting in the way?”
After that, Frodi nodded at Happy.
“If that’s the case, my friend here can help you get rid of it. Right Happy?”
The thin convict blew away like the wind.
I took a fleeting glance at Frodi’s friend. Crum didn’t know a lot about him. There were rumors that, before he became a criminal, Happy served in the retinue of one of the northern Barons.
I was dying of curiosity. What was the message the Great System sent me?!
“Ah, well Probe is right,” Frodi said. “You should have been in the mine a long time ago.”
Somehow overcoming a burst of emotion, I said:
“I don’t think I need to be guarded. I wouldn’t want to keep Happy from more important matters.”
“Haha! What are you talking about, Eric!? I remember the way your knees shook when we first entered the cave. You aren’t being fair to yourself! You’re very important to us! We’re friends, you and I! Haha! And as you know, friends help one another!”
Frodi was really having fun with me now.
“Then at least let me cut the rest of the moss in the old cave. There’s two more days’ work there at least.”
Frodi glanced at me suspiciously. I have to fix this now...
“You do know after all how hard it is to find resources for my level...”
When I said that, I put on the most pitiful face I could muster. And my final argument:
“All the remaining moss is up high. That means I’ll probably get more than just Agility and Herbalism...”
I could sense Frodi’s scrutinizing gaze on my skin. He probably used it as a method of detecting lies... But the beauty of what I said was that not one word wasn’t true. Sure, I had left out the main reason I wanted to go, but Frodi wasn’t all powerful. He could detect a certain lack of truth in my
voice, but that didn’t eclipse the pure truth he could also sense me speaking.
“Alright,” he finally agreed after a few moments playing the staring game. “You have two days to clear the cave. Now go.”
It took a lot of effort to hold back a sigh of relief.
When I took my first step, I just about had a nasty spill. I saw yet another message jump in before my eyes. Without reading it I sent it into the archive.
Now getting further away, I heard Frodi’s muted voice:
“I hope that sucker doesn’t die before he gets there.”
Marching off after Happy toward the mine, I opened the messages from earlier, my heart aflutter. I decided to read them in chronological order.
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! You resisted the mental control of a being with Charisma more than 10 points higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (100).
- Stone tablet of Mind.
- Stone tablet “Resistance to Mental Attacks.”
- Stone tablet “Lie Detection.”
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! You resisted the mental control of a being with Charisma more than 15 points higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (150).
- Iron tablet of Mind.
- Iron tablet “Resistance to Mental Attacks.”
- Iron tablet “Lie Detection.”
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! You resisted the mental control of a being with Charisma more than 20 points higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (200).
- Bronze tablet of Mind.
- Bronze tablet “Resistance to Mental Attacks.”
- Bronze tablet “Lie Detection.”
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! You resisted the mental control of a being with Charisma more than 25 points higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (250).
- Silver tablet (3).
Then, in a lather, I started reading the messages that came after I convinced Frodi to let me stay in the same cave as before.
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! Masterfully concealing the truth, you managed to hide your true intentions from a being with Lie Detection 5 levels higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (50).
- Clay tablet of Mind.
- Clay tablet “Charisma.”
- Clay tablet “Power of Suggestion.”
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! Masterfully concealing the truth, you managed to hide your true intentions from a being with Lie Detection 10 levels higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (100).
- Stone tablet of Mind.
- Stone tablet “Charisma.”
- Stone tablet “Power of Suggestion.”
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! Masterfully concealing the truth, you managed to hide your true intentions from a being with Lie Detection 15 levels higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (150).
- Iron tablet of Mind.
- Iron tablet “Charisma.”
- Iron tablet “Power of Suggestion.”
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! Masterfully concealing the truth, you managed to hide your true intentions from a being with Lie Detection 20 levels higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (200).
- Bronze tablet of Mind.
- Bronze tablet “Charisma.”
- Bronze tablet “Power of Suggestion.”
- Attention! The Higher Powers have taken note of your accomplishment! Masterfully concealing the truth, you managed to hide your true intentions from a being with Lie Detection 25 levels higher than yours!
- Congratulations! You receive:
- Experience essence (250).
- Silver tablet (3).
Achievements?! Higher Powers?! First I’m hearing of this! I’d never heard the like from anyone — not my parents, not Dalia - I’d never heard anyone talk about them ever before! What is happening to me?!!
Flipping through the strange notifications, I was so stunned that I completely forgot to look where I was walking. And I soon paid for that — my unfortunate carcass splatted awkwardly in a puddle right in the middle of the road.
I hit my right knee on a rock sticking up out of the ground and it hurt. I swallowed some mud, then slowly raised my head.
I heard raucous laughter from a cart passing by. My view was blocked by the sides of the cart so I couldn’t see who was sitting there but, based on the cracking voices, they were probably kids of my age.
“Way to go, kid,” Happy grumbled, grabbing me by the scruff of my neck like a kitten.
To my surprise there was no anger in his voice, just slight bafflement and annoyance.
A moment later I was back on my own two. Wet and all covered in mud. I looked myself over and winced bitterly. Hmm... Not a good way to start the day.
After that I remembered why I’d fallen in the mud and my soul was immediately warmed. The loot!
“You’re a real freak,” Happy threw out after we’d gone a bit further.
“Why?” I made up my mind to ask.
“You just ate a mouthful of shit, and now you’re grinning like an idiot,” he explained.
“It’s just my way of reacting to screw-ups...”
“Got it. You like eating shit. Like I said, you’re a freak.”
“So you think a person should eat shit with a serious face?” I asked, surprised at my own cheek.
Happy stopped short all of a sudden and gave me an insistent glare. Everything inside me dropped. If he smacked me upside the head even one time with his massive mitts, I’d be a goner.
He spent a long time looking me from head to toe as if deciding whether to smack upside the head me now or save that bit of fun for later.
“Let me share some wisdom with you, kid,” he said slowly. “You really shouldn’t be eating shit in the first place. Doesn’t matter what your face looks like. Does that clear things up?”
“Yes,” I answered quietly.
“As for my happiness... You see this scar?”
He pointed to his mouth.
I nodded.
“I used to have a real jolly old soul in my unit. He was always telling idiotic jokes. He was not a fan of me. You know, I never laughed at his moronic stories and all that... The whole unit would laugh their butts off, but I just didn’t find it funny, not on my life...”
I lost my breath. Crum told me Happy was the darkest and quietest person in Livid’s gang. And here he was walking next to me and enthusiastically sharing a story from his past.
“It happened in the fall,” he continued in the meantime. “There was something our Baron didn’t share with a neighboring nobleman. And us northerners have a custom. All disputes, no matter how minor, come to war. And so it started. We give them a bump on the head, they do it back to us. In one of those battles, they came for me. My whole cheek got messed up. While I was lying there unconscious, that jolly jerk I was telling you about patched my cheek back up. A few weeks later, when they took off the bandage, the whole unit had a big laugh at my expense. And that joker laughed most of all behind my back, saying now I’d never frown through one of his stories again... Pretty good joke, huh?”
He spent some time walking in silence. But in the pit of my stomach I could feel that there was more to his story.
“And what came after that?” I finally got up the gumption to
ask.