Soulcatcher

by Sergey Zaytsev

  We still didn't know what the hell Alice was doing, but Cavalier, having glanced at the scene, instantly understood and shouted.

  "Gramps, cast 'Pain' on her! Now!"

  Giving heels to the exhausted furster, he charged at the rogue.

  Pops reacted without hesitation. He formed a complex gesture with his right hand, and a weak yellow flash appeared in the center of his palm. Alice screamed silently, her face twisted into a miserable grimace, piece of cloth in one hand and the dagger, blood dripping from its blade, in the other.

  Cavalier didn't use his hammer. Rushing up to the rogue on his furster, he just grabbed the cloth from her hand. Grabbing her by the belt with his free hand, he snatched her from the saddle and tossed her away from the fissure, as if she were a mere kitten. Tumbling in the air, the blonde rolled onto the ground, scraping elbows and knees.

  "You!" As soon as the stupor induced by Pops passed, Alice jumped up, staring angrily at "Cats'" vice cm. Her face was scratched, clothes covered in dust and rubble, but she did not dare to rush at her attacker. Arrogance always diminishes with the loss of supporters. And now, the rogue was left alone against all. She at least had enough sense to realize it. "Don't you ever touch me again, Cavalier!"

  The cleric's furster took a step forth, causing the girl to move back.

  "You're doing it again?" asked Cavalier in a silky tone. "Has no one fixed your brains yet?"

  "Get lost! It's none of your business!" Alice cried out.

  "Any decent man would think it his business," Cavalier said. "And I consider myself to be a decent man. That's why I followed you when I realized what you were up to. Sorry, something delayed me, I couldn't leave immediately and barely arrived in time."

  "You'll regret it …"

  "Your empty threats mean nothing to me, I have my own clan," Cavalier interrupted her harshly. "And if you don't get lost right now, I won't give you any promises. Guys don't know everything about you, and I'm gonna fill that gap in their knowledge right now. And if you start complaining to your clanmates, I could as well tell them. I am sure that there are many gaps in their knowledge, too."

  The threat acted like a banishing spell.

  Alice glanced at us, sprang onto her furster, forced him into a gallop, and disappeared behind the trees in a matter of seconds. Listening to the clattering of the hooves grow distant, I questioningly stared at Cavalier, who, meanwhile, dismounted in the middle of the clearing. Leaving his hammer on the saddle, he did a couple of sit-ups, stretching his legs, numb from the race.

  "What's going on, Cavalier?" I asked the question that worried all of us. I came closer and stopped two steps away from the cleric. Following the example, Pops and Owl came closer too.

  "Nothing special, except that I have just ‘saved you all a save'", kindly explained the "Cats'" vice cm. He looked at the former "Children" with interest. "And, given the occasion, I'm ready to invite all interested to our clan, that is, as soon as you both get rid of the expulsion penalty."

  "Wait with the invitation," Pops interrupted grumpily, "What else is wrong with this hole and Alice? We sort of worked most of it out ourselves."

  "Let it be known, beginners," Cavalier stood up, thumbs on his belt, and stared at us with a meaningful look. "This cave is a popular place among elder players; here come those who need to get experience after the dungeon."

  "That ‘Bonechewer', it was already dead, there was no need for extra alarm," muttered Owl, still in shock from the expulsion from the "Children".

  "Dead, yes. But that's not the point. You cut down the guard who looked after the territory near the hole. The inhabitant of this burrow is still in there," Cavalier pointed his index finger at the dark niche in the rock; meaningful smile on his face. "That's the one Mr. Esco gives the quest for as soon as the creature respawns after being killed. Calm down, don't twitch. The beast isn't awake during the afternoon, only at nightfall. Or if stirred on purpose, for example, by throwing into the hole a piece of cloth with the smell of blood…"

  "Won't our conversation wake it up?" I asked. "Maybe it'd be better to get away?"

  "Nothing will wake it but blood."

  "And what level is that ‘Bonechewer'?" Pops asked, frowning.

  "Ten. The three of you would be throat deep in shit," assured Cavalier. "Elite, a mini-boss with four crowns," he shook his head. "I never thought Alice would try to do this again."

  "Get to the point, Cavalier," I hurried the man, intrigued by the hints. "What do you mean by ‘again'?"

  "Here's the story... Alice decided not to forgive Stinger for leaving to the dungeon with Grant and leaving her behind. She got along with the former 'Children's' vice cm - Brawler. Apparently, she promised to join his clan in an exchange for a specific favor."

  "Got along", yeah. By the most ancient definition of the term in the world, I bet. I hope it was worth the candle, and that Brawler really enjoyed the night he had spent with Alice. It was like spending the night with a snake, if you asked me.

  "What favor?" asked Pops.

  "Elimination of a competitor," I smiled.

  "Exactly," confirmed Cavalier. "Brawler teamed up with Sarge. They waited for a moment when Grant was left without his mentor's supervision, stunned and bounded him and brought him to this den."

  Pops and Owl stared at the hole in disbelief. I, on the other hand, wasn't too surprised. I expected something like this, and Grant had long been feeding me with hints.

  "So, you're telling us…" Pops shook his head in disapproval.

  "Yeah. It was, in fact, an execution," Cavalier said. "It's hard to know what's going on in the head of that fickle...that fickle creature. She was probably expecting that Stinger would take her back once Grant hits the ‘Replicator'. However, it never happened. Stinger was not an idiot. He quickly figured out who was guilty…"

  "The rest is obvious," I interrupted. "Stinger found and killed both Brawler and Sarge."

  If I were Grant, I wouldn't talk about it either. I didn't understand what was up with the people here. Once they come into the game do they deem such concepts as decency, kindness, honesty, and mercy as unnecessary? Do they leave them behind in the "real" world? Or were players with extremely low morals common here?

  "Stinger wouldn't hesitate to send Alice to the ‘Replicator', too. His hand wouldn't tremble," Cavalier added in a very serious tone. "But fortunately, when Stinger went after her, knowing who was behind the idea of that escapade, she prudently stayed in 'Daisy' where Esco got him. Even Stinger couldn't beat the 'Curator', even though he tried. The result was the same - ‘Inferno'."

  "We shouldn't have let her go," Pops said, angrily. "It was about time she got a taste of her own medicine."

  Cavalier didn't seem to agree with the man. "No need to stoop to her level. Alice still does not understand, but karma comes quickly here. No action or deed can escape the attention of the local ‘divine bureaucracy'. She'll be dealt with."

  "And what was she going to do once she awoke the creature with her own blood?" Owl wondered.

  "Her spec," condescendingly explained Cavalier. "The rangers have the ability to make any hostile creature their ally for about ten seconds. And in ten seconds, when on the furster, one can be very far from the battlefield."

  "So, not a word more about Alice," I said. "She's got enough attention. Now, Cavalier, you've been here longer than all of us, I have a tricky question to ask you…"

  I opened my virtual mailbox and, with the feeling that I was diving into the abyss, read the letter about the killer, carefully watching the faces of those present. Owl opened his mouth and stared at me with his already round eyes. His surprise looked genuine. Pops, older than the boy-magician, kept his composure, but also looked at me in puzzlement. Nothing more. I was a shitty face reader...

  But the "Cats'" vice cm wasn't surprised by the letter.

  "What can you tell me, Cavalier? Is there any truth to this?"

  "I myself didn't receive such letter," Cavalier smiled faintly.
"And I don't personally know anyone else who did. Very few people share such things openly. But the problem itself is known to me, so I prefer to perceive it as a stable myth. That is, there is no sufficient reason to take it seriously, but I would not completely discount it."

  I sighed, feeling a little relieved. That's why Grant said it wasn't a secret. I'd been imagining things, almost marking him as an enemy. It turned out that this really was a game thing.

  "Pops, you?" I looked at the cleric. "Do you have anything like that in your mailbox?"

  "No," the cleric met my gaze. "I'm not your enemy."

  "And you, Owl? Is anyone after you? Or maybe you're after someone?"

  "Neither one nor the other," the mage shook his head so vigorously that it looked just about ready to fall off.

  "What is your goal, Wise?" Cavalier interrupted my interrogation. "Even if someone has such a letter, I doubt you will squeeze out a confession. Maybe you shouldn't have confessed, huh?"

  "No, I had to," I cut in. "I'm tired of keeping the problem to myself. And a secret is not a secret, if many people know about it. As it seems to be the case here. I have a very tempting offer for all of you. I think you will like it. Cavalier, what is believed to be the punishment for attacking a clanmate?"

  "Hmm... Why are you asking?"

  "Just tell me."

  "That is a serious offense. A curse, much like the ‘Mark of the Destroyer', befalls the culprit and remains for the next ten levels. Not to mention the exclusion from the clan and the eternal mark on the reputation. But why would you ask that?"

  "Because being in a clan is a way to neutralize the intent to kill, at least among the clan members," I said confidently. "Sorry, I should have realized this earlier."

  "A perfectly reasonable assumption," the cleric slapped me amiably on the shoulder. "That's what I suggest - join our clan. What are you laughing at, Wise? Is there a better suggestion?"

  "Yes," I smiled triumphantly. "A much better one. I propose we form a new clan."

  "You need five people to form it," Cavalier started after overcoming the surprise, but I rudely interrupted him.

  "Yes, yes, Grant told me it was impossible. Newcomers are constantly shared between 'Cats' and 'Children' as soon as they appear in the ‘sandbox'. But we now have a rather unique situation. There are three of us here - Pops, Owl, and I. Pops will have the task of recruiting Foxy, and I'm sure I will be able to convince Grant. Five in total."

  "Grant's plans are well known," Owl chimed in. "No one managed to change his mind. What makes you…"

  Impatiently, I waved my hand, interrupting him.

  "Because I figured him out better than you did, Owl, so don't worry. To get Grant to agree, all we have to do is promise him that we will to go to the portal of his choosing. This is one of the main reasons why he is still not in a clan. Well? Are you up for it?"

  "Well... What makes you think that I can convince Foxy?" Pops chuckled with some doubt, apparently, not confident in himself.

  "It is not hard to see that you two get along quite nicely," I winked at the cleric, sensing that it was the most opportune moment to play this card. "So she listens to your opinion. You won't leave the location without her, and she - without you. Right?"

  The cleric was visibly flattered by this assumption, though it didn't convince him completely.

  "That may be so... But I need to think carefully before agreeing to join your clan."

  "My clan? Why?" I mentally smirked, realizing how to totally conquer him. "I don't need power like Alice. The head of the clan might as well be you."

  "Even so…" the cleric scratched the back of his head in puzzlement."Well, then I definitely like your idea. I think Foxy will join us. But you're missing something. Owl and I have to wait to join a new clan. We just got expelled, remember? So whatever plan you have will have to wait for a day."

  "Not necessarily," confidently objected Cavalier. "The rules do not forbid creating your own clan for the duration of the penalty. Moreover, the founding players should get additional experience for that, as well as for accepting newcomers. I don't know exactly how much, but I'll figure it out for you when I get to Esco."

  "Thanks, Cavalier. Owl?" I stared expectantly at the mage.

  "What…? Nothing, I'm ok," Owl hesitated, glancing at our faces with a somewhat lost stare. "Don't have much of a choice, right?"

  "Wrong, you have an amazing choice," I smiled widely. "The first players, which create a clan will become its founders and be given all the privileges. That is, they will form the ‘Council of the Clan'. Would you like a seat in the ‘Council'?"

  The boy beamed, blushing like girl being asked to prom. He was probably used to not being taken seriously and, therefore, behaved like an adolescent teenager. He quickly nodded as if fearing that I would suddenly change my mind.

  It was done. I turned to the "Cats'" vice cm. Despite the nick, he was a very decent man, and I really wanted to have him among my companions.

  "For you, too, there is a special offer, Cavalier. You didn't have much of a choice when you joined the 'Cats'. Like any rookie, you were disoriented and succumbed to the circumstances. Now you have a choice. Do you want to be a permanent vice clanmaster?"

  "You're a sly fox, Wisecracker," the cleric laughed for the first time I could remember. "For leaving the clan I will receive a serious penalty, but…"

  "...but the benefits you'll get for joining the new one will be infinitely greater," I finished his sentence.

  "That's what I wanted to say!" vigorously nodded Cavalier. "I'm with you."

  "Well then, here's the plan," with a smile I looked around at my newly-made teammates. "Owl and I will look for Grant. Pops, you're going to go to the village with Cavalier, hand in the request for a new clan, get Foxy and move to the ‘Temple's' pier. You know the road already. We will meet there and discuss everything that needs to be done next. Cavalier, you will remain in 'Daisy', recruiting newcomers into the clan. Do you mind?"

  "Of course not. I know how it's done. However, we are forgetting something - the dungeon. The 'Curator' instructed me to pick the party leader from my clan. The queue will remain even If I switch to a new clan... You know what I mean?"

  "No problem," I shrugged. "If the queue will remain with you, you can give the leadership to Grant or me."

  "But you're still level five, Wise."

  "It's all day ahead. I don't think it's gonna be hard to get to level six. If everything goes according to plan, Grant and I will go to the dungeon today."

  And we wouldn't have to worry about Sarge, Alice, and other thugs.

  Judging from the way the others looked at each other, they were thinking the same thing.

  "A good plan," Cavalier nodded and retrieved the hammer from the saddle. "When did you come up with it, Wise?"

  "Here and now," I grinned. "The circumstances will sometimes force you to think on your feet. The beneficial effect of the ‘Replicator'."

  "That's right. Now, to seal the covenant, let's have some fun. I came here for a reason."

  Player Cavalier invites you to join his party.

  Accept: yes / no?

  I confirmed and saw Owl's and Pops' icons appear in the party's interface. A new message immediately followed.

  Player Cavalier offers to share the quest "Hunting the Hunter."

  Completion condition: Kill the den's dweller, "Dire Bonechewer". No one in the party should die.

  Total reward: 4000 XP (divided by the number of players in the party)

  Accept quest: yes / no?

  "Well, I'm going to wake it up," pragmatically announced Cavalier and went to the stinking hole in the rock, one hand clutching the handle of a heavy hammer, and the second waving the bloody cloth that he had snatched from the rogue.

  Chapter 15

  "Pressing matters"

  "Would anyone in their right mind call this a road?!" Pops muttered, following behind me. "Owl, how long has it been? Owl, wakey-wakey!"

  The pathwa
y we had been climbing for an hour and a half now was littered with stone and meandered whimsically along the mountain slope. On the left was a steep wall of gray granite, and on the right, a gaping abyss, hidden in the fog. An accidental gaze into it caused involuntary trembling. A classic "landscape" for adventures such as these. The pathway was no more than three feet wide; two people couldn't walk next to each other.

  The mage walked in front of the squad, taking on the role of the guide. It wasn't easy calling him one. Cold northern wind was blowing from the front, muffling and scattering our voices.

  "Soon!" finally came the barely audible response from Owl.

  We had to dismount at the foot of the mountain and continued moving in a row, leading the fursters by the reins. The road demanded utmost attention. Shouting in the mountains could cause an avalanche, so all conversations had to be postponed. But, Pops found a reason to grumble every few minutes, apparently to vent his frustration. I suspected that it was not the pathway and the steep rock that bothered him, but the fact that I moved behind Foxy's furster. I didn't miss the opportunity to admire the horse's owner's well-built body. Her lovely hips, especially. It was better than staring into the abyss and fighting the nauseating dizziness.

  During these couple of hours that we had spent together, it was hard not to notice how jealous our Pops was. Being young once more was, of course, a generous gift from the game world. But with youth the typical hormonal storm had seemingly returned. However, Gramps held himself together, only grumbling and piercing the back of my head with searing glances.

  We all kind of had gotten along pretty well during the past hours, so I had no doubt that he would refrain from doing something rash. For example, he wouldn't dare use on me the same thing that he had used on Alice - a paralyzing spell that caused suffering called the "Lash of Pain". However, I will be choosing a place at the head, or the back, of the squad on our way back, as to avoid provoking my clanmate.

  I also noticed something most curious...

  Being a cleric, Pops had met his deity before any of us. Although he refused to disclose the name of the patron, as that was prohibited, in the course of the conversation we managed to find out something interesting. As it turned out, players didn't choose their Gods in the local "Pantheon". Quite the opposite, a deity chose its worshippers from among the players most appropriate for the personal qualities of their divine essence. The player, of course, was free to refuse if the God did not appeal to him, but one should keep in mind that Gods are vindictive…