Soulcatcher

by Sergey Zaytsev

  ''Maybe. Maybe not,'' I pondered. ''He is stubborn and used to doing everything on his own. And after what the 'Children' did to him near the 'Bonechewer's' lair, he doesn't trust the clans. I understand that.''

  ''Yes, but we had nothing to do with it,'' Foxy said with a hint of guilt in her eyes. Gramps had told her Grant's story. ''That was before us…''

  ''I mean, it is still not clear whether or not he will join our new clan,'' I explained. ''So, take your time, Pops. We will ask him when we get back.''

  He would be wise to agree, I thought to myself. I still wasn't sure about this whole clan thing. On one hand, I had my back covered, at least relatively. On the other, what if Grant considered such a decision to be a betrayal? We were planning something else, after all. But he's a dreamer. Back when he told me about his plans, I was not aware of the power balance in the area and all of the lousy nuances that could seriously fuck up one's life. And now, the circumstances have really changed. Gramps was right about that. Therefore, all of our plans needed to be adjusted accordingly. I will know more once I have a talk with Grant. Truth be told, I was a little nervous about it, but I tried not to show it. Doubt was a contagious thing and my comrades didn't have to know about it.

  ''It's very simple, Wise,'' Pops examined us one by one with a very serious look on his face. ''None of us know why we're here. To find out, first of all, we need to stay alive. Am I right? I sure am. With that in mind, I'm more interested in increasing our chances of completing the dungeon without losing a save than I am about a 'Uniq'. The main priority is to survive and get out of here. Getting a weapon is just a matter of time.''

  ''Let's say that I am willing to part with it. As are you,'' I nodded slowly and looked at the mage. ''Owl? What say you?''

  ''I'm with you... It'll be safer like this than with a random group,'' Owl confessed after some hesitation. ''I'll survive without a 'Uniq'.''

  ''I agree. And you, Ginger?''

  ''I do not know,'' the girl sighed, visibly hesitating. ''Good weapons don't just fall from the sky... On the other hand, if this is the only way to lure in a healer…''

  ''In short, we all agree,'' quite confidently said the cleric.

  ''Don't rush it, Pops,'' I shook my head. ''We don't know Grant's opinion yet.''

  ''The most important thing is that we have figured out everything beforehand. We'll ask him once we return. All right, let's go, hunters,'' the cleric exclaimed and the decisively moved in the direction of the ''Gybberkin Village''.

  ''He does possess certain... charisma,'' Foxy said softly, looking at Pops' back with a concerned smile. ''Hopefully, he'll be a sensible clanmaster. Shall we go?''

  The things I would give for that look to be aimed at me. There was nothing left to do but follow.

  ''I don't see any local pets,'' commented Gramps, as our tight group stomped among the miniature huts, the height of which reached to the horse's withers. Funny looking, rosy faces observed us from the round windows, which were just holes in the wall without any sort of glass or panels. The Gybberkin gazed at the passing travelers with their big, curious eyes which made for half of their faces, and exchanged strange, snorting remarks. ''Their language sounds like… gibberish. How will we understand them…?''

  ''Don't worry, the system will translate,'' Owl reassured him. ''As for the pets... Didn't you notice? There, on the edge of the valley, on the rocks.''

  ''You mean the caves?'' I had already noticed hundreds of dark holes in the rock walls, which looked like an old stump riddled with woodworms.

  ''Yeah, you can see how many there are. All of the beasts live in there until their owner calls them. Each Gybberkin has a whistle at hand, he needs only blow into it…''

  ''So Owl, where do we take the quest?'' Pops interrupted the mage. ''These plushies are already annoying me. They look like cartoon characters, somewhat fake, as if they are imitating true life.''

  ''Over there, in the center of the village, is the main square,'' Owl pointed in the said direction. ''There, all disputes are solved and quests are given to the players.''

  ''And there is clearly something going on,'' I said, noticing the Gybberkin figures in colorful robes, both individual ones and family groups, get out of their huts and move to the square.

  ''The system reacted to our appearance, that's all,'' said Owl, moving ahead of Gramps and taking on the role of the group's guide. ''The chiefs will now find out who will rule tomorrow…''

  ''Look, what a sweetheart!''

  We turned to Foxy whose path had been blocked by a teenage Gybberkin. Pink faced and covered in yellow fur, it was as tall as the girl's knees. Moving its big ears and tube-like tail in excitement, it let out a piercing squeak. It took the girl's hand with both of its own and tugged, clearly inviting her to follow.

  ''Guys, its giving me a quest!'' happily said Foxy.

  ''We can't see it,'' Gramps raised his eyebrows questioningly.

  ''He's giving it to me, not you. Here, read the bottom line... The kid's name is Toothcracker…''

  ''Your namesake showed up,'' Gramps grinned and looked at me.

  ''Don't interrupt!'' Foxy stamped her foot indignantly. ''In short, his pet mouse ran off into one of those empty caves. And Toothy here is afraid of the dark... Aren't you, cutie?''

  The kid nodded its round head and "smiled", showing a jaw dotted with small, sharp teeth, and immediately ceased to be funny and ridiculous. But the archer, as if not noticing his shark like grin, squat down and stroked his head. He made a face and rolled his eyes, showing how much he liked it. This finally won the woman's heart, running the "maternal behavior subprogram''. Girls liked nothing more than cuddling something warm and fluffy in need of care and supervision.

  ''Wait, what's the reward?'' remembered Owl. ''You better reject it it's not an 'Altar'. You can't take more than one quest from the Gybberkin per day.''

  ''There's an 'Altar'!'' Foxy grinned triumphantly. ''I got lucky, and you can stomp over to the elders.''

  ''No need to hurry. Share the quest, we'll help,'' I suggested.

  ''No, I have to do it personally,'' replied Red. ''Otherwise it won't count. Don't worry, I'll manage. Well, how difficult can it be to catch a mouse?''

  ''Well, of course it's not hard, unless there's a catch. And the smallest, like this one,'' Owl nodded towards the kid, which was already impatiently bouncing in place, ''are always the trickiest.''

  ''I will consider your concern, Owl,'' Foxy promised, and finally allowed the quest giver to pull her away.

  We looked at each other, and followed without a word, alarmed by the mage's warnings.

  Having rounded several huts, the tiny guide led the archer to a dark cave. Nearby was a cage woven from branches, obviously intended for the quest.

  ''I don't like this cage,'' I commented anxiously. ''Its size is better suited for this monkey than for a mouse…''

  Having heard that, Toothcracker angrily bared his teeth and gave me a very unfriendly look.

  ''Wise, I warned all of you,'' Owl said cautiously.

  ''Does the system translate for him too?''

  ''How do I know? But as you see, he does understand you.''

  The girl stroked the kid's head once more, trying to calm him down. Then she looked at us with reproach.

  ''Okay, boys, I am, of course, flattered by your attention, since you are all so strong and courageous, and I'm so weak and feminine, and you have this damn need to take care of me... But you forgot one thing. Our stats are about the same now. Savvy? I can take care of myself. However,'' she ironically added, ''if you want me to fail the quest, then you are welcome to-…''

  ''Okay, okay, we got your point,'' I laughed.

  ''Perfect,'' the girl picked up the cage, and was about to step into the cave when the kid, leaping up, tore the bow off of her back. I mechanically jerked, and barely managed to restrain myself from slapping the small bastard. Noticing this, the little asshole stared at me with an impudent gaze and mockingly grinned from ear to ear, a
s if saying: "Just try!''

  ''All is well, Wise,'' Foxy saw my reaction and smiled gratefully. ''The terms allow no weapons. I am not to harm the pet.''

  Without further delay, the girl dove into the passage, and instantly disappeared in the darkness. It was as if an invisible door closed, blocking off our companion's figure from our concerned sight.

  ***

  That was probably the longest minute in my game life.

  I had suddenly come to realize that I really cared about the red-haired beauty. I had already evaluated the girl's looks back at the ''Replicator'', and now, after this trip and getting to know her better…

  Like Alice, Red kept to herself and was very independent, but the difference between them was like day and night. Our Foxy was open and friendly with everyone, sweet and feminine, but didn't use her charm on men to get what she wanted. Not waiting for something to be done for her, if she could do it herself, she never discarded advice and listened carefully to others while still having her own opinions. To me, Foxy felt a more natural than Alice did with her quirks. Perhaps Gramps wasn't feeling jealous for nothing. In the end, the cleric had two days of a head start, but now, it was my turn to earn points. Even Owl looked at her with great interest. Red's calm charisma left no one indifferent…

  That's when I felt shame for my momentary emotions. Grant warned me about the excess hormones in our avatars. Gramps wasn't the only one, I myself had almost fallen into the same trap. It didn't end up well for Alice. No, I was not into that. After all, Gramps had my back at the den. He helped me keep a save. So, if Foxy chooses Gramps, I will not interfere. I still had plenty of time to find a lady...

  Although I managed to somewhat calm myself down, I still felt agitated. I kept exchanging glances with Gramps and Owl, worried about my clanmate. I could care for her a person, as a friend, nobody had forbidden that. And then, Redhead's muffled cry came from the cave. Gramps barely managed to grab me by the shoulder; I would have rushed inside otherwise, stamping our tailed guide in the process. Truth be told, Gramps saved the situation.

  ''She's fine, Wise,'' the cleric said angrily. ''Stay calm, the quest giver is worried. Don't make her fail the quest.''

  When the kid overheard that we were talking about it, it again bared its teeth in a horrible smile and quickly nodded.

  ''We are in a party, look at her health bar,'' added Owl, reminding me that there was no need to look directly at the player. Damn, I had forgotten about that. It was peculiar. During a battle, I had the nerves of steel. But hearing a woman's scream turned me inside out. A genetic program, evolutionarily sewn in the subcortex of men.

  ''I'm fine!'' came Foxy's voice, confirming my co-adventurers' statement. ''Coming out.''

  She emerged from the darkness with the cage in her hands, cheeks flushed, and out of breath. Seeing three long bleeding scratches on her cheek, I immediately reached for the flask with the "Tincture", but the girl shrugged it off.

  ''A nimble... little mouse,'' breathed out the archer. ''I barely caught it, had to hit it with the cage first. But it still bit me. It's nothing, scars decorate not only real men, but also real-…''

  ''I knew he was gonna trick you!'' Owl exclaimed bitterly, peering into the cage. ''Like hell that's a mouse!''

  Under the sunlight, Foxy finally got a good look at what precisely she had caught. Inside the cage was a fiend, clutching the bars with exaggerated short lower legs and flailing its leathery wings. The head of the creature resembled the ''Bonechewer's'', and the beady eyes burned with red flame. Blue-black claws on its feet and wings, each an inch long and glittering like polished steel, were impressive for such a little beast. The brown body, covered with thick short fur, was full of violence!

  The system kindly informed us that we looking at a ''Royal Batwing''. Level one, of course, as it was a pup, but one whose crown had three prongs. It looked like such elites were most common here. Belatedly moaning, Foxy involuntarily unclenched her fingers. Toothcracker instantly grabbed the falling cage and triumphantly waved his tail like a pendulum and ran off.

  ''Can I tear his tail off now?'' I asked, angrily looking at the brat.

  ''He didn't give me the 'Altar'!'' the girl picked up the bow and ran after the galloping monkey.

  So we had to continue participating in this circus show.

  We caught up with him in another cave.

  What we thought was a cave turned out to be a spacious domed hall carved into the thick rock, the walls of which were adorned with stone bas-reliefs depicting various animals. Through a hole in the vault the sun brightly illuminated the stone bowls carved directly into the floor, which placed into a hexagonal form.

  When we burst into the hall, Toothcracker, not paying attention to us, was jumping from bowl to bowl and sticking "socs", which he had snatched from someone, into the recesses. Concluding the ritualistic preparations, he put the cage with the hissing ''Batwing'' into the center of the hexagon. On it he put a disk made out of light, polished wood – an "Altar" similar to the one that I had seen when taming the ''Turtangle''. Into the recess of the ''Altar'' Toothcracker planted the seventh crystal instead of a ''Seed''. It was easy to guess what was about to occur, even though the preparations for the ritual and the placement of the ingredients were different. Instead of handing over the reward to Foxy, as the quest terms dictated, the brat was going to use the ''Altar'' for himself. As it turned out, he used the player to do what he was not able to – catch and tame a dangerous creature.

  ''What should we do?'' The archer stared in confusion at the Gybberkin that stood motionless, paws raised towards the sunlight pouring out of the hole. ''The 'Altar' is a one-time use only item... We can't take it by force.''

  ''He tricked you, Red,'' Gramps grinned contemptuously. ''So much about your reward. That's what happens when you fall for a pretty face and let yourself be fooled. Although, I'll never get what's lovely about this freak. Next time, do not rush to take the quest…''

  I looked askance at Gramps. He shouldn't have said that, it was just adding fuel to the fire. The girl looked upset by the Gybberkin's betrayal, and Gramps' remark made her visibly angry. Gramps was wrong. Any one of us could have fallen for that bait. After all, most of the mistakes are made from simple ignorance. Even Owl, despite the fact that he had already been here, couldn't have predicted this because the quests were never the same

  ''Owl, are you sure that we can't we touch it?'' I asked, trying to figure out what I could use to hit the kid's head. I haven't forgotten Owl's story about the player who had kicked a Gybberkin. So I had to hold myself back again.

  ''I don't know,'' the mage shrugged nervously. ''I've only been here once, and it was different for me.''

  ''If it's any consolation, he won't be able to do it,'' I chuckled.

  ''Why so?'' Owl asked, puzzled. ''It has no 'Seed', but ' it doesn't need it. Taming is easier for the Gybberkin…''

  ''That's not the point. Think about it. You've already seen the taming process. Something's missing.''

  A shrill cry, carrying a mix of surprise and rage, came from behind us.

  I didn't even have time to turn around. Some unceremonious Gybberkin, not waiting for the players to step aside, slipped right between my legs. He looked completely different than the other ones. First of all, he was dressed in a multicolored, spacious robe. His face was far from rosy and youthful, unlike our weasel's, but wrinkled and parchment-pale, like an ancient geezer's. Actually, he was an ancient geezer with faded fur. One of the local chiefs, for sure.

  Not paying attention to us, the old man screamed at the teenager again. If you've never heard a Gybberkin scream in rage, consider yourself a lucky sort. Personally, I was stunned. My ears rang. The frightened Gybberkin hid behind the cage and looked out from there, staring at the chief, with huge, teary eyes. The translation appeared in the logs.

  ''How many times do I have to tell you, you descendant of a monkey, we don't tame such creatures!'' shouted Baldwise, the chieftain. ''Especially for
the first initiation!''

  Now I understood why it was prohibited to call them monkeys. It was like an insult in their language.

  ''But I want something special!'' screamed Toothcracker in response. ''We only get cats, they make for poor fighters!''

  ''But there's a lot of them, they are cute and obedient! Look at you, daring to teach the wisest! We aim not for quality, but quantity, so it has always been in our family, and so it will always be!''

  A conversation between two Gybberkin was like a battle between a rusty saw and a dull file. Everyone covered their ears with their palms.

  ''But you promised!'' whined ''the descendant of the monkey''. ''I'm your heir! I need to stand out! I have to be special! I want-want-want-…''

  ''You're not the heir, you're an idiot! You ruined it! You forgot to sanctify the 'Altar' with your blood, and now you have to throw it away! You failed your initiation, and, as a punishment, the next 'Altar' will be granted to you next year, and all your peers will laugh at you every day! And point fingers! Yes, fingers!''

  Judging by the reaction, ''to point fingers'' was very, very insulting, and was the breaking point for Toothcracker. He began to cry, just like a human child would, but his crying was slowly reaching ultrasound levels.

  ''Shut up, both of you!'' Foxy shouted, interrupting the older monkey's screeching and the wailing junior. Both tailed men stared at her in utter amazement, as if they had only just noticed her. ''Wise, is that what you meant when you said he couldn't do it?''

  ''Yeah. I remember perfectly well how Grant sprinkled the 'Seed' with his blood. It's a necessary element of the ritual, the genetic material transference.''

  Not saying a word more, the girl went inside the ritual circle, knocked the alien crystal from the consumable ''Altar'' with a careless movement, and put her own ''Pet Seed'' in its stead. Both monkeys and the people began to scream.

  ''Wait, what are you doing!? That's my 'Altar'!''

  ''Red, you're gonna waste the 'Seed'!''