The Right to Choose

by Andrey Vasilyev

  As the clan conflict intensifies, spontaneous skirmishes are becoming the norm. Just recently, near the Northern city of Hledvig, an argument between two players turned into a full-scale fight outside city limits. Each of the two had their friends show up, and things took off from there. As a result, several NPCs were hurt, leading to the application of penalties to everyone participating in the fight.

  A player named Toskan from the Torvald clan became the first blacksmith in the game to reach Level 20, the maximum available level. The game admin and all of us here at the paper would like to congratulate him on his achievement and wish him all the best as he starts to make even more money with the rare recipes available at his new level. The game admin, in addition to congratulating Toskan, gave him an exclusive set of tools made to order by the game masters in recognition of all the work he’s done.

  Remember, players, the admin is always watching and always ready to reward you when you deserve it!

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  The Holmes clan offers assistance finding, tracking, and eliminating any unpleasantries you may have in your life. We’ll find anyone you want and do whatever you tell us to do with them because we’re the Holmes. It’s expensive, though, and we require 50 percent of the payment upfront. Contact Morry if you’re interested.

  New Year’s fun in Fayroll!

  To celebrate New Year’s, the game admin is setting up a variety of games as well as a set of competitions and events. Head over to the official game site to read more. Here are the highlights:

  Saving the Snow Maiden, a mass raid

  A sly magician named Kosh-Shey kidnapped the beautiful Snow Maiden and locked her up in his castle. The ice girl’s only relative is Ded Moroz, and he’s asking all players to help him free her. She’s a wonderful girl who loves singing, dancing, and needlework. Good always conquers evil, so you’ll definitely be successful, meaning that everyone involved in the event can expect prizes and gifts from the kind old man. The best will receive a kiss on the cheek from the girl, giving them an exclusive and permanent buff: the Holiday Spirit.

  There is no limit to the number of players who can join. The raid groups will be broken down by level, with each having their own magician and castle.

  Average raid duration: 2 hours

  Raid start time: 1 a.m. Moscow time

  At the end of the raid, there will be a celebration in Aegan featuring rewards, dances, fire tricks, and competitions.

  Masquerade at the Academy of Wisdom

  Come dressed in the most original costume and win the grand prize from the provost of the academy!

  Stop by the Academy of Wisdom in Aegan for a lottery, dancing until you drop, live artwork in the foyer, and trials for a new magic wand.

  There will be a buffet.

  Green midget

  There will be a green midget wandering around Rattermark with a large sack on his back throughout the New Year’s night. Some say he’s a gremlin named Dim who appeared out of nowhere in Fayroll, while others claim he’s a mysterious creature here to ruin the holiday.

  Regardless, anyone who comes across the midget has a chance of getting a rare, epic, or even set item. To do so, just chase the little weasel down and give him your best kick.

  Just remember that he’s tricky, slippery, and very fast.

  Northern steeplechase

  A competition for horseback riders

  There will be some riding in the Northern Mark near Hexburg. Anyone who has a horse and would like to join is welcome to do so.

  There will be three courses:

  Obstacle race

  Trick riding

  Wild ride

  The winners will receive an exclusive harness for their pets.

  At the end of the event, there will be an open-air banquet and dancing.

  Goblo Goblinson’s orchestra will play throughout the night. Besides the classical goblin melodies and modern arrangements, there will be elf tunes sung by Hella Vis, star of the Fayroll stage, who will be a special guest.

  König Harald and his daughter may even attend and offer a special prize to the best jockeys.

  Only players with horses will be allowed to attend the event.

  Rivenholm ice invasion

  It’s the biggest online ice skating rink in Fayroll!

  Races, dancing, competitions, and relay races will all be part of the package for everyone in Rivenholm who stops by the Crystal Lake. We’re turning it into an ice skating rink for New Year’s!

  There will be performances by amateurs and professionals, a master class put on by skating champions Aver and Zhu, and barrels of mulled wine, all just for one night and just for Rivenholm.

  Come see the tree, which is so big not everyone will be able to see the top!

  Play Hit the Dragon—everyone at the event will be throwing snowballs at the enormous body of an evil reptile!

  Of course, the famous torch will be lit at the center of the lake to remind us that ice and fire can coexist, giving everyone the holiday spirit.

  By way of a reminder, that isn’t all the New Year’s events you can enjoy in Fayroll. Make sure you check the official site to read up on everything that will be going on.

  A final word from the editor

  …as well as the two surprises we included in this issue: The Path of the Player, a comic strip we hope you’ll enjoy, and an exclusive Fayroll calendar. Hang it in your rooms to make sure you never miss the latest issues.

  We very much hope you will stick with us into the coming year, and we’ll do our best to make it a fun one for you.

  Happy New Year!

  We wish you good luck, happiness, and all the experience and loot you could ask for.

  Note! The fourteenth issue of the Fayroll Times, coming up next, will be released on January 12, after the holidays.

  Chapter Four

  On trips between floors and their implications.

  “So, are you coming today?” I was being shaken, my nose was being pinched, and somebody was blowing in my face. A soft palm, pleasant to the touch and smelling like perfume, was reaching toward my ear, clearly, in an attempt to yank on it. “Why not just forget it? Kif, are you awake?”

  “Not me,” I replied sleepily, catching the palm and slipping it under my cheek. “I sleep.”

  “You tell one only: should we expect you at the office?” The palm pulled away, and I heard tinkling laughter break out.

  “Yup,” I said as my head cleared. No going back to sleep now. “I don’t have a choice. The people should see their leader. I promised, too…”

  Vika sighed from the edge of the bed. “In that case, go shave. You’re going to have to ask Zimin to let you go, and you can’t talk to him looking like that. Oh, and don’t forget to put the watch on. Why don’t you put it on right now, just to be safe?”

  “I won’t forget,” I nodded, feeling my chin. “Yeah, it’s getting long; practically a beard.”

  “That’s what I’m trying to tell you.” Vika gave me a kiss on the cheek before standing up. “And please, don’t drink too much today. It’s not the time, nor the place. We’ll hang out for an hour and then head home.”

  “Heading here and heading home are two different things,” I said as I sat up. “Diametrically opposed, in fact.”

  “I’ve felt like someone in the far north for a good six years,” Vika said busily. “Find a snow drift, call it home. I had at least 10 different apartme
nts before I moved in with my sister, and, believe me, this is far from the worst I’ve seen.”

  She straightened her jacket—she was wearing a pantsuit and even a tie. I’ve always liked how women look in them, presumably because of the contrast.

  “Actually, I’d say this is the best I’ve lived in.”

  Everything’s relative, I was about to reply, though I stopped. It wasn’t the time to push my opinion on Vika. I’d never rented an apartment, after all, only ever living in my own place, with my own refrigerator, TV, and bed. At least, I always had somewhere to crash. She was speaking from experience I wasn’t familiar with.

  “Okay, I’m off,” she said before just barely brushing my cheek with her lips. “Don’t lie around too long or you’ll lose track of time.”

  With that, she was gone, leaving behind nothing but the smell of her perfume. I feel like a dog today—everything’s all about smells. Although to be fair, I really was turning into one. I was spending my life going from doghouse to food bowl, only going outside to mark my territory when my masters let me.

  I sighed and headed off to shave. Regardless of the kind of life I had, I needed to keep an eye on myself if I didn’t want to go wild. First, you stop shaving. Next, you stop washing yourself. Soon, you’re sitting in a tree, scratching your armpits and throwing coconuts at passers-by, a fun-loving, wild, hardy monkey from Russia’s heartland.

  While I shaved, I wondered to myself if I needed to call my guards for a trip through the building. I didn’t need to, on the one hand, because I wouldn’t be going outside; on the other hand, it had taken just a step outside my door for me to end up at the police station after being beaten up.

  Ultimately, the only choice I had was to make the call. I was about to do that, having already gotten dressed, when someone knocked loudly and insistently on the door.

  “Who’s there?” I called suspiciously. I hadn’t been expecting anyone.

  “Um, I’d say Ded Moroz, but you wouldn’t believe me, would you?” came the reply.

  “Do you have a name, Ded Moroz? What does it say in your passport?”

  “Dmitry Solomin. I work here at Raidion, one of the top people in charge of virtual capsules. We have a gift for you, a new development: our latest modification, the Phoenix 614-ERB-17. Happy New Year, in other words.”

  “Same to you,” I muttered as I dialed Azov’s number. To my great surprise, his phone wasn’t available. That happens?

  “So, are you going to open up?” Dmitry asked restlessly. “There are three of us out here, along with the capsule, and the maids are going to be along in a minute to start yelling at us. They don’t care who you are—they just come at you with epic brooms and their lethal attributes.”

  “Wait a second.” The next person I called was Valyaev. Zimin was my last option.

  “Oh, hey,” Valyaev said, picking up almost immediately. “Calling to thank me for the new capsule? Yep, I take good care of you. Really, that’s the kind of person I am: kind, caring, and thoughtful.”

  “So, you’re the one who sent it?” I exhaled. “All right, then.”

  “What do you mean?” Valyaev asked in surprise. “Just all right? It’s practically a prototype, with just three of them in Moscow so far. Our subcontractors let us down, the bastards. We wanted to release it by New Year’s so people could buy it as a gift, and we were expecting great numbers. But they weren’t able to make that happen, and they’re going to pay for their mistake.”

  “What are you going to do now?” I opened the door and waved the three large gentlemen in.

  “Assess penalties. There will be compensation for lost profits, maybe, a court case. Our lawyers will take care of that, though—that’s what they spent all those years studying for. Okay, I’ll see you.”

  “Wait a second,” I called too late. Valyaev had already hung up.

  “Can we come in?” Dmitry asked. I recognized his voice.

  “Welcome,” I replied with an inviting gesture. “Come on in.”

  They grabbed the capsule and started moving it carefully into the apartment.

  “It’s fantastic,” Dmitry said as he oversaw the process. “It has massage functionality, intracranial and blood pressure sensors that pull you out of the game if anything goes wrong, and a better standalone battery. Pretty soon, it’ll be better than real life in that thing.”

  I didn’t say anything, given that I already felt more comfortable in the game, at times, and that worried me. I’d seen people who went crazy, virtual reality replacing their real life. That never ends well. One had even demanded the president give him a medal for heroically fighting off an attack of orcs on the Kremlin, though what he’d actually gotten was a prescription from some doctors.

  “Okay, pull the mold off and take the old capsule out into the hallway,” Dmitry said to his men. “Time to get to work.”

  “Do you need me for this?” I’ve never liked it when there are people working, and you’re hanging around, not sure what to do. I’ll just go ask Zimin if I can head out for a few hours.

  “Nope,” Dmitry replied with a shrug. “Just log in to your computer so we can move your account over.”

  I didn’t have anything they could steal, and there wasn’t anything on my computer, either—I didn’t keep important information there. So, I snapped the watch on my wrist, slipped Jeremiah’s letter into my pocket, and left.

  ***

  There was a woman I didn’t know sitting at the desk. When I walked over, she pulled herself away from her book to look up at me.

  “I’m supposed to be here!” I said with a snicker, taking my pass out and waving it. “And I’ll tell you this much: I’m not letting your guards take me without a fight this time.”

  “I know, I know,” she said with a wave of her arms that looked a bit frightened. “You’re Nikiforov. They told me about you. Don’t worry!”

  “I’m not worried,” I fibbed. “Why should I be?”

  “Excellent. Oh, and happy New Year!”

  “To you as well.” I felt a little better. Life was looking up.

  ***

  The elevator dinged, letting me know that I’d arrived in the main hall, and I practically gasped when I stepped out. When did they have time for all this?

  The entire first floor was ready for New Year’s. Long, multi-colored ribbons hung everywhere, Chinese lanterns glowed, and there were other decorations lighting up the ceiling. In the center of the hall, not far from the reception desk, there was an enormous tree decorated with balloons, tinsel, and everything else. The reception desk itself was a sight for sore eyes, too. It was wrapped in shiny paper, while the girls there were dressed in glittering vests and Snow Maiden hats. I practically licked my lips.

  That wasn’t all, though, because I also saw Valyaev there with two other men. They were all waving their appendages around like nutcrackers as they discussed something heatedly.

  “…put the tables there,” I heard one of them say, a short, heavy-set guy dressed in denim overalls. “Cold appetizers, fruit, and two bottles of champagne on all of them. If they finish the champagne, we can get more; there’s plenty in stock.”

  “Absolutely,” added the second. He was the polar opposite of the first speaker—lean, tall, and kind of awkward. “We bought a ton to make sure we have enough to last for a while, so don’t worry.”

  “What about the program?” Valyaev asked. “Do you have the festivities all set up?”

  “The program?” the two replied simultaneously, raising their arms together. I had to laugh.

  “A speech by someone in management, then the president will say something,” the shorter one said as he counted everything off on his fingers. “Then the clock will chime midnight, and we’ll put on the New Year’s show from one of the TV channels.”

  “We’ll have five big plasma screens right here,” the taller one said, “…in a row!”

  “In a row?” Valyaev looked at them dubiously and rubbed his chin. “You don’t think
everyone will be bored?”

  “Okay, then let’s do this,” the thicker one said. “We’ll have three bottles of champagne and a bottle of vodka at every table. Nobody will be bored then.”

  “And cognac,” his friend said. “Not all women drink vodka; it doesn’t do well for some of them. Everybody drinks cognac, though.”

  “How about this, Kif?” Valyaev noticed me and gestured toward the pair with his head. “Look at what I got myself into. Could you tell me why I’m supposed to figure everything out for the New Year’s celebration?”

  “What, you’re having another corporate party?”

  “No, no,” he replied with a dismissive wave. “A lot of people live here in the building—me, for instance. So, why should I have to drink alone in my apartment? We throw a party here every year for everyone staying in the building, complete with food, drinks, fun, flirting, and dancing till you drop. We have the same person handle it every year.”

  “Well, where is that same person?” I asked. “Not at work, today?”

  “I wish I knew,” Valyaev winced. “We’ve been looking for her everywhere, along with the fire department and the police. Yadviga’s been missing since the party the other day.”

  I looked around. “This is her job? Well, I guess that makes sense since this is for company employees.”

  “No, she just signed off on everything,” Valyaev replied, swirling a finger around his temple. “Still, though.”

  “So, really, nobody’s seen her?” One of my arch nemeses was off the grid, and that intrigued me. Thanks, Ded Moroz. The holiday had yet to begin, and I already had a new capsule and one less enemy. This is great!

  “Nope,” Valyaev sighed. “It’s bad.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” I laughed, and then glanced over quickly at the pair of workers. They were listening to our conversation with interest.