The Way of the Clan 8

by Dem Mikhaylov

  Leaning towards Malice, I pointed with my eyes at the girl, and then at everyone else, and raised my eyebrows inquiringly. How could it be that such experienced players would become so nervous? Why such a show?

  Malice quietly whispered a few words in response, and I nodded understandingly. Got it.

  An exam.

  This trip with us through the desert, to the heart of the ruins of the city of Mirny, was not an easy escort mission. Oh no. The Black Baroness had told everyone to get the maximum benefit out of the undertaking. Therefore, accompanying two important guests to their destination and bringing them back would be counted as a successfully passed exam. If everything worked out - the whole group would transfer somewhere "higher,” to the levels of those who had already proven their consistency, firmness, determination, success, and reliability in the style of the Sleepless.

  What a bummer!

  Even getting to a higher level was that difficult! And after you got all the way up, you would be repeatedly checked. They would climb into your personal life. And was it worth it?

  Anyway - it was not my business. I am a white crow. I always aspired to loneliness. But even I began to think about creating a small clan – under the influence of some friends. The Sleepless ... they have global thinking and grandiose goals. The Baroness came to me on a private plane. This speaks volumes.

  “Ooh,” called out Malice, looking at the sand flowing up along the wall of one of the houses. Where there had just a moment ago been a smooth, rustling surface of sand, a great evil face appeared staring at us with unconcealed fury. The lips moved silently, the eyes trying to drill holes in us.

  “Who is that?” I decided to clarify, realizing that an attack from an eerie sand face would not follow. It only followed us with its eyes, promising trouble. The way the old lady looks after the laughing hooligans immediately before she calls the policeman.

  "A magical observer," explained the magician. "He saw us and immediately called for backup - uninvited guests in Mirny, as they say. We have been spotted. Let’s move!”

  I had guessed that much… the sand face was a snitch.

  Striking the sides of my camel with my heels, I swore softly. Four percent of mana ... you did not really want to lose such a bonus.

  "We have plenty of time," Malice reassured me. "We will be able to reach the center. The main goal is not to allow the local monsters to slow us down or knock us out of the way. Remember the instructions?”

  "I remember," I assured the mentor. "Are there monsters here?”

  “Yeah. And smart ones. First, they let us go deeper into the ruins, and then they cut off the way back and arrange a carnage. We've already been cut off.”

  “What do you mean?” I turned to stare back, and was speechless. Or rather, I was speechless, dumbfounded and numb at the same time. There was a real sight for sore eyes.

  The streets through which we passed were no more. Right behind our backs was the façade of an adobe house, two stories high. And the house was not standing still - the whole building was moving fast after us, no slower than the camels!

  “Is it an illusion?”

  “Nope,” serenely responded Malice. Turning to the nervous girl-doctor, he ordered — “Now — tell me some info on the local fauna. In your own words.”

  “Umm,” the girl choked with surprise. “This is ... about the city of Mirny, a hundred-page manual only for internal use in the Sleepless clan ...”

  “I said, in your own words,” Malice winced.

  "Well ... Uh ... not all of houses in Mirny are real buildings. Many of them are only artificial — complete imitations. Made of the same materials - clay and stone. Outside, a complete copy of the building. And inside ... the inside is empty.”

  “Keep going,” Malice encouraged her, like a teacher happy with the pupil, paying no attention to the two-story house gaining ground behind us.

  “And inside the building is hollow. To draw an analogy - a shell of a mollusk. And inside is the host. They have a very peculiar tactic of action. They prefer to lead potential prey as deep as possible into the city, and then block all retreat paths. Only after that do they start an attack from several sides at once. Hunting only during the day, at night they freeze inside their shell houses, as with the arrival of darkness even more awful nocturnal monsters awake that now they can rest. The nightly creatures of Mirny are very interesting! They ...”

  “Stop,” Malice raised his hand. “By night we will not be here. So let us talk about the day. Who is following us? Who lives in the little house?”

  "Lagras!” Our company said, almost in chorus — and the house that was following us shuddered with the roar of their voices, the dry windows on the second floor slamming open and shut. It seemed that I saw, in the darkness inside the window of the walking house, a quick, smeared flash of movement.”

  "Who are the Lagras?"

  "The ants! Giant ants!”

  “Yes,” nodded Malice. “Not bad. You know the theory. Soon you will show your practical skills. And remember - I will not interfere until the last critical moment. Act and solve the difficulties that arise yourself.”

  “And if absolutely we have to, can we hit him with magic at least once?” The girl-doctor said with a hopeful squeal. “At least once!”

  “Maybe,” sighed the Sleepless veteran. “But only as a last resort. The main thing to do is not make mistakes. Ros, how are you? Did not your neck get jammed? Why are you staring over your shoulder?”

  "Fine, I'm just nervous," I confessed, having turned my neck and stared back at the house. The living house following us did not lag behind.

  "Do not you like insects?"

  “I do not like them inside walking houses!”

  "Snails, too? They also carry a house on their back.”

  “Very funny!”

  "Do you hate turtles? You are a cruel person ... you hate even small soft turtles that have only just hatched from their eggs, crawling to the sea? Avoiding the attacks of predatory gulls?”

  "I'm afraid that this home will collapse on us."

  “Not. Lagras keep their houses. Would you destroy your house on a hunt?”

  "I do not go hunting. And if I did, he would leave my apartment at home… Ugh ... what the heck am I saying ... They will not attack us?”

  “No,” Malice shook his head. “Now there are a few such houses surrounding us. They lead us into a ring. And then they will try to crush us, attacking from several sides at once. Who will tell me the specifics? Ros?”

  "I do not have an exam," I protested in a low voice. "And I'm a dad."

  “Right. And you will take us to the boundless horizon. We must not forget to buy you a life jacket, a smoke bomb and a whistle for the sharks. Well? Does anyone remember about the special effects?”

  “Can I?” The girl the doctor timidly lifted her palm.

  “Please.”

  "They snatch everyone’s stuff."

  “Sorry?”

  “Well ... normally, if creatures kill the player, they quietly walk away. But then, the Lagras take the player's "death fog" inside their walking houses. Therefore, the player will be searching for his equipment and items for a long time.”

  “Correct. Lagras lover their combat trophies. So, if you do not want your dead carcass pinned to the wall of their banquet hall - do not die! Anything else?”

  "They can shoot acid from their asses!" The paladin with a silver club said.

  "You speak the truth!" Malice rejoiced at yet another fact. “So keep your visors on and mouths closed. Acid does not harm metal, but skin and tissue suffers! And do not forget that Lagras like to shoot from the comfort of their mobile fortress - so be prepared for the windows to open!”

  "Will they be farting at us in chorus?" - The paladin decided to clarify.

  “A wonderful statement of the essence of it!” Malice rejoiced even more strongly. “I will remember your name, boy.”

  “Not at all,” the paladin, with the playful nickname El
oquent Ahn, was embarrassed.

  By this point in the "test”, I was already struggling to hold onto the back of my camel, dying from laughter. Malice was a good fellow. He managed to divert the attention of young fighters from the danger, managed to defuse the situation and to relieve tension all in one. Said at the right time, a joke can bring many benefits. Our group began to walk more freely, and the atmosphere ceased to be so oppressive. And it seemed like we were in a different location, altogether — just a desert that was too hot, playing tricks on the brain.

  “No one mentioned this — the acid of the lagans is a yellowish, thick steam, a cloud that will ignite from the slightest spark! It turns into a three-dimensional fireball, which explodes after two seconds! Not only do Lagras shoot acid, but also leave it behind them while running around the victim, encasing it in a ring or in a spiral. And then they click their mandibles and ... what happens when the ants click?”

  "They do spark!"

  “Right you are. That is, the Lagras first fumigate the enemy with a cloud of corrosive acid. Then they run back away, "dragging" behind them an acid Bickford fuse. And finally they click the detonator, blowing the enemy to hell. They are the greatest living saboteurs! That is why very many clans in Valdira are paying huge amounts of money to hunters for cages with living Lagras ants. And then drop down purchased cells from the back of the dragon into the courtyards of enemy fortifications, thus throwing the enemy with well-trained saboteurs of explosives. With a special luck and careful calculation, it is possible to throw into enemy territory, a whole house with enraged at this forced relocation ants. The effect will be even better. And who's to say where you have to fight with lags, to avoid getting in their acid?”

  "In their shell” - Began the girl healer. “In their own homes, Lagras fight only with their mandibles and paws - purely physical battle!”

  “This is true, but dull and boring” - said Malice and turned in hope to the paladin – “What if in a few words and the main gist?"

  “Lagras are not farting at home!” - Barked paladin Ahn and fighting mage Malice bloomed with a pleased smile. Paladin once again pleased him. Now Malice never forget his name for sure. The boy shines a bright future.

  “I see the second house! And the third!” Said the archer, who was silent until then, and who now was standing up on the back of the camel. “They are coming towards us.”

  “Finally,” smiled Malice. “Another question - how are the houses moving?”

  “Levitation!”

  "A female ant!"

  “Right again. Inside each shelter of the lagans lives one queen-ant. She knows how to give birth a lot and often, and she drags the whole house, in a literal sense. She is not afraid of fire, she is very strong, and hates the sunlight. In one word – the real woman. Thanks to her magic, the house hovers above the ground. And the special Lagras worker species move it pressing their front paws and foreheads on the walls from the inside. There is a whole tactic to these mobile fortresses. But now we will do this,” Malice raised his hand carelessly, directed it at the creeping house behind us, and sharply squeezed his fingers into a fist.

  Something cracked inside the building, a black-violet flash flared up, and a rumbling buzzing sound roared in the air... the two-story house of the Lagras became dented into itself in a matter of seconds. The roof collapsed inside, the walls got stuck to each other as from the impact of a powerful hydraulic press, and the floor soared up - the house had collapsed. Together with all the inhabitants. The space behind us was empty again, and we saw a panorama of the central street. And there was not a trace left of the whole house, aside from the thin cloud of reddish clay dust slowly rising...

  “And there it was, your one free magic blast,” sighed Malice, deservedly proud of the result. “The rest is yours. You know where we need to go. So act. And if I have to intervene, even once - I will start taking away points. So that there will be no chaos, I appoint the paladin Ahn as the leader, since he has already surprised me so pleasantly. Come on!

  "Oof ..." the new leader gasped. He shrugged his shoulders and leapt from the back of his camel to the ground. "Close the ranks! Mages prepare stone hail and stone spikes. Accelerate doubly!”

  The player tried to be impressive, speaking loudly and clearly. But he doubted himself. It was obvious. He doubted himself and his own strength, doubted the experience of his comrades-in-arms. Yes. This was a real exam. Even if they unequivocally failed, nobody would be expelled — everyone will continue to be members of the Sleepless. But their actions would be discussed, and a verdict would be passed. And depending on this the players would be sent to different "positions" – someone, in the near future, would participate in the most important raiding tasks and secret missions, and another would get the busywork. If they wanted to be on top – it was here, in the terrible ruins of Mirny, that they had to prove themselves. Bend over backwards.

  I again noted the wisdom of Malice - he had destroyed the enemies behind us for a reason. He did this very simply because of this: when you know that mortal danger is closing in at your heels, then you will stare back, you will begin to twitch and shiver, expecting that the enemy from that direction. Malice had generously removed this annoying parameter, thereby allowing them to relax, and at the same time showing, that they were stronger than some mutant ants. I wondered how many times Malice had participated in different assignments with the newcomers. How many had he trained? How many of the ranks had he turned into professionals in his business?

  “We approach the crossroads!” Reported the crossbowman, jumping on the saddle with his feet and balancing on the back of the fast-moving animal. “Can I go on the roof? The view will be better, for shooting, too.”

  “Everyone stay in your positions,” the paladin cut off. “As soon as we get to the crossroads – there will be an ice field right in front of the house on the left. After that, move towards the stone peaks immediately after the field. And prepare the stone hail.”

  “Got it!”

  “Gotcha!”

  “As soon as the first ants appear, use the fire arrows. Distribute the sectors of fire amongst yourselves and do not go into anyone else's zone.”

  Listening to the commands of the paladin Ahn, the honored magician of the Sleepless remained outwardly unperturbed. But he clearly calculated the situation from his point of view. For the time being, he was silent. Hence, the young leader had not yet made a critical mistake. Yes, mistakes still cannot happen – but judging by the speed and clarity of his phrases, the paladin gave the orders prescribed in some manual or textbook. No imagination - everything strictly according to the instructions. Boring, but effective.

  I prepared poisonous thorny forests and my ice magic. Since fire is not afraid of fire...

  "Almost there!" Shouted the shooter, lifting the crossbow to his shoulder, merging with the weapon into one whole. At the same time, he continuing to balance on the back of the camel. “I see the house!”

  "Twenty meters!" And confirmed the second watchman.

  “Let us get started!” The paladin roared, waving a silver club. “In the name of Tagros the Silvery I enter the battle!”

  And here was the pre-slaughter prayer to the god to whom Ahn had sword his loyalty.

  Tagros Silvery. A bright deity encouraging the manifestation of generosity towards the poor and the annihilation of dark creatures. He especially favored the protectors of fortresses, outposts, and other structures, be it settlements or cities. Tagros was known to almost all players. He had a loud flock — which was not surprising, given the popularity of God.

  A flashing blue light enveloped the magicians for a moment with in a shining halo. The blue glow spread over the broken, sand-covered pavement, and a white fog crept upward. A frosty wave hit my heated face. With a slight crackle, the ice crawled across the street.

  Before the glow of magic could be extinguished, an ant fortress arrived in time for the edge of the ice field. This time it was a stone, three-storied house, and na
rrow looking, like a pupil standing upright. The house flew across the ice surface at full speed, and then it turned- and the ants flew helplessly into the air.

  “Stand back!” The paladin barked, and our squad obediently stopped at the crossroads. On the right, the house was approaching, but it was still far away. Behind us the scene was empty and quiet thanks to the powerful magical blow of Malice. Ahead of us, you could see another house. The creatures were surrounding us…

  “Landmine at the door!” The roar of Anh came over the sound of crackling ice.

  The landmine was a stone block the size of a minibus created by one of the mages and launched at the target.

  The stone block flew to the target and hit, with a crash, into the front door. At the bottom of the first floor, three feet from the ground. It got him. The three-story building tilted, groaned, the shutters opened and closed shut — and then down and collapsed with a heavy blow. The earth shuddered, the camels roared with alarm, and a cloud of snow and sand flew into the air. The lower part of the house fell onto the ice rink. Stones and bricks flew in all directions ... and the many-legged bodies of lagans.

  They were whitish translucent ants with fiery red eyes, gigantic mandibles, and huge pouches filled with pulsating yellow liquid. The size of each of the Lagras reached that of a large sheepdog, others, more powerful, like young bull-calves. The monsters looked awesome. A living nightmare of a person suffering from insect phobia.

  Our archers began to send shots, sending arrows at the rushing ants.

  "Eggs," Malice said shortly, and the paladin heard, looking towards where, from the ruins of the mobile fortress, a long chain of lagans stretched, all carrying white eggs.

  “Kill the transporters! Do not touch the eggs!”

  They began to die one by one. The precious eggs fell onto the sand. The other Lagras hurried to them immediately, trying to save their offspring. The ruins of the houses began to stir, to heave, to fall apart. The overall impression was that a tank filled with wreckage was bursting from within.