A Trap for the Potentate

by Michael Atamanov

  I was spinning pure nonsense, whatever came to mind, all the time keeping an eye on the countdown timer, which showed how long I had to finish the quest. Taisha then nodded unconfidently, digesting the information. Finally, the girl inquired:

  “And how is this night celebrated?”

  “Young Goblin boys and girls ride their wolves as far into the night as they can. To places far from the prying eyes and ears of their meddlesome parents, where there are no nosy neighbors, and they won't be tripping over curious babies. When they get away, they act foolish, chase one another, compete in strength and agility. This is the celebration where young boys meet their future girlfriends, and couples can finally be alone together without the older generation bothering them.”

  Taisha thought intensively in silence. It seemed to me that I had made a wrong move and led the situation into a dead end, having gotten caught in too deep a lie.

  Successful Charisma check

  Experience received: 160 Exp.

  Successful check for Taisha's opinion

  Experience received: 400 Exp.

  The redheaded beauty started smiling unexpectedly. Her eyes lit up with a happy flicker:

  “What a wonderful holiday! Too bad it wasn't celebrated in Tysh. And this is a moon-lit night, just right for a romantic outing. But I don't have my own wolf, and all members of the Gray Pack belong to you and only listen to you. Also, after a whole day walking in the desert, I have no interest in seeing more of these dreary sand dunes all around. But I'd never refuse flying with you on the wyvern!”

  “Ehh...” I tried to object. “But VIXEN is too little to fly with two on her back!”

  “If that's what you call little!” Taisha snorted. “Your flying snake has already shot up to eight steps long! She could swallow a person whole! But if you're right, and she still doesn't have the strength... Do you want to know how to give your winged snake a few levels in one go? After all, you have two more Ifrit Hearts!”

  Wait, stop! I asked Taisha how she even know about the contents of my Inventory, and how she wasn't ashamed to steal my things?! Her reaction was unexpected:

  “That isn't true! I didn't steal anything! I just looked at your things when we were standing next to the djinn. And so what? Is that not allowed?! And I only took what belonged to me. After all, I found the Ifrit Heart! You just asked me to look at it but, instead of giving it back, you popped it in your mouth and wolfed it down!”

  What a bizarre interpretation of events... For a second, I even wished I'd failed Taisha's Disenchantment. But I quickly got myself back together and didn't even express myself too rudely. Instead, I ordered my companion to remove every more or less heavy item from her inventory, and promised to do the same, so the Royal Forest Wyvern would be able to take off with both of us on her back.

  Taisha didn't argue. Thirty seconds later, on a carpet in the center of the tent, there was a towering mountain of seven-sided silver coins, a heap of magic scrolls, a whole set of armor and weapons from the Kingslayer set, a porcelain statuette of a dancing girl (which I had been looking for, thinking I'd forgotten it on White Shark), a leather case with a bunch of magic elixirs, a heavy ring of lock picks, a dwarven monkey wrench, and a few pretty baubles and trinkets the thief had managed to pilfer during our journey.

  Taisha had taken only a couple daggers, and was wearing only the practically weightless thief's outfit I'd given her so long ago. I also took almost all the coins and the majority of my things out of my inventory, leaving just the minimum necessary reserve of alchemical elixirs, my blowgun and some ammunition.

  VIXEN came to my first call and, although she did give a few dismayed hisses and flashes of her poisonous fangs, even allowed both riders to get up on her back. I had to sit first, otherwise my winged mount refused to obey. It was too bad. I had been hoping to hold onto my companion’s nice body during the flight. She looked so beautiful in the form-fitting dark clothes.

  “We're flying toward Dotur-Khawe!” I told Taisha, and she didn't object in the slightest.

  “Let's get on our way! I finally feel like your wife! Let's celebrate this wonderful night!” the girl shouted out provocatively, embracing me firmly by the shoulders.

  I set my mount's trajectory for the subterranean city of the dwarves, and VIXEN tore off into the night sky, flapping her huge wings.

  Mission completed: Taisha's Disenchantment

  Reward: 16000 Exp.

  Taisha's opinion of you has increased to +55

  Charisma increased by +1

  Riding skill increased to level 19!

  Animal Control skill increased to level 16!

  Level forty-two!

  It seemed the situation was gradually starting to blow over. I'd already gotten back the level I'd lost by dying, and my relationship with Taisha was getting back to where it had been. I was hoping greatly that it was a good sign, meaning my unlucky streak of difficulties and failures was over, both in real life and the virtual world.

  We flew in the night sky over the desert. From this perspective, it seemed to be made of pure silver. Taisha howled in elation and thanked me for the wonderful journey. But just taking my NPC girlfriend for a ride on my winged mount was not my aim. And also, my boss might not like to see me spending my time this way, which he would see as pointless, even if I was flying to Dotur-Khawe not just because, but to get a package I'd acquired at auction.

  I still had the potential unique quest Taisha's Rebellion. So, for that reason, continuing to laugh and joke with my green-skinned girlfriend, I thought through the options of how to bring Taisha to that state. I could see that I needed to act extremely delicately here. On the one hand, I needed to make her upset, but I could not afford to allow an irreversible situation like Taisha's Departure.

  We'd already been flying for around a half hour, and I still couldn't think up anything good enough for the quest. VIXEN then started to clearly sag. The flapping of her broad leathery wings was becoming more and more frequent and abrupt. I was looking for somewhere flat and secluded to take the wyvern in for a landing.

  “Great,” said Taisha, approving of my actions. She was no longer in a fun mood and had sharply grown serious. “This is just what we need: a solitary place for a most serious conversation.”

  Taisha's Rebellion

  AS SOON AS VIXEN touched down on the sand, the Gray Pack appeared next to me in full formation. My girlfriend was very surprised by that. She thought the wolves, wargs and mythical hound would be left far behind.

  “Well, they're my companions, so they will always appear next to me, if they die or get too far away,” I explained.

  “And me too?” the girl cringed in dissatisfaction. “After all, after I die and am reborn I always show up next to you again!”

  I nodded in silence, trying to guess what exactly my NPC bride was implying. After all, Taisha clearly had something she wanted to talk about. The last thing she’d said during our flight seemed to imply she had some kind of plans.

  “Amra, I'm not satisfied with this pitiful role! I don't want to be your shadow anymore, I want to be independent!!! And also, you're a goblin yourself and you know our laws. Only the strongest has the right to command! And I'm stronger than you now, so I want to be free of your meddlesome guardianship. I can take care of myself now and make my own independent decisions! Why aren't you saying anything?!”

  I was just watching to see how my NPC girlfriend's flash of discontent would end. If Taisha thought I would get upset at the demonstration of disobedience or try to talk her out of it, she was deeply mistaken. Using my positive relationship and modifiers, I might be able to talk to the girl and get her over her present dismay. But I didn't want to. In fact, behind the careless look on my face, I was trying to hide an internal glee. Could it really be that this was leading to the unique quest Taisha's Rebellion?! Without waiting for me to answer, the girl continued her speech, gradually heating up more and more:

  “Amra, we are bound by a holy oath, so I cannot
simply up and leave. But I know a way out now. I will call the gods of Boundless Realm as witnesses and challenge you to a duel! One on one! Right here and now!”

  Everything became clear to me at once. So, this was where all the disobedience had come from! The experienced players of the Legion of Steel had pinned down the reason for all their failed attempts to lure Taisha to their side. Taisha was bound to me by a divine oath, which they were powerless to break. All the same, the players knew the rules and had told Taisha a way to break this bond — rebel, challenge me to a duel and call the gods as witnesses. But I couldn't understand why the rebellion quest had yet to trigger. Clearly, I'd have to talk to my defiant NPC girlfriend and figure out all the conditions of the duel.

  “Taisha, I can understand your motivation. But explain to me what I have to gain from that? I’m fine with our current situation, so why should I want to fight with you?”

  Apparently, the goblin girl wasn't expecting me to refuse, and even got confused. But then, the lack of confidence on Taisha's face changed into determination:

  “You have to fight! My stake in this battle is freedom and status as your wife! If the battle goes my way, you will completely lose power over me. I'll be able to go wherever I want and be whoever I want, and be reborn wherever I choose. But if you win, you can set a punishment for disobedience, and I'll agree in advance to any sentence. But I have one condition: the battle must be one on one. None of your beasts can interfere! And I will not use my right to summon the Djinn Sultan, even though I can!”

  “Well, that’s fair,” I agreed and gave an order to the Gray Pack, and also VIXEN to rest and not interfere no matter what happened.

  Mission received: Taisha's Rebellion

  Mission class: Unique, personal

  Description: defeat Taisha in a ritual duel

  Reward: 40000 Exp., Fame +1, one-week bonus of +50 to Taisha's opinion of you, +100 to any checks for Taisha's loyalty, absolute protection against any relationship decreases with Taisha

  Penalty for failure: -50 to Taisha's opinion of you, -10 to Goblin race opinion of you, event Taisha's Departure will trigger

  Finally! I read into the mission conditions. What could I say? It was harsh. Go big or go home. All or nothing. But what was so unique about this mission? After all, unique quests were usually accompanied by proportionally valuable rewards. Just then I saw only the ability to get, instead of a lively and interesting Taisha, a fully obedient NPC doll, in no way different from stupid bots, controlled by simple program scripts. Did I even need that?!

  I valued Taisha for, among other things, how unusual and unpredictable she was, which meant she was sometimes even contrarian. I had no desire to break the NPC girl and make her an obedient slave. Although, I still did need to prove who was in charge of our group. Her current behavior just crossed every line.

  “I summon the gods of Boundless Realm to witness our duel and swear to fight honorably!” Taisha declared smugly, and I repeated after her.

  Next to us with a deafening crack, a blindingly bright bolt of lightning struck the sand. The gods had heard our oaths. Alright, time to get started! I'd already known my strategy for some time: hold the thief girl at a distance, threaten her with my throwing net and shoot her with my blowgun. Sure, Taisha did have the crossbow, and she could also shoot from a distance, but her skill level with that weapon was just three, giving me a clear advantage. Taisha could also go invisible, using her Stealth skill, but she could not shoot while invisible. What was more, the bright moon and open space of the desert didn't favor stealth, so I was hoping to see the girl by using my vampire abilities Night Vision and Search for Life. And if Taisha decided to come in for close combat and take out her daggers, I was hoping to immobilize her with the throwing net and hold her down with my greater Strength.

  But the green-skinned thief girl caught me by surprise. One moment and, instead of the flexible female figure in thin dark clothing, I had a woman warrior before me, vested in an emerald suit of dragon-skin armor. The full Kingslayer set, probably with insane bonuses to Agility, damage, crits and all that! The situation sharply turned against me. My emotions must have been reflected on my face, because Taisha gave a happy chuckle:

  “What, Amra, not expecting this? Did you think I'd be standing before you in that ultrathin form-fitting clothing all vulnerable and defenseless? No, I was never planning to return to that desert oasis, so I took all my items and coins with me. And I took yours too. I'm gonna need them in my journeys. By the way, you still could even out the chances by eating one or even two Ifrit Hearts. Don't be ashamed, I'll wait!”

  For a moment, the thought of eating an Ifrit Heart and gaining ten levels really did flicker past in my mind. But I didn't do it. I just looked more carefully at Taisha's equipment, especially the two throwing daggers, which she was deftly twirling in her hands, and... laughed right in her face!

  “No, Taisha, I have no need to waste an invaluable item. I'm already quite sure of my victory! In fact, you've already lost, even though you don't know it. However, if you put away your weapons right now and surrender, I will take mercy on you.”

  Instead of answering, Taisha went invisible. Holy cow, that was unexpected. I couldn't see the thief girl, despite all my skills. Neither Search for Life, nor Night Vision were of any help. Unpleasant, of course. But all in all, that didn't change anything. I waited, looking around carefully from side to side doing my best not to present my back for a strike. A Thief stabbing you in the back with a dagger was considered critical in all games, dealing damage that was increased by many times, and Boundless Realm was no exception.

  Successful Perception check!

  Experience received: 80 Exp.

  Sand! To be more accurate, footprints appearing in it! Now, I knew for certain where the NPC thief was located and, pretending it was a coincidence, I tried to turn my face in that very direction.

  Successful Perception check!

  Experience received: 160 Exp.

  Sound! My huge sensitive ears picked up the sifting of dry sand and little pebbles, as well as the rustling of my opponent's leather clothing.

  Successful Perception check!

  Experience received: 320 Exp.

  Smell! Now this was an obvious error on Taisha's part. The girl had used cosmetics, and my nostrils could distinctly discern the scent of her powders, pomades and floral perfumes. The wolves of the Gray Pack could also detect the strong smell and were following Taisha's movements by turning their snouts.

  My green-skinned girlfriend had never been distinguished by patience. After just four minutes, she got tired of spinning circles around me. I first caught the sound of her clothes rustling as she wound up, then the whistle of a throwing dagger in flight. In theory, I could calmly dodge the flying danger, but I didn't actually want to. I intentionally let the throwing knife hit me.

  Damage taken: 285 (659 Dagger strike — 46 armor, 50% defense against physical damage)

  Bleeding effect (30 damage per second, lasts 20 seconds)

  Successful check for Poison Resistance

  Successful Constitution check

  The bleeding has stopped

  Although my health bar went down to 1563 of 1848, It was still in the green. In theory, I could calmly survive a strike from the second throwing knife. Taisha became visible, now preparing to make another throw. But she couldn't get it off. I pulled the razor-sharp serrated dagger from my shoulder and simply placed it in my inventory.

  At that very second, the throwing knife fell out of Taisha's hand, and almost all my attractive companion’s clothing dropped off her at once, leaving her in nothing but tiny lacy undergarments. And though that was unexpected to the now practically naked girl, I had been anticipating this moment since the very beginning of the duel. I immediately threw my net at the confused thief girl, lost in her own fallen armor.

  Exotic Weapons skill increased to level 14!

  Taisha came back to her senses fairly quickly — just a second later, the
girl had another set of daggers in her hands, and was trying to cut the net off her body. But she couldn't! I didn't catch her just so she could run away so easily! My Amra was next to her instantly, holding her down by both wrists.

  Successful Strength check

  Experience received: 200 Exp.

  Successful Strength check

  Experience received: 400 Exp.

  Successful Strength check

  Experience received: 800 Exp.

  The thief girl was squirming vigorously, clearly not believing that my weak Goblin Herbalist, with lower level than her, could hold her down. This spasming could go on for a very long time yet, so I had to squeeze my fingers even harder.

  Successful Strength check

  Experience received: 1600 Exp.

  Taisha yelped in pain and unclenched her hands, causing both of her daggers to fall to the sand. I could read incomprehension, confusion and fear in my companion's eyes. She still couldn't believe that she really had lost. I then picked up one of the fallen daggers and held it to the Goblin beauty's neck and Taisha stopped resisting.

  “Do I need to make a clear demonstration of my victory and send you to rebirth with loss of experience and level? Or are you just gonna agree I won the duel?” I asked. And Taisha, after a second's pause, said distinctly: