by Sergei Katz
— I have no idea where this quagmire is, and it’s a big forest. Can you provide me with a map?
I really hoped for a positive answer: a map of the area would help me a lot. My knowledge only covered a small part of the forest that me and my Copper Wing had experience of.
— Sadly, no, — Heyyoubaldy sighed. — But I do know who can help us. Ask Alex to escort you. He knows the forest like the back of his hand. Everyone indulged him, and he knew how to take advantage, so he regularly badgered the hunters to take him with them. Tell him that if he helps you, then I will reward him too.
— So, what is the reward? He will obviously ask me, — I was curious.
— He won’t ask, — the merchant grinned. — There is only one thing that he wants from me, and I am prepared to give it to him. He can’t do without it. — The trader said the last sentence very quietly, but I still overheard it.
— All right, I'll ask him.
— So, do you agree? — The trader was delighted.
— Not yet, — I gave the trader my most cunning smile. — If I understand correctly, I need to bring back leaves from the succulent plant, say, ten leaves before the evening? — I looked at the trader inquiringly.
The rascal nodded, adding:
— I'm ready to buy anything you find!
— What price are you offering? — I pretended that I was terribly interested.
— Let’s say, 2 silver coins for each leaf, — the trader offered.
Although I didn’t have any skill in bartering, my intuition told me that I should hold out for more.
— No, I am not going into the forest for that kind of money, — I showed my disinterest. — I would be better off going around the village and making some money by offering my services. You never know, maybe someone else needs help too.
— All right, all right, — the trader sighed. — Let's agree on four silver coins per leaf.
— That sounds more like it, — I smiled.
The sad look on the trader’s face didn’t deceive me, I was still being taken for a fool, but I needed more information to get a decent price.
— Okay, I agree, but first I want to make sure that Alex is willing to show me the way to the quagmire.
After putting my acquisitions in my bag, I left the store.
Near the gate, as if knowing in advance that I needed him, Alex was sitting right at the side of the road.
— Hello there, — I greeted the boy. — I hope you're not offended by the name that I gave you?
— No, not at all, — the boy smiled genuinely, — I was against everything that happened from the start, but everyone in the village insisted ... I understand that the bald man is sending you to the quagmire to collect succulent herbs?
— You are right, but how did you guess? — I asked.
The boy was amused. — I'm friends with the hunters, and they told me that he has been trying to convince them to go off to the place for a couple of weeks now. Only the quagmire is far from the places where the game that they hunt lives, so they had no reason to go there. Suddenly you arrive here, and there is going to be a feast. I put two plus two together and got four, so I figured it out. You need money, and there is plenty of time until the evening. You don’t know the real value of the succulent plants, which makes you an easy target. So, he can use you as cheap, if not almost free labor. It was as clear as day, —the boy continued, having fun with me, — that you don’t know where the quagmire is, and he doesn’t know either. So, he would definitely ask me to guide you there, and for that he will offer exactly what I have been begging him for several years.
— That’s spot on, — I smiled back at the quick-witted kid. — Will you help me?
— Oh, yes! I really need what he is offering to give me, or so the fortune teller told me.
— So, tell me then, what exactly is he offering to give you, if that’s not a deep secret?
— Alas, I must keep it a secret from you, as I was advised by the fortune teller, and I believe her. So I'm sorry. — He replied.
— No problem, I can understand that it’s not for me to know.
— But, — the boy grinned, — instead I'll tell you the real price of the leaves of the succulent plant. Their minimum price is 25 silver coins each.
— Heyyoubaldy! Nothing but a con artist!
This was something I hadn’t expected: he understated the real price by so much that even after doubling his offer it was still only a sixth of the plant’s real value.
“Well, if you cheat on me, then you are going to get a payday ...” — I thought to myself.
— Wait for me here. I'll go back and make it clear exactly what I’m signing up for, — I said to Alex.
— Can I come and watch? — The boy smiled.
— Yes, no problem, you deserve to, — I was amused too. — So it will even be more interesting.
We went to the store together.
— Well, was I right? — The merchant smiled as if nothing had happened. — Did Alex agree to help?
— Yeah, I agreed to help, — Alex said himself.
— So, do you accept the quest? — The merchant asked me.
The previously agreed terms of the contract surfaced in my head.
— Wait, I've been thinking: I need to ask around the village, in case maybe someone else wants this herb, so I can earn better money.
— No, no! — The trader panicked. — I need all the herbs just for me and nobody else.
— So, it turns out that you want me to give you control of the market for this herb. So, I think that the price offered should be higher, otherwise I will lose out. If I can get the other villagers to bid for the herb then I will get a better price. Let's say ... you will pay 50 silver coins per leaf, shall we?
The trader’s eyes bulged like saucers. — This is absolute blackmail! The top price is 25-30 silver coin depending on the season!
I smiled so broadly that I showed all my teeth, and sitting on the counter, Alex literally roared with laughter.
— So, you wanted to rob me! — I gave him a furious look and pulled out my sword.
— No, that’s not the way it is! — The trader was a pitiful sight. He blushed red, then turned blue and then blushed red again. It dawned on him that he had just fallen for a simple trick and blabbed out the real price. — I'll give you 30 silver coins for each leaf, — the shopkeeper quickly rattled out.
I theatrically checked if my blade was sharp, and the sword didn’t miss an opportunity to cut my finger. Having made a mental note to use the sword more often, I looked back at the trader.
He hurriedly added, — I'll give you a small healing crystal as well. It can be used a hundred times.
— All right, — I agreed, — you got away with it this time, but next time I won’t be so kind.
You have a new talent: “Manipulation”: +1point.
I read the terms of the contract: “You agree to supply the trader Heyyoubaldy with a minimum of ten leaves from the succulent plant before the evening. The trader agrees to pay 30 silver coins per leaf. Additional condition: to sell all the leaves that you collect exclusively to the trader at a price of 30 silver coins per leaf.”
— I confirm my agreement, — I told him.
Upon hearing my confirmation, the merchant sighed with relief.
— Well, it's time for us to get going, or we may not be back in time, — I said, waving my hand at Alex and we quickly left the store, not giving the slimy rascal time to come to his senses.
CHAPTER 14:
THE FIRST QUEST
As soon as we left the shop, Alex burst out laughing:
— I can’t believe what I have just seen! Finally, somebody has put the bald man in his place! This old dodger is the most skillful trader in the entire village, and he is a master at being crafty! First of all you simply offended him, and then you scared the life out of him. I wonder, what is this negotiation technique called? Please tell me. — The boy looked at me pleadingly. — If you t
ell me, then and I'll teach you everything I know about herbalism. You must be a herbalist yourself, otherwise the bald man would never have sent you to collect the leaves.
— It’s no secret, — I smiled. — I would have told you anyway, but if you teach me something new, then I'll be very grateful. This is known as the talent of manipulation.
I really liked this young chap. His future fate clearly wasn’t going to be easy, but he seemed to enjoy life as if nothing perturbed him. Not every adult was capable of this, not even mentioning a child.
So, I continued:
— By the way, I only just discovered that I had this talent when I tried it out on our friend.
— You are joking! — I could see an admiration in the boy’s eyes. — To be able to create a new ability at the first attempt is incredibly lucky. Such a thing happens perhaps once in a lifetime, and even then not to everybody. Maybe Newcomers are different in this respect.
— Tell me, you mentioned that if I didn’t have the herbalism ability, then the trader wouldn’t have offered me the job, but how did he know that I have this skill? I didn’t tell him, and I did not sell him any of my herbs either.
— He's a trader, — the boy was surprised. — One of the abilities of his class is that they can see right through you. Be it talent, abilities or even magic, they can recognize it at one glance.
— Now I understand, — I said, and decided that this was something I had to think about. On the one hand, as a plus, you could unexpectedly be given a new quest. On the downside, it could be impossible to conceal talents from such a trader.
However, I considered that to be the least of my problems at the moment. I nodded to Alex cheerfully:
— Well, guide, are we going into the forest?
— Not yet, — the young chap smiled. — First, we need go to the Hill of the Luckiest, so you can introduce yourself.
— What hill? Why should I introduce myself there?...
Before I had finished my sentence, I realized that Alex couldn’t hear me: he was already on his way down the West Street.
— Boy, you’re fast. — I hurried after the boy.
We ran outside the village, and after about half a mile I saw a hill. Alex was already standing on the top and waved at me, urging me to hurry up. It was easy for him to say, the boy ran at least twice as fast as I could. Already at the limit of my fatigue, I ran up to the top of the hill. In the middle of it, right in the ground, there was a seven-pointed star, ringed with some runes.
— Stand in the center, — Alex pointed at the star.
I didn’t sense any danger, and I trusted the boy, so I did what he asked. As soon as I stepped into the center, the star's rays glowed turquoise and then went out.
Would you like to make this hill a point of resurrection?
“So, this is the Hill of the Luckiest!” — I thought.
Naturally, I answered:
— Yes, — and, turning to the boy, said: — Alex, I have a request and a question. Firstly, I can’t run as fast as you, so let's just walk at a fast pace. Secondly, why is this hill known by this name? Is it because it is a point of resurrection?
— That's right. — I could tell from his eyes that the boy was a little uncomfortable talking about this. — If one of us gets killed, then we have about a fifty percent chance of finding ourselves back on this hill. Sometimes the deceased do not return though. So we call it the Hill of the Luckiest. Visiting traders tell us that this name is adopted in one variation or another throughout the world. — Alex's eyes were wandering all over the place until he saw the forest, after which his concentration seemed to return, and he said: — We don’t have much time, and you are also slow so we need to proceed without delays, so I won’t even venture home to get supplies for our journey. All right, let’s get moving, — and he started walking briskly toward the forest.
“I wonder where my Totem has disappeared to? He left before dawn. I wonder what would happen if I were to exchange him for Alex, at least he can speak; he knows the world and doesn’t run off just like that. Although that being said ... he walks ahead without looking around, not even to see if I'm keeping up with him or not. On the other hand, my Copper Wing friend is constantly on the lookout. If he flies too far ahead, then he always stops and waits for me. Okay, so be it, I’m going to keep you my Copper Wing friend,” — I said dryly to myself. Not wanting to lag behind, I hurried after my guide.
As soon as we reached the forest, we were attacked by a pack of black wolves. Alex ran a couple of steps away and took out a small bow.
— Excellent, — I smiled, taking out my sword and rushing to attack.
It was easy to kill the wolves, as Alex's fire support was just right. He was doing some kind of a finishing shot to kill the beasts. As soon as I realized this, I just started to leave the wolves for him to do the kill shot on. Soon enough the whole pack was wiped out.
I pointed at the skins and fangs left by the dead animals, asking the boy:
— How shall we split it up?
The boy was a bit embarrassed:
— I was usually taken to the woods as a favor, so I didn’t get any of the loot ... Let's go fifty-fifty, but I only have fifteen compartments left in my bag, — Alex said, still clearly feeling uncomfortable.
— It's alright, — I reassured the boy. — I have plenty of room in my bag. I will collect everything up, and then when we get back we can share everything equally. If you find anything during any future fights, then it’s all yours, and if I find anything then it’s all mine, — I winked at the boy.
Alex gradually relaxed, and once again there was a happy, cheerful boy in front of me. I didn’t know why, but when he was uncomfortable I felt the same way, and this time it seemed that his good mood was infectious.
— So, you're an archer? — I asked Alex.
— Nope, — he said as he reached into the bushes. — The hunters taught me how to handle a bow, but I have a different class.
By his intonation at the end of the phrase it was clear that he wasn’t going to tell me what his class was, but I asked him anyway.
— Sorry, — Alex sighed, getting out of the bushes with a large bundle of some wriggling grass in his hands, — it's personal, and we're just partners for one small mission, so I'm not ready to answer your question.
— I already knew that, — I smiled.
— How did you know that I wouldn’t answer? — The boy was surprised.
— By the intonation in your voice, — I replied.
— That’s amazing! — It seemed that this fact seriously surprised the boy. — This is the first time that I have heard of someone who isn’t a trader or a businessman who is capable of such a thing.
Now it was my turn to be surprised:
— Is it a talent or is it an ability?
— I don’t know, — Alex shrugged.
— By the way, why do you need this strange grass, and why is it still alive if you have just pulled it out?
— Don’t worry about it, it's the Walking Grass! We were lucky that I noticed it; otherwise it wanders from one place to another, and it’s hard to find when you need it. We need it because we’re going into the quagmire, which is a very marshy area. If we don’t protect our legs, then we will be in trouble.
— So, how will this wandering miracle help us? Are we just going to wrap this grass around our legs?
— Yeah, — the boy was enjoying the moment. He obviously liked to shock people. — Here you go, take this.
A bunch of grass with heads like green snakes landed in my hands. Of course, I only described them as snakes because they refused to keep still. In fact, if it wasn’t for the constant movement, this grass would look like an ordinary fescue grass, except it was somewhat taller and the leaves were thicker. I got used to its behavior. I managed to keep hold of the bunch of grass in my hands so that it didn’t slip away. I looked at the expert to understand how to use this flora. Everything turned out to be very simple: Alex had some red
fruits, and he greased his shoes and the bottom of his trousers with the juice from them, after which the grass sucked itself to where the juice was. Alex gently strapped the grass to his trousers to prevent them from slipping away, using the liana that I had come across before.
Moving all the grass, I took some of Alex's berries. The fruit was called Rambai, and according to its description, it was an acidic fruit with a sticky juice. It may had been sour, but the walking grass seemed to appreciate the taste. I didn’t know how long this took, as the grass tried to crawl away several times, and I would only catch the fugitives at the last moment.
— Well, I think I’m done, — I finally breathed out.
Your “Craftsman” ability has increased: +1 (14).
Your “Scout” ability has increased: +1 (3).
You have created a symbiosis with the walking grass. When walking, your feet will stay dry for 8 hours, and it will be easier for you to travel through the swampy terrain.
— All this effort for just 8 hours! — I was a little disappointed. So much hassle, and my hands were stained all over with a mixture of dirt and sticky juice.
— Why would we need any longer? — the boy was surprised.
— We don’t need it to last any longer, — I agreed. — It's just that having such an aid would be handy at all times.
— I thought so at first too, but the hunters taught me that symbiosis is not always a good thing. There are creatures that hunt for this grass, and now they will hunt us, too, since we are in symbiosis with it.
— Now I understand why 8 hours is enough. We have enough problems of our own, and we don’t exactly need somebody else’s as well.
— You're strange, — the boy sighed. — You don’t know simple things, and yet sometimes you speak with the voice of experience.