It’s not death which scares me— it’s the loss of my equipment. It would all be left on the island where the old woman lives permanently. She wouldn’t have let me near my remains. Given that I am wearing several legendary items such an outcome would be a complete tragedy.
That’s why I was getting out. Or rather, I was sitting on a raft, waiting tensely, watching the grunting effort of the bog creature, who rowed with all his might. What pleased me— Stump-eyes rowed confidently, seemingly knowing exactly the location of the exit. In the intricate maze of Algora catacombs, this is extremely important. Otherwise you can get lost here for a very long time…
On the right bank there was a strange scream, in which I could almost discern some cursing. Or a simple cry. I didn’t attach much importance to it, but the bog creature suddenly stiffened his legs and went forwards at twice the speed. Listening, I heard him murmur:
- It isn’t good… not good at all… oh… very bad…
Strange…some local venomous creature? Quite possible. The catacombs of Algora are a totally different world.
And very soon I will have to plunge right into this world. Somewhere here, in the narrow corridors and damp, musty underground rivers is wandering a Krabber search party. The rattle of wet feet against stone, the creaking shells, the clicks of giant claws and fury sparkling in big eyes.
The Krabbers were searching… and I had to stop them. This was a minimum— it wasn’t in vain that, in the job description, destroying the Krabbers was only a minimal condition. There may be other variants. Although, I was sure of one thing— speaking with the Krabbers would not work. Never. They do not agree with anyone aside from their own relatives. And only see the others as prey. Therefore, I only see two options at the moment— either I destroy these amphibians, or they find whatever they are looking for in the catacombs.
And I know that I cannot cope alone. Therefore, whether I want it or not, it will be necessary to assemble a team, to stock up on weapons, and descend only then into the dungeon.
There is no alternative… hell… I guess I know one team which never has enough adventure. But there aren’t many normal and adequate ones there… but I’m not ideal myself.
But money… what kind of money will be necessary for this job? The quest may take a long time…
- Stumpy, how much longer? – I asked, defeated.
- We are almost there! – cheerfully quipped the bog creature— Soon the staircase up! But…
- But?
- But there are almost no fish there! It’s better here, Rosgard!
- Row, come on!
- There is one small fish there, and if you eat it— prison! Evil!
- You shouldn’t put your paws in other people’s aquariums! I had to pay the fine for you! Shit… where am I going to find money?! Oh! Kira, love of mine… I wonder if you will let me borrow some money?
By the way… a battle with Krabbers in the dungeon is a great way to pump up my character. It is time to grow up a little.
I ought to also distribute my points, and do so wisely.
But what am I saying?
As if I had a particular choice. All in intelligence and wisdom. All for the sake of mana, so I can read a unique spell.
Chapter Six.
Biting prices. Before descending into Darkness. On the tracks of the Krabbers! Battle!
- I'm telling you, this cannot be!
- Of course it can, good sir! The gods of light agree - the most important reasonable price! What could be less? That would be giving it away for free!
- The price is too high and that's final! Reduce it a little bit more!
- Oh God! Merciful gods! Protect me against the robber! I'll go bankrupt, I’ll be ruined!
This conversation was so loud that it could be heard over half the street.
The noise was coming from a small trade shop, modestly perched between the leather and furniture shop. The situation was aggravated by the fact that a lot of players had decided to join in Hearing the altercation, they decided to join to satisfy their curiosity. It’s not every day that you see a half orc with a truly tremendous backpack so fiercely trading that his fangs were dripping in foam.
And boy, can Bom argue. The only problem was that the process took too long and the owner of the shop, a frail little man with an incredibly rosy cheeks, reluctantly yielded to the pressure and fought for every copper coin. It is not the first time I have conceded to the request - that Bom should be in charge of purchasing supplies. I should have begun to worry when I saw the wide grin on his green fanged face. And now it was too late. I had to keep the passive expression on my face, without showing any sign of impatience.
And so we continued sitting, awaiting the end of the negotiations.
Opposite the shop was a narrow dead end in which were cluttered many rejected items, such as cracked barrels and furniture made unsuccessfully. We huddled there in order not to be an eyesore. And I especially huddled between two barrels in such a way that no passerby would see my nickname.
A little further down, on a crooked dining table, sat Kaylen, absorbed in reading a thick tome, holding it in her delicate hands. In real like, such a book would easily weigh ten kilos. Here, just as much, but here we are endowed with greater strength.
At the foot of the table and near the feet of Kaylen sat Doc, also hunched over books with yellowed pages. Perhaps looking for ways to remove appendicitis…
Nearby was Cray, who was unusually silent, casting jealous glances at Doc, who was almost too close to Kaylen’s legs. He was throwing looks but didn’t say anything out loud. I didn’t know what had been said between Kaylen and Cray since our last adventure but the fact remained that a conversation had taken place.
In the darkest corner of the alley sat the bog creature.
He had climbed into a rotten box, gathered up his legs, and immediately vanished from sight. A great mystery. His disguise would have worked if Stumpy kept his silence. But now from the box came wheezing, smacking and other sounds associated with the greedy consumption of fish. The marsh extortionist had almost talked me out of my lunch and I had to buy him three hefty river fish.
Our professional “ass” was negotiating in the trading store.
The bald headed elf… hm… Orbit was hanging. In the literal sense of the word.
Looking up, I looked at the dirty heel swaying above my head and let out another sigh. Above me hung the raggedy bald elf, with drooping chin and stream of saliva from his open mouth, his tongue out. And over his shoulder hand a ghostly gray domesticated spirit— playing the role of additional decorations. As though the elf soul had left the body, but not yet flown.
Damn….
It was all my fault. The teammates had happily gathered at my call, all agreed to the mission, chipped in some money based on the principle of “give what you can” and made a list and stomped off to purchase. At the outskirts of Algora, because Bom had plaintively announced that everything was cheaper there, and the sellers more compliant. While he was going around the shops, I asked everyone to “lay low.” Fortunately, the little dead end was very useful for this matter. My request was followed. Doc and Kaylen immediately sat down and began to read. The dwarf leaned back against the wall and froze. And Orbit, … Orbit went and hanged himself. That was the trouble.
Upon hearing my request, the elf thought for five minutes, and then found a shaggy rope nearby, threw it over some blackened wooden beams, summoned the spirit, and hanged himself… complaining about the absence of buzzing flies.
I have no idea why the bald elf decided that a hanging corpse in an alley would not attract attention. In my opinion, quite the opposite— especially if a patrol of city guards passed by here.
Damn!
So we waited for Bom. Orbit didn’t react to my exhortations— he hung himself, and therefore, he could not hear or see. And there was the barely audible, yet present howling of the ghost above his head…
The hope was only that Bom would grow tired of h
aggling and finally make a purchase. Well, and we were also waiting… another comrade was going to join us at any moment.
Previously I rarely encountered such difficulties, because as Crashshot I had preferred playing alone. I rarely set foot in group adventures, and if I did, only for the necessary time. Crashshot didn’t speak to anyone, and no one asked. He came, performed his task and left.
But Rosgard— this incarnation— had become the head of an extremely strange and inconsistent company. Not very rich, and still a bit crazy.
As for “poor”— this is of course relative. If I had asked, the bald elf would have dragged in a bag of gold from his sister the Baroness. But this was too much. I didn’t want to owe the Sleepless Clan. Especially in such trifles. Therefore in collecting money for the campaign I didn’t wait to say “bring what you can.” And Orbit generously presented me with four blackened copper coins— plus a slice of purple glass, a bottle cap, and a dog collar of +3 protection. The collar was useful— new clothes for Tyrant. Everything else I hesitated to throw away and gave to Bom, who didn’t hesitate to put everything away into his bottomless bag.
- Hey! – a familiar voice rang out.
- Hi, Kira— I sighed, listlessly waving to the girl— You made it.
- HI! What’s this?!— the girl asked, clearly about the bald elf, the saliva of which was dripping of my shoes.
- He’s hanging— I shrugged— Practicing…
- For what?
- Hanging! – I muttered.
- Wow…-- Kira summed up.
- Yeah— I said— You can’t even imagine how interesting it gets sometimes… Hey guys, meet Kira. Warrior, Paladin, and our future ally.
- Cray! – hoarsely said the dwarf, nodding.
- Ello! – smiled the doctor happily— I’m Doc! Healer! Your future salvation from the wounds of death! The one who will drag you out of the open gates of hell, risking his own life, the one who…
- Doc!
- Alright alright— coughed the embarrassed doctor— It’s just such a good book…
- Kaylen Seeker— she waved her hand, looking at the new companion with a wistful expression— Fighting sorceress.
The ghost above Orbit’s head howled piteously.
- That’s Orbit— I sighed— A class so strange I couldn’t even explain it. Though he is an elf, in any case.
- I’m Kira!— she smiled at all of them, brushing a lock of hair away from her face— I am a paladin!
- You heal? – Doc was startled. His joy was understandable— now he was responsible for the lives of his party members a little less.
- And main— confirmed Kira, looking, for some reason, at me.
When in “real” life I would have laughed at this statement, in the world of Valdira it commanded much greater respect.
When you see a warrior in glittering silver armor with a hefty sword in front of you, it looks impressive. Not to take into account the spiked maces hanging from her belt, along with some narrow throwing knives. High boots to the knee and spikes on each of them. If such a kick falls between the legs, well…
The level speaks for itself— hundredth.
Kira had improved her stats since the last time I saw her. Absolutely pumped her character long and hard, without the generous and comprehensive support of the Albatrosses. If she would have made every effort and combined it with their help, she would have achieved better results. Yes, support defines everything… especially if a clan has a location in which no outsiders are allowed, in which everything is studied to the smallest subtleties.
Kira was clearly tired from working with her favorite clan.
Kira is the only one, however, who sported a clan badge next to her nickname. On her shoulder and kneepads were engraved the wings of an albatross.
- Beautiful— I admitted, admiring the warrior— So you brought the gold?
- Brought it! – she replied, giving me a linen bag— Here, you freeloader!
- What, what! – I was offended— I do not freeload! And the gold is not for me, but for the greediest of all of us…
- And who might this be?
- Do you hear the sounds coming from the shop? – butted Doc— You gotta go there! There at the counter is a hefty half orc, foam on his mouth from greed. Give the bag to him.
- Just so that the shopkeeper doesn’t see it! – I added— Give it quietly.
- What a good start.. – snapped Kira— Okay, I’ll go, I’ll give. And when are we going to embark, boss?
- I’ll give you the ropes later— I reassured her.
- And who is in that box crunching over there? And munching? Sounds so juicy…
- A bog creature— I hung my head bitterly— Eating fish. Go give the gold! Time to wrap up these purchases!
The paladin turned herself around and gave one last look at the dirty heels of the elf and stamped off to the shops. She stomped as an elephant and under her steel feet some failed furniture shattered into chips.
- And who’s that? – Kaylen asked.
- My friend— I answered— Several times we did some quests together. A good friend for a party.
- She had goo equipment— Cray nodded, overjoyed by the presence of another girl in our group. Now not everyone would be staring at the precious Kaylen— although no one was really doing so in the first place.
I wasn’t going to tell everyone that I was acquainted with Kira in real life. I wouldn’t disclose of such important information. Just had to make sure Kira herself didn’t say anything. I would have to warn her…
Damn… we still have to coordinate our action plan… good thing we have some sort of experience. We have worked in similar conditions.
- Are there Proteus there? – Doc asked, wistfully glancing at the “AntiProt” boots in his own bag.
- There could be anything— I said— Catacombs of Algora are… well, the devil himself will break his leg there.
- So, I should put on the boots— Doc understood— Alright.
- And is it true that there’s … floating…
- What? – I didn’t understand Kaylen.
- Well, it! The sewage!
- Nah— I shook my head— It’s realistic, but not to that degree. But it’s full of water. Entire rivers and canals. There is even a waterfall and a lake. And it’s one big maze.
- And we won’t get lost?
- Teleport scrolls are on the shopping list— I reassured her— Besides, we have a guide.
- Oh, they’re coming! – Kaylen animated— At last! I’m tired of waiting! Are we far from the entrance of the sewer?
- Not really— I snorted, pointing a thumb at the blank wall of the alley— There’s a hatch. We will dive in right there. Orbit! Enough hanging! It’s time to sink! Prepare to dive!
From a distance, our brave squad moved like a bright ball of light, in which one could make out a few vague figures. The light of four fireflies at once literally destroyed the darkness, leaving not even the smallest shadow. The brightness wasn’t a waste— underground inhabitants usually don’t like extra light, so let them run at the sight of us. Steel footwear rattled on the mossy stone floor, and the first wooden door that greeted us was kicked out of the way with a powerful kick by Kira. The door literally shattered. As if a grenade went off…
A paladin is a scary thing. A self-healing tank with deadly weapons. Though, Kira hadn’t achieved nearly all of the benefits of her class. But experience was everything. Knew how to use her skills to make the most of it. She had the greatest chance of survival in the event of a surprise attack. Accordingly, she went ahead of our close knit group. Just behind her trotted the bog creature in small steps, jabbing crooked fingers in one directions after another. The pair looked like the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast. Only our version was simply dystrophic.
The formal leader of the party was me. Formally. But Kira was in the lead in overall standings. This was without a doubt. For several reasons. First, she clearly liked it— to lead people. Secondly, a knight i
n shining armor at the front looked more weighty than a skinny mage wrapped in rags. A sparkling aura literally came from Kira. We felt its full restoring effect. The official name of it was the “Aura of the Cheerful Spirit.” An ability tied to the wisdom of a character, not the intellect. The aura was unpretentious, but reduced our fatigue and this was indispensable, because we all had different levels of endurance. And it became a problem when the group came to combat areas. If the area had been a hilly terrain, many would have already had to stop and rest. The drainage of Algora is worse— endless descents, climbs, and sometimes vertical. So Kira activated the aura and our ability equalized.
Just behind the defender came two brave warriors. Cray and Bom. Cray went easily, enjoying the benefits of his race, turning from head to side to size. He was practically unbothered. We had walked for an hour and during this time, Cray had noticed two hiding places and a trap with poisoned thorns. At the same time, the dwarf was sharpening his skills. He probably didn’t notice a lot more traps, but still! We saw nothing other than the bare walls.
Bom was like a mournful petitioner. He walked in a half bent position, his head bowed. Bom was involved in gathering. Taking everything. And there was nothing to gather here other than mice, woodlice, slugs, rats, and spiders. And he was competing with Tyrant, who was not forgetting to train. Rat’s simply went mad at his guttural grown when the two competitors threw themselves at the prey, wanting to be the first to get to the “snacks.”
And all the others, including myself, went on modestly behind, not forgetting to glance back.
Kaylen was practicing a spell—seeing the effect I was overcome with jealousy and immediately added it to my list of future acquisitions. The spell was ‘string of fire’. Casting which, the mage sees before them a three meter fiery thread rushing straight ahead of them. Using this against a variety of small creatures is perfect. This is a mauler. It continues to go forwards up to ten meters until it reaches the first target. And it can be cast anywhere. Kaylen practiced this way— raised her hands above her head and released the fiery threads. The spiders on the ceiling obviously didn’t like this and they rushed to attack, falling at the mercy of Kira or other soldiers. Not one spider made it to us. There was one particularly smart and healthy, agile, scuttling across the ceiling, but the bald elf got it with his terrible knife. The spider died a horrible death, and turned into a ghost with many glowing eyes, happily running around his new master and hissing nastily. And when Senor Crystiliano named the ghostly spider Nathan, we could say nothing.
The Way of the Clan 4 (World of Valdira) Page 21