The Way of the Clan 3 (World of Valdira)

by Dem Mikhaylov

  -- I survived! – I muttered, frantically trying to figure out my chances— And you ran away!

  There were no chances.

  -- Yes— the werewolf nodded wryly— And that’s why I lay particularly high hopes on you, Rosgard. And that’s why, I’ll give you another gift right now. Look!

  Grim ripped open the collar of his shirt, revealing the shiny medallion engraved with the snarling head of a wolf.

  The medallion brightly flashed, and then … Grim disappeared! To appear a step away from me, looming over me like some rearing grizzly bear. My eyes were level with his chest, and I did not see any medallion. The silver had disappeared.

  -- Medallion has disappeared for a few hours— growled he, continuing his transformation— These few hours, the weakling Grim cannot take advantage of the medallion’s power to escape. In addition, I’m weaker than our last battle— the medallion is not reinforcing me. Do you know what that means?

  -- Yes. A fight to the end. You’ve cut off all your methods of escaping.

  -- Right. Today, the battle until the very end. Until the last heartbeat. Your heart or mine, Rosgard. If I stay alive, I will tear your heart out to make sure that it has stopped forever!— the werewolf leaned forward and lowered his voice, whispering sarcastically— In addition, you need this medallion to collect the Silver Legend. As long as I’m alive, it will not leave my chest.

  -- But it has already left— I said, struggling to keep myself from taking a step back.

  Not fun to see the ugly snout of a werewolf two inches from your face.

  -- The medallion is here— said Grim, in an absolutely inhuman voice— It’s always here. It may have lost its power, become intangible or invisible, but it’s always here. A gift from Myrta cast in pure silver and always burning my chest when I’m under the guise of a werewolf.

  -- Ashes Ashes knocking at my heart— I muttered, remembering one of the nursery rhymes I had read in the Arctic “vacation” books.

  -- The medallion burns me! Reminds me of the horrible crime committed! It burns my chest like a hot iron! – continued the werewolf— I am glad of this pain! I deserve it! The medallion can be yours. It’s easy— just kill me. As soon as I die, you can remove it from my dead body. Kill me!

  -- I will try— I promised.

  -- You didn’t put on the bracer…

  -- I’ll manage without it.

  -- If you die, the bracer will return to me, boy. And even if you revive from the dead, you will not see it again. And today you will surely die!

  -- Let’s see— I shrugged— Just don’t run this time— I do not like playing tag.

  -- Rr-rr-ah!— roared the werewolf, recoiling back if struck— I never-rah! Rr-rr-ah! No… no…

  A howl broke from his jaws. Hanging over his head, the nickname changed lettering and color— in the air hung the red inscription “Grim the Werewolf.”

  A few more convulsive moments and his clothing fell apart, his eyes lit with a fierce light and behold, before me was a giant snow-white wolf.

  Well, hello, old friend!

  The white wolf rushed to me with an angry growl— yet, still uncertain and sluggish. The transformation was not yet fully completed.

  I gathered flaming coals in my hands and threw them at the face of the wolf, leaving scorch marks on his white coat. There was no stopping him— he abruptly swung a claw… and scraped a silver-plated, spiky shield.

  Howling from hell from the wolf, injured by the silver spikes, nearly deafened me. Grim took a giant leap backwards. The phenomenal impact shocked Bom and he staggered back, but he survived. Towards him stepped Cray and their shields clanged, united, fencing me off from the werewolf.

  -- Run! – I breathed.

  -- Yeah right – remarked Kaylen, standing beside me, sending a wave of flying tracers and glowing coals— Run from the cinema at the end of the film and miss the fun? Are you kidding?!

  -- Ugh, you’re so… -- croaked the dwarf, looking over the shield at the approaching enemy.

  -- Yes, yes? What am I?

  -- C-cute!

  -- Doctors do not abandon patients – loudly shouted Doc, taking up a position behind the soldiers— Aura! Regent! Healing!

  The figure of the doctor was enveloped by a sky-blue veil, and expanded to cover us all. The air shivered, and in it there appeared to be some tiny twinkling sparks.

  Aura healing and regeneration was activated. On top of it all, the Doc took out his whip, preparing to slap his victims to full health. In his right hand was clamped the staff with forty charges of “Great Healing.”

  -- I to-ol-ld you— Orbit happily said, clutching his eerie necklace in both hands— It’s fun with you, Rosgard. Naf-naf! Scarecrow! Breezer! Rikki-tikki! Let’s fly-y-y…

  Once again, the werewolf rushed to attack and bumped immediately into an invisible elastic barrier. He didn’t stop, but he seemed to be stuck in a swamp, and his run had slowed dramatically. Releasing magic coals and “thorn hedge” and the legs of the wolf. I peered into the face of the approaching enemy, and made sure that my eyes were not deceiving me. Around the werewolf soared a subtle shadow. What’s more, the outline reminded one of a Kobold— only transparent, and an incredibly huge mouth and dark eyes. Other, small ones, bound the paws of the wolf, doing everything they could to stop his movement. Spirits… Ghosts…

  A whole legion of ghosts was attacking Grim the werewolf, weakening him and drinking his life with the help of quick bites of their ghostly mouths. Tottering from the blow of a stone spear which jutted out of the water, Grim howled and twisted his neck, biting the ghostly spirit of the Kobold warrior. The ghost started, and there was a sepulchral squawk. Orbit rocked, his level of life and mana jumping down, and one of the Kobold ears on twine flashed a blue fire and disintegrated.

  Either the spirits were half material or the werewolf’s fangs could do magic damage.

  -- Kadrun! – Immediately shouted the bald elf, and at the same time one of the skulls of Proteus burst into flame and crumbled.

  -- Lollipop!

  Grim continued killing the helper spirits one after the other. And every time the elf received damage, but continued to hold and send new spirits into battle.

  -- Doc! Heal him! – I shouted, and the doctor, spinning in his place, put a glowing palm on the chest of the elf.

  -- Damn it! Bom yelled, looking in panic at the giant werewolf— We didn’t even get a tenth of his life! Hit him with something!

  Kaylen ripped a book with a red cover from her belt and flipped open the clasp, raised the book above her head and shouted loudly:

  -- Pentagron!

  The pages rustled. The book became a giant pulsating fireball the size of a pumpkin in girth. From the flaming ball split part of the flame, covering the girl.

  -- N-now!

  The fireball fell from the hands of Kaylen and sped away to the werewolf with a roar, and a panicked cry issued from Orbit as he hastily grabbed his necklace and screamed:

  -- Escape! Escape!

  The spirits surrounding the werewolf instantly scattered in all directions, just a moment before the giant fireball made contact with his forehead. There was a thunderous explosion and scraps of flame scattered in all directions, the corridor was shrouded in a cloud of steam, and a few lines about experience darted before my eyes. The explosion had taken out a bunch of Proteus, instantly turning them to ashes.

  The flames were so strong that all the water vanished without residue, exposing a mottled stone floor with cracks and holes at the bottom of the cave. The luminous “pillar” could not withstand the shock and pathetically blinked out, as well as the fireflies hovering over our heads. But it did not become darker— in the middle of the corridor, on the dry floor, was the kicking wolf enveloped in magic flames.

  -- Flash! – I shouted, throwing the sphere at the werewolf.

  An unbearably bright light flashed and Grim’s burning growl turned into a high-pitched whine. Well, now the thing was temporarily blinded—
but he continued to rage, writhing from side to side, bumping into walls and stones.

  Next to my face whizzed the tight turn of unusually bright, burning hot coals on the way to the creature. Throwing my own ammo as well, I turned back to Kaylen and swore in shock— she was surrounded by a halo of flame, and on the floor around her hovered mysterious fire signs.

  -- A small pentagram fire— yelled Kaylen— Works for ten minutes! Enhances me by two or so!

  -- Oh how I envy you! – I shouted an answer— I owe you! All of you!

  -- Fly-y-y-y— Orbit cried, seeing that the magic flames devouring the beast were beginning to die. Back to the wolf rushed the squealing and giggling ghost helpers, hovering around its host before this, leading a spooky dance.

  Peering at grim, I discovered that Grim had lost a quarter of his life and had continued to lose it— our incessant fire and ghost attacks were doing the job. The steam began to dissipate and condense on the walls, and was beginning to drip back to the streams.

  Of the group, only the soldiers did not come to battle— but they were close to doing so. Regaining his sight after the flash, the charred wolf was merely a meter away and advancing slowly. He was nearly at the line of shields. Grim pilled a monstrous face and I physically felt his look of wild hatred boring into me. Sitting at my feet, Tyrant snarled and jerked forward.

  -- Tyrant! Back! – I shouted, fumbling in my bag for two items— Back!

  -- Topolek! Cherepuha! Onwards! Onwards! – shouted Orbit.

  The cub went back reluctantly, and I finally found what I was looking for.

  I still have surprises, my dear wolf! Do not fear— we aren’t goats!

  -- Flash! – I repeated my warning cry— Light!

  The flash dropped right before the paws of the werewolf and flared. I didn’t see the flash because I shut my eyes, but the activation of the light must have been corrosive to the wolf, judging by the slowly receding howl. Grim had stepped back. And that’s precisely what we needed!

  Recovering from the flash, I put both of my arms forward and showered the werewolf with coals and bramble bushes. The bushes, strewn with white flowers, were joined by the stone peaks, driving the maddened beast into the spiked trap.

  A complete nightmare… instead of the white wolf, a shapeless mess of thorny bramble stems, stone spikes and ghosts twisted before us between flashes of fire. And Grim was somewhere in the center of all this horror. We just shot blindly at the middle, focusing on the choking growl and howling.

  What saved us from close range combat was a set of three things— my thorns, Kaylan’s spikes and Orbit’s friendly ghosts. They, and only they, made sure that Grim did not get to the soldiers and rip them into pieces. After which, he’d have the delicious, tender magicians. And the blinding flash of daylight. We didn’t wait until Grim was full rage to attack— I flung forward the last flash, not forgetting to shout the warning:

  -- Flash!

  Another flash of sunshine and the furious howling was, to me, like balm for the soul. When you consider the fact that the status of the wolf which hovered had decreased by more than half… I was more than happy! Our incessant striking had done their work. Only thing now is not to relax!

  The growling of the wolf nearly passed into the ultrasonic range, and a series of crackling sounds and blue flashes caught my attention. The leader interface blinked furiously, showing that one of our members was about to die. Looking at the bald headed elf, I saw with horror that Orbit was dying— his life bar blinking frantically. The once “rich” necklace now had only a half a dozen pieces, and all else had turned to dust. What a rollback! Looks like Grim had finished off a few ghosts.

  -- Heal! Heal! Heal! – rattled Doc, poking Orbit in the chest with the thick end of his staff. The life of the elf jumped back to a safe level, and I breathed a sigh of relief, casually glancing at the tear-stained face of the elf. Tears?!

  -- Orbit?! What are you doing?! – I shouted in bewilderment, throwing a dozen flames at Grim. I didn’t have mana for more— my mana was over. You missed the bus, idiot!

  -- Tolopek died— sighed the bald elf— He told these stories… these stories… Here, for example— he was crawling around with the chums..

  -- Not now! – I snapped, pulling mana vials out of the bag and quickly uncorking one.

  -- Give me some! – shouted Kaylen.

  -- Say “a-a-a-a!”— I said, holding the mana potion to the girl’s moth.

  -- A-a-a-a…

  -- What are you doing over there, eh?! – barked Cray, half-turning.

  -- Drinking potions, what do you think? – I muttered.

  -- Mourning Tolopek— sighed Orbit.

  -- Turn around! – growled Kaylen, creating killer spells with double speed.

  Hastily swallowing a dose of mana, I added my own magic to the fire.

  -- Three of us left, but we are not afraid! – sang Orbit, completely out of tune— Rot! Till! Tomb! Fly-y-y-y…

  He picked good names for his ghosts, that’s for sure…

  -- Mana! Mana! – once again reminded Kaylen and I reached her again, uncorking a vial of potion.

  With her “small pentagram” she was much more powerful than me, and a powerful tool cannot be left without ammunition.

  There was a creaking and an unpleasant crunching. From the corner of my eye, I noticed something dark and large flying towards us.

  And then came a long “bo-oo-om!” And Bom fell back, his life grazing yellow.

  -- Kamenyuga! He’s arrived! – turning on the ground, he explained in confusion, being fully stunned at what happened.

  -- Get up! – I shouted in panic, barely restraining the desire to kick the “ass” in the ribs— Cover us! Cover!

  If with one stroke Bom went from green to yellow… our gallant foursome of mages, healers and… bald elves, we would be done for!

  Coming to his senses, Bom jerked to his feet and Doc, with a wild yell “heal,” prodded him in the shoulder with the end of his staff, and then another hit knocked him off his feet again! And this time, his life immediately flushed red. And what if it had been a crit?

  -- Damn you, Grim! – I shouted in a rage, supporting my words with deeds and sending the enemy a torrent of coal.

  The answer was a wild, frenzied howling and another boulder thrown, the size of two of my heads. And thank all the gods in Valdira, the rock did not hit its target— crashing harmlessly into the wall.

  Orbit was hit a few times, and his life became immediately red— the cursing Doc rushed to treat him. Another series of setbacks.

  -- All my friends have died… -- sadly informed Orbit, wiping his tears away with his sleeve and clutching the string necklace, upon which nothing remained— Only you remain, Rosgard…

  -- Eehhh!— I said, continuing to shoot the werewolf— You umm… make some new ones!

  -- There’s an idea— not paying attention to the heat of battle, Orbit pulled out a curved blade out of a skinny black backpack. He ran the pad of his thumb over the edge of the black blade, and thoughtfully looked at the neck of Kaylan, standing with his back to him— Make… new friends…

  -- Nearly! Nearly! – yelled Cray— Almost got him! Go hard now, whatever you’ve got! Bom! Onwards! Let’s finish this freak!

  -- Stand as you are! – I snapped— Hold your ground!

  Bo-o-o-m!

  Cray spun around and was thrust heavily into the water.

  -- Mana-a-a!

  -- Shi-i-i-t! – I yelled back, giving the girl the next dose— Doc! Just don’t mess it up! Not now! Please!

  Swallowing some mana I furiously unleashed all I had on the dying, yet not surrendering, wolf. An endless torrent. “Hedge of Thorns,” “glowing embers.”

  -- He broke free! – warned Bom— He got out!

  Right. He got out of our snares. Only the thorn bushes and stone peaks alone were not enough to hold him. The ghosts were gone.

  Grim was dying. The life status of the creature blinked red and now was alm
ost completely usurped— it was only a few hundred life hits not, not more. But he didn’t run, like last time. No— he rushed forward, jumping over our obstacles of stone and bramble bushes. Coming directly towards us.

  -- Look out! – Cray screamed, exposing his shield.

  Ba-a-a-am!

  All of the weight of the wolf hit the shields and crushed the first line of defense, knocking down the soldiers. Huge fangs clanged inches from the whitened face of Doc.

  Without saying a word, Kaylen and I sent a dozen embers into the gaping jaws of the werewolf. Grim gave a muffled growl, and collapsed on his side. A crit! One of the magic spells had been a crit!

  Rising to their feet, the soldiers jumped back at the werewolf. Cray raised his ax over his head and struck a powerful blow, and the next blow was dealt by Bom— with his spiked and silver-plated shield. One after another we stabbed hissing embers onto the burned face. But Grim’s not dying! Twisting, throwing his paw, he swatted at Doc and threw him like a rag doll, and then threw Cray. Perhaps he needs just one more hit…

  -- Die already! – I yelled, looking the werewolf in the eye— Die! Go to your Myrta! She is waiting for you!

  -- Rr-rr-ra! – Grim said, his monstrous jaws closing right by my very face. And at this moment the awkward, puny, black and white pup attached him to his face, having closed his tiny jaws on the lower lip of the werewolf.

  The werewolf forgot about me, roared furiously and jerked his muzzle. Tyrant flew up into the air and arrived at the ceiling, and then screeched as he fell— rapidly falling straight for the open mouth of Grim.

  -- Close your mouth! – I roared, worse than a werewolf, forgetting about magic and attacking the head of the wolf with blows from my fists, clad in tightened leather gloves— I! Said! Close! Your! Mouth!

  The final blow was fatal— I knocked the last hit out of the werewolf, and he emitted a fading howl, dropping to the ground. The wolf jerked and fell silent. Now forever.

  I managed to catch Tyrant and pressed him hard against my chest, and then stood helplessly frozen above the corpse of the wolf.