Cat's Quest

by Roman Prokofiev

  Player Razdor inflicts 5 damage. HP: 75/80.

  “HotCat! We’ll turn you into a hotdog!” One of the players laughed in my face.

  In front of my nose I saw a sword blade. They were attacking me as the guards were running to my rescue.

  Player Razdor inflicts 40 damage! YOUR HP: 35/80.

  Player Victor Vandum inflicts 17 damage! YOUR HP: 18/80.

  Player Break-Through inflicts 56 damage! YOUR HP: 0/80.

  You died! 60 seconds remaining to complete death! 59... 58… 57

  “Lena, come on they’re close!”

  “Hey, moron! Zampotil sends you his regards!” One of them hissed. It was Razdor. He lifted me up above the ground.

  Player Helen the Beautiful finishes you off! You are dead.

  You lose 13 XP. CURRENT XP: 0/4000

  You lose: ‘Quality linen pants’.

  You lost Durable Leather Jackboots.

  You lost 44 gold coins.

  You are under the effect of Death Penalty: -10% to all attributes. Duration: 10 minutes. Do you wish to respawn?

  Bitches! Two clothing items and 55 coins, I gave them! And I was left without my pants. I was about to get reborn at the respawn point, which was located at one of the city squares, but something told me to wait. I was right, my four killers appeared a few seconds later at the respawn, having been sent there by the city guards, who had caught and killed them. An instant later, they came off the respawn circle, and approached another player, who had been waiting there. He wore simple leather armor and hung a big bag over his shoulders. A moment later they were all ready and equipped. They approached the respawn circle and surrounded it. They thought everything through. Besides those PCs who killed me and got killed by NPC guards, their gang included a couple other players—a loot guy, who collects items fallen from dead players, and a second guy with spare armor and a weapon in his backpack who passes it onto the PC warriors so that they are always ready.

  “Thanks for the loot,” one of them said and laughed.

  “Now you will stay here!” the other player said. It was Razdor. “The guards won’t make it here any time soon, so we’ll have plenty of time to kill you a few more times.”

  “Or just get the hell out of here!” Helen, the only woman in their gang, suggested. Well… it makes sense. I can teleport back to Karn’s tavern. But why are they suggesting a way out? Something’s off….

  HotCat: Hey Alex, r u on?

  AlexOrder: Hi there. Yup!

  HotCat: Here, listen. I’m cornered by PCs at the respawn point. Can I use the stone to teleport back?

  AlexOrder: I guess you can. What are they? What clan? Nicknames?

  I told him what I knew.

  AlexOrder. Heard of them. Brotherhood of Whip—they’re serious. You’re in trouble. DO NOT use the stone, one of them is probably at the fortuneteller trying to locate your point of respawn.

  HotCat: What should I do? Go offline?

  AlexOrder: Where u at?

  HotCat: In Eyre... Respawn is at the lower town, on Rose Square.

  AlexOrder: Hang in there. We’ll be right there.

  I had to wait for more than thirty minutes. The PCs tried their best to provoke me, calling me names, and making fun of me. I knew their kind of people in the online world. They fed on other people’s pain; they sought it out. To engage in any kind of argument with them only meant giving them exactly what they wanted, so I stayed quiet. AlexOrder popped up out of nowhere. He and another Watcher jumped on the PCs. They were red, so killing them anywhere outside the city wasn’t hard. Two against four? But eventually, I realized, that was enough.

  “Alex, deal with the healer!” A small, stocky player shouted. His nickname was Dominicus. With his huge sword and a big round shield, he fierily fought the four PCs. A huge hand that materialized from a blue flame immobilized Helen the Beautiful, and a second green, flaming hand hit her right in the face a few moments later. Consumed by the sizzling smoke, she screamed with pain, jerking her body, trying to escape the spell. Radzor, Back-Through, and Victor were fighting Dominicus, but were defeated a minute later. It was the first time I had seen a professional fighting at that level, and his technique was highly impressive. Dominicus deftly dove under the net thrown at him, knocked out Razdor with a crushing blow of the shield, and immediately finished him with a short sword attack. Two other opponents rushed at him, but the fight lasted less than ten seconds. Having received a strong kick, Break-Through flew off to the side in front of them, and then Watcher finished off Vandum in two or three strikes. AlexOrder, meanwhile, finished off Razdor and cast a fiery rune at Helen, after which, he helped Dominicus finish off the last PC.

  All that lasted less than a minute - four PCs off to the respawn point. Neat! I wish I could fight like that!

  “Watchers, are you out of your mind?” One of them shouted, having appeared at the respawn a few seconds later. “What the hell?”

  “Shut up!” Dominicus advised. “Take the guy’s loot right to base, or I’ll kill you until you use the stone to teleport.”

  The Brotherhood of Whip flashed their middle fingers. Then, as if having made a decision, simultaneously disappeared into thin air. They used the stone and went back to their base.

  “Check out these bodies. You might find stuff to make up for your defeat. But I doubt it.” He was right. The Handcuffs and Boots I lost weren’t expensive, but the 55 gold I had lost did upset me, especially losing it to PCs.

  “I suggest you don’t go back to Fairs,” Alex went on. “Here we’ll have your back, but not there.”

  “It’s not our territory,” Dominicus added, studying me carefully. “Who did you get so upset, bro? Their clan only works by hire.” Just as I opened my mouth to reply, a sharp, hoarse voice interrupted me.

  “Not a big deal, really. He competed at the auction with the reds for a couple of days and they didn’t take it kindly.”

  The guy with the hoarse voice was walking around me, watching me closely. He was the third member of The Watchers, a short hobbit, who barely reached as high as my waist. He was slim and wore dusty green clothes and a red hat decorated with a few bright colorful feathers. I didn’t notice how he had arrived.

  “How much did you make? 15,000?” He asked… “And you’ve been playing for less than a week.”

  “Avel?” AlexOrder seemed surprised. “I didn’t realize you were here…”

  “I happened to be nearby. Alex, invite your friend to the castle. We have something to discuss.”

  CHAPTER 10 LIBERTY

  Descending downwards through the thick clouds, I squeezed Rutha’s hard feathers trying to get a tighter grip, and watched a true miracle appearing in the distance. Condor, the Watchers’ Castle, also went by the name of ‘Cloud Castle’. Now, I could see why.

  Tall towers and high bastions rose above the clouds on the impregnable summit of one of the highest mountains in the North. The citadel shone dazzlingly bright in the sun, towering over the endless cloudy vastness, occasionally interspersed with black and white islands of snowy peaks.

  I realized the castle would be impossible to attack. Nobody would be able to get to it from below, due to its steep mountain slopes. The only way to attack was from above, on flying mounts. But how many flying creatures would it take the potential enemy to gather? And surely the castle defenders had ways of countering, not to mention their own forces.

  Rutha landed on the open round top of one of the towers. I was being unfastened from a giant bird.

  “Hey, Cat!” I heard the sound of Dominicus’ laughter. “Are you ok in there? Didn’t shit your pants, I hope?”

  “Oleg, Avel is waiting for you in his office,” AlexOrder said, helping me unbuckle multiple belts. “This is going to be a serious conversation. Don’t let me down.”

  “Who is he? Avel…?”

  “He’s in the highest circle in the clan. One of the five advisors of Komtur. He’s responsible for recruiting and internal safety.”

  �
�Am I being hired?”

  “Possibly. I recommended you. So, watch what you say.” I smiled to myself. It worked. My daring Arrows operation that involved annoying local traders, had a side agenda besides financial gain. I wanted the strong clans to notice me. In the multiple HR topics of major clans, it was easy to get lost among noob applications. Requesting to be hired was useless. You should never ask for anything. If you’re worthy, they notice you anyway, and come for you.

  * * *

  “So, HotCat… You’ve only been here a week, barely have any skill points… but proved yourself so daring, that you got yourself onto the Phoenix alliance list. How are you planning on surviving?”

  “Like I did before,” I said, looking him straight in the eye. “One step at a time.”

  Avel laughed as he tried to get more comfortable in his chair. A small hobbit sitting on a big throne looked rather comical, but his eyes made up for it. I don’t know how he pulled it off when he created his character. His look, sharp, piercing, and assertive, revealed the manner of a true professional. His large office in the castle of The Watchers featured a massive wooden table with an emerald top, fireplace, expensive carpets, paintings on the walls, together with various swords, pteradon heads, and scary looking reptiles.

  “You’re dealing with the Brotherhood of Whips. And they’re not about to let you off. They’ll find your respawn point and kill you right by it, together with the KOS of the reds. They control the areas in south and central Dorsa. Don’t ever show up at Fairs.” I decided not to say anything but to listen to what he had to say.

  “You should have been more careful. According to my data, you managed to gain control of a few auction lots and held them for two days.”

  “I think they’re exaggerating,” I yawned. “Only one lot… arrows. And not two days, barely a day and a half.” Avel nodded.

  “AlexOrder told me what you did in COSMOS. I take it you’re a professional merchant?”

  “Kind of. Are you looking to invite me to join you?” I asked directly. I already saw where the conversation was headed.

  “What are you going to do? You could be useful to us,” the advisor nodded. “What do you think?”

  “What’s in it for me?” I asked, trying to sound indifferent.

  “Don’t you understand that the SPHERE is a clan world? Loners don’t last very long here. At Fairs, you will be hunted by the reds and those they hired. How are you going to trade?”

  “Avel, please understand, it’s not that serious. If the Phoenixes are gonna corner me, I’ll just create a new account. I don’t have many skills to lose, anyway. I came here to make money, and that’s what I intend to do.”

  “I see,” Avel nodded. “Don’t create a new account. The Ancient gene is very rare. You won’t be so lucky a second time around.” So, that’s what this is all about. Alex mentioned my advantage to them, and they’re interested in it. Ok, let’s see how much I can sell myself for then!

  “So, what conditions are you offering me?” I asked. “Let me tell you straight, I won’t be joining just because.”

  “Cat, do you know how many people dream of joining us, and are even willing to pay for it? You know how many applicants we have? The Watchers are among the top ranking clans.”

  I yawned again. Yes, the clan was 7th in the Dorsa clan rating according to combat statistics, and among the top 10 for territorial influence and member numbers. The Watchers played a key role in the Northern Alliance of large and medium-sized clans and controlled all of Northwestern Dorsa. It was, indeed, a powerful and well-respected clan. However, in the general rating of the SHERE’s clan list, it didn’t even make it into the top 100. There were bigger clans, like American Roy and Russian HYRDA. Even in Dorsa, the PHOENIXES, whose enemy I had become, proudly occupied first place.

  “Avel, I think I’ll go.” I said, getting up from the chair. “You really do have a beautiful castle, but I don’t want to outstay my welcome.”

  “Ok Cat!” Avel said, raising his hands. “I can see you’re an experienced haggler.” He took from his drawer two elegant, almost weightless cups, and a large dusty bottle. He splashed some of its amber-colored contents into one of the cups and handed it over.

  You have drunk superior quality cognac ‘Bolivar’. Master: Richard Hennessy.

  HP, stamina, and mana recovery have increased by 15%!

  Your intellect and charisma have increased by 5 points.

  All your skills requiring charisma are now working more efficiently.

  Effect duration: 5 min.

  “We will pay for your silver account, basic equipment, and disposables. You will have access to clan warehouse, and you will have a place among clan raiders,” Avel went on listing the benefits. “All that is usually given to clan members, but in your case, you will be engaged in clan trade, and will receive 3% of clan profits at auction.”

  “I’m intrigued, but 3% is a joke.”

  “Careful there, Cat. Do you have any idea what amounts we’re talking about here? Offers like this don’t get turned down just like that.” Having haggled a bit more, we agreed on 5%. However, Avel’s offer was made in advance.

  “You’re too young now. The minimum number of points for our recruits is 10,000. We don’t need noobs. However, we will make an exception for you and accept you earlier. You must study and pass the basic training program at the academy. We’re about to open a new school for prospective noobs. You will have a month.”

  “I have one condition though…” I said. “Two of my friends can study with me, and you will consider them clan members, too.” Avel moaned, his hands on his head.

  “Ok, deal!” he said a few seconds later, digging for something in his drawer. He took something out and moved it closer towards me—a strange looking object resembling a rounded piece of crystal, inside of which, a silver spark glimmered.

  “What’s that?”

  “The Silver Spark. Pay your account. According to my data you’ve gained almost cap SP.” The Spark is the equivalent of a SPHERE subscription! Just like the ‘bronze,’ ‘silver,’ and ‘gold’ subscriptions, it added a paid month to the account. It was sold by game admins for real money, only at 1.5 times the amount of the monthly subscription price. In addition, the Spark could be transferred, sold inside the game, or used as an award. There was no end to its potential application! I understood precisely why Avel was giving me the Spark. He wanted to bond me to the clan and obligate me from day one. On the other hand, the situation was settling in my favor. My dad used to say, ‘When you’re being chased, take what’s given or run for it’. This time, I decided to follow his wise advice on life.

  You have received the Silver Spark! Would you like to activate? Yes No

  Your account status has been upgraded to Silver!

  You are awarded a starting gift from game administration for activating ‘silver’ status for the first time!

  You have received the ‘Big Wanderer’s Set’ that includes:

  Linen tent (for 2)

  Small Wanderer’s Bag (10 cells), up to 12 kg

  Retraining token - 1 pc.

  Mount summon token (ordinary horse)

  ‘Horse Riding,’ Skill Book

  ‘Recreation’ Skill Book

  Minor Potion Treatment - 5 pcs.

  Administration of the SPHERE WORLD thanks you! Enjoy the game!

  I was showered with perks. However, to physically receive them, I had to go to the auction storages. I had no use for the tent right now, and Alex had already given me a bag. I had already developed Rest skill myself (it was assigned automatically when a player left the game in an appropriate condition for a hotel room, bed, or other recreational location). I really appreciated the token of re-education. It enabled a player to release invested attributes and redistribute them. That was a very useful item indeed. The horseback riding skill and mount proved to be extremely valuable skills, too. I already knew my horse would be white as snow, and that I would call it Snowflake. Every prince des
erved a white horse.

  * * *

  “And this one, Racoon.” The player with the funny nickname—Racoon Balian looked at me indifferently, half-naked, with a training sword in his hands, and the face of a weary warrior. His head was shaved almost bald, but thick, wheat-like whiskers descended as far as his chin line.

  “Stubborn noob,” he smirked. “I see you at the arena every day!”

  “Hawk!” He called to my acquaintance. “You know him? What’s he like?” The dull tip of the wooden sword pointed in my direction.

  “Cat? Noob, but determined. Got some potential, his reactions are OK,” Hawk answered, having approached us. “Going to Liberty, too?” Racoon nodded.

  You have received an offer to join the Liberty School clan! Yesno?

  You have joined the Liberty School clan! Current rank: recruit

  “The gathering and first practice tomorrow will be here at the small arena,” Raccoon added.

  “At two o'clock of the evening guard in the Sphere, it is 6 p.m. in Moscow, and 10 p.m. in New Tokyo. Don’t be late!”

  I showed up about half an hour early and realized I had done the right thing. Almost everyone else was already there. About two dozen of my new clan buddies, all tagged Liberty. Amongst them, I saw Valkyrie and her husband looking super happy. Maria even blew me a kiss. When the time came, Balian arranged us in a line, from the shortest to the tallest. He slowly walked along the line of recruits, looking all-important. A brutal, broad-shouldered character, with a stern face and leather armor, he emitted the confidence of the alpha male.

  “Recruits! Now you are in Liberty, the free school of the Watchers clan. I am your commander, and I will have four other mentors assisting me.”

  “First off, I don’t care who you are, or what you can and cannot do! I don’t give a rat’s ass what you have decided to level up. You’re nothing but noobs, talking meat, to me.”