(World of Valdira 01) The Way of the Clan (28 page)

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What a night, Ros – Keira exhaled while throwing her head back towards the starry night – It’s amazing…

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Yup – I grumbled and caught the girl by her elbow to draw her with me – Nice night… come on, don’t stop.

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What’s the matter?!

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Hurry up! – I hissed and pushed Keira forward – Grume has followed me with such eyes… that sent goosebumps down my spine. And his glance… so unpleasant, cold but that doesn’t matter much as I’m not going to have kids with from him but I saw some strange delight emerged in his eyes… what’s the reason of it I wonder… I don’t know…but I’ve got a bad feeling about it.

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I see – Keira jerked to set her elbow free from my fingers and raised her pace directing to the lit arch of the high gates – Go ahead.

Well done, Keira. She didn’t ask any unnecessary questions not to waste time.

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We must reach the gates – I puffed turning my head left and right wincing with dissatisfaction. Damn it, I can’t see anything. The moonlight was coloring streets silver but the black-ink darkness was ruling behind fences, at houses and under the crowns of numerous trees. Deafening silence. But for a spitting cricket that is singing its love ballad. And two beginners stomping in the middle of the street looking around like being haunted.

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Can you see anything? – I could hear panic in Keira’s voice.

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Nope – I replied – Run! Start running!

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My stamina is not enough, Ros! My fatigue level has increased by one third!

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Run! – I roared pushing Keira’s back by my palm.

With a jerk I switched to running, speedy running along the tortuous maze of night sidestreets.

It was calm and quiet everywhere. The sleeping Cradle looked peaceful. Such a sleepy and safe bedroom district. There wasn’t a hint that somebody was watching or following us. Nothing like this. But something was pressing making us be afraid.

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Faster! Faster! – I repeated again and again like a windup doll while chasing the girl and pushing her forward from time to time.

There were just a few steps left to reach the gates. And it was still silent… perhaps I have just pushed the panic button in vain? But possessing such gifts as a piece of the legendary armor and a unique spell no wonder we were shrinking from even the walls…

Breathing heavily we dashed past the last house and found ourselves in a broad light stone-lined street that ended at the gates.

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I can’t anymore… - Keira forced herself o say and suddenly slowed down switching to rapid stride. – My fatigue level is maximum.

As for my fatigue indicator, it was flickering calming light-yellow. I could twice as much.

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Don’t stop – I asked her eagerly looking into the arch of the gates that we were approaching slowly. I could even distinguish two lonely images of guards standing on both sides of the gates. The space in front of the gates was absolutely empty. No gamers, no ‘locals’. No wonder as it was the midnight, everybody was sleeping. Or had found more exciting thing to do instead of hanging about at the Cradle exit.

Turning back I could see nothing but for the street wrapped by the darkness. Any footsteps or other suspicious sounds couldn’t be heard. A silly expression came o my mind: a dark silence. I didn’t have a chance to become a poet, farewell my career as a bard…

Just a moment… I looked into the sky and realized that there were no stars over the roofs of the past houses. Millions of merry white sparkles were glittering on the sides of the night dome of the sky but there was gloomy darkness over the street and the roofs of the houses. And I seemed to be approaching us faster and faster each second absorbing and swallowing light… and happiness… what’s that?... Inside the approaching darkness two pale yellow spots blinked for a sec hanging at the level of three human heights and they looked exactly like…

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You are…phew… such a calamity howler, Ros. You made the poor girl rush along the whole Cradle and…

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Ru-u-u-un! – I screamed like hell.

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What?!

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Run, silly girl! Run!

I grabbed her upper-arm again and drew behind me. In three steps she finally started running and we dashed forward.

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Don’t look back! Just run! Hey-ho! Hey-ho!

Keira was out of breath when there were just fifteen steps left to reach the gleaming magic veil that separated the Cradle from the city area. The girl stopped and fell down on her knees with her hands pressed against the muddy block pavement.

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R… R-os… - the girl’s energy expired totally. So she wouldn’t be able to move for at least a couple of minutes.

Swearing like hell I raised her to my hands and moved on. I couldn’t run though – my strength points didn’t allow me to run carrying such a heavy load. I could limp slowly. My fatigue level suddenly jumped into the red zone. One step… another step…

One of the guards staring at us with amazement suddenly started and switched his glance behind our backs, I saw his pupils enlarging with shock.

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What’s that? Oh my god… what’s that?

Without answering him I was stubbornly limping forward step by step to cope with the short distance left. All I needed was to move on…

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Guards! – I exhaled – Please, help us! We’re being followed!

The guards were not smiling anymore, they got off the ground instead, turned up a few steps away from us, bypassed us from both sides and disappeared behind my back. The weapon clanked dully being at the ready. A gamer’s call is sacred. The guard can’t ignore a gamer asking for help inside the city.

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No matter who you are – stop and show your face – one of the guards rapped out. – I am ordering you as Algora’s guard!

A light rustle of ripping air and the guard sobbed screaming. I felt a breath of freezing air stream on my back. The guard’s body flew over my head and passed through the gleaming magic veil onto the opposite side. I could notice ripped armor on his chest and frozen eyes. The guard was dead. I heard a cracked scream of the second guard and sounds of hits.

Leaning all my body forward I threw prostrate Keira forward with a wild roar thanks god we were almost at the very gates. As soon as Keira got lost in the gleaming blaze, my legs became quick again, the fatigue indicator was flickering red though. I pushed off the ground by my both feet, I dove with my head ahead and wiggling out my body I managed to look back at the Cradle territory. I could see a huge four-fingered hand stretching out for me, it looked like made from pieces of darkness… and two eyes flaring yellow furiously.

A flash. I fell down heavily on the stone-block and lost some life hits as I hurt my back badly. Damn it… A cheerful message popped up in front of my eyes with a melodic sound:

Welcome to Algora city!

Algora is a grand city, it must be called Al Gora that if translated from the lost language of the Great, means ‘Feast of Life’.

This ancient city is a great cultural and scientific center, its streets remember the old times when…

I shut the message fast and stood up on all my fours to face bright blue all-metal high boots. Jerking my head I saw a hand in a chain-mailed glove stretched out to me and the extremely strong face of a knight. Let alone a square protruding chin…

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Hey, Ros. Give me your fin. What a mess did you do there…

I jerked to stand up on my feet and looked over the street that six tall gamers dressed in strong armors and mages’ robes were blocking. The emitting of numerous auras made the night air vibrate and deform.

A black-haired she-gamer was holding Keira’s shoulders to support her, a golden bow was sparkling behind her back. Here is the promised escort. I looked back and got frozen. A giant ugly image deformed in a grotesque way was slowly approaching us through the magic veil. The monster was trailing us.

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Watch out! There is Graver there! – I yelled again, hiding behind the warriors’ back in all haste.

If this beast touches me even once, it means death for me.

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Graver? In the Cradle… - the gamer who I didn’t know drawled with a sincere puzzlement – You must be kidding…

After a bright flash the gleaming blaze parted and a huge monster roaring furiously broke into the city through the gates. Graver has come to your feast of life, Algora! Cheer up!

I must admit that the group of six gamers standing at the entrance didn’t lose their courage even for a moment. As well as another pair of guards who at once dashed into a suicidal attack to confront Graver and restrained it for several seconds at the expense of their own lives. But it was enough for me to run away far from the extremely dangerous beast.

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Ros! Take Keira with you! – without turning back the knight in white-and-blue armor cried out before raising a triangle shield in front of him.

The dark-haired archeress pushed Keira in my direction and tore the bow off her shoulder. The string sang umph and an arrow sank into Graver’s chest leaving a white jet track in the air.

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Join the ranks! Let’s take it on the shields!

I couldn’t see what happened next since I grabbed Keira’s hand and drew her behind me trying to remember the shortest way to the nearest Algora’s inn. A violent battle was bursting out behind our backs. I could hear the warriors fighting against the underground beast screaming. I saw a dozen of city guards passing us rattling their armor to help the Albatrosses who had entered the battle.

Gritting my teeth and starting at every sound I was going along the mazy streets of Algora turning to roundabout alleys, keeping away from the light of rare magic lamp-poles dragging the girl with me. None of us uttered a single word. We didn’t fancy chatting. I was praying all gods silently that I was going in the right direction. First of all I should buy the local map. How could I be so silly! I should have done it long time ago when I was visiting the scribe in the Cradle. I feel quite confident in Algora at day but at night… at night all streets look alike and all cats are grey when the candles are out.

I took the next turn sharply left to a three-storey house with a double-pitched tiled roof and pushed the door with the bell ringing to welcome us. Here is the inn. We can relieve… It’s absolutely safe inside any of Valdira’s inns. You can’t be killed, robbed or injured here. A phrase from my childhood suddenly occurred to me: ‘I’m in!’ that we had used in childish games to say that no one could hurt me and I was safe and sound. In contrast to the real world this phrase always worked in Valdira if said inside an inn…

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Keira, come on! – I exhaled releasing the girl’s hand and pushing her towards a polished wooden counter of reception behind which a middle-aged lady in a long blue dress decorated by some extravagant embroidery was smiling friendly.

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Welcome! – she sang – Your room is ready for you, madam. Would you like to know further information about ‘private rooms’?

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No, thanks – Keira refused.

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Your room is on the second floor. The violet door with silver edge.

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Thank you – the girl nodded and turned to me – Ros… I’m so thankful to you! If you hadn’t…

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I’m well-paid for that – a pale smile emerged on my face. I came to the counter – You must go now.

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I hope to see you soon.

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That sounds quite possible, honey – I murmured to the girl going upstairs – That sounds quite possible…

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Welcome, sir! Your room is ready for you! Would you like to know…

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Good night, good lady – I interrupted the talkative ‘local’.

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Good night – she smiled at me sadly – Your room is on the first floor. The emerald door with three horizontal stripes of polished copper. Sleep tight!

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Thank you. You know that’s a very beautiful dress on you – I forced to smile at the ‘local’. – It suits you.

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Really? – the lady wondered with sincere delight pressing her hands to her chest.