(World of Valdira 01) The Way of the Clan (35 page)

For example, woodchucks, piggies and badgers that I have fought against that day have a very typical behavior. They could be dangerous for retard gamers only. Such mobs don’t attack all together, don’t use combat skills and use just one tactics – a frontal attack to the last drop of their blood.

But if we take, say, Graver for example, that has recently visited Algora, this beast is hard to kill alone. It’s very cunning. It tries to close up unnoticed hiding under its fatal dark aura. If it feels that the enemy is too strong, it puts to flight. Let alone the bloodcurdling power of its hits. No way, much time should pass before I could fancy fighting Graver… Even a wolf that I’ve seen today at the edge of the wood is deadly dangerous for me. A sharp-toothed and agile creature of level twenty-four seems to be designed specially to kill low-level gamers. Moreover, it’s awfully fast – you won’t escape from it if only you aren’t Forrest Gump, it’s die-hard and possesses a serious hit. And it’s the top of iceberg so far…

That’s the reason why Gosha has suggested going to the clan’s location where I could get healing and strengthening spells if something goes wrong. But such an alternative doesn’t suit me at all. I must collect information about the silver legend. Signing I displayed the attributes menu on the screen and looking at the data thought deeply. How should I distribute the spare points?

Your character’s basic attributes:

Strength – 15

Intelligence – 18

Agility – 11

Stamina – 12

Wisdom – 1

Points available for distribution: 25

I decided not to deal with the attributes during long-lasting hunting as I wanted to do it very thoughtfully and in a quiet situation. Moreover, I gained one point increase of strength, stamina and intelligence due to working hard and relentlessly. Crushing weapon handling and natural magic handling increased to five each. In fast as soon as my natural magic handling reached five, I went to the city. Then I could enter military and magic guilds and gain basic combat skills there. But I must choose the guild carefully in accordance with my gaming style. Broadly speaking, skills must help but not prevent your game. Especially in my case. I’m a lone gamer and it’s rather a disadvantage than advantage in Valdira. So if my choice appears to be wrong, I’ll face severe problems in battles.

Scratching the back of my head I didn’t dare distributing twenty-five spare points and preferred visiting the guilds of mages first thanks god I was sitting right in front of it. I’ll choose one of free spells and at the same time I’ll get to know what skills they are ready to offer me for magic handling raised to five.   

The territory of the guild of mages started from the widely opened ornamental gates as high as two humans. Behind the gates there was a well-groomed park with numerous fountains, benches and paths running in different directions. But I was going ahead along a multicolored path as straight as an arrow leading just to the main entrance of a huge and rather gloomy dark stone building.

I didn’t have a chance to stroll in a noble and slow manner like a future combat mage as gamers and ‘locals’ were running backward and forward moving their legs fast without looking in front of them. Such absent-minded wise men, thinking over the busy world of men and not minding their steps! To avoid any bumping I had to maneuver. I was getting to the main entrance in abrupt zigzags like cardiogram pattern. But still I did it.

I went through the door as big as the gates that I had just passed and found myself in the main hall where I was met by a grey-bearded man with bush eyebrows and a piercing glance of dark-amber eyes dressed in a luxurious purple robe. He met me with his eyes fixed on me ignoring other guests by the way. He wasn’t a gamer but a ‘local’. The grand old man was standing on my way and I didn’t try squeeze past him like others but stopped in front of him instead and bowed with respect noticing out of the corner of my eyes that some gamers were staring the old man with certain astonishment. There was a reason… once I had already been to the guild of mages when my Crashshot got a skill as an award for having raised healing magic handling to five. But there wasn’t any greybeard standing in front of the door, that’s for sure. And moreover everybody ignored me the previous time.

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I’ve been waiting for you, Rosgard – rumbled the greybeard glaring at the bridge of my nose – But I see you didn’t hurry up! Follow me!

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Errr… have you? – I blurted out staring at the back of the leaving mage.

There was no reply, I felt an invisible wall pressing my back instead, my feet tore off the ground and I was dragged after the greybeard somewhere to side dark corridors while other gamers and ‘locals’ were watching me with puzzlement.

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My grandpa – I blurted out grinning – I haven’t visited him for a long time, that’s why he’s so angry at me.

All the eyes looked at me with even greater puzzlement and I damned my loose tongue, I opened my hands wide and was about to say ‘it’s a joke’ when the greybeard whopped into a bleak door and I was crashed against the door-post with a dull knock. I so to say careened off the way. The air wave tightened and pushed me inside, the door shut with a bang to cut us off the curious.

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Take a seat! – the greybeard ordered me and I was immediately pushed into a soft leather arm-chair – Have a drink!

A cup cut from transparent amber full of red wine adhered to my hand. Decided not to wait until grandpa got upset because I didn’t want to try the offered treat, I rushed to sip some wine while looking around. It was in a small square room; the walls were decorated with paintings and tapestries; the only window was covered by heavy velvet curtains.

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I’m archmage Tarnius, the left hand of the head of the guild of mages – the greybeard rumbled sinking into an armchair opposite me.

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Nice to meet you, Mr. Tarnius – I smiled wide trying to see if there was any treillage on the window. I didn’t see it.

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He is still a boy… - Tarnius murmured thoughtfully while examining me – But how much can be read in this young at first sight face. Unbelievable… there is the very Navigator praised in legends sitting in front of me, but he looks like a dirty beggar in rags. 

I started coughing convulsively and even dropped the cup. But the precious thing didn’t reach the floor, it got hovering in the air. Even the wine didn’t spill out. The cup soared again and following a smooth bow returned to my numb hand.

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Who else knows about it, honorable Tarnius? – I forced the question out.

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Nobody except for me. Calm down, Rosgard, we don’t bother about THIS secret. I don’t like wasting precious time so let’s come to the point. You have talked to Grim the Inconsolable and got a bracelet Soul of Silver Wolf from him. I have got a piece of his legendary armor.

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You know about that too? – I rolled my eyes.

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Yes, I do. That’s why you are here. In order to let me warn you about the danger hanging over you, to tell you something and to ask you about one favor. I’ll start with warning.

My heart missed a beat and started jumping. Shall I really know more about the silver legend?

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Listen to me attentively, Rosgard! – the greybeard ordered and I was all ears – It’s not the first time when Grim handed gifts to brave warriors. But he always presented those whose deeds touched his restless soul, moved some of its strings. So it has been happening for many years in a row. And the strange fact is that every time Grim handed nothing but the bracelet – bracer for the right hand with a memorable name quite familiar to you.

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Really?

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Listen! The brave heroes thanked kind-hearted Grim and set off to accomplish other feats in the name of beloved lady, justice or just for money. And… disappeared. They disappeared forever. Later Grim emerged in some cities again, met another hero and handed him the same bracelet that had already been gifted. Do you understand me, Rosgard?

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Er… I understood your hint…

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My hint?! I’m not hinting, young man! I’m telling you directly! Listen again! Some of the lost heroes and their partners were found later. In dense woods, in gloomy mountains or in vast valleys. But they were founded not as a whole, but only separated pieces of their bodies with signs of monstrous fangs. There was wolf fur everywhere with grey almost silver hairs. Fur of a giant wolf. There were even witnesses who had a miraculous escape. They said they had seen a huge monstrous wolf emerging in the middle of the night to set a massacre. Sometimes a large pack of wolves came with it, blindly obeying their silver leader. Soon after the massacre… shall I continue?

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Grim appeared again among humans to find another brave… retard and give him the bracelet – I uttered slowly feeling chills all over my back.

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Besides, he appeared on those days when the moon wasn’t full – Tarnius added – Grim the Inconsolable is just a monstrously powerful…

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Werewolf – I finished the mage’s phrase with a sigh – Grim the Inconsolable is a real werewolf hunting for those who he has distinguished among others handing a gift… holy shit… But why didn’t you kill him?

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We tried – Tarnius answered dully – But it’s not an easy deal. Very uneasy. Grim can disappear immediately as soon as he feels some danger over him. And he can’ be challenged to a battle due to the oath he has made once. He never fights being a human. Only when he is under the wolf hide. And it’s almost impossible to track down the elusive beast in endless woods and valleys of Valdira. We tried to send a unit of combat mages and warriors to accompany the heroes gifted by Grim… but the werewolf didn’t emerge although his presence was felt all around. And then when the unit stayed at one of inns, the werewolf waded through into the room where the victim was sleeping, tore him into small pieces and vanished with his bracelet. Nobody saw him. We tried to take the bracelet away, hid it in a reliable store… but the bracelet disappeared mysteriously after being there less than five nights. We still have no idea how Grim managed to do it. The only clue is the effect of some enigmatic magic. But it’s not important for you. You know…

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Well… - I drawled – And it means…

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That you are being hunted down by the silver werewolf. And nothing will stop him until he kills you or until he falls dead killed by your hand. In total silence I was feverishly thinking over the received information and remembering all the topics of the game forum I’ve ever read. There has been no single word about facts of the silver wolf attacking gamers. No topics on it. And when Grim handed me the bracelet and gave the quest to find the rest of his armor, the head of the quest title had a definite mark ‘unique’. And it could mean only one thing… I need to check it…

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Honorable Tarnius, please, tell me if Grim has ever handed his bracelet to… someone… well, like me?

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A foreigner? – the old mage nodded with understanding having chosen one word to denote all gamers – Never. You are the first to be so… hmph… lucky. We know that many of the foreigners who came to our world became then powerful warriors and mages who were strong enough to fight against the silver werewolf and finish him off. We know tha even death can’t be an obstacle for you while reaching your aim. I believe that one day you’ll become strong enough to face the werewolf in an honest battle! Here is my offer, Rosgard, the foreigner – kill Grim the Silver Werewolf! Can you accept such a deadly dangerous assignment? If you complete it, you’ll be able to choose any item from the sapphire store of the guild of mages as an award and get a significant amount of money.

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I’ll take it! – I blurted out without thinking at all.

         
Attention! A unique quest!

You’ve got a quest ‘Beasty grin of Grim the Inconsolable!

To track down and to kill Grim the Silver Werewolf.

Minimum requirements to complete the quest: to kill the werewolf.

Award: any item from the sapphire store of the guild of mages. Five hundred golden coins.

I have got one more unique quest!

Although I didn’t have another alternative – Grim had already started hunting me down. He gave me the black mark and was getting ready for attacking me. And I’m just a retard as I ignored Keira’s words about the fact that Grim the Inconsolable never comes out when the moon is full. But who knew that it was so complicated?

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Let it be so! – the old man nodded solemnly – The word has been said!

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The word has been said –I confirmed – Great Tarnius! Your assignment is very hard to complete. And I’m just at the beginning of my journey. Can I have a part of the money right now? Not for sake of gain! I’ll need some money to acquire gear, a fast horse, magic and other stuff to have something more significant than a cedar staff to set against the werewolf. And it’s not for free. If I couldn’t find Grim, then I can swear I’ll pay you back everything including the last golden coin.