The Kartoss Gambit (The Way of the Shaman: Book #2) (28 page)

That's it. I had nothing left to do in Farstead. Time to solve the puzzle handed me by the old ladies.

"Mahan, wait up," I heard a voice with some strange clicking in it. "My wants to you talkings. Buggerations! The koboldish has switched on again. Just a moment!" there was a thump and a normal voice continued. "I need your help. Will you do it?"

I finally caught sight of the owner of the unusual voice. A little way off stood Reptilis Y'allgotohellis the kobold, spreading his green paws as if to show the unfairness of this world. He was already level forty. He's been levelling up fast! A real hardcore player.

I took a careful look at the kobold. He had very decent gear, clearly of an unusual level. He also had a stud on this tail (probably to hit opponents with) and some sort of a stringed instrument that resembled a guitar across his back. Is he a bard as well? It was a world gone mad.

"I need help to complete a quest. I'll pay five thousand gold. Will you come with me?"

"Five big ones in gold? Do you need to kill someone?" I smiled.

"I can do the killing myself. I'm an Assassin."

"Then what do you need me for?" Wow, he's not just a hardcore player, but someone with a rare class too.

"I have a quest and it states that two players must get to a point twenty kilometres from here. We have to stomp that way," Reptilis nodded towards the forest. Exactly in the direction I was going to head off myself. Did he go through the old ladies too?

"On foot?" I pretended that I was categorically unkeen on a long walk.

"Why on foot? I have a ride there, so we'll get to the place in an hour for sure."

"All right, what's this quest then? Who gave it to you?"

"Yeah right. I'll just go and spill the beans to ya right here and now. You haven't even agreed to anything yet and already started with the questions."

"All right, let's go. I don't mind doing this. I don't have much to do in the next two days anyway."

"Group up?" group invite from player Reptilis appeared before m eyes.

"Grouping up," I accepted the invite. If this green wonder really does have a means of transport, our paths converge for sure.

"Wow, how did you manage to hike up your Intellect so much by level twenty one? I use to be a mage before and didn't have it that high until level forty."

"Not much to it, really. The answer is very simple: gear. Good gear that gives a lot of Intellect. Why did you stop playing a mage? Got fed up with it?"

"Not exactly fed up, but something along those lines," Reptilis flashed an evil grin. "One day I will catch whoever it was that landed me on this path and give him a good piece of my mind. I'll shove the scumbag's words all the way down his throat, so he remembers them long and well."

"Wow," I couldn't help smiling. "Watch out! An angry croc is heading this way."

"Very funny. Gonna die from laughter any minute." Reptilis stopped, turned, and looked up at me, "You better move your ass. You should be earning your pay instead of cackling here. Take no note of the fact that I'm a kobold. Right now I'm your employer."

"All right! Whatever you say! I'll imagine you as a stunning big-chested elven maiden, with obligatory blonde hair, long ears and soft white skin."

"Go bugger yourself..."

Your group has disbanded.

"Hold on," where does this pretty boy think he's going? I need him as a horse, when all's said and done. "I'm sorry. Just not having a great time of it right now, so I let rip at you. Group up again."

Reptilis stopped, thought something over for a couple of seconds, but did, in the end, send me another invite.

"Let's agree from the start. Not a word about my height or crocodile-related innuendos. Otherwise no money for you."

“Agreed."

An agreement has been reached. You will receive five thousand gold from player Reptilis Y'allgotohellis if you accompany him to the spot marked on his map. While carrying out the agreement you must not drop any hints to Reptilis about his low height or resemblance to a crocodile.

"Then let's go. My beauty is outside the town. The guards have too much of a dislike for her."

Not far from the gates, chewing on some life-form sticking out of its mouth in the form of a hoof, stood the THING. A wyvern. I knew these mounts very well and have myself hunted for their eggs for selling at the auction later.

"Here she is," said the kobold, satisfied, having noted my reaction. "She's still young, but she'll deliver two people where they need to go."

"That's some interesting horse you've got there," I recovered and climbed on the wyvern's back. Reptilis got into a special saddle near the neck, while all I could do was perch on the back and pray that I wouldn't fall off on the way.

"Just a bit. Ready? Then let's go."

Contrary to my fears, the wyvern's movement was steady and sure-footed, as if it understood that it was carrying as precious a cargo as myself.

"Reptilis, why are you playing a kobold? If you don't want to talk about it — sure thing, but we have over an hour of travel ahead and it would be nice to chat. I haven't talked to ordinary players for over four months now."

"Then first tell me how you ended up in prison. I'd like to know who I'm travelling with as well."

"Ah, it's all very simple in my case. Have you heard of such a person as 'the Terror of the Waste Collectors'? That's me."

"You're the one who fouled up the lake?" smiled Reptilis. A least I thought he smiled, since I couldn't see from the back.

"Well... Just a bit, as you say."

"They say you really gave it to that Imitator. But I just don't get why do this all of a sudden? What the heck did you need it for?"

"I made a dumb bet with a girl. Stupidly fell for her dare. And then someone made a mistake. Either it was me when I was typing in the address or her when she sent it to me. We agreed to work on a test system to see if I could break it. I broke it all right, but in the process sent the real Imitator for an extended holiday. They stuck me in the can for eight years for that. But I raised my reputation with the guards and left the mine. That's it from me. What about you?"

"My story's simpler. I was the leader of one of the mercenary clans and in one raid we were in charge of guarding a new Dungeon — to allow Phoenix to go through it first, but they rather exquisitely played us for fools and my clan fell apart. People were pinched by various clans and I decided to prove to everyone, and above all myself, what I'm capable of as a player."

"But what does some scumbag have to do with any of this?"

"That was the Phoenix representative that played us. He was the one taunting me that I was nothing as a player, while he played naked for three years and reached level 150+. So I decided to reach the maximum level. The highest level kobold right now is at 225, so I have some way to go. That's fine though! At first it was hard, but now I'm even glad to be playing a kobold. No-one expects dirty tricks from a little croc."

"I should point out that you just called yourself that," I smiled. "So what is your quest? And why in such total backwater all of a sudden? After all, there are mainly starting players around here. Low levels, simple Dungeons and beginner resources. While you, judging by the wyvern, have invested a fair amount of money into the game."

"Oh, here it gets even more interesting. What I haven't managed to attain in the real world, I am getting to achieve in the game. Have you heard of a player called Anastaria?" It was just as well that Reptilis was sitting with his back to me, so he didn't see how the name made me start. Could it really be all fixed up?

"Yeah, I have, I think. They say she's the most beautiful and incredible girl, a goddess..." damn, I was beginning to drool again.

"So you've heard, eh? And judging by your reaction even seen."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, you don't need to tell me if you don't want to — that's your business. It's just she's under a very interesting curse. Phoenix, of which she's a member, once completed some unique quest connected with killing sirens who were being reborn. Now then. The head of the sirens cursed Anastaria, casting on her a unique debuff. From then onwards Anastaria has been emitting a poison, which is invisible and unidentifiable by any amulets. Those entering into the zone of action of this poison fall head and heels in love with the lady paladin. As a reward the Emperor taught Anastaria to use this poison, controlling its intensity, so now she can emit it at will. That's the long and short of it. When players affected by the poison talk about Anastaria, they involuntarily start to drool, get a runny nose, and in general turn into complete lovestruck idiots. I don't know about an antidote, haven't looked for it."

"Cool beans, but I don't really get the connection between the head of Phoenix and a forty-level kobold."

"Ah, so you do know her... It's very simple. We met after my victory in the Anhurs arena. Chatted about the past and she turned out to be an ordinary girl who was interesting to talk to. Quite clever as well."

"Yeah right. You haven't fallen under the effect of the poison yourself, have you?"

"The poison doesn't affect kobolds. At all. It was interesting to watch the misty eyes of the entire tavern when Anastaria decided to test my racial immunity. The players were all but praying to her at that point. They say many ran to the Dating House straight after that."

"It's a nice story, but it's a bit hard to believe. Whatever the visualisation, this is still only a game and virtual reality. Why would normal players start drooling?"

"That's pretty simple too. This is about the capsules. Remember going through the full test before the initial immersion? So, the system determines the smells that awaken the greatest desire in you. Simple chemistry, nothing more. Moreover, Anastaria's poison cannot affect players aged under twenty one. Those who are not allowed in the Dating House."

"And what happened then? So you met Anastaria and saw the ineffectiveness of her poison in your case. Why did you leave Anhurs for the middle of nowhere?"

"I'm here on a quest from the Assassins' Guild. I had to sneak into one NPC's house and procure a piece of paper. I stole the paper, but then discovered something interesting. A certain unique quest connected with Dragons. Anastaria is not just some girl. She's a great lover of all things unique in the game. And she shows great favour to someone who has unique items. It's a weakness of hers. As far as I could find out, no-one has a Dragon. So I went searching for one. If I get lucky, I'll have a reason to make a pass at Stacey."

"You even know her real name? I see you're a serious admirer."

"Who doesn't? Oh, we're here."

We covered the twenty kilometres in what seemed like a flash. I looked at my return timer. Yes, it really has already been an hour. The time flew by very quickly as we talked. We stopped on a small clearing, about fifty metres in diameter, with a house in the middle. Not a house even — a hut. My heart began to race and I was sure — this is where I had to go. I could feel it with every fibre of my soul. It looks like Reptilis and I had a quest for the same item — the scroll. Was there only one of it or would we get a copy each?

"Wait," I stopped the kobold who was about to enter the house. "There's more here than meets the eye. Try to think of how the phrases '
But you kept delivering them, without even looking inside
' and '
wandering tramps to be loitering by the threshold'
could be applied to the current situation."

"Strange. I thought Beauty did a good job running through all those trees — when did you manage to hit your head?"

"If we go through the door now, we'll fail the quest. I also have a quest connected with getting the scroll."

"What scroll? A Dragonkin lives here who will tell us here to find Dragons," Reptilis shrugged and continued, "Say what you like, but I'm going in. I have no desire to hang around here doing nothing."

"Last question. Give me the exact wording of your quest," I was trying to bring the kobold to his senses. We mustn't enter the house or there would be a big 'boom'. How could I explain it to the crocodile?

"In the area marked on the map seek out the Dragonkin who would tell you how to find the way to the Dragons. A compulsory condition for completing the quest — take another player with you. What the player was needed for I had to go offline to find out. The Dragonkin would demand..."

"He would demand for one of you to be sent to the Grey Lands and the other to receive the information," Reptilis was interrupted by the Dragonkin coming out of the door on four paws. They're pretty scary-looking, I noted. A muzzle reeking with malice, teeth bared, like in the ancient Chinese pictures, a tail and four paws. A strange mix of a horse and a Dragon.

"So you brought me here as fodder?" I turned around to Reptilis, or rather the empty space where he just stood.

"The time is running," said the Dragonkin. "The winner will get the prize. Fight!"

Your group has disbanded.

Damage taken: 400, 1240 (weapon damage) — 840 (armour). Total Hit Points: 2020 of 2420.