The Secret of the Dark Forest ( (The Way of the Shaman: Book #3) (51 page)

"IT MATTERS LITTLE WHAT I FEEL! THE MAIN THING IS WHAT YOU DID!" Prontho had no intention of giving ground and my silent commands, by the looks of it, were only the fruit of my fevered imagination.

"SINCE WHEN DID HIGH SHAMAN PRONTHO MANAGE TO TURN INTO A MAGE?" my left foot traitorously bent and I fell to one knee. Never mind, I can pretend that I'm honoring the rank of High Shaman. It's even easier to stand like this. The main thing was not to stop and to keep fighting:
"Kneel!"

"IT IS NOT FOR YOU TO REBUKE ME, TRAITOR!" Prontho interrupted me, almost shocking me into losing concentration … and fell to one knee. Can my commands be working after all?

"I WALKED MY PATH TO THE END, REGARDLESS OF THE CONSEQUENCES, AND DID NOT ONCE BETRAY THE PRECEPTS OF THE SUPREME SPIRITS! BUT YOU SURRENDERED!" Getting each word out was a huge struggle, so at the end of my long speech I couldn't help myself and fell to both knees. The orc continued piling on the pressure! No matter, I can do that too:
"Bow to me!"

"I DID NOT SURRENDER!" The governor tried to get to his feet, but as soon as he rose a little, both his legs gave way and, like me, he ended up on his knees. For some time we were both silent, each forcing the other to completely fall to the floor, until I said:

"SINCE YOU ARE STILL FIGHTING, TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED IN THE FIGHT BETWEEN YOU AND SHIAM?" I roared like a wild beast and, not having the foggiest where I got all this strength, rose to my feet. My head was going into a crazy spin, like that of a completely unprepared person that swam a hundred meters at his very top speed, the orc's office seemed to sway and distort, like in a curved mirror, but I remained upright. I was reeling, but still standing.

"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! YOUR BUSINESS IS TO MINE ORE AND BE SILENT!" The orc tried to repeat my feat and get up, but as soon as he lifted his knee, he dropped to the floor like a broken doll.

"'Silent' my ass, Mr. Tough Guy! I need to know what happened and you will tell me everything!" these were the last words that I managed to utter before the world underhandedly began to swim, filled with dark colors, informed me that my Charisma increased to 72 points and turned off my consciousness...

Too-oo-oo!

That's it, this shift is over. Only two hours remained to hand in the daily quota and eat, otherwise my stomach would kick the bucket and send me for respawn. I had to get up and go to Kart to get the ore, he's probably managed to buy some up by now. I'll have to make a few more rings in the evening, there's still a lot of names to get through on the buyers' list. But the first thing I had to do was to get up and make it in time for the meal. I rolled over to the side, pulled my legs under me and leant with my arms on the floor. I was able to lift myself an entire two centimeters off the ground, before a firework going off in my head threw me back down. My head was buzzing so loudly that it felt like two steam engines were chasing each other on old cracked tracks inside my skull. The train cars were jerking from side to side, threatening to topple over into a ditch, but the machinists were confidently driving the carriages along the brain, periodically picking up grey matter with their spades and throwing it into the fire. The train was doing well — it has something to run on and I, as a prisoner, didn't really need much. The main thing was getting enough ore for the quota...

"Get up, they've already opened the portal for you. You are expected at the trial," the orc's low bass sent the machinists to their well-earned rest, allowing my head to clear up straight away. I'm in Pryke, Kart's already been free for four months, I'm about to be tried and just a short time ago the mine boss and I were attempting to see who was more well-endowed in the Charisma department. My head was no longer buzzing, so I could get up and take a look around. Yeahh... If I looked the same as the orc, I might easily disrupt the upcoming trial. Prontho's face consisted of one large bruise, looking like a herd of rhinos just trampled all over it, one of his eyes was so swollen that you could hardly see it anymore, and the scarce white hair of the governor was all messed up, as if he was following the latest fashion trend. Was this all the result of our confrontation? From what I could remember, I didn't touch the orc, let alone give him a good kicking.

"This way," Prontho pointed to the shimmering teleportation portal. "A Herald came for you, saw how you looked, got me up and ordered me to clean up the accused. Here, take this," so it seems I was right in thinking that my appearance left much to be desired. Prontho handed me a flask with the elixir of full restoration, which would return the character's gaming avatar to its initial appearance. I drank half of it — that'll do for me — and handed the rest to the orc. He had no business appearing before the prisoners looking like that. It doesn't matter how many copies of the orc there were, I had one in front of me right now and he had to maintain his authority. Accepting the flask, the governor drank its contents, no questions asked. You still could see some of the swelling, but his eye regained its natural appearance.

"That'll do," said Prontho, after looking me over carefully from every side. "Now go, you shouldn't keep the Emperor waiting."

There was about two meters or four paces between me and the portal, but as soon as I crossed half of that distance, the orc spoke:

"While you are tying the strings on your shoes and coat... STOP!" barked the governor, when I took another step, "It wouldn't be right to appear before the Emperor looking all shabby. So while you are tidying yourself up, I think I will tell you a little story. Do tie up your coat, while you're at it," suggested the orc, despite my coat being in an ideal condition and the small strings that hung on it just for decoration, clearly not untied in any way. But if the orc demands it, I should obey. Especially since I was about to become a witness of a unique phenomenon: stories from the head of the Pryke mine.

"Once upon a time there lived one naive Shaman, who believed in justice. He thought that if he combined the strength of several Shamans and created a circle, he would have a chance of stopping a traitor, who tried to end the lives of his own brothers. The naive Shaman brought his proposal before the council, but was ridiculed by the head of the council, the traitor's brother. Shiam laughed at the idea and called the Shaman a panic spreader. Knowing that this went against all the tenets of the ancestors, the naive Shaman challenged the head of the council. He knew what a defeat might cost him, but he couldn't stand idly and watch Geranika destroying his brothers. As soon as the two rivals entered the ritual circle, the fight had commenced. Both the head of the council and the naive Shaman were High Shamans, so the result of the fight should have been decided by their combat prowess. Shiam was a weak High Shaman, so after only five summonings, he was thrown to the ground. All he had to do was finish him off, but the naive Shaman hesitated. He still hoped that the head of the council made a genuine mistake and there was no need to kill him. He really shouldn't have done that... Shiam jumped to his feet, grabbed the Shaman and strange dark phantoms spewed out of his hands. But these weren't Spirits, because they cut through the defense as if it was never there. No-one else saw these phantoms, but they were there. The naive Shaman had lost and Shiam decided to mock him, allowing him to live, but stripping him of his shamanism... That's the way this story goes, I hope that it helps you."

So Shiam used the Shadows during his fight with Prontho? He's one of Geranika's followers! The head of the Shaman council is a traitor!

Update of the 'Restoration of Justice' quest. The High Shaman Prontho told you the truth about the duel between him and Shiam. Address the Shaman Council and accuse Shiam of betrayal.

"Right, preening session over," Prontho was done with his tale now. "They'll be getting impatient. Mahan..."

I turned and looked into the grey eyes of the Pryke mine governor.

"They weren't torturing me for several months trying to break me, so I'm capable of thinking clearly... Try to understand Kornik and ... prove to all of them that you deserve the title of Great Shaman! Go now!"

The cold blue glow of the portal that surrounded me on every side couldn't wash off the warm feeling that arose in my chest. However the upcoming trial went, at least on High Shaman believes in me. And this means that others may do too. I just needed time...

The place where the portal took me looked nothing like a regular courthouse, such as the one in Anhurs. In the capital the player was taken to an NPC judge, where in an office, sitting behind an enormous table, the latter delivered the verdict: not guilty and free to go, or guilty and sentenced to community service. But here... After checking that video recording was still on, I looked around.

If I was Gulliver, I might have thought that I was standing in the midst of a Lilliputian circus — a small arena, no more than two by two meters, covered in yellow sand and seats placed around the entire perimeter. The bright light from five projectors was aimed straight at me, as if I was some actor whose performance was awaited by an audience. But some things were different too: the arena was surrounded by a meter-and-a-half-tall wall, covered in shining spikes. These were probably in place to prevent the accused from escaping. There were just two rows of seats, all of which were currently occupied.

The back rows, barely visible through the bright light of the projectors, were assigned to my clan. Anastaria, Plinto, Barsina, the Officers... The future of these players was hanging on what the court would was about to decide and I thought that at this point nothing depended on me anymore. This was the revelation that struck me when I saw the eyes of those that occupied the front row: the Emperor, the Dark Lord, Kornik, the High Priestess, several Advisors, and Masters... They all looked at me as if the sentence has already been passed and not subject to appeal. I selected Anastaria and sent her the video that I recorded at Pryke. If I was being sent for long 'rest' at the mines right after all this, then all the privileges of a provisionally free citizen would disappear.

"I promised you, Shaman, that we would meet after you finish your assignments in the Dark Forest," came the voice of Eluna and a second later the last free seat was occupied. The goddess arrived to dispense justice. "Naahti, please announce the reason why this Free Citizen has appeared in my court."

Rising from his seat, the Emperor enounced:

"I, the Emperor of Malabar, accuse Free Citizen Mahan, the Great Shaman-Dragon of killing the Great Yalininka, High Shaman Almis and the future Prince of the Empire, Slate. Kornik, the Harbinger-Shaman, will act as an additional accuser, bringing charges against Mahan of betraying the tenets of shamanism and destroying his Totem — an original Dragon! I am demanding his destruction!"

"Kornik, do you confirm the words of the Emperor?" Eluna looked at the Harbinger.

"Yes, goddess," the Shaman stood up and bowed to Eluna. "This sentient destroyed everything which Shamans believe in. There is no place for him in Barliona."

"Who will be defending Mahan's interests?" asked the Goddess and looked around those present. "Or shall I appoint a defender for him myself? Emperor?"

"I don't have any impartial subjects, Goddess. The Great Yalininka is the symbol of Barliona and not a single mortal would find it within himself her killer."

"In that case we have to change the place of the hearing. I appoint Dragon Aarenoxitolikus as the defender of this accused. Due to the existing limitations, he cannot enter our world, so we will travel to his!" Eluna closed her eyes and lifted her arms and the surrounding world changed. There was glistening snow instead the sand under our feet, chunks of stone instead of the chairs and the walls changed to the cliffs of the world of the Dragons.

"My greetings to you, Eluna! I expected you and your subjects later," came Renox's slow growl and an enormous green dragon landed on the modest-sized platform. "Son," Renox greeted me with a slight nod. "I see you just can't keep out of trouble, eh? Last time you gathered all the great heroes of Malabar and now its rulers... I dread to imagine our next meeting. Will you be surrounded by gods then?"

"I, Emperor of Malabar, accuse Free Citizen Mahan...," Naahti got up from his stone, repeating the words of the accusation.

"I, High Dragon Aarenoxitolikus refute the accusations of the Emperor and the Shaman-Harbinger Kornik," said Renox solemnly. "As witnesses I shall call..."

"Hi there, brother! Listen, father told me that you learned how to transform. Can you show me? Oh!" Draco, who practically knocked me off my feet, froze and looked around, embarrassed. "Ss-sorry... Is this a bad time, dad?"

"Let me answer in your stead," replied a voice so familiar that I involuntarily started and then found myself staring at the High Shaman who appeared from behind the rocks. Almis! "If you bypass all the expletives, it can be put very simply: you've ruined a very beautiful moment. You know," he turned to Renox," I think I finally understand why Mahan managed to pick him — they're of one kind!" Prohibitions? Rules? Restrictions? Nope, never heard of 'em!"

"But Almis!" whined Draco, with a hurt look, curled around my feet and froze after hiding his head under his tail. The Emperor remained unperturbed and calm, since not a word was said now about Yalininka and Slate, but Kornik was quite a sight. Everyone is familiar with the expression: "Sheer shock." But it didn't cover even one percent of what goblin was experiencing right now. His usual green color was all gone! Right now we had a lobster-red sentient sitting in front of us, who was striving with all his might to dissolve into his stone seat.
"Shaman, you are not worthy... You betrayed everything...."
Well, well — it's good to come down to earth sometimes!