The Secret of the Dark Forest ( (The Way of the Shaman: Book #3) (52 page)

"My first witness answered any relevant questions by his very appearance," continued Renox. "So I shall invite the second one. Eluna, if you please," the Dragon bowed before the Goddess and looked at her expectantly.

"Archangel Yalininka is being summoned as a witness!" Eluna's voice echoed through the mountains.

"You summoned me, Mother?" there was a clap and a young woman appeared next to Renox. Her dazzlingly bright wings, seemingly breaking every law of physics, touched each of those present, completely restoring them and giving them several beneficial buffs. The Silver-winged had turned into the Bright-winged one...

"Daughter, tell everyone of the last moments of your earthly life," asked the Goddess.

"An epidemic had struck Priant and so I decided to risk a short-cut, flying right across the mountains. Half-way the charge in the wings had ran out and I fell, managing to grab a ledge just at the right moment. I knew that my hour had come, but then I saw this Human, hmm... Dragon and asked his help. After this...," Yalininka went on to tell everything that had happened during my first trial, adding her own sensations and emotions to the tale. "I jumped down and right before I reached the ground Eluna took me into her heavenly host."

"Thank you my daughter, you may return now," the Goddess thanked her and Yalininka disappeared.

"For a more complete picture," came Renox's voice again, not allowing anyone to put in a word or share their feelings, "I shall summon the authors of the plan behind everything that was done by Great Shaman Mahan. I will admit that I was responsible for certain details, but the general concept and implementation entirely belongs to them. I am calling the Supreme Spirits of the Higher and the Lower Worlds as witnesses!"

"They are here," uttered Kornik in a voice of one condemned to death. "To avoid traumatizing the Free Citizens who are not used to the Shamanistic gods, the Spirits will be speaking through me."

Kornik's eyes glazed over, he flew into the air and the Supreme Spirits began their tale:

"For a long time now we have desired to understand the source of Geranika's power. A Great Shaman, which almost became a High one, at one point renounced us. This was strange and incomprehensible. We knew that the only sentient in Barliona capable of telling us about Geranika was the Patriarch, but we existed in different worlds and unworkable relations with him. Patriarch didn't trust anyone, so communicating with him would have been pointless. When Mahan entered the Astral Plane for the first time, breaking every possible Shamanistic law by doing so, we were struck with an idea. In order to discover the Enemy's power, we had to send him an apprentice. A sentient, suitable for this role happened to be nearby, so we started to act. We knew that Mahan would have to renounce everything that he believed in four times: his race, his teacher, his Totem and his friend..."

Kornik twitched, as if even through the Supreme Ones' control word 'friend' meant a lot to him, and then continued to broadcast the Spirits:

"First of all, we deprived Mahan of the ability to summon his Totem. There is no punishment for destroying a Shadow in the Astral Plane, on the contrary, we were glad that the Shaman found a creative way of destroying them, but we wanted to preserve his Dragon. Then we sent him to Geranika, allowing him to throw a protective dome over him and removing an obstacle in the form of Plinto the Bloodied. That was the only thing we could do without getting detected by Geranika. Thus we left Mahan alone and started to observe his actions. First came Yalininka. Geranika wanted to send Mahan to a time when she was in her prime, but the High Dragon aided us. He corrected the flow of time and Mahan ended up by Yalininka at the time of her death. We thought that he would just turn away and allow her to fall, but you heard from the archangel how it really happened. The second trial consisted of killing his first teacher. We had a chat with Almis and, since he's the only existing Shaman-illusionist, thought of a way to convincingly stage his death. Almis summoned a Spirit with which Mahan had to fight, but ... instead of fighting the would-be-apprentice wanted to talk and risked failing the trial, so Almis attacked first. After Mahan pushed away the projection, Almis withered the Spirit and unsummoned him, leaving the staff to aid his apprentice. A High Shaman looks awkward without a staff. Mahan was unable to complete the third trial because he couldn't summon his Totem, but the fourth one he failed fair and square by sticking the horn into Geranika instead of Kornik. The only thing that didn't fit into our plans was the appearance of the Free Citizens and Slate's death. Emperor, we understand that the echo of the Shaman's deeds went through the entire Barliona, but only you are responsible for the deaths of thirty eight thousand two hundred and forty six Free Citizens and the future Prince of Malabar. For unshakable faith in his own abilities and for following the taken decision regardless of possible penalties and hardships, we, the Supreme Spirits of the Higher and Lower Worlds declare Mahan to be a High Shaman! That is all!"

Character class update: Class Great Shaman has been replaced by High Shaman.

+1000 to Reputation with the Supreme Spirits of the Higher and Lower Worlds. Current level: Friendly. You are 2390 points away from the status of Respect.

Kornik descended from the air and, drained, leant back into this stone seat: acting as the conduit for the Spirits took nearly all his strength.

"In view of what we've just heard," the surrounding world was pierced by the Emperor's cold voice, "I am dropping all charges against Mahan. His actions have been deemed to be beneficial to the Empire, for which reason I am offering the High Shaman Mahan the post of a commissioned ambassador of the Empire to the kingdom of the Dwarves. Our ally is being harassed by armies of barbarians encroaching from the Free Lands. You must find out the reason behind such frenzied attacks and remove it. You will be able to obtain a portal to the lands of the Dwarves from any Herald as soon as you summon him, but not later than a month from this moment. Should he succeed in helping the king of the Dwarves within the next 6 months, the clan will receive castle Urusai into its ownership, the head of the clan the title of an Earl and the rest of its leaders the titles of Barons! This is my decision!"

Quest available: Inevitable evil. Description: The Kingdom of the Dwarves ... Deadline for completion: 6 months. Quest type: Clan-based unique. Reward: Urusai castle, the title of an Earl for the head of the clan, title of a Baron for the Officers, Keepers and Treasurer of the clan. Penalty for failing or refusing the quest: Dislike with the Emperor.

"So be it!" said Eluna, the moment I accepted the quest. "I confirm the Emperor's words! Mahan and all the members of his clan have been found not guilty!"

There was a thunder clap, like an echo of some unseen lightning, and once again the surrounding scenery had changed. Judging by the map, which I immediately opened, we were at the very center of the castle of the Fallen, but right now there was nothing here to remind us that it ever existed. We were on an ordinary green glade, already covered by small young trees. In the course of a day the Guardian managed to destroy all reminders of Geranika or Midial. Draco, Renox and Almis remained in the world of the Dragons, the Emperor and the Dark Lord vanished almost immediately without saying a word, but I managed to glance at the Attractiveness in their properties just before they did that. 65 points with the Emperor and 46 points with the Dark Lord. Great, things were looking up! Advisors and Masters were discussing something, returning to their places once they were done. Then only Kornik, Beth and Eluna remained.

"Mahan," the High Priestess immediately spoke to me, "it is now time to give you and your people the reward for finding the Stone of Light. Thank you all!"

The players lit up like a bunch of Christmas trees when a wave of new levels and reputation increases went through the clan and then the High Priestess came up to each player, giving them flasks with Water of Life (I must remember to ask Anastaria what that thing was for) and kissed them on the forehead. It turned out that Eluna's Blessing, 3rd rank (all this happened despite the Goddess standing right there and observing the actions of her Priestess) increased all the main stats by 15%. And this lasted all long as the character existed, or as long as the player remained in the Goddess' favor.

"And it is finally my turn to reward Mahan," smiled the Goddess. "You and your people deserve to be the talk of all in Barliona. But I think that a simple item reward which you would soon outgrow would be insufficient. I would like to give you something which had never been and will never be gained by any clan in Barliona. This will earn you enemies, who will be jealous of this gift, but it is worth it. Behold!"

A flaming message appeared in the air right in front of Eluna, which was seen not only by myself, but also by the rest of the clan:

You may now change the name of your clan to Legends of Barliona (reserved name). If you accept this name, each member of your clan will receive a small projection of their race.

Legends of Barliona and projections? I looked at Barsina's wide eyes, Plinto's grin, the now habitually dropped jaws of my Officers, and Anastaria doing her best to look imperturbable and realized that they've already made the decision.

"I thank you for this gift, Goddess. This is a truly divine reward!"

There was another clap of thunder and only players remained on the Dark Forest glade.

"Isn't she a sweetie?!" Anastaria's impassiveness vanished in a flash when she saw a small, about ten centimeter-long, Siren, which was coiling itself around the girl's hand. Stacey started to move her arm in different directions and the Siren sped around it happily, emitting squeals that no-one (possibly except her owner) could hear. Periodically the projection stopped and froze, with a mirror appearing before it, and then the Siren began to look at herself from every side, like a little girl who finally got at her mother's jewelry.

"Crunch!" a strange sound sounded by my ear. I turned around and saw the little Dragonling dressed in a Shaman's feathered cape and holding a staff in one of its paws. With the help of the second paw he was eating a juicy apple, seemingly oblivious of the world around him. Once he demolished the apple, he darted under my coat and then stuck out his head, putting it on my shoulder.

I looked at the other players who were also examining their pets and chuckled: real Legends of Barliona were born today...

End of Book Three

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by Vasily Mahanenko

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Perimeter Defense Books 1, 2 and 3

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Mirror World Books 1 and 2

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