Read Online The Clan by D. Rus - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: D. Rus
Tags: Science-Fiction, adventure, Literature & Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery
Ads: Link
fistful.
Then three portals popped at once. We were too late.
"That's the Cats' mercs! They've rebuffed, changed into new gear and started it all over again! Same as fifteen minutes ago!"
Frag gritted his teeth. Things didn't look good.
"Dan, send an S.O.S. to the Alliance channel. We need all the help they can send."
Without taking his eyes off the combat chat, Dan repor ted, "Sir, this isn't them. The Camos are some third party. They fight everyone indiscriminately. Cats are sustaining their first losses."
"Belay S.O.S. to the Alliance! Order to all raid members: leave the Camos and the Cats alone! Let them smoke each other! Retreat to the control room or to the cellar and wait for reinforcements!"
"Sir, there are no reinforcements!"
Frag swung round to face Dan. "What did you say?"
"All the zero-status groups are unavailable. Someone's hired them at the last moment for some stupid, meaningless job in the Wastelands! Whoever did that won't get even a quarter of their money back from it."
Frag gave him a tired nod. "They just used their money to strip us of reinforcements. Anybody else we could use?"
"About a thousand mercs are still in town. A hundred of them are already engaged here, on both sides. The same number are now away in the Wastelands on some anonymous employer's orders. Others are all status one or above, they're either offline or hired out. We could pull together about sixty, I suppose, but we'll need at least half an hour. Same shit with the Alliance, talking it through will take time."
"Do both! Now!"
"Sir," the monitoring officer reported, "two thirds of the mercs are already gone, the rest are using portals now. Our men are retreating too, pulling back through key positions according to your orders. The enemy has eleven dead, forty still functional, controlling the square. Ah! They're not going for the donjon! Sir, they're trying to get here!"
My heart dropped. The crystal. "Dan! They want the artifact! That's why they're back!"
Dan and the General exchanged glances. "Looks like it," Dan nodded.
Frag lowered his eyelids, searching for the best solution. "Max? You think you can destroy the artifact? Like you did with the dome earlier today?"
I shook my head apologetically. "I can't. The spell has a twenty-four hour cooldown."
The Princess's voice distracted me, melodious and calm against the barking of orders and panicking chats. "There are ways around it," she reached into her bag, producing a purple-glowing vial.
"Reset Potion," Dan commented in a frozen voice. "Rare drop from the Phantom Dragons. Recipe unknown. Ten to twelve grand a vial if you can get it at all."
"If the General foots the bill," she said, handing me the vial.
Frag nodded. I peered at the stats.
Reset Potion. Resets all spell and skill cooldown times. Can be used once every 24 hrs.
Awesome. I accepted the vial, glancing around the cellar. About sixty people had already taken cover inside. The soldiers were promptly barricading the only remaining passage. The HQ staff hovered at the back while reserve supporters faltered in the middle. I did a quick bit of math, moving my lips and counting fingers. Two million hits plus regen. That was two to the power of twenty... or twenty-one, even. A hundred and five seconds of the spell... just over ten thousand mana...
"Dan?" I said. "I'll need seven or eight thousand mana's worth of batteries. Think you can find them?"
He frowned, turning his head as he looked over the crowd calling out the names of whichever Necros and enchanters he could see. "Seven. Do what it takes —drink it, whatever. Just do it. They're about to slaughter us all. Try to make it worth our while."
Then the Princess spoke again. "Dan? How much do you pay your mercs?"
He looked her over. "On average, ten gold a day per level." And, second-guessing what she was about to say, "Less f or wholesale. NPCs are paid half."
The Princess shrugged off his attempts to downprice her offer. "General?" she
Then three portals popped at once. We were too late.
"That's the Cats' mercs! They've rebuffed, changed into new gear and started it all over again! Same as fifteen minutes ago!"
Frag gritted his teeth. Things didn't look good.
"Dan, send an S.O.S. to the Alliance channel. We need all the help they can send."
Without taking his eyes off the combat chat, Dan repor ted, "Sir, this isn't them. The Camos are some third party. They fight everyone indiscriminately. Cats are sustaining their first losses."
"Belay S.O.S. to the Alliance! Order to all raid members: leave the Camos and the Cats alone! Let them smoke each other! Retreat to the control room or to the cellar and wait for reinforcements!"
"Sir, there are no reinforcements!"
Frag swung round to face Dan. "What did you say?"
"All the zero-status groups are unavailable. Someone's hired them at the last moment for some stupid, meaningless job in the Wastelands! Whoever did that won't get even a quarter of their money back from it."
Frag gave him a tired nod. "They just used their money to strip us of reinforcements. Anybody else we could use?"
"About a thousand mercs are still in town. A hundred of them are already engaged here, on both sides. The same number are now away in the Wastelands on some anonymous employer's orders. Others are all status one or above, they're either offline or hired out. We could pull together about sixty, I suppose, but we'll need at least half an hour. Same shit with the Alliance, talking it through will take time."
"Do both! Now!"
"Sir," the monitoring officer reported, "two thirds of the mercs are already gone, the rest are using portals now. Our men are retreating too, pulling back through key positions according to your orders. The enemy has eleven dead, forty still functional, controlling the square. Ah! They're not going for the donjon! Sir, they're trying to get here!"
My heart dropped. The crystal. "Dan! They want the artifact! That's why they're back!"
Dan and the General exchanged glances. "Looks like it," Dan nodded.
Frag lowered his eyelids, searching for the best solution. "Max? You think you can destroy the artifact? Like you did with the dome earlier today?"
I shook my head apologetically. "I can't. The spell has a twenty-four hour cooldown."
The Princess's voice distracted me, melodious and calm against the barking of orders and panicking chats. "There are ways around it," she reached into her bag, producing a purple-glowing vial.
"Reset Potion," Dan commented in a frozen voice. "Rare drop from the Phantom Dragons. Recipe unknown. Ten to twelve grand a vial if you can get it at all."
"If the General foots the bill," she said, handing me the vial.
Frag nodded. I peered at the stats.
Reset Potion. Resets all spell and skill cooldown times. Can be used once every 24 hrs.
Awesome. I accepted the vial, glancing around the cellar. About sixty people had already taken cover inside. The soldiers were promptly barricading the only remaining passage. The HQ staff hovered at the back while reserve supporters faltered in the middle. I did a quick bit of math, moving my lips and counting fingers. Two million hits plus regen. That was two to the power of twenty... or twenty-one, even. A hundred and five seconds of the spell... just over ten thousand mana...
"Dan?" I said. "I'll need seven or eight thousand mana's worth of batteries. Think you can find them?"
He frowned, turning his head as he looked over the crowd calling out the names of whichever Necros and enchanters he could see. "Seven. Do what it takes —drink it, whatever. Just do it. They're about to slaughter us all. Try to make it worth our while."
Then the Princess spoke again. "Dan? How much do you pay your mercs?"
He looked her over. "On average, ten gold a day per level." And, second-guessing what she was about to say, "Less f or wholesale. NPCs are paid half."
The Princess shrugged off his attempts to downprice her offer. "General?" she
Similar Books
