A Song of Shadow Page 38
“That is,” Wallace clarified, “since he couldn’t get rid of the First, he secreted his dagger in the body of the Sixth.”
“Uh-huh.” Pasha poured himself a beer. “She stuck it into herself when she did the hara-kiri. And after that, everyone forgot about the dagger, while Geranika’s weapon remained in the corpse waiting for its moment. Like a biological bomb or something.”
“Are you sure that Geranika of yours isn’t a descendant of Shiro Ishii?” Wallace wondered. “He’s like a master of biological warfare.”
“You should ask the game designers who his ancestors were. Sloe pulled out the dagger at the last moment like a classic action movie hero,” I giggled, remembering the player’s enthusiastic, drunk voice. “So he was not only rewarded royally, but the reputation of his entire guild increased to Respect status.”
“Hooray for the hero.” Sasha looked at his watch and sighed. “The taxi will be here soon. Let’s go wait for it downstairs, eh?”
“Indeed, let’s,” Pasha answered for everyone and lumbered up from the table.
“Well, and what did you get as a reward? You’re the one who figured it out,” the sapper asked.
“Who knows,” I admitted honestly, pulling on my jacket. “I think Sloe mentioned who warned him, so I should get something out of it.”
“Ah the customary fate of recon,” Sasha chuckled from the hall. “Take care of the entire business and the hell with the guy who gets the credit. As long as you don’t get punished, you’re good.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I replied. “I’m still getting exiled.”
The spring night was surprisingly still and warm. We stood at the building’s entryway, waiting for the car and talking quietly. At times our conversation was punctuated by the clinking of glasses which Pasha had brought down for the occasion. The guys told jokes, stories from their tours and doggedly avoiding any mention of Sasha’s departure. I got the impression that this trip would be...not a quiet one, to put it mildly.
“And don’t eat any of the green bananas,” Wallace instructed his friend.
Sasha nodded intently, refilling the glasses.
A car arrived and Pasha asked:
“Well...Shall we be coming back alive?”
“We shall come back alive,” Sasha nodded and raised his glass.
“We shall come back alive!” Wallace echoed.
They clinked glasses and were silent for a couple of seconds, then tipped the glasses into their mouths.
Sasha tossed his knapsack in the trunk and turned to us.
“Until we meet again then?”
“Take care, Snegov,” the guys took turns hugging Sasha.
Sasha turned to me:
“Keep an eye on my boy, huh?” He playfully poked Pasha in the belly.
“Don’t I get a hug?” I asked indignantly, squeezing Sasha who suddenly grew flustered. “You be careful out there.”
“A true alley cat can handle himself anywhere,” he smiled.
“Ah-ha look at his ears, his ears are blazing!” yelled Wallace ecstatically.
“Oh go to hell, you talking dumpster,” muttered Sasha, embarrassed, and slipped into the taxi before his friend could return the favor.
The engine revved quietly and the taxi dove into the night, carrying our friend into the unknown.
End of Book Two
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From the Authors
Dear Readers,
We are very pleased that you have read our work. For both authors this was the first time writing collaboratively: The work was very arduous and we constantly had to argue with one another, defending our points of view. We hope that the outcome was successful and you enjoyed it. If not, we will continue to work in order to make the next books better and more interesting. Please leave your comments about the work. It’s important for us to receive feedback from our readers.
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If you like our books and want to keep reading, download our FREE Publisher's Catalog, a must-read for any LitRPG fan which lists some of the finest works in the genre:
Tales of Wonder and Adventure: The Best of LitRPG, Fantasy and Sci-Fi (Publisher’s Catalog)
and
World of Sci-Fi & Fantasy (Publisher's Catalog)
MORE LITRPG, SCI FI AND FANTASY BOOKS AND SERIES
PUBLISHED BY MAGIC DOME BOOKS:
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by Michael Atamanov:
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[1] SEE “THE KHAKI-COLORED Noob” by Vasily Mahanenko.