Shadow Seer (Rogue Merchant Book #3): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (english reading book TXT) 📗

wanted to get back and get their stuff from the place of their death. I didn’t even want to think of the chaos going on there. Swarms of vultures would rush to the crash site, hoping to loot the dead and the juggernaut’s priceless modules. Some of them were bound to get rich, and some weren’t. A real battle for the bodies was about to break out. Good. It meant that the Pandas would be occupied for some time.

HotCat: Keith, come in.

 

Keith Borland: Hey...what was that?

 

HotCat: Ding dong! It blew up, don’t you get it?

 

Keith Borland: I’m at the resp point. All mine are dead. Why the hell did you blow it up, you psycho? You had a good deal...

 

HotCat: I had nothing to do with it. I was standing next to you, actually.

 

Keith Borland: Yeah...who did it, then?

 

HotCat: I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. Listen, can you drop me off at Condor on your skiff? Right now.

 

Weldy. She had become a target once; she might become one again. I had to get her out of Eyre.

I found her with a broom in the middle of her magic shop, trying to clean up the wrecked place. Frederick was circling her legs with an air of utmost importance; I breathed out in relief as I saw him safe and sound. He must be an NPC rather than an ordinary cat.

When she saw me, the girl smiled, blowing away a stray lock of hair, and made a helpless gesture.

“Here...trying to clean up. Did you come to help me?”

“No. Pack up. I’ll take you away from here. It might be dangerous. The Pandas...”

“The Pandas? No!” I saw fear in Weldy’s eyes; she was about to cry.

I came up to her, put my arms around her, and looked in the green pools of her eyes, ready to burst into streams of tears. She was trembling.

“Do you remember what happened after they put the collar on you?” I asked her quietly. “When the Pandas took you to their fortress?”

“I do. But it’s all blurred, like a nightmare before dawn,” Weldy said after a pause, nodding. “I was like a puppet on strings. It felt as if it was happening to someone else. Still, I remember it, yes.

“They didn’t do anything to me. They were simply trying to frighten me,” she continued. “Especially that nasty woman you killed... But I was there. I saw what they did to the other prisoners! They...it was horrible, HotCat!”

At last, she burst into tears, and I tried to calm her down, hugging her and stroking her blond hair. Weldy didn’t deserve the hardships she had to go through because of me, and I was going to make it so the Pandas or any other scumbags would never be able to single out the weak line in my chain.

“Pack up. You cannot stay here,” I reminded her. “Take only what you need.”

Frederick gave out a resentful meow somewhere below. I let Weldy go and got down on one knee to pat the black cat on the neck. He hesitated for a second, inspecting me with his yellow lamp-like eyes, and finally rubbed his head against my hand, meowing quizzically.

“Of course, we’ll take you. How can we not?” I told him, smiling.

* * *

“Is this the Cloud Castle?” Weldy asked, excited, as the elegant towers and enfilades of Condor, the clan stronghold of the Watchers, came out from the swirling haze. Once again, I marveled at its beauty and impregnability. The Cloud Castle, built on the slopes of one of the tallest cliffs of the Northern Belt, proudly soared above the snowy foothills covered with mist.

A patrol of birdies broke away from the main bastion to meet the skiff. They could see us through the crystal, but proper procedure was paramount. Three mounted fliers in a triangle, acting as a well-oiled machine, flew around us in a wide arc, making sure that we weren’t enemies.

Keith moored his skiff next to a new frigate recently brought in from the docks of the Forgeworlds; Komtur’s order had been finally completed. I helped Weldy get out of the boat as she kept spinning her head in delight. Everything was new and different to her—the ornamental gallery that wound around the castle and had an amazing view, the green round thujas lined around the corridors, the various trophies—stuffed monsters and their heads that adorned the castle walls in spades.

The castle was busy, especially the clan hall. A raid was being assembled. I noticed familiar faces from the Watchers, the Varangians, and Unity and barely managed to grab Balian next to the council hall. He was in charge of the clan while Komtur was away raiding Helt Akor.

“Cat?” he asked, surprised. “Have you come straight from Eyre? What is going on there? We’re getting reports about lots of Pandas!”

“Yes, this is true,” I replied, deciding against delving into details. “Listen, Raccoon, I need to put a girl here for a while. It’s dangerous in Eyre.”

“Yeah. I’ve heard enough,” Balian said, throwing a measuring look at Weldy, who was holding Frederick. “A companion?”

“No, just a friend.”

Balian the Raccoon: Not a companion, but almost there, right?

 

HotCat: Something like that. So do you mind?

 

“Be my guest. There’s lots of space here; half of the players don’t live in the castle,” Balian said with a shrug. “We have many NPCs here, too. She won’t get lonely.”

“What can you do, girlie?” he asked Weldy.

“I can pick berries and herbs, although you probably don’t have any around here,” Weldy replied. “I can make elixirs and potions.”

“An alchemist, you say? Good. We have a big laboratory here in a separate tower. You’ll have your hands full.”

“We also have Olaf. He’s a great alchemist,” I added. “By the way, how are they doing? Any