World of Karik: A Game of Villains 73 The Campaign

I stopped and stared blankly at him. Did he really want to send me there alone? Was he making fun of me? Was he testing me? After all, did he really think that I'd share anything valuable I find there?

"Not alone, of course," Petrovich reassured me, having made a dramatic pause. "You will take Igor's detachment and part of our fighters with you. You know that I trust you and the rest of our people, too." He seemed to hesitate for a moment, talking about the others. "Strangers will do the dirtiest work, and your task will be to explore the place as much as you can and, preferably, find some artifacts. I would like to emphasize that that is your priority. Whatever you find, bring it back with you."

Of course he had a detailed plan. He, and most of the detachment, would stay at the base. The newcomers won't object to being sent into the unknown if the news is properly presented to them. They would even be happy that such an important mission would be entrusted to them. Members of our attachment and I would guide them and look for artifacts at the same time. I wondered if Petrovich really knew something about artifacts in the Forbidden City or simply assumed that they could be there.

"Good idea," I admitted. "Are you sure that Igor will agree to send his detachment?"
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"He has no choice," Petrovich shrugged and then suddenly grinned. "If he refuses, we will accept him under different conditions. In this case, you'd have to walk into the ruins without a 'meat shield' as I'd be busy disciplining them."

His words sounded cynical. Petrovich simply wanted to use someone else's detachment as suicide attackers who would clear the way for the elite detachment. In other words, for us. It'd be a lie to say that I wasn't also interested in that as I still had to find Baldy.

"Whom can I take along?" I asked.

"Whomever you wish," Petrovich shrugged. "Not Dmitri, though. I need him at the base. You can take five people."

"When are you planning on sending us?" This was probably the most important question.

"If Igor appears soon, then the day after tomorrow," the leader replied. "You'll have a whole day to get ready before that. I'm sure that you'll want to restock your tinctures. That goes for everyone."

Of course. Since the whole detachment would go to the Forbidden City, it would be necessary to equip everybody. It was really necessary.

"There!" Petrovich suddenly said and instantly summoned his lance.

I also heard a suspicious rustle and got ready to fight when someone came out of the bushes. It was Igor, and he wasn't alone. There were three more people with him; a very young man, practically a boy, and two more men the same age as Igor and Petrovich.

"It's me," the leader of the other detachment said. "And these are Egor, Anton, and Stepan."

Egor was a gloomy teenager with an ugly haircut. I wondered how he had gotten here. Naturally, he had killed, or abandoned, someone. I hoped that it was the latter. I still had some faith in people. A juvenile killer was still something abnormal to me.

"As you understand, we came to confirm our union," Igor added.

"Great," Petrovich nodded. "Where are the others?"

"This is all of us."

A heavy silence hung over us. Half a minute later our leader couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"There are only four of you?" the lancer asked mockingly. "This is the whole detachment?"

"Yes," Igor replied calmly. "The whole detachment. Just the four of us."

"Cat." I thought I knew what he wanted me to do.

"I have the ability that allows me to know if you're lying," I said. "I will ask you only one question, Igor. If you lie to me, I'll know. If you tell me the truth...you can ask me what two of our girls do for me every day."

I was bluffing, of course. Igor had the right to ask me any question, but I wanted to eliminate those that would be inconvenient for me. I believed that my words were ambiguous enough for him to buy my bluff.

Igor looked at me blankly at first, obviously not understanding what the catch was. Then he laughed out loud.

"What nonsense!" he exclaimed through the laughter. Then he saw the sign of the geas over my head, read its terms and became dead serious. "Well, I agree. Ask me anything you want. I have nothing to hide."

I thought that he was too confident, but I didn't say anything.

"How many people are there really in your detachment?" I asked.

"Four people including me," Igor replied, looking at me compassionately. He wasn't lying. "Well, what do those girls do for you?"

"Harvest herbs," I replied casually. Now I could reveal that it was all a joke.

Igor laughed hesitantly as did as his companions. Egor's laughter seemed a bit unpleasant and slightly abnormal. I guess that I was just prejudiced against teenagers. Petrovich discreetly smiled and gave me a barely noticeable nod as if saying that everything was fine.

"As agreed, you have to pay with your stats," Petrovich said.

He took out the amulet, and our new recruits obediently gave him their points. Apparently, Igor had already prepared them for this.

"Excellent," Petrovich said with satisfaction when he had finished gathering attributes. "We can go now. Remember that you are under my command from this moment on and that your little group doesn't exist anymore. Your tombstones will have to be transferred to the base until evening. Ask the redheaded guy, he will prepare a place for them and give you the keys. Is everything clear?"

Everybody nodded; only Igor seemed to be slightly upset. He certainly hoped that he would become Petrovich's right hand or something. Given the fact that he had only three men under his command, he wasn't an experienced leader. It was a good decision not to give him any privileges. Though, I wondered where Igor had gotten that armor with such high characteristics. I should find out who he actually is.

"Listen, Vasily," he said to me quietly when we approached the meeting place. "Are you gonna give me my stuff back?"

"Of course not," I said confidently. "I got them fair and square."

Igor's face expressed anger and his voice was full of threat.

"Aren't you afraid that I will take it by force?"

"I'm not," I said. "You still want to live, don't you?"

It would be better if they thought that I am crazy.

"We are gathering in half an hour!" Petrovich shouted loudly. "Discussion of the campaign is on the agenda!"

Great, I had time to get some rest. I decided to see what Innokenty was preparing today, so I walked over to the campfire. It smelled like some kind of meat with fragrant spices. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the scent. I didn't notice Vlada, so I nearly ran into her. She immediately looked away and left in a hurry left.

What did Petrovich say? Shakespearean passion?

Chapter end