《Dawn of a Thousand Suns, Book I : Arch De Angels》 Prologue Everyone was eagerly awaiting Maegy''s arrival. Lucius was there as well, surrounded by a group of young people, in a magnificent stone chamber. On top of the pillars, the flames flickered, and the hall was lit up by the light coming from the arcade porch, glowing goldenly. The hall belonged to Al-Dalyon, the fortress of Cadaredia. Enormous shadows of the cathedrals surrounding the fortress descended onto its battlements as the Titans from the west. White and golden was Cadaredia this morning¡ªthe color of light and fire. The rising sun''s crimson rays, glinting off the domes of the temple, encircled the city of white stone like a golden crown. The place of questions and answers, of fear and beauty, of mystics and mages, looking like a relic, molded in an era of legends rather than built by mere mortals. The scarlet mist of the sunrise surrounded the fires blazing on the sacrificial altars, wafting over the rooftops like the steam from the immense cauldrons. Mirage reflected the vague contours of the streets beyond the horizon, slashing the city of white castles like the chest of an elderly warrior. The grandeur of the city of monasteries was so magnificent, no one could make a sound. Gazing at the spectacular sight, Lucius and the other recruits couldn''t help but be awe-struck. ¡°I think he is coming,¡± whispered the girl sitting next to him. Indeed, some strange feeling that gradually grew made Lucius aware of someone majestic and other-worldly was approaching. The gate cracked open, and a man clad in a crimson cloak entered the dimly lit hall. While walking he didn¡¯t even look at the newcomers, walked lightly contemplating, a cloak fluttering over his shoulders. His steps echoed through the hall in a mysterious manner, leaving the newcomers speechless. He was shrouded in the smoke and the flames dazzling on the pillar tops danced together with his footsteps. The red fabric looked as if it was braided around his thin body. ¡°Welcome!¡± - he announced. The calmness blended into the firmness of his voice, made him sound strangely sharp. ¡°I welcome you, of all villages, cities, and towns, of suns and moons, of stars. Those who know magic and those who do not. You who abandoned hope and peace, and you who found it.¡± This is the site of the Temple of Belial, where your first perception of the magical realm begins. Lai Zhu Lai lifted her gaze. The sun was on its way to setting beyond the horizon. She wanted to reach the summit before the sun went down and take in the city''s view. For this, she had already spent many months crawling on the red cliffs. Lai longed for the sight of the ocean. She would do anything to be there. Riding waves on the dolphin¡¯s back, watching the slow-motion of the wave peeling along the reef, before pitching forward to explode in a foaming mass of white happiness. She longed for the blend of exhaustion and elation, the thrill of testing her boundaries beyond what she thought was possible, and the feeling of being part of something that so few will ever experience. This was the thing that made the summer islands so significant to Lai. ¡°The world is the chest of magnificence. Never forget this!¡± Naji''s words provided her with the strength she needed. After a long time. Lai wasn''t sure if that was her real name, nor could she remember her face, but she knew she was graceful, like the light radiating warmth and brightness. Not much remained before the summit. She put her hand on the reddish stone and felt its firmness with ellryne, jumped short, and started climbing. The rock was hard to climb, but she faced more obstacles than that on her way here. When Lai had reached the peak, the sun was halfway toward setting. Canvassed by canyons and clouds, the shape of a city inhabited by mages lay outstretched below. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The world was reddish from here. The color of the distant Cadaredia blended with the redness of the rocks. She put the bow and traveler bag. Extracted flasks with oil and dyes. The paint on the weapon had faded. Ash-colored hues were returning. Old colors of ancient wood. It could be used by her as a staff in a fight. Lai spent years honing these arts. ¡°No one should see the actual color of the weapon,¡± - elders warned her. After blending the oil and plant extracts, she started coloring. Upon completion, the bow was a brownish honey color. It could last up to four weeks. She carefully put the weapon on the fabric and offered a prayer. The darkness had settled in when she was done. Now only body paint was remaining. Lai would not take a break before reaching Cadaredia. She wanted to reach the Temple of the Sun the next night. Every second was of importance. Who knew where ¡°it¡± was now? The ancestral wigwam was empty. Of the siblings, only Lai remained here, Lai and the old maid. They never thought of her as a full-fledged member of the family, it seemed, in everything¡­ The moon was concealed in the shadows of the cliffs. The dust that attached to the painted body caused the plant juice to become purple. Lai moved through the curving trails with the massive rocks, sometimes glancing out over the precipices. The black pits gave the appearance of a bottomless abyss. The only thing that broke the serene silence of the canyon was the shrill hoot of the night owl. Lai had strong legs, but everyone would get tired after such a long journey. She had already covered so much distance that would arrive at Cadaredia on the first night, but she could not stop. The city of mages was alluring for her as if magic was throbbing and summoning Lai; ¡°Come, approach me, come...¡± The tree growing from the middle fire of the black wigwam was like that too, as if it was throbbing with magic¡ªash-colored magic... Something went over Lai¡¯s head and she recognized a goat jumping from rock to rock. The goat wasn''t threatening, but if it got away from the predator, that could be dangerous. Lai removed the bow and clasped the rock. Her left hand touched the weapon, her right felt the surface of the stone, and Lai sank into the ellryne. A beast was in the vicinity. It embraced the human aroma and denied pursuing the goat due to the presence of effortless prey. Lai dashed over the rock and dove into the abyss. Grasped the edge of the chosen rock and climbed. She sought an open area in which to wait for a predator. Clutching the bow in her mouth, Lai clambered onto a rock and surveyed the area. The canyon''s mystery was illuminated by the moonlight, which glinted off the silver-plated stones, as viewed from above... Silvery mane silhouetted from the darkness, the beast¡¯s eyes illuminated yellow. It was the king of this place; the locals called it the king of twilight. With a loud roar, the lion set off toward the prey. Lai touched the tree with the left hand and sensed ashen while breathing... She felt a slash in her palm and the blood revived the bow. The world was no longer the same. Life changed colors and exploded into the yellowish ocean in the beats of Cadaredia. The arrow born in the bow flew to the beast, jumping from the cliff... One arrow - all it took to kill the predator, and this one shot took most of the remaining energy from her. Lai was lying in front of the dead lion, looking at the sky. She could do nothing more. A cloth wrapped around her hand was drenched in blood. She felt the hungry vibration from the weapon and could not dare to touch it again. This bow was a cursed thing. She knew it from the beginning, but... Lai slowly pulled together her energy and rose, keeping the bow in her right hand, since it should not be touched by her bloody one. When she glanced at Cadaredia, the color of ash seemed to take over her, as if it was wriggling, delving into the innermost parts of her soul and... ¡°No!¡± She clenched her teeth and, somehow, resisted the feeling of dread. Trembling, she looked at the bow. There was no blood on the surface. The wood absorbed it all. She meandered down the path like a drunk. Lai mirrored the sun''s gaze into the city. The morning had arrived. Smoke rising from the stone walls and noon canyon, fire on the roofs and glowing temples... Lai sensed the color of the sun... Leaning on the bow, she could barely restrain herself. She was running a bit behind, but she was still going to make it to the temple by the end of the night. The ashen wood required repaint. She removed the remaining dyes from the bag and proceeded cautiously. She felt the menacing wood with her fingers... Chapter I Chapter I Two Years Earlier Rain was pouring. The freezing sensation had taken over his body so intensely that he could hardly feel anything, except for the pebbles that jabbed his worn and torn shoe soles with each step. But the hardest and most unbearable pain was one that was not physical. Something too massive and stagnant, but so fragmented and fractioned, that it reached every organ, every cell of his body, burning him from the inside. It had not only spread to each and every cell of his body but also every minuscule part of that enigma the priests in Lucius''s village described as the soul. The ashen sky was hiding the Sun as if it did not exist. It seemed as if the world was doubtful in the dawn. The thicket forest path meandered through the hazy skyline and seemed to stretch into eternity. For him, something was relaxing and calming about this endlessness... The commander was wearing crimson armor. His chestnut eyes were visible through the open helmet. He lounged in the armchair, sipping wine from a red, ornate cup. It could have been the fire that made his eyes look brownish, and it stayed in his memory. He smelled of violets drowning in the wine. Lucius remembered the overwhelming, intoxicating fragrance of violets and wine from the day the commander visited him, with his hands bandaged, when he was injured. Lucius could not remember what had taken place before he and his sister were abandoned in the forest. Prior to that, he could only recall some faint noises and blurred memories that seemed frozen in time. He remembered that gaze seen in the mirror, reflecting sun spells in differently colored eyes. - The one he glimpsed before going into the tavern, or even after having been dragged from there... There was something icy in that look which had become part of those indelible scenes... Bracken plants were visible in the distance, swaying with the wind. Lucius saw himself in them. Like those plants, he also swayed in the wind, but God knows why he did not fall yet and continued on his way. The winter was about to end without a single snowflake. As he trudged along the stones, Lucius wondered why he was worrying himself about the snowless winter during this difficult time. The other sounds around him had quietened, with only the noise he created, the patter of raindrops, and the wind''s whistling being distinct. The noises resembled the roar of a blocked-up ocean, an ocean he had never seen in his life, but one he always envisioned when his father told him tales about his sailing trips... Two years before the storm wrecked the three-masted frigate near Mondelay, taking with it the exotic plants that were meant for Lucius.. ¡°The Red Widow¡±- what a peculiar name for the ship which had sunk together with his dad... This narrative seemed strangely insignificant now. The time when he was so worried about it seemed so far away, like the time when he could be worried about something. Space hopelessly waned with each blink of his heavy eyelids and then some vehement force brought the world, lost in the twilight, back to him. The hills gradually faded away with the countless steps and the hilly landscape gave way to the flat valley. It was too difficult to save the wounded man, as the arrow had reached his lungs. The torn silver armor was flickering under the sunlight, escaping through the window. The red-drenched cloth was blood-caked. Lucius still remembered the clotted blood odor - sweet and heavy, that he had rarely felt before. He stood on the top of the downhill. ¡°do not worry!¡± he heard his voice. Was he talking to Laily? He was surprised that he could speak at all and, having made the first steps up the hill, he rolled down the slope... If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The wounded man was way too young. He had no more than a hint of fuzz on his face, not even a beard. Blood loss had taken away the color from the ashen-gray face. It was obvious that things weren''t alright from the mother¡¯s scowling face. His fellow soldiers stood around his bed as if they were part of the silent oak walls, unable to say anything. The color of the ceiling and the smell of the wool came to Lucius together. He tried to sit on the bed but, not finding enough strength, he fell back again. ¡°Don¡¯t fidget,¡± said the hoarse voice. ¡°Where am I?¡± asked him instinctively. ¡°In my hut¡±, answered the unfamiliar voice. ¡°Drink this.¡± the stranger was holding a glass. Without hesitation, Lucius grabbed the glass and swallowed the medicine in one go, just like his mother had instructed him when he was a child. A warmth spread throughout his abdomen, replacing the coldness, which Lucius thought was an inherent part of his body. While the chill and agony had faded from his body, something still remained, hidden under the woolen blanket, that would never be absent from his soul. Something permanent that was immovable and so huge that it almost made Lucius cry. If he could, he would definitely cry, but he had realized in the village that he could not. If he had not cried when he was being dragged from the tavern, he could never cry again... ¡°Where is Laily?¡± ¡°In the bed next to you. She is well... You will be too.¡± ¡°Well...¡±, this weird wheezing sound made Lucius realize he giggled... ¡°I am sorry.¡± one could see the tears in the wounded person¡¯s eyes, which made him look sincere. ¡°I am sorry that I cannot stop him. You don¡¯t know who he is¡±. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault¡±,- said Lucius wiping off the blood with a white cloth; with the cloth that he had washed for the wounded warrior the night before, but now he was using it for himself... Waking up, he found the room empty; or rather, the stranger was nowhere to be seen. Laili was still lying on her bed and her calm and peaceful breathing blended perfectly well with the shadowy colors of the room. Everything was reeking of wood and smoke; the burned aroma was spreading all over the room through the roaring fireplace. Leather pieces were hanging on the wall, gray and furry. - supposedly of a wolf, Lucius could not tell in the dusk. A table, high chairs, and a cupboard made the only room in the hut look furnished and reminded him of his old house; there were no animal furs in his home though. Mum and Dad were not fond of furry things. The old house was filled with books- books and herbs and with the blood and superstitions of the patients who, as soon as they left the premises, spread stories about the mysterious soothsayers... The village was always strange to Lucius, as he himself was probably to the villagers... Suddenly, the door opened and the man blowing into his hands stepped in. As soon as he talking, Lucius recognized the hoarse voice. ¡°You are awake,¡± said the elderly man walking toward the fireplace. He was tall, a little stooped with age, but one could still call him well-built. Although he was almost bald, there were silver patches of the remaining hair on his head, and his long beard was unkempt and tousled. ¡°You must be hungry¡±, the man said, warming his hands on the fire; after several minutes he added, ¡°Come on, wash your hands¡± and with these words, he moved towards the door. The well water Lucius washed his hands with was icy cold. The man had brought out a piece of rough cloth to dry his hands. As they stepped back into the hut, the man seated Lucius at the table, fetched meat and bread from the cupboard for him, together with a jug full of wine. The very first bite made Lucius realize how hungry he was. At the same time, he was surprised that life went on as if nothing had happened. Strangely, the world moved on and even forgot everything, as if all that had happened was just a child¡¯s dream. ¡°Have some wine; will strengthen you.¡± the man filled the glasses. Lucius had never tasted wine before and he found it quite sour. Did the commander feel the same while sitting in the armchair? He looked at the half-empty glass through the light shedding from the window; the wine was white; the commander drank red. The old man was telling some funny stories while he was eating his food, probably trying to cheer him up. Although he tried once, Lucius could not smile, which discouraged the old man from continuing. Lucius felt tipsy from the wine. He had stopped eating, but he kept on drinking wine. The wine had affected the old man as well. ¡°What has happened to you?¡± he asked after finishing one of his stories. The man had honey-colored eyes; Lucius felt the warmth pouring out of the eyes of his host when he was looking down at him... ¡°I cannot talk about it now,¡± Lucius heard his voice. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay,¡± said the host. The man¡¯s voice was warm, too. It was strange that Lucius had not noticed that before. ¡°My sons found you and your sister at the end of the slope. You must have fallen. We are the woodchoppers and work for Lord Bryan. We are shipping the logs for Mondelay tomorrow and I will tell the guys to take you there, if you don¡¯t mind it, of course.¡± Lucius nodded quietly and looked up at the spot on the wall. ¡°How old are you, kid?¡± he heard the question. ¡°Twelve¡±, he answered. The slight slumber brought about by the wine and the dark colors of the room made Lucius doze off. Chapter II Chapter II It was Sunday, and he knew they would come. Today, the shelter was empty. Caregivers took kids (those who behaved well) to explore the city. They rewarded ¡°Good behavior¡± with Sunday trips. During these trips, they introduced children to city landmarks. Thousands of people flocked to the port. Michael smelled the fish and something else, though he couldn''t identify it. It was exciting to watch the people move about. However, this was not the reason he loved going there. Michael enjoyed looking at massive ships with billowing sails, floating peacefully on the water, enhancing the unique beauty of the harbor, beginning with basic fishing boats and finishing with regal frigates. He could not even tell what he liked most, probably everything from broken oars to the sails dancing in the wind. The beauty of the road started with pain and hard work and ended with freedom and dreams. Perhaps it did not end at all but continued. Perhaps that''s what made the port so attractive to him. It turned his life and dreams into one world. He dreamed about the frigates being there and fleeing away, and that is why he could stare at them for hours. Often imagined himself as captain, thinking about crossing the hazardous ocean together with his fearless crew, fighting the sea monsters and other captains trembling upon hearing his name. Even though he lived with lots of children, he had no friends there. He had told no one that he loved gazing at the ships. The kids differed from him; they dreamed about different things. They were always waiting for the day when someone would arrive and take them to the noble neighborhood and make their life carefree forever. Michael never dreamed about finding his parents, let alone living in a Noble District. He was not interested in his parents. Probably in the same way they did not care about him. Michael rarely thought about them, especially on Sundays, when he knew ¡°they¡± would come and he could do nothing but wait. He hated waiting. That was the worst part about Sundays. Everything else always happened quickly. They beat him up when no one was around to interfere. Deep in his mind, Michael had always planned to run away and hide, and if they still found him, he still would not resist. This way, he would not get beaten up that painfully. But, at the last second, he always remembered that fearless captain who had never backed down and stopped fighting. He felt, if he admitted defeat, he would lose something, something that was more important than avoiding the pain of the battered body. Michael was lying on the upper bed of the bunk bed, waiting. This time, it would be different. He was mentally prepared and determined from the beginning not to give up and not to get beaten so easily. It didn¡¯t take too long before he heard the footsteps. He swiftly jumped down from the bed. Standing with his back to the door, he leaned against the post of the bed, looking at the piece of a mirror standing on a windowsill. Michael could see the door open slowly and felt his heart throbbing so fast and loudly that it seemed to him the whole shelter could hear his heart beating. In the mirror¡¯s piece, he could see first Derek, then Simon, Jamey, and a stranger enter the room. ¡°He must be the new member of the team and they are testing him on me¡±, Michael guessed. Directed by Derek¡¯s gesture, the new boy moved towards him. Michael preferred any other guy to lead the fight, but he could change nothing now. He was leaning onto his bed, staring at the mirror, watching the opponent approaching him. He might be nervous, even scared, but he was still approaching. Others were waiting in the farthest corner of the room, smiling. ¡°How slow the time passes,¡± thought Michael. His heart was about to jump out of his chest. The boy was getting closer and closer. In the mirror, Michael could see him lift his right hand, clenching the other. Michael clenched his fist, wrapped in the pillowcase. (Time flow was even slower now) The new boy stretched out his right hand, but before he could touch Michael, he slipped on the oil, spilled deliberately on the floor, and fell. Michael quickly turned around... That night, the wind was howling. Michael was on the verge of vomiting. Watchman took kids back to the shelter, but from where they did not remember. Only the vomiting sensation remained. After that night, Michael dreamed an old dream. There was a woman in the harbor. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.¡°Boy, boy,¡± - she whispered. ¡°Do you want fortune-telling?¡± The caregiver was not looking, and Michael nodded. ¡°Yes.¡° ¡°Come to my shop then,¡± she whispered and turned around. The grass was everywhere in the shop and dried flowers. She unfolded the strange cards on the table. ¡°Give me your blood!¡± demanded Hag and took out a knife from the counters. Michael almost backed down, but still extended his hand. ¡°Hahaha! you seem a fighter but you lose always. You will win soon...¡± Was it a true win? Michael never knew, but he and the three boys were standing in front of the desk at Auntie Louisa¡¯s office, on the second floor of the shelter. The new member... he was not there. ¡°I wonder how he is,¡± he thought. The newcomer turned out to be his namesake. The caregivers standing around the boys stared at them coldly. The head was sitting at the desk, looking at the boys with her frog¡¯s eyes from above, the pair of glasses perched on her nose. That¡¯s how it always happened - before she started talking about the boys¡¯ wrongdoings, she would sit at the desk with her elbows resting on it and glare at the boys without a single eye blink. Michael wondered how she could do that without blinking her eyes for so long. Auntie Louisa was over fifty, short and chunky with curly brown hair just showing a little touch of gray; with large wooden glasses always perched on her nose, her bulging eyes glaring from above them. The notable detail in her appearance was the thick mustache that she constantly fought against by plucking it vigorously, although the resistant mustache became more and more visible on her face. Michael enjoyed thinking about her mustache on such occasions, especially when Auntie Louisa kept gawking at them without blinking her eyes. Michael imagined the pleasure he would take from plucking her mustache and, in the heat of the moment, her thick eyebrows as well. The door behind opened when he was trying to stick the plug up his right nostril to stop his nosebleed. The watchman muttered hello and reported that the doctor had arrived. Head stood up with difficulty, ¡°Will talk to you later,¡± still glaring at the boys, she waddled after the watchman. Michael secretly glanced at Derek, who was standing to his left and was much taller than him. You could still see feathers from Michael¡¯s pillow stuck onto his face. Two other guys were standing next to him. Michael once again wished that it had been these two who started the fight and not the newcomer. The watchman opened the door again and told the caregivers in his typical hoarse voice to take the boys downstairs and left ajar after him. Others followed him, one caregiver leading the group, while the other stood behind the boys. They passed by the second-floor hall, climbed down the disturbingly creaking stairs, and entered the room where Auntie Louisa had been waiting for them. There were three other people in the room- the night watchman, a slim stranger, and the ¡°new¡± boy being examined by the stranger. As soon as the boys entered the room, Auntie Louisa round turned to them and studied their faces attentively. ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done,¡± barked she, pointing at the boy. ¡°Look what you¡¯ve done!¡± Michael looked at the ¡°new¡± boy while listening to the doctor explaining things to Auntie Louisa. He could feel a burning feeling in his stomach. He wanted to avoid his eyes, but he couldn¡¯t. Michael stood like that for some time, maybe not even for that long... he could not remember, he had lost the track of time. Then the slim man stood up and left. Auntie Louisa turned to the boys and asked each one of them, ¡°Who did this?¡± Nobody answered. She slapped Derek Simon, too. She did not slap Michael. She did not slap Michael. Nobody said a word. ¡°You will get a severe punishment for that¡±, Aunt Louisa threatened. ¡°They are arriving soon and you are going to be punished in front of everybody¡±. Kids were about to come back from a Sunday trip and these guys and himself were going to be publicly and exemplarily punished. He might have contemplated the punishment some other time, but now he couldn¡¯t help staring at the newcomer and that was all he could do. The cracking of a whip and dreadful screams reached him simultaneously. Derek endured nine whips, but screamed in pain on the tenth one, louder than any other boy before him. Jamie screamed at the first beat, whereas Simon forbore till the sixth, when he screeched and howled, but no one screamed as dreadfully as Derek. Observing all this, Michael could not stop wondering when he would give in and start screaming. After the twelfth whip, caregivers dragged Derek out of the shelter yard. It was Michael¡¯s turn; the watchman stepped towards him, but Michael approached him first as he did not want to be dragged away like other boys. When he walked up to the pole, he kneeled, and when the watchman tied his hands to it; he wished he could at least endure the first whip. He no longer had nostrils plugged and could already sense the stinky smell of the man. The hatred was a familiar emotion to him, but he did not yet know what to call the feeling he felt for the glass-eyed children staring at him. The whip slashed through the air, and the pain spread like a stripe on his back. ¡°Screaming won¡¯t change anything, screaming won¡¯t change anything,¡± continuously repeated Michael, and silently endured the pain caused by the fifth whip. Then he started scratching the wood with his nails from excruciating pain but never made a sound. ¡°Whip him until he yells,¡± screamed Aunt Louisa, and the anger guided Michael through the pain until everything faded into the darkness... Chapter III Chapter III The pain woke him up. The stripe on his back was burning like fire. It was chilly in the shelter, which made Michael shiver with cold. He had a thick blanket on, but still could not get warm enough. Every movement made his pain even stronger. Without moving, however, it was almost impossible to stand the bitter and unbearable cold. Michael felt dizzy and could not get rid of the nauseating feeling. It was the second night since he had regained consciousness. He was half awake and half deluded and did not know what was happening around him. Michael was suffering from a fever, but could not force the caregivers to send him to the doctor. Auntie Louisa never brought doctors for whipped children... The creaking door made him aware of someone entering the room, but his mind was so shrouded in darkness that he could not tell whether a familiar body was standing in the doorway or not. The person was moving slowly and painfully, but in the end, he reached for Michal and stretched out something to him. ¡°Drink it!¡± Michael heard from far away and discerned a shape of glass in the stranger¡¯s hand. The weakened Michael almost dropped the glass, but the visitor helped him and Michael sipped some liquid. The blunt liquid burned down his throat and Michael felt the heat in his stomach, too. The back pain died out as heavy eyelids drew over the fading walls like shades. Sleep drifted him far away. He thought he dreamed of something, but he could not recall what he had dreamed about waking up. Michael hardly ever remembered his dreams, even though he always knew he had dreamed about something important. He could only perceive the significance of his dreams for several seconds and after that, they turned into memories. The back did not hurt Michael that much; he was not cold either. Despite the still persistent dizziness, he felt much better. He sat upon his bed. There was no one but him in the room. He remembered someone gave him the drink. Although his mind was still hazy, it could not have been a dream. It did not seem like one, though Michael could barely remember his dreams, anyway. Michael touched his own back and felt some herbs stuck to it. He was feeling much better; it was impossible to recover so fast without medical help. So the answers lay in the herbs and the drink that the visitor gave me,¨Cthought Michael. No one had ever helped Michael in the shelter and now, when he was searching for the reasons for someone helping him, he felt an extremely unfamiliar emotion that people call gratitude. Why would anyone want to help him? asked Michael himself endlessly until he realized that only by sitting there and asking questions to himself he would not get the answers. He climbed down from the upper berth of the bunk bed with difficulty, put on the clothes scattered around the room, breathed deeply, and staggered towards the door. He then walked down the hall with faded brick walls on one side and the boys¡¯ dormitories on the other. Michael stopped at the door where the new guy was sleeping, then opened the door carefully and stared at him for a while. ¡°What do you want?¡± the new boy, with a bandage around the head, did not open his eyes. He must have felt that someone had stopped at his bed and was watching him. ¡°Was it you who gave me that drink?¡± The kid did not answer; he was lying quietly with his eyes closed and breathing slowly. ¡°Michael!¡± He heard his name shouted in the hall and quickly closed the door. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± The caregiver¡¯s tall figure appeared from the corner of the hall and approached Michael. The caregivers wore similar clothes in the shelter. They were all tall and slim, except Auntie Louisa. Michael wondered how they had gathered all the like-minded bastards as caregivers. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± She repeated. ¡°Nothing. I felt better, so I walked a little,¡± answered Michael. The caregiver cracked the door. ¡°You should feel remorse,¡± she interpreted the boy¡¯s actions herself. ¡°Let¡¯s go! If you feel so good, attend the academy.¡± The caregiver headed for the exit of the shelter after they had climbed down the creaky steps. They went out into the garden. Academy, the old brick building, standing next to the shelter, was in no sense better in appearance if you asked for Michael¡¯s opinion. Attending the lessons was compulsory for children. They listened to boring subjects all day long, so Michael did not enjoy going there. He crossed the yard together with the caregiver and entered the stone hall crammed with kids. Suddenly the hall went deadly silent. Surprised at this silence, Michael first looked at the children, then at the caregiver. Everybody stared at him weirdly, perhaps surprised, but he could also feel something different, something he could not identify. They stood like this for a while. Then the teacher remembered to permit him to sit down, and she pointed to a vacant seat with her stick. Michael tried to listen to the teacher but in vain: she was boring, talking about some tedious things. He could not understand why he had to learn about the history of the Arc De Ludgar family, why they were rightful monarchs, while other people (apart from their Lords) were to be their obedient servants. On top of all this, they forced people to be grateful for their lot. Why did Michael have to sing their anthem after each lesson and why was Lord Ryan the selectee of omniscient Rahail, when Lord Ryan¡¯s father had killed the legitimate heir and forcibly taken over the throne? If omniscient Rahail was omnipotent too and he only had one favorite selectee, why would he give the Royal throne to him? Michael understood a few things, but he was clever enough not to ask questions. He could only think freely and used this freedom as much as he could. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Michael sat on the chair until the teacher stopped talking and they all sang the anthem together. Next, the kids headed to the hall exit, and he mingled with them, trying not to run into Derek or the other boys. He knew they would not dare attack him in the daylight, in front of the teachers, but still... Most of the kids usually spent an hour¡¯s break in the garden. A solid stone wall surrounded the garden so that one would not even think about escaping. Maybe that¡¯s why caregivers paid little attention to the kids playing in the yard. Michael loved being on his own, so he walked to the wall. He leaned against the white brick wall; it felt cold; he then slipped down and slumped on the ground. ¡°She was my sister¡±, said Simon and his chin trembled. ¡°I know¡±, replied Michael with a lump in his throat. He had not finished the sentence when he saw the right fist coming his way, however, he did not move. This blow was unusually slow compared to the previous ones, but still... ¡°Stop it, Simon, it¡¯s not his fault at all¡±, Derek sounded as if he was angry with himself. This was the first time he had ever said anything in Michael¡¯s favor. The first and the last time... Michael felt the firmness of the wall, and he looked ahead into space. Remnant winter clouds covered the Sun in the spring sky. Huge sycamore trees behind the shelter swayed in the wind idly, still giving off the cold winter smell. The faraway building domes could be seen between the waving branches of the trees. The domes radiated something wintery, something that could barely blend into spring. Suddenly, he wished he were in the harbor. He wished he could watch the sea waves and let his feelings sail into the open sea with them... Elaina was picturesque that night. She had bluish, slightly scared eyes. Her leaf-colored hair was slightly tousled after a nap. She looked slim and transparent in the candlelight. ¡°Only these have blue eyes¡±, Louisa¡¯s emotionless voice was heard distinctly. ¡°He has excellent features.¡± the hand turned up Michael¡¯s chin, ¡°but today I need a girl¡±- the stranger was holding the walking stick in his right hand... Still sitting on the grass, Michael felt a chill. Shivering violently, he walked away from the wall and headed towards the shelter. There still was some time left before the lesson started. An ugly building, one of the ugliest buildings, was empty. Most of the caregivers were in the garden, not afraid of getting caught. Michael ran down the corridor and opened the door without knocking. ¡°It was you then¡±, Michael no longer asked a question the boy with a bandaged head, lying in bed. The boy opened an eye that was green and deep and, without saying a word, he closed it again. Michael walked to the window. He stood quietly for some time, then turned around and walked back to the door. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you scream?¡± the question made him stop in the doorway. ¡°What?¡± ¡°When you were being punished... I was watching from the window. Why didn¡¯t you scream?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know... It¡¯s not that simple to explain...¡± ¡°I think you do.¡± awkward silence followed these words, disturbed by the slammed door. ¡°Where do you sneak off to?¡± Elaina asked him for the first time. She had just arrived at the shelter and had not even been on the Sunday trips. They went off to the harbor and Michael wandered away from the group with nobody noticing it; at least, that¡¯s how he thought... He was lying on the bed, still fully dressed. It was cold. The spring had set in only on the calendar; darkness and biting chill were peeping through the window. The moon rarely escaped from under the thick clouds and if it did, it soon hid behind them again, as if it had seen something embarrassing. There was something that disturbed Michael, something that had nothing to do with the cold. ¡°May Rahail, dammit!¡± Michael muttered quietly and got up. He quickly put on his shoes and opened the door. Although the hall was lit with candles, the light was not bright enough. He slowly strolled down in the pale, flickering lights of the dimly lit hall. Leaving the room, he realized it would be difficult to find the right door. He was not sure whether it was the third or the fourth door, and reaching the far end of the corridor, he counted the doors from there. When he approached the third door, he listened to the noises behind it. He could hear people¡¯s breathing, which meant it was not the right room. He crept to the fourth door, stopped and listened again, then carefully opened and then quietly closed it behind him. The light pouring from the window was so faint that Michael could hardly see the shapes of the furniture. ¡°I know you are not asleep,¡± said Michael softly. ¡°Why are you here?¡± He heard the question also asked in a soft voice. ¡°You asked me something today!¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult for me to answer...¡± ¡°I know, at least try...¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story...¡± ¡°Start from the beginning.¡± And Michael started... He did not start with the episode of the fight. He started from his Sunday trips and ships. Then he mentioned a girl named Elaina, connecting the fights to her. One night that girl was taken from the shelter... Michael realized he had stood up while talking. His voice was trembling, and he felt a lump stuck in his throat. Despite the tremendous effort, it was extremely difficult to hold his emotions back. He continued talking about everything that was happening in the shelter. He told the boy how once every month someone would come to the place and take the girls of 12-13 away. The caregivers knew everything, but did nothing to avoid it. They punished kids for slight misbehaviors by making them stand on grains for hours... ¡°That¡¯s why I did not scream then.¡± Michael stopped talking. This silence gave him the feeling of both emptiness and freedom. Michael waited for a while before he noticed he was sitting on the stone floor again. When he was about to stand up, he heard the other boy speak, ¡°My name is not Michael. I am Lucius. I just read that name on the list and gave it to the caregiver when they asked me.¡± Still sitting on the floor, Michael looked up at the bed. ¡°Why did you lie?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to explain,¡± he smiled. ¡°Try it,¡± replied Michael. Lucius did not explain himself that night. The silence continued for a long time. Michael got up from the floor, walked to the door, and slowly opened it so that he could sneak out, but before he left he asked calmly: ¡°Why did you come with that trio to beat me?¡± ¡°I wanted to feel something, but it didn¡¯t work out for me.¡± There was a scream, the morning scream, slightly different from all the other sounds. Michael had not slept that night and in the morning he heard this loud scream, the sound somehow similar to the shattering of the glass, or rather, to the window pane breaking in the empty house... That night, or that morning, to be more precise, the whole shelter was up, both the caregivers and the children. Michael tried to make his way down the crowded corridor. The scream had already quietened down, but he instinctively knew which way to go. The sun had already risen, and its rays poured through the window, brightening up the room. Michael could see a sheet hanging down from the ceiling like a rope and on this rope. The open eyes were tinted blue, and the body looked slim in the sunlight too... thus it can¡¯t have been because of the candlelight... Chapter IV Chapter IV ¡°Wake up, Michael!¡± The sleepless night made it even more difficult to wake up. ¡°Michael!¡± It was the caregiver. ¡°Get up! Now!¡± Michael found it difficult until he was woken up. ¡°There is much to do, but you have done nothing for two days.¡± Michael got up slowly, stretched, and jumped out of the bed. He put on his sleeveless jerkin and threw on a piece of cloth once referred to as a cape over his shoulders. The cold made him realize he had forgotten to put on his shoes, so he went back into the room. The corridor was full of newly awakened boys. The girls¡¯ dorms were on the upper floor. They were following the boys down the stairs to the garden. Still yawning, Michael also mingled with kids and joined in the line. Several kids were being herded to the academy by some of their caregivers, others remained in their lines to sing the anthem and then go to work. After the children sang the anthem written to glorify the Arc De Lugdar family, the watchman unlocked the rusty lock of the gate, and the children, encircled by the caregivers, left the premises one by one. The shelter was on the top of the hill and looked down on Mondelay. Both the slope and the top of the hill were covered with forest and the kids were expected to collect twigs there. Michael had difficulty finding Lucius among other boys while he was collecting the branches on his own. Afterward, all the collected branches had to be taken to the shelter. This part of the forest was quite light as the sunshine could easily escape through scattered-around trees and colored up the rough tree barks. ¡°Why do they make us sing in the morning?¡± Lucius had silently approached him. ¡°That¡¯s how it has always been like, as far as I remember. I wouldn¡¯t ask the caregivers though if I were you,¡± answered Michael. ¡°Does your head hurt much?¡± Lucius had taken the bandage off his head. ¡°Not really,¡± he answered briefly. Michael took a long breath and threw the twigs he was carrying on the pile, then he turned to Lucius, who was gazing at something near the tree roots. From afar, Derek and Jamey were in view, but he wasn''t scared of them now. ¡°Work, or if the caregivers see you standing idly, they will beat you up¡±, Michael warned Lucius and continued collecting the twigs and branches. The Sun was not warm, but it generously poured its light all over the people in the forest. The cold of the morning had lessened while working hard. Michael didn''t need the cape-like cloth anymore, but he wanted to keep it from getting soiled, so he left it on. Following Michael''s advice, Lucius gathered some branches and added them to the vast pile. Michael found it hard to explain Lucius and his peculiarities, yet he could tell just by looking at him he was nothing like the other shelter kids. He was unlike any other orphan. ¡°Break time!¡± announced the caregiver, opened up a huge sack, and started distributing some dark bread. Each would get one piece, so there seemed no reason why Michael should squeeze into the queue. It took him five to ten minutes to finally get his share of bread. The caregiver provided him with his piece of baked dough and Michael headed towards the tree log nearby. Lucius was the last to get his share and, munching his bread away, he headed toward Michael. Lucius had eyes of different colors. One of them was golden like the reflection of the Sun, whereas the other eye was greenish. It seemed he could look deep into people¡¯s souls and this deep look created the illusion of calmness, although you might find anything but peace in them. Michael ate his slice of bread reluctantly. The early spring chill felt more bitter during the break, so Michael stood up to warm up a bit. There was no one else nearby. ¡°But why did you save me, or where did you find that medicine?¡± ¡°My parents were village healers,¡± Lucius only answered the second part of the question. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your village?¡± Asked Michael. He sounded false as if he was searching for a topic to talk about. ¡°Ardiel,¡± answered Lucius, but it is no longer my village, or maybe it has never been mine." ¡°Why? What happened?¡± ¡°I might tell you one day, but not now,¡± a strange smile flashed on Lucius¡¯ face, a painful smile. The caregiver''s voice called out, "Everyone, up!" signaling the end of the break. Michael shook off the dust and dirt from his clothes and was about to gather more twigs when he heard the voice from behind him: ¡°Laily was given away for adoption.¡± ¡°Who is Laily?¡± - He asked in a cracked voice. ¡°My sister, she is two years old.¡± ¡°Who took her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. One strange couple. The Head of the shelter did not even tell me their names.¡± ¡°Did they look rich?¡± ¡°They had nice clothes on, but you can¡¯t really tell if they were noble.¡± ¡°People in the Noble Neighborhood are mostly well-born. Have you noticed any kind of symbol or a sign on their clothes?¡± It took Lucius some time to process the above-said. ¡°Yes, they had a raven with open wings on their rings,¡± he whispered in the end. ¡°Hey! Why aren¡¯t you working?¡± The caregiver, armed with a stick, had crept up to them. ¡°Starting right now,¡± Michael tried to keep away from trouble, but in vain. Later, he continued gathering the twigs with aching, caned hands together with Lucius. It was time for dinner, which meant that the children had to take the collected branches to the shelter. Exhausted and battered, Michael did not even rest for even a minute to avoid getting whipped again. He went to the gate, crossed the garden, and emptied his hands in the storage room. ¡°I made medicine from the moss which I found in the storage room,¡± Lucius stood behind him with branches in his hands ¡°Some plants have them on their roots, I thought I would find them among the twigs.¡± ¡°Can you make a lot of medicines?¡± ¡°Quite a bit,¡± answered Lucius simply. Michael was sitting at the dining table and slowly munching a brown mass that was called food in the shelter. Having finished it, he moved on to eating bread. He usually ate food and bread separately to create a sense of diversity. However, his behavior was found quite odd by the people in the shelter. This was fine with him. The problem was that everything else was seen as normal there. Only Lucius sat close to him. After the fight with Derek, nobody wished to sit next to him. Even in the room, nobody slept in the same bunk bed. Maybe everybody was afraid of Derek and his fellows, but Michael thought his own thoughts were more interesting than anybody else, so he was not really worried about being on his own all the time. Michael slowly finished his bread, and he was about to stand up when a caregiver quickly appeared behind him, which made even Michael admire her skills. ¡°Headmistress wants to talk to you,¡± said the caregiver and let Michael lead so she could follow him easily. Michael left with no other option rather than obeying her, headed towards the exit, crossed the hall, went through the living room, walked up the creaking stairs, and went into Aunt Louisa¡¯s working office. It was quite vague why this room was called ¡°the working office.¡± As soon as he entered, he was greeted by Auntie Louisa¡¯s bulging eyes staring from above her glasses. ¡°Sit down, Michael,¡± said Louisa in a sweetened voice, pointing at one of the empty chairs. ¡°Help yourself to some cookies,¡± the Head of the shelter pushed a plate of cakes toward Michael. ¡°I suppose we haven¡¯t finished talking,¡± she continued, but the expression on Michael¡¯s face made her stop. ¡°I think we no longer have to say anything to each other,¡± said Michael calmly. Not expecting this reply, the headmistress raised her eyebrows, surprised. ¡°The whipping has taught you nothing,¡± she said coldly and slid the plate toward her. ¡°This kind of behavior has brought none good to anybody, and neither will it to you. I thought you were cleverer, but, never mind, you will come back to your senses soon.¡± Michael was no longer listening to her. He was staring at the plate. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The Head of the shelter turned to the caregiver: ¡°Take him back to the garden and have him whipped in front of everybody again. That may help him.¡± The caregiver grabbed Michael¡¯s arm rudely and dragged him towards the door, but before they went out, the Head added, ¡°This is for your own good.¡± ¡°Was that for Elaina¡¯s own good too?¡± Michael turned around. Aunt Louisa stared unblinkingly at Michael for some time, then took off her glasses, fogged them with her breath, polished them, put them back, and looked at the boy from above the glasses. ¡°There is no need to whip him anymore,¡± - Aunt Louise addressed the caregiver. ¡°Will send him to the colony for beating up a child. He will leave tomorrow.¡± ¡°But what about the other one who beat up the kid?¡± the caregiver muttered. ¡°We will send both of them there¡±, snarled Aunt Louise and the caregiver obeyed the order without a word. They bounced downstairs. ¡°Pack your belongings tonight¡±, said the caregiver before she left. She sounded slightly compassionate, almost sorry for Michael. The wall around the shelter was almost three meters high and, being built with smooth stones, it could make the climb over it even more difficult. The twigs had already been collected, and the gate was securely locked. Out of the two keys, one was with Auntie Louisa, whereas the other was with the watchman. It would be very difficult to escape, especially without a thorough plan of action. The colony. This word was associated with only unbearably negative things. Someone mysteriously spread the stories from the colony amongst the kids in the shelter and evoked only hatred and fear in Michael. Michael noticed Derek among the kids scattered around the shelter yard. He was standing together with Simon and Jamey, with his foot at the shelter gate. ¡°Should I go up to him or not?¡± Michael hesitated for several minutes... ¡°I am planning to escape from the shelter,¡± Lucius was sitting on his bed alone. He did not seem to listen to Michael. ¡°I need your help, but if they catch me and realize you helped me, you will be in a mess. So, I won¡¯t be surprised if you say no to me.¡± ¡°What do you want to escape from?¡± ¡°They are sending me to the colony and I prefer living in the streets to going there.¡± ¡°When are you planning to leave?¡± ¡°Tonight.¡± ¡°Alone?¡± ¡°Derek and I, some other guys, may join us too.¡± ¡°Why is he running away?¡± ¡°We are going to be sent to the colony together, and we have to escape.¡± ¡°Interesting. What do you want me to do?¡± ¡°Can you make the potion that can make the watchman fall asleep?¡± ¡°I can¡±, answered Lucius automatically, ¡°but on one condition.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± ¡°I am coming too.¡± Michael was sitting in the dining hall and stirring the grey mass with a spoon. Being agitated, he could not either swallow food properly or relax. Derek was sitting in front of him, twisting his fingers and looking at Michael anxiously. Caregivers were standing around the boys as if they were guarding them. Those children who were about to be sent to the colony were seated separately in a noticeable place so that others could learn from the example of the punished boys. The watchman had not yet entered the hall. ¡°Where the hell is he?¡± Michael heard Derek mumble. Lucius was sitting on his own in the corner, looking ahead with blank eyes, as if nothing was happening. Michael suddenly noticed Derek''s face becoming tense with fear, and he figured the watchman had come into the room. He sneaked a look behind him and he was certainly right. The watchman moved slowly towards the stall. The chubby cook filled his bowl with porridge without haste. He grabbed the bowl calmly and settled at a table close by. Simon pushed Lucius standing at the stall to get more food and pushed him towards the watchman, who nearly fell over him. Michael saw Jamey pass the table, but he could not tell whether he poured the medicine into the bowl of the watchman. Jamey was standing with his back to Michael, so he could not really see what was happening. Simon helped Lucius up. ¡°Sorry, it was an accident¡±, he said. Then both of them apologized to the watchman, who whispered something as a response (perhaps swore at the boys) and drank from his flask, then quickly sat at the table. Several minutes passed, but he did not touch the food. He only drank something from the flagon. Michael was cold- sweating, asking himself why the man was not eating at all. He was sure that if he didn¡¯t eat the food, everything would go south, which meant leaving for the colony. The watchman started eating but soon stopped, took a shot from the flask, stood up, and reeled out of the room. Michael looked at Jamey, who nodded his head slightly. ¡°That¡¯s OK¡±, thought Michael, but he was not sure that the small amount would be enough to make the watchman sleep deeply. Michael looked at Derek, and the latter nodded to confirm that the medicine would work. He then stood up, as could no longer eat out of anxiety and preferred to go up to his own room. The caregiver saw him in his bedroom and asked whether he had already packed his bag. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve already prepared everything,¡± Michael tried to reply calmly, but he felt a tremor in his voice. The caregiver did not say a word. He might have thought it was the pre-colony nervousness or simply noticed nothing strange. It mattered no more. As soon as Michael entered the room, he sat down on his bed and waited for the caregiver to leave the room and close the door. It was dusky outside, but not dark yet. Michael opened the wardrobe and looked at his clothes. If he wanted to escape from the shelter, he would need warm clothes, as it was still cold outside. He had no idea what would happen after the escape, but it did not seem to matter at all. The main thing was that he had to run away. He put on his warm clothes and packed others in his bag. Next, he lay on his bed and placed his bundle next to him. It was too hot in the clothes he was wearing, but he was too lazy to get changed. Time was awfully slow, but in the end, the bell rang, which meant that the children had to go to bed. Jumping out of his bed, Michael looked through the window. It was already soot black. He could not open the window even in summer as the lock was rusty and did not work. He had to wait for a while until the bell rang for the second time. Michael found it impossible to stop; he tied the bedsheet around his hand and when the bell rang; he broke the window with his fist. Some pieces of the glass fell in the yard, whereas others remained stuck to the frame. He listened. Nothing was happening yet. He waited a while and picked the pieces of glass from the window. He quickly finished and went back to the door. ¡°Where are they?¡± He thought angrily and went back to his bed. Derek was the first to open the door. He was holding a twisted bedsheet and carrying a backpack. Not saying a single word, he looked seriously at Michael and sat on the lower berth of the bunk bed. Lucius followed Derek, and soon Jamey and Simon entered the room. Everyone had their bundles ready, except Lucius. He was just carrying his cloak. The boys twisted their sheets and tied them to one another. The rope turned out to be quite long, but the main question was how strong it was. When Derek and Simon tried it, the rope seemed quite strong. No one spoke again. Finally, Michael suggested he go down first. This turned out to be quite challenging, however, he still managed to slide down and jumped into the yard. Michael was followed by Lucius, then Jamey, Simon, and finally Derek, who was the largest among them. The process was quite difficult, although in the end the boys quietly tiptoed to the wall, looking around to check that nobody could see them. Despite warm clothes, the boys still felt cold after the warm room. They soon approached the wall. ¡°Lift either me or Lucius, we are the lightest,¡± said Michael. ¡°It should be you!¡± Answered Derek after a short pause and the boys immediately clasped their hands... Four pairs of hands lifted Michael in the air until he finally stood on their shoulders, but it was still difficult to reach the edge of the wall. ¡°I can¡¯t reach it,¡± he shouted tensely. ¡°Step on my head!¡± Cried back Derek angrily. Michael stepped on Derek¡¯s head and finally managed to reach the edge of the wall. After gripping it with both hands, he lifted himself up and finally crawled up on it. The wall was about two feet wide. The boys threw the tied sheets and Michael swiftly caught them. He looked around, standing on the top of the wall. The shelter was built on the top of the cliff. Behind it there was a field followed by the forest and far away they could see the city stretched out in front of them. The beauty of the night city made Michael gasp. Mondelay was built on both banks of the river. Huge ships dazzled silver under the moonlight, turning fishermen¡¯s huts near the river banks into a magical mystery. The rich neighborhood was wrapped in dreamy whiteness, with the squares glittering gold. The lanterns poured out bright yellow light and in the darkness, Mondelay streets looked like a meandering river. The ocean looked like a gigantic mirror from the top of the wall. It seemed strangely calm at night. The ocean horizon blending with the sky made Michael wonder about the double nature of this duo. The moon in the sky colored the entire scene silver, whereas its twin was floating in the water. ¡°Hey! What¡¯s happening?¡± The boys brought him back to reality, and he remembered he had to jump from the wall and tie the rope to the iron peg protruding from the wall. The wall only had one peg, and it was the closest to Michael¡¯s room, too. Michael looked down at the boys. The land was farther than it seemed from his bedroom window. He took a deep breath and was about to jump when the unexpected roar mingled with the hot wave threw him back... Michael could not tell how he managed to stop at the edge of the wall and not fall back into the shelter yard. With the help of the boys, he finally crawled back up to the top. The entire city was in the blaze of fire. The ships were in flames, turning bright gold instead of pale silver. Huge black ships were entering the harbor. The fishermen¡¯s huts quickly caught on fire and twinkled like the lanterns of the rich neighborhood. The sea looked like it was on fire and its silver, the mirror-like surface reflected the fire dance. Michael could make out people like small fiery dots running in the night city. He could hear their screams even from the shelter wall. Terrified, Michael stared down at the city and he could not believe that what he was seeing was happening indeed until the shouts brought him back to his senses. ¡°Hold the sheets,¡± he heard the boys screaming. Michael turned around instantly. The watchman was awake, and he was seen staggering toward the gate. It was obvious that the mixture had worked, as the night watchman could barely walk. The shelter also woke up gradually. The rumble must have woken them up. Soon everybody would come out headed by the caregivers. Derek threw the sheet up, and Michael managed to catch it. He pulled it up and was about to jump when the sheets split in half, making Michael almost fall from the wall. The remaining part of the rope was too short to reach the torn other part, so the only remaining way was to help the boys crawl up the wall. ¡°Let Lucius be first. He is the lightest and will help me lift you,¡± shouted back Michael, throwing the remaining part of the rope down. Lucius caught the sheets and started to crawl up, helping the boys and Michael, who were trying to pull Lucius up. It was not easy to lift Lucius, but the boys still managed. At the bottom of the wall, three boys waited impatiently for their turn. These were the boys who had beaten Michael up on Sunday. Now Michael was in charge of their fate; he knew he could leave them in the shelter with Louisa if he did not let them crawl up. He knew the boys were also aware of this. However, Michael would not be able to behave in this way. He quickly threw the sheet back to them and lifted Simon, helped by Lucius. The shelter door opened before they could lift Simon and Louisa appeared in her nightgown, surrounded by her caregivers. Michael pulled strongly, as he was determined to help the boys up the wall. He felt his body tense and held the end of the sheet with all his might when he suddenly noticed a man in a hood standing at the other end of the wall. The man had his left hand up in the sky whilst covering his face with the right hand. If not, his cape fluttering in the wind, one might think he had turned into stone. The man¡¯s left hand disappeared and reappeared in the night, and the light made Michael look up. He saw a meteor-like fireball circle up in the air and move swiftly toward the shelter. ¡°Booooom!¡± Michael heard a deafening blast and, thrown up by the wave, the stars of the moonlit night flew before his eyes until his unexpected fall ended with a bang on the ground... Chapter V Chapter V The surgeon''s knife was glistening white in the light. Lucius, curled up on the floor, was bleeding from the nose and lips. He was eagerly trying to reach the knife snatched from him, lying close by. He was being pressed by the sharp spur that made it infinitely difficult to grab the weapon. "There is nothing to be done.., the Commander loves beautiful women...". The wide-shouldered soldier had a deep, heavy, and husky voice, heavier than the steel sabatons he was wearing... The iron gate was rumbling and booming. Boom... Boom... Boom..."Quick, Michael!" Lucius felt as if his own voice was cutting through his throat while he was running down the trail, panting. He jumped over huge stones and bushes, trying not to slow down. While running fast, he bumped into the trees, rolled down the slopes; his clothes had become dirty, torn, and ragged. He ached and bled from painful scratches and bruises all over his body. A long trace of blood followed him, but neither the pain nor the scratches could stop him from rescuing her sister. The silhouette of the city in flames flashed in the turns of the road and spurred Lucius to run even faster, but their bruised body made this impossible for both Lucius and Michael. They were heading towards Mondelay, to the city lit up in bright scarlet flames, to the city in which Laili was supposed to be. The fire made Lucius feel strange and experience an awful fear and unsurmountable attraction at the same time and he could not decide whether he loved or hated this yellowish, devastating force. Apart from the wounded who kept his eyes shut, there were the Commander and a well-built warrior in the room. The warrior had a heavy voice and a long scar across his cheek. "How did this bastard manage to reach me?" "Don''t kill him", the Commander''s whisper was distinctively sharp and memorably indifferent... "Let''s go!" He stood up instantly and walked towards the door. Without wearing armor, the Chief was armed only by the sword. "Should I stay for a bit?" Lucius could see the smirk on the warrior''s face, the snigger that embodied his hunger. The Commander suddenly stopped at the door and turned around: "When were you knighted De Caravel?" "Sixteen years ago." "Who knighted you?" "Arian De Brail, I was his squire. Why?" "I knew De Brail, he was a good warrior. I will be waiting for you in the yard. Stop the bleeding first". "I don''t understand", said the warrior with the scar on his face heavily. "My brother will even be grateful, the boy will confirm that I provoked you". The Commander pointed to the wounded boy. "Is this some kind of joke?" De Caravel could not believe his ears. The Commander looked at him with his straw-colored eyes. " I will wait in the garden", he said and left the room... The winter had robbed the nature of the green color. The bare trees painted skeleton-like shadows on the muddy ground. The bare-chested Commander was holding a sword. The knight in the greenish armor was spinning a spiky ball attached to the club. He was still bleeding from his wounds. The Commander no longer suggested stopping the bleeding. He swung the sword several times. They only used their weapons four times... The Commander cleaned the sword splashed with blood droplets, trickling from De Caravel''s throat onto the cloak of the defeated warrior. Boom...Boom...Boom...the voice of the terrifying rumbling could be heard miles away. " It must be really horrible up there", thought Lucius. Seeing the city burning in hellish flames brought back the memories of the huge bonfire in the center of Ardiel, where the red-headed woman was burnt. The woman, who... Lucius knew he could never get rid of this memory... He was trying to concentrate on the meandering trail leading to the city and there was only one reason for this - to forget about the flashbacks still roaming in his head and to survive. As the shortcut to the city that Michael had chosen turned out to be dangerous, one could easily slip and fall into the abyss. The city''s main headway was extremely long, that''s why they had decided to use this secondary road. Lucius''s whole body ached, pain was becoming more severe at every move he made. Although he was losing the hope of ever reaching the city, he never stopped running. Michael was following him without any complaint, even though he was much more bruised than Lucius. They headed towards the rich quarter of the city. They believed Laili must be there. When standing on the shelter wall, Lucius first caught a glimpse of the city in flames, he was horror-stricken realizing that Laili, his sister, was somewhere there. Then the hot airwave threw him down and when he regained consciousness, he rushed back to the collapsed gate of the shelter together with Michael. The building of the shelter and the yard had turned into ashes, together with the people abiding there. The shelter was shining bright yellow like a beacon in the middle of the yard. As soon as it was hit with the fireball, it caught on fire and burnt down together with people inside. Lucius and Michael stopped at the edge of the cliff to look down at the city. That''s when they first saw the ogre-like creature roaming in the center of Mondelay; when it roared and turned around, the terrified boys covered their ears with their hands. The gargantuan monster ran forward, with the ground shaking violently with each of the steps he made. "It is moving towards the rich neighborhood gate," cried Michael. "Laili!" Lucius once again realized what fate might have in store for his baby sister. They had just passed by the monster and now they were running towards the city without any idea what to do next. They tried not to speak about the people burnt alive in the shelter. It seemed so surreal that they could not even believe it was happening. They felt that if they talked about it, it would help them grasp the graveness of the situation, but it would be rather difficult to come to terms with the tragedy. The attack on the city started from the harbor. The fishermen''s settlement was only partially ruined. Although the entrance of the settlement had not yet caught fire, in the middle of the village and a little bit further, almost up to the end of it, burnt-down walls and roofs of the buildings were covered in smoke rising from the wet sand. The yellowish, disastrous force had swallowed the huts- on-stilts, lined along the beach. The fire did not spare kids, women, youth, or the elderly. The people, who had miraculously survived, were hectically carrying buckets of seawater to their burning houses trying to put the fire out, but would that be enough?!. The number of burnt, dead bodies was huge, one could hear the heart-wrenching cries of pain. Lucius could no longer cope with these hopeless, painful cries. The smell of the burnt flesh made him feel like vomiting, he believed he had to get away from there, his memories were gradually drifting back and he hated the part of himself that was so attracted to those dancing, yellow-red flames. The closer they got to the city, the easier it became to realize the scope of the catastrophe that had happened. Dead and burnt bodies were scattered on the ground, one could hear war cries and swoosh of swords. The citizens and the soldiers dressed in red uniforms could not even identify who or what they were fighting against. The invaders must have been genuinely powerful as amongst the dead people one could only see red uniforms or the fishermen''s bodies; the attackers'' dead bodies were nowhere to be seen. The attacks were getting more and more fierce and lasted only several seconds. Equipped with a scythe of death, the invisible enemy left the wounded warriors behind and penetrated deeper into the city. The wounded asked for help desperately, however, Lucius knew he was not able to assist anybody as he required help himself. They had to reach the rich district surrounded by high walls as soon as possible. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The boys, who had miraculously survived the attacks, were hiding away from the danger behind the wall, escaping the fate of the dead warriors. The swooshing of the crossbows and arrows made the air heavier - the people ambushed on their own balconies also fought against the enemy with their own arms. Arrows were more successful than swords. Dead blackish-green bodies, with the arrows sticking out like the spikes of a hedgehog, started to appear lying next to the red uniforms. Hearing the deafening noise, Lucius realized that the gate had collapsed. They rushed towards it. The streets were covered in corpses, the blood was flowing in streams. The boys slipped, fell on the sticky blood rivulets, and got back on their feet, covered in blood. Death makes everybody equal whether the rich or the poor. As if to prove this, the long-haired and amber-eyed soldiers with their carved daggers painted red and looking like death messengers under the moonlight killed everybody in their path. The red uniform warriors, equipped with crossbows fell from the balconies and roofs of the houses. Those left in the streets were dying slowly and painfully. Lucius felt he and Michael would share their fate unless they managed to get back to safety as fast. They crept up to several houses and banged on the doors imploring to be let in, but nobody proved to be courageous enough to open the doors to the people needing help desperately. Lucius and Michael were not the only people looking for the shelters behind the tightly locked doors. The wounded soldiers also tried to break into the houses but in vain. The buildings behind the well-locked doors hid away the faces of people trembling with fear. "Careful!" Lucius heard Michael''s voice and saw the glowing amber-colored eyes and raven black hair... Lucius could not really recall how he managed to avoid the sword that cut his hair off and left a trace on the thick, wooden wall he was leaning against, but what he knew for sure was that several seconds before he had tricked and escaped death. Now when he thought he was safe and away from the danger, the death was lurking at the end of the alley in the face of a tall greenish creature. The devilish amber eyes glowed in the darkness. The scar on his face looked like an eternal smile of death. The boys were looking for a place to get away from him but in vain. The window bars were locked from inside. One door, probably a back door, was so tightly closed that it turned out to be painful for the boys even to try breaking in. "This cannot be the end", Lucius thought to himself; hearing a buzzing noise, he saw an arrow stuck into the greenish creature''s back. Some wounded red uniform soldier must have noticed them from the roof, gathered his last strength, and shot the enemy down. "This way", Michael pointed at the door left ajar. Lucius rushed in and an old man closed the door after them instantly. The beast hit the door so powerfully that it was obvious the door would not hold for too long. "Follow me!" the old man cried in a faltering, weak voice and led the boys into the hall leading to a bigger room. The room was filled with people. Although there were mostly the wounded red uniform soldiers, there were quite a few citizens as well. Most of the people in the room were not injured seriously and holding the weapons in their hands, they were getting ready for the attack. Lucius felt much better at that moment. No matter how strong the scarface creature, treading towards them was, he was injured and bleeding heavily. Four soldiers were ready to fight against him and waited with their swords and spears up in the air. The curved swords gleaming in the candlelight threw millions of sparks around when the fight started. Together with the broken spear, the first red uniform soldier also fell whereas the other miraculously saved himself by jumping back, or he would have followed his comrade''s fate. The head of the spear sparkled in the shadowy room. Although the soldier aimed at the chest of the amber-eyed monster, with every strike of the sword he missed the target. The sword was smeared with the droplets from tiny scratches of the monster''s flesh. The third spear was not idle either and aimed at the monster''s throat, giving some hope of survival to those in the room, but it soon died together with the soldier, who had his face split into two halves with the monster''s sword. However, the beast was hit by one of the spears in the chest, but while falling, it still managed to throw his weapon at one of the remaining soldiers and killed him. The monster left without a weapon, grabbed one of his enemies by the throat, and cracked his neck in a second; then, he sprang up and pulled the spear out of his wound as if it was just a splinter. Lucius and other people stood dumbfounded, staring at the monster pulling out the spear from his wound which foreboded their deaths; despite this, they were unable to act. There was nowhere to hide in this building and other creatures were shedding the soldiers'' blood out in the streets, making it even more difficult to leave the room. The fight, in the house, only continued for several minutes and the monster managed to kill four more warriors. Lucius had no idea how the kids, the elderly, and several wounded men could fight against this monstrosity, especially without any arms at their disposal. Lucius'' was worried about his sister''s fate, but he knew deep in his heart, that he was worried for himself too, especially when he noticed the amber-eyed creature walking towards him with a broken spear in its hand. "What shall we do?" He heard Michael''s whisper and looking around he realized he was standing in front of the others. Only Michael and himself were standing in the middle of the room, while others were hiding in the corners of the room as if that could change their ultimate fate. If death was inevitable, was it really that important when to die? Was a ten-second life worth trembling in the corner of the room? A pair of devilish eyes approached them, causing horrible fear in those around them, reminding inevitable death. But as soon the monster raised the weapon he was holding to strike boys, he fell on the floor, lifeless from the bleeding wounds. There was a brief silence, then everybody sighed with relief. Lucius was looking down at the humanoid monster and his heart filled with ease and happiness. You could hear people fussing around and helping the wounded. Lucius headed towards the broken door. "Where are you going?" He heard the voice of the elderly man, who had saved him by letting him into his shelter. "To the rich district", Michael was the first to answer. The boys walked to the door. "You won''t be able to reach the place alive", said the elderly man peeping through the curtain, "The fight in the streets is not over yet", he added in a frail voice. Lucius was never given the cellar keys. He could only go down there with his Father, where they would make poisons and medicines. Mother was crying since the Commander had left. It was the second time Lucius had seen her crying. The first was when the ship sank near the Mondelay harbor. She added two ingredients to the medicine prepared for the wounded and opened the bedroom door. "Take this, it will help you", it took her a lot of effort to say those words and leave the room... The houses in Mondelay were built close to one another from the very beginning. This, however, helped them greatly: it was risky to walk out in the streets of the town, and the boys decided to get to the rich quarter of the city jumping from one rooftop to another. Even though this was not safe either, it was much better than the other option. Lucius regretted not thinking of it earlier. "Stay here, Michael, I don''t want you to risk your life because of me", Lucius insisted, but Michael refused to stay behind. Truth be told, Lucius was deeply grateful for not having to walk close to all those dead bodies and bloodshed rooftops on his own. They could already see the gates leading to the rich people''s quarter quite clearly. One of the iron doors was broken off, the other one was heart-wrenchingly screeching on the remaining hinges. Such strong gates could have been destroyed only by the monsters they had seen in the center of the city when running away from the shelter. "Can you imagine the real size of that monstrosity? Does not he look huge?" Michael asked and pointed at huge deep footprints imprinted on the muddy road. Jumping from a rooftop to a rooftop, from a corpse to a corpse, from the bloodstain to the bloodstain, in the end, they reached the gate. Exhausted, covered in blood, smelling like corpses they were facing a totally different problem: they had to climb onto the balcony first, then slide down into the yard. Time flew faster than ever. No one knew when the amber-eyed enemies would appear. Dead bodies were scattered all over the balcony. Lucius started climbing first, gripping the edge of the wood with his hands, slowly moving his body over, and trying to reach the pillar of the balcony with his foot. His hands, sticky with blood, were slippery and he had no other way but to jump down on the dead bodies with a thud. Lucius looked around. There was no one alive. The boy prayed to Rahail to let this situation remain unchanged, or rather, he would pray if he was a believer, but his faith had disappeared together with him witnessing a body burning on the campfire in Ardiel, accompanied with dreadful shouts: witch... devil... witch... and in this ocean of sounds, he could still remember one distinct heartbreaking scream which was especially difficult to bear, the scream of the woman on fire, not only before she surrendered to the flames, but after that too.. in Lucius'' memory, in his heart, and his whole body... even now... her screams lived in his mind all the time. Since that very day, apart from the desire to save his sister, he was driven with the desire for revenge. And now, hanging from the rooftop he tried to jump down, following Michael; he hesitated, but his friend beckoned him to hurry up. Lucius did not wait any longer and jumped. The starry sky flashed in front of him; jumping down he brought the banister down with him, which rolled towards the street. Michael ran after the banister frantically, grabbed it, and brought it back. Lucius was still breathless. They quickly lay flat amongst the bodies. The amber-eyed monsters strolled along the street. The boys could distinctly hear their voices, talking in a strange language, which sounded as if spoken through their teeth. The boys did not leave the place for a while. Although Lucius'' back was hurting it did not bother him. He stood up to continue walking. The boys crawled over the banister carefully. "Jump on three", Lucius whispered to Michael, and started to count." One, two,.." He had not yet counted up to three when Lucius jumped. His back hurt so badly that he bit his lips, still, they were lucky to be alive. The pavement leading to the rich quarter looked like a death path. The arrow-stricken bodies mostly belonged to the enemy''s army. Everything was covered in blood and some black liquid which Lucius could not identify. Michael realized that people must have poured boiled oil down from the gates. The gate was broken into with an inconceivable force, half of it was still swinging on the hinges while the broken parts of the other half were scattered on the ground. Weeping and moans, shouts, desperate screams, war cries, orders, buzzing of the arrows, and rattling and jingling of the armor coming from the rich neighborhood were deafening. A savage fight was in progress between the city defenders and the amber-eyed monsters. "How are we going to get there?", Michael gasped. Lucius had no answer to that question. Dreadful images of the battlefield started from the gate, near the houses built in the gothic style with tall windows and meandered through the riches lanes. Together with the maddening things happening around, the wide squares and statues of the fountains were arranged as a background to the insanity happening in the rich quarter. Lucius was about to become a part of this ocean of madness... Chapter VI Chapter VI Boom... Boom... Boom... Boom... ¡°The church bells,¡± Michael exclaimed, - ¡°why are they chiming?¡± Going to the gate of the city was still a senseless idea. They were hiding under the staircase and when they were about to lose hope of survival, finally they came... ¡°The cavalry!¡± Michael gasped as soon as he saw the riders seated upright on galloping horses. The knights rushed through the gate. Mounted on horses and clad in shining chain mails, they seemed like a stroke of wrath, sent to help the city defenders in the fight against the yellow-eyed army. ¡°One horseman equals three or four infantry soldiers,¡± Lucius recalled the words of the old warrior in the village. There were so many of them they filled the entire city. The rattle of the armor and the clatter of the hooves was like a river, a sea of unstoppable movement. Deep in heart, Lucius hoped that the appearance of the cavalry meant winning the war. They could enter the noble district. That¡¯s what he had been waiting for... Herbs worked, mom was in a deep sleep, and the boy knew she would not wake up for a while. He knew that the key to the cellar was kept in the room. He had turned everything upside down before he found the key hidden in the farthest corner of the lower drawer in the cupboard. ¡°Stay here, Laili!¡± He ordered the girl and closed the door behind., The stairs went deeply into the cellar and with each step, the cold got stronger. There were books downstairs... dangerous books. One could also find rare herbs and dangerous plants too. Lucius knew where to look for that book... ¡°How to find the house here?¡± Lucius could barely hear his own words amongst the neighing of the horses and screams of the people. ¡°The nobles¡¯ houses are located deeper in the neighborhood. If we reach the place, we can find the house we need by the family symbols¡±, Michael answered, almost screaming. He was leaning against the bloody wall and could hardly breathe. He could not believe that they were surviving through this horrible slaughter. ¡°We have to move, we should not stop!¡± Michael screamed at Lucius, who instantly came back to reality and forced his feeble body to stand up. Once again they crawled towards their goals and safety through corpses. There was a raven with open wings engraved on the man¡¯s ring. Lucius hoped to find the place where his little sister could have been. Michael also remembered seeing some similar signs on one house during one of his Sunday trips, but he could not recall exactly where it had been. The boys were waiting for the right time to continue their way, still hiding behind the corpses. Suddenly a drop fell on Lucius¡¯ forehead. It was about to rain. ¡°Come on!¡± Screamed Michael once again, running ahead. Lucius followed him. Having lost their way, they accidentally ran in the middle of the battlefield, so they had to get away by crawling on the ground, with the spears and swords sparkling in the fire above their heads. ¡°To the right! Careful!¡± Michael¡¯s screams helped Lucius to jump quicker, avoiding the hatchet hitting his head, but couldn¡¯t survive the horse. A wavelike hit threw him away. He felt a terrible pain in his entire body. Still, he glimpsed a horseman in armor, riding away. Every street, every corner was full of the neighing of sweaty horses, screams of the exhausted citizens, moans of the dying, wounded people, and mixed blood and human flesh. As if all this was not enough, it poured down together with a strong wind. The lives of nobles, still hiding behind the thick shutters, had not yet been maimed with the swords of the enemy, which filled Lucius with hope. He believed that if his sister was still there; she was safe yet, and he had to find her. These beasts would not back off, they were planning to attack the noble quarter. Lucius had been standing for six hours. Six hours of concentration surrounded by the herbs and mixtures in dusty flasks... ¡°Can you recognize any of these coats of arms?¡± Michael heard his friend¡¯s question. Lucius, relying on his friend¡¯s shoulder, tried to hold himself against the rain and wind. Flags were hanging on the balconies of the castles, but the blowing wind made it difficult to distinguish them. Neither the weather nor the circumstances made it easy to observe the symbols on the coats of arms. ¡°Let¡¯s get closer!¡± Lucius tried to scream, but he could only let out a whisper. Still, Michael understood what his friend meant. One could see various emblems on the flags hanging from the balconies: the snake around the spear against the red background, a bear, a turtle, three swords, a fish, a circle, and many more, but a raven with open wings was nowhere to be seen. The noble neighborhood stretched over a vast territory. In the torrential rain and gale, it was almost impossible to find a house they were looking for. They had left the battlefield behind, but no one knew when the enemy army would reach the center of the town. The emblems on the houses made the old buildings look majestic. Their grandness shone through the rain. The boys felt as if the cold permeated their skin and reached their bones. The icy rain droplets scratched their faces like sharp knives. ¡°Where are you, black raven?!¡± They had to find it before the yellow army approached the center... ¡°Can it be this one?¡± Michael sounded tired. Lucius looked at what Michael was pointing at and glimpsed a blackbird on a cloth fluttering in the wind; however, the bird¡¯s wings were not open. The boys moved faster. After a couple of buildings, they saw a bird with open wings. Lucius leaned against Michael¡¯s shoulder. The figure slowly took shape in front of their eyes, and it resembled the bird with open wings carved on the man¡¯s ring. Meanwhile, the battlefield was moving towards the noble district and the rich, who were protected by the thick walls from death, were getting ready to protect their properties, together with their bodyguards and servants. This part of the noble quarter had not yet witnessed ruthless battles, and the streets were not yet scattered with dead bodies; the boys had to look for shelter in case they had to hide. Lucius knew they would have to. The wind¡¯s howling noises drowned out the ferocious battle cries and screeches, the rain blurred the vision. ¡°Jump! Quickly!¡± Michael pushed Lucius towards the canal. Lucius realized swimming in icy cold water was the only chance to survive. They took a deep breath and dived underwater. At that moment, it seemed unimportant to them what they could die of - the hands of ruthless warriors or be drowned in the canal. Lucius was the first to emerge. Only when he breathed in the cold air, he believed he was alive. They agreed not to surface often, so they could remain safe and sound for some time. They squatted in the water, leaning against the canal wall, shivering with cold. Even though the torrential rain could, they hear the shouts of the warriors and the clanking sounds of the swords, which were becoming more and more distant. That meant the army was moving deeper toward the center. ¡°Shall we follow up the canal?¡± Michael was still shivering from cold, ¡°Wow! If we survive all this, it would be unimaginable, Lucius!¡± The boys tried to swim along the canal so they would not fall and be dragged backward by the strong current... Repeatedly they would emerge to the surface to breathe in the air. They felt the enemy was attacking the family castles. The roar of the golem was so strong that the airwaves made the canal vibrate and despite every trouble, they had gone through so far, the fear evoked from this impact was still incomparable. It was pouring The slippery walls presented a perfect hiding place, but getting out of there would be difficult. It was unbearably cold, but they could not risk coming out. In the end, when they were out, they feared there would be no one else to save in the noble neighborhood. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s stupid to get out of the canal now¡±, chattering his teeth, Lucius repeated to himself. The battle sounds gradually died out, which meant that they had moved ahead again. ¡°Should we check out what¡¯s happening?¡± Lucius started crawling up the slippery wall. After several attempts, he was successful and standing on Michael¡¯s shoulders, he tried to look across the canal. The houses around the canal lay in ruins. Yellow-eyed soldiers were looking for people in the rubble. They could hear a deafening roar in the distance. This only proved the fact that the cavalry was helpless against him. Now or never, thought Lucius, and, leaning on his elbows, crawled out of the canal. Next, he helped Michael out of the water. Raven imprinted fabric covered the ruins of the building on the opposite side of the canal. The boys sighed and ran across the street to the ruins. Only a wall remained from a large building, the facade laid in ruins. The boys ran through the rubble, getting more and more worried about seeing bodies under the stones and mud brought by the flash flood. They looked around the collapsed buildings and halls, but there was no one to be seen. The enemy knew his job perfectly well. Some of the half-ruined buildings had kept their past grandeur. In some of them, even candles were on. Looking at the red walls, black wooden ornaments on the staircases and dimly lit halls arose the feeling of mystery in Lucius. ¡°Can you hear that?¡± Michael whispered. The boys kept still for a minute. Soon they heard footsteps and talk in rough, guttural sounds. They moved closer to the wall. Several seconds later, four enemy soldiers appeared, holding torches. As soon as they noticed anybody alive, they instantly killed them with their spears. One of them said something in their guttural language and all four of them ran away shouting. As if hovering above the floor, Lucius carefully tiptoed to the room with a broken door and peered inside. They were there in the room, standing at the bookshelf, discussing something. Although Lucius could not understand a word they were saying, he still listened carefully so that he could at least grasp gestures and infer something from the context. They were talking, pointing to the bookshelves. The second one walked to the row of shelves and touched it. The shelves started moving and revealed a secret door. ¡°This must be the secret hiding place of the aristocrats¡±, whispered Michael, watching the last amber-eyed disappear through the door. ¡°It must be..¡± Lucius¡¯s voice trailed off as he entered the library. He carefully headed towards the shelves, when... Screams, shouts, clatter... It didn¡¯t take Lucius long to guess that must have been the hiding place of the aristocrats, and Laili could have been there with them. With the help of a chair, he took down the torch attached to the wall and looked for a weapon, but the closest he could find was a bottle, and Michael was already holding it. Lucius felt every second was precious and decisive, so he ran straight through the small door leading to the basement with bare hands and ran down the stairs. It was damp down there; the noises came right from the depth of the basement. He jumped several steps and rushed towards one more door broken into by the enemy soldiers. A dozen torches blinded him and ran into Michael, falling on the stone wall. There was a heated fight between the castle defenders and the enemy. The aristocrats¡¯ guards outnumbered the visitors and had already killed most of them with their arrows, but the enemy¡¯s strength considered the fate of the battle was difficult to be predicted. Lucius searched for the inhabitants using the torchlight. Finally, he glimpsed a group of people hiding in the farthest corner of the room, among which there was a little girl. ¡°Laili!¡± Lucius recognized his sister instantly and approached her stealthily, with no one paying attention to him amidst the people slaughtering each other. The girl also saw her brother and tried to run towards him, but somebody¡¯s hand was holding her back. When Lucius thought he could finally hug his sister, he bumped into someone and fell again. What drew Lucius¡¯s attention was the man¡¯s elegant clothing and a shining sword. Then suddenly he saw the bottle, the only weapon Michael had, hit his head. ¡°Let the girl go!¡± Lucius heard a stern voice and when he tried to get up, he saw Michael threatening the nobleman with his own sword. ¡°Quickly!¡± Michael added again, and the woman let the girl go. ¡°Take the girl and go, I will catch up with you soon¡±, Michael said in a low voice. Lucius hugged his little sister and followed Michael¡¯s orders. He would not show off fake bravery. He had not persuaded Michael to help him with pathetic words. Lucius had to save his sister and would not let go of the chance because of the remorse. Their lives had been put in danger for a long time, anyway. ¡°Where are you taking Lizzie?¡± He heard a woman¡¯s desperate voice. They have given his sister a new name. ¡°Her name is Laili¡±, he whispered and headed towards the exit. He walked, stooping, holding his baby sister in his hands. The little girl was hugging her brother. Lucius reached the door slowly and carefully, but as soon as he got there, he ran up the stairs. He could not yet believe that he had found his sister. He could not believe that he could do so much, that he was so able and powerful, that his broken and frozen body was still alive and he could even run up the stairs. Now it was important to leave the building in one piece. ¡°Lucius!¡± He heard a scream from behind and saw Michael jumping from behind the door, followed by three men. ¡°Run!¡± He shouted to Lucius, who felt the imminent danger. Could they really take his sister away after all this? Could he lose her? He could hardly run fast with the little girl in his arms. Lucius asked Laili not to cry; they had to get away from the place as soon as they could. He ran along the hall and ran down the stairs, but then bounced back into the hall. Noticing that one room still had a door, he ran towards it and into the room. The ruined wall presented a view over the garden from the second floor. He turned around to find another way, but it was already too late- Michael and three other men were in the hallway and while there was only one door in the hall, there was no point going back. He put Laili down on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡±, he whispered to her and ran to the door so that he could lock it as soon as Michael was in. There was not a long-distance left between the pursuers and Michael. As soon as he ran into the building, they locked the door behind him. The second passed, and terrible kicks and jerks shook the door. Both boys looked at the ruined wall -the only way was to jump out of the building. ¡°I will jump first, throw Laili to me, I will catch her, then you follow us,¡± Michael said and Lucius nodded without saying a word. Lucius hoped that after the rain, the ground would be softer than usual. They had to hasten; the enemies were about to break into the room. Michael stood on the edge of the wall. One, two and go! The boy fell on the wet ground. ¡°I am OK!¡± Michael shouted from downstairs and spread his arms to catch Laili. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared¡±, Lucius encouraged his sister. However, he hesitated before letting her go. Suddenly, the door banged open. And he had no other option but to throw her to Michael. Michael skillfully caught the little girl. Lucius was about to jump too when somebody caught him with his collar. The boy tried to get away from three followers, but in vain. ¡°Where is the girl?¡± Screamed one of them. He then saw Michael in the yard and shouted: ¡°Don¡¯t move, or I will kill him!¡±. When Lucius started rasping, he realized the men were talking to Michael. He could barely breathe, everything was getting blurry, however, he could still make out two yellow dots at the door, but did not know whether he had to be happy about that. Two of the noblemen were armed, but partly because they saw the yellow-eyed soldiers late and partly because the adversaries were much stronger than the noblemen, they slaughtered all three of them on the spot. Lucius, however, crawled to the edge of the ruins and fell into the yard. Lucius¡¯s shirt got caught by the protruded edge of the ruins, but this did not stop the fall, it only tore the last shirt Lucius owned. The boy fell on the wet grass. After a painful fall, Lucius slowly stood up and, with the help of Michael, slowly headed towards the castle yard gates. The broken fences circled the yard. Michael was carrying Laili, and both of them were full of hope. When the boys heard a thug behind them, Lucius knew who that might have been without looking back... The yellow-eyed soldier was covered in blood, however, it was difficult to tell whose blood it was, his own or the dead ones he had just slaughtered. He was moving towards the boys sitting on the ground, tired out and waiting for the soldier to approach. There was a sound of a siren which sounded like a scream. The amber-eyed suddenly turned around and ran away. Michael stood up, looked around, walked to the fence, but returned in a minute. ¡°They are running away¡±, he said, confused. Then he kneeled near Laili, caressed her, and smiled at her: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± but the embarrassed girl hid behind her brother¡¯s back. Lucius laughed at this sight. Michael joined in as if nothing had happened that day; as if they had not seen bloodstreams, had not heard moans, deafening rumbling, they stood in the middle of the yard of the castle and laughed nervously until the horsemen appeared to make sure there were no amber-eyed people left in the buildings so that they would never scare people. The commander was wearing crimson armor. One could see his amber eyes below the lifted face- shield of the helmet. He was sitting in the armchair, sipping wine from a red, gilded chalice. Lucius knew he would never understand the reason the commander had preferred to wear armor in the tavern, but the boy who had just come out of the cellar could not care less. He had been choosing the herbs for some time, making sure the result was effective and slow so that every soldier would have enough time to drink as much as possible before the herbs showed the side effects. The mud floor in the cellar was still wet from wine. Lucius looked in the eyes of the commander, which stared back for a minute before averting them. Indifference could be seen in that gaze, the indifference that was replaced by the sudden fear and falling on the floor. The red, gilded chalice broke into small pieces. The commander seized his own throat with one hand, trying to grab the edge of the fireplace with the other, to escape falling. Lucius saw the fulfillment of his ambitions in the commander¡¯s rasping. He headed to the commander, while other soldiers were twisting in pain on the floor. Lucius could also hear the screams of the servers and the owner of the inn, but he was not sure where from. He slowly moved towards the commander and saw fear settle in his amber eyes... His face was crimson-mauve and thus it remained in Lucius¡¯ memory, when, pushed by him, the Commander fell in the fire and his painful shrieks deafened the whole tavern... Chapter VII Chapter VII A tiny bald man had climbed up a broken ladder leaned against the house wall, nailing a piece of wood onto the rooftop. His wife was standing close to the ladder with her hands full of nails, handing them up to her husband time and again. When not needed, she would run into the house giving off a mouthwatering smell of newly- baked bread. The husband kept grumbling about her forgetting to come back to help him. Michael was starving and the mouthwatering aroma of fresh bread made him even hungrier. Lucius did not feel better either. They had not eaten for four days. Thank god they had been able to nick a bottle of milk for Laili which kept the little one content. ¡®Quick or he will finish soon¡¯, whispered Michael to Lucius, who approached the ladder carrying the baby and holding out his hand for alms. The man looked down and accidentally hit his finger with the hammer. Shocked with pain, he started swearing and blowing on his hurt finger. ¡®Please give us something to eat, asked Lucius in a pitiful voice. ¡®You back again? screamed the woman, ¡®go away, get lost!¡¯ ¡®My little sister is starving, please¡¯. The outraged woman shouted at the boy while the man was still busy blowing on his finger. Michael took advantage of the moment and ran into the house. The frying pan on the oven caught his eye and the mouthwatering smell of the baking bread made him almost dizzy. He swiftly grabbed the bread with his bare hands, but was not able to scrape it off from the frying pan; Although his fingers were burning, he did not let out a cry. Now it was his turn to blow air on his fingers, but this did not help him much. Michael saw a spoon nearby, grabbed it, and tried to scrape some bread off the pan, but no success again. He could not think of anything else but to snatch the cloth and tie it around the handle of the pan. He rushed out of the kitchen as quickly as he could. Michael¡¯s escape with the pan was soon followed by the nasty curses from the woman noticing the thief¡¯s desperate actions. Lucius ran in the opposite direction which somewhat confused the woman as she could not decide which one to follow. Michael ran as quickly as he could and paid no attention to the dusty streets, burnt-down buildings, clothes hanging on lines to dry in narrow streets; he raced ahead carrying his steaming loot. The air was filled with the smell of wet clothes and old houses¡­ He was already somewhere between the baskets marketplace and a tiny bell tower, which had miraculously survived the attack. He sat down near the narrow side street to regain his breath. But now a different, treacherous feeling sneaked into him. The well-baked crust looked delicious¡­ ¡°No, Lucius, the baby¡­¡± He stood up quickly and headed towards that bridge under which he and Lucius were to meet. It took him around ten minutes to get to the bridge. Lucius and Laili were already waiting under the arch built with yellow brick. ¡®Did you run long?¡¯, asked Lucius, when Michael sat on the brick under the bridge and put the pan next to him. ¡°No, I soon felt nobody was following me, so I walked here¡±, he answered. Laili was waddling on the pavement and drinking milk from the half-empty bottle which she was holding with both of her chubby hands. The boys ate warm bread which soon disappeared, but, although it could not satisfy them, Michael felt still full and knew this feeling would last quite long. Half of Mondelay was burnt down after the attack. The part of the city that was built along the right bank of the river had survived while the other side of the town was completely destroyed. One could still notice random houses in the fishermen¡¯s settlement still looking safe, but obvious traces of fire were still visible. The city was swarming with starving beggars and completely devoid of food. The ship had brought some food to the country, but that was obviously not enough and everything was extremely expensive. The knights were ruling the city at that moment and made the laws stricter and stricter day by day. Anyone who dare steal will have their finger cut off. And if they were caught again, they would have to say goodbye to their hand, but the fear of the punishment did not make things easier. People did not hesitate to steal even standing in front of the red - uniform soldiers, and Michael was not a bit surprised by that. They preferred to risk and survive, rather than to die of hunger, so they risked their fingers, some of them successfully, some of them not so much. Having no money, they started begging, Laili¡¯s hunger made them forget their pride, but people who had nothing for themselves, could not spare anything for others, especially now when there were so many beggars in the streets. Ganged-up youngsters roamed around the streets, taking from the kid''s food and clothes collected by begging during the day. People had started fighting for ¡°better places to beg¡±, two hungry teenage boys with a little child could not cope well with others. The only way to survive was to go from house to house and collect some food by begging. At least they would not be attacked. If the boys saw someone decently dressed in the street, they would walk up to them and beg for help, but what they occasionally got was denial. Some of the people looked embarrassed when refusing them. Others would start screeching and screaming as soon as they saw them and some of them would not even open the doors to them. Once, when they were kicked out from the house entrance, they went back and nicked a bottle of milk for Laili from an open window. After this, they realized that going from door to door asking for help would not take them far and started stealing food. They would only steal from those people who had refused to have mercy on them or cursed them while refusing to help. That¡¯s how they ended up at the house with the ladder, and when the housewife did not give them any food and provided them new curse words, the boys suddenly cooked up a plan to steal from her. This plan worked out well for them and soon both of the boys sat under the bridge feeling full and watching Laili, they were even chatting away quite happily. Michael noticed positive changes in Lucius after they had found Laili. However, although Lucius was becoming less distant and more open, he was still quite curt. Michael could not say for sure what the reason was behind this change, Laili or something else, but there was something he knew for sure, that in this bloody and burnt down city, he had a friend and there was a little girl who he loved as his little sister. As well as this, he was no longer starving, so what else was necessary for contentment? They were sitting under the bridge for a while, then they got bored and decided to walk up to the city. As they could not leave Laili anywhere, they took her with them. It was chilly; they had left Lucius¡¯ coat hanging on the wall in the rich district and it was difficult to survive without a coat in such cold weather. Michael lent him his coat once or twice, but he was also feeling chilly. Laili was in a better condition in that sense. She was wearing warm clothes bought to her by her rich foster family. At least, the boys were not worried about her. Michael was holding her hand in the streets and her hobble made him smile. Laili was curious about everything and pointed at objects around to learn more about them. Michael tried to boost his authority in her eyes and answer each and every question, whether correctly or incorrectly, he did not care. Lucius did not interfere with their talk, he was staring at the horizon as if searching for something, but he still managed to be attentive to his little sister. They had the stolen pan with them, hoping they could exchange it for money so that they could buy some clothes. Thus they walked along the street with a little girl, who still found it difficult to trot on her own. These were the streets the boys had run around looking for her when the city was on fire; the streets were covered in corpses and puddles of blood were to be seen everywhere. Something happened that night that made his longing to live even stronger. He wondered when and from where this feeling had come. Maybe that happened the night they escaped the death, or maybe when they found Laili or managed to travel the most dangerous route from the shelter to the rich people¡¯s houses. One thing that Michael knew for sure was that something essential had changed in his soul, in his whole being. He was no longer the boy who used to stand in front of Aunt Luiza¡¯s office, shivering at the thought of the next punishment imposed on him. Michael had matured¡­ The burnt-down shelter, the city glowing red, the coat left at one of the rich people¡¯s houses, walking on the corpses, could all these be insignificant for a young boy?! The shelter caregivers and students, the night watchmen, and Aunt Luiza were no longer alive¡­ Michael loved some of the people at the shelter and hated, was scared of, or pitied others. Those people were an inseparable part of his fourteen-year-old life. They were no longer amongst the living people, the fire had consumed their flesh and souls. Was this that easy to recover from? Michael talked to Lucius about the man in the hoodie standing on top of the shelter gate. He had not noticed him, he must have been carried away by his own thoughts. But what would make him surprised anymore, hadn¡¯t he witnessed the grey creature tear down a huge iron gate?! No one in the city knew why this terrible slaughter had happened, who were those people, or why they had attacked Mondelay¡­ People were consumed with fear, some thought it was the punishment sent by Rahail, others believed the attackers were human beings disguised as monsters and the monster did not exist at all. Some people even thought they wanted to kill the commander of the city (nobody believed this though, why would they send so many people just to kill one man?). Michael had even heard that all that had happened in order to rob the main temple of Rahail. Because of such a diversity of opinions, it was impossible to trust one of them. They said a lot of things, but the truth was that no one had ever witnessed anything like this before. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. At the moment the city was under the control of Lord Rain and his guardsmen. When they first appeared in the city, the conquerors had already left. The attackers had collected their dead, but the traces of the attack could still be seen in the city: damaged walls, destroyed pavements, burnt-down buildings, the torn-down gate, and many casualties made it obvious that something terrible and significant had happened in the city. The whole city was under construction, everybody tried selflessly to reconstruct the ruined city. Michael did not want to even imagine how long it would take to bring back the old glory of the city, but most of all, he was heartbroken about the harbor. The whole harbor had been destroyed together with the ships. The surviving sailors and boat builders had put up their tents on the beach. The merchants had returned to the city, selling everything necessary at extremely high prices. They had even managed to open the taverns near the harbor. The sailors did not hesitate to spend their last gold coins on drinks. One could hear their drunk singing from the taverns. Michael was genuinely surprised that they still had a desire to sing carefree and spend their last coins on drinks after they had lost everything¡­ They slowly passed by the basket market. Michael had seen this place many times during his Sunday trips. The city was full of life then, but now nobody cared about the baskets, the market was almost empty. The boys tried not to approach the house with the ladder, so when they left the market behind, they turned right and went along a narrow street that led to stone steps. Then they walked up to the huge fountain with a statue of an old man holding a trident in the middle. The statue had his nose chopped off. Michael had seen that place quite often and remembered how lively, swarming with people it used to be. Now only a dozen doves were wandering around and no one to give them the seeds to peck. The boys walked up the narrow street. There were four-five-story houses on both sides of the street and apparently this neighborhood had not been damaged by the fire. The clothes were hanging on the balconies and the ropes stretched across from one building to another. The inhabitants were talking to each other so loudly that everyone could overhear conversations. The topic did not change, the attack on the city and the magic that accompanied everything. The tales about the magicians had long been made up to scare kids, so Michael did not really pay much attention to them. Michael had to listen even to the complaints of the prostitutes, who had been left without jobs and were scattered around in side-streets. The only new information he learned was that the rich were planning to erect a statue to commemorate the red-uniform soldiers slain in the fight against the enemy. There was so many dead in the city, amongst both the soldiers and ordinary citizens, that it had become necessary to widen the graveyard. The guardsmen asked the people to bury their dead as soon as possible, in order to avoid any kind of dangerous diseases. People started selling second-hand stuff in Mondelay. They opened a new market near the fountain and that¡¯s exactly where boys were heading to, hoping to sell their pan, or exchange it for warm clothes. The boys walked around the stalls while the merchants were suspiciously watching them. Kids were known to be good at stealing clothes from some merchants and selling to others quite cheaply. Michael saw one of the merchants take some clothes from a boy and hoped he would be able to sell their pan as well. He also saw the same merchant take something from the hands of a little girl; so it was decided to approach him. An elderly, silver-haired man with a black mustache was sitting next to his stall. ¡®What are you looking for?¡± He asked the boys. ¡®We want to sell this¡¯, Michael showed him the pan he had been carrying like a flag all the way, ¡®We saw one girl give you a parcel, maybe you will want to buy this¡¯, added Lucius calmly. The man with a mustache did not say anything for a while but kept staring at the boys. ¡®Okay, I will have it, he was first to speak and threw two copper coins on the stall. ¡®The pan costs much more than this¡¯, spoke Lucius again, still quite calmly and the merchant added one more coin. ¡®I won¡¯t give you any more, it was obvious from his voice he would agree to give them more if Michael and Lucius started bargaining. Michael did not really like that the man frequently sneaked a peek behind their backs. Michael looked back and noticed a boy with chestnut hair staring at him and Lucius. Soon he was joined by two more boys and the gang started moving towards them. Michael felt something bad was about to happen, so they took three coins and quickly left the place. ¡®We are being followed, whispered Lucius, who was carrying Laili in his arms. ¡®Get ready¡¯, whispered Michael and unexpectedly they turned into another street, mingled in with the crowds of people in order to get rid of the pursuers and when they were about to leave the market, Michael looked back. He was just going to whisper to Lucius that they were no longer followed when the chestnut-haired boy suddenly appeared from between the stalls; He was obviously much older and faster than Lucius and Michael and he could catch up with them pretty soon. He would catch Michael first, as Lucius, with Laili in his arms, was fast to escape. ¡®We have to think of something¡¯, mumbled Michael to himself. Every hope was gone: the boy with chestnut hair was following them whereas the other two boys had taken a shortcut and were running towards them. Michael kneeled. It happened so quickly that the followers were not able to stop and stumbling on Michael, fell on the ground and rolled downhill. Meanwhile, before the followers managed to stand up again, Michael and Lucius were already running in the other direction. While running they caught a glimpse of a boy standing in the middle of a narrow street and gazing at them. ¡®He must be one of them too¡¯, thought Michael, but there was no time left to think, he could hear the followers¡¯ footsteps. They ran into a small alley¡­ Little did they know that they were trapped in a dead end¡­ The followers were no longer in a hurry seeing that, the boys had already walked in the trap. The first one to approach was the chestnut-haired boy followed by the one tricked by Michael. His face was all red and scratched, he looked furious and Michael instantly knew he was in trouble. Panting, Lucius let Laili down, made her stand in the corner and calmly asked not to move until she was told to. The girl followed the orders, she was not scared, but then again, she knew so little of what was happening. Lucius¡¯ face showed no emotion: he looked coldly at the boys. Michael was a bit embarrassed by his own fear and tried to look at the followers. All three looked much older than him, the chestnut-haired one was a lot taller than him. ¡®If only I had that pan now¡¯, wished Michael¡­ ¡®Money! Quickly!¡¯ Those freezing words were followed by ugly swear words and threats. Michael stood frozen and tried to pluck up his courage to give him a proper answer, but Lucius did this first running towards the boys with his fists held high. He even tried to hit the chestnut-haired boy, but the latter turned out to be stronger and threw him down with a single strike. Michael overcame his fear and ran towards the much older adversary but the chestnut-haired boy hit him so hard that Michael felt his eyes spark the fire. They might have thought that they could throw him on the ground with one strike too, so he turned to Lucius, however, Michael went through beating up like this every Sunday from Derek, so he soon regained his consciousness. Michael overcame his fear the moment he was running towards the chestnut-haired boy. Before the fight, he was terrified but when it actually started, he felt the fear disappear. He only focused on what was happening around him, that¡¯s all. He hit the chestnut-haired boy (who had turned to Lucius) with his right fist in the stomach and when the latter turned around to him, he was hit in the face. Michael would gladly kick his bleeding nose, but two other boys attacked him and he fell down. Lucius jumped on one of the attackers and got rid of him. But the other one was towering over him, trying to strangle him so strongly that Michael started rasping. Lucius managed to free one of his hands and pushed his finger into his eye to draw him away from Michael. The boy yelled with pain and jumped away from them. Lucius was about to kick him when he saw Michael kick the boy between his legs, and push the curled-up boy away from him. He swiftly jumped up, but the chestnut hair hit him so badly that he was about to fall on the ground, but stepped back and kept the balance that way. He caught a glimpse of someone¡¯s left hand coming towards him too, but thankfully he managed to bend down, otherwise, he would not be able to stand. Next, he tried to attack the boy and wrestle with him but the adversary turned out to be much stronger than Michael, and quite easily, he threw Michael against the wall. He felt all the air leave his lungs while lying on the ground unable to breathe and feeling painful kicks delivered by the darker boy. He saw Lucius thrown to the ground by two other attackers, notice Laili biting one of the boy¡¯s feet and Lucius shielding her from the kicks. ¡®What are you doing?¡¯, this was not a question aimed at an answer, it sounded like a mocking¡­ The chestnut-haired stopped kicking Michael. ¡®And who are you?¡¯, He asked back. Michael stood up in pain and looked in the direction where the voice was coming from. It was the guy, because of whom they ran into the dead-end (or, rather, because of him blocking the road, standing in the middle), he was approaching them, strolling. His blond hair was dancing and waving in the wind. He must have been a bit taller and older than Michael. He was moving with a strange self-confidence and a sarcastic smirk on his face. His voice was filled with irony too. As if he had not heard the question, he continued with his monologue. ¡®I would not have interfered with your fight, but as the baby is also involved, I will take her and you can continue doing whatever you like¡¯, he finished his speech, when he went closer to Lucius, his two adversaries, and Laili. He quickly took the girl and moved back. ¡®Where are you taking her¡¯, screamed Lucius and tried to get up, but those two were holding him back¡­ The stranger slowly walked away. Chapter VIII Chapter VIII Everyone stared at the blond boy and the baby, confused. Brunet and his companions eyed each other and followed him. The first acted leader, who screamed something and tried to hit him. The blond turned around quickly and grasped his right hand, moved a step backward and without even putting the kid down, swung the boy¡¯s hand and threw him down on the ground. Everything happened so quickly and unexpectedly that not only Michael but the brunet and his friends were dumbfounded as well. The stranger put down Laili and moved towards one of the gang member if he was going to attack him, but suddenly he hit the other one, who did not expect it at all. Next, he got hold of the first boy and it took him only a couple of seconds to throw him on the ground like a piece of rug. Meanwhile, the brunet came round and tried to hit the blond, but it took only one leg kick to bring him back to the ground unconscious. Michael was still dumbfounded because of this unexpected end of the fight when he saw the blond help Lucius up and whispered to Michael that he had fought well. Lucius was holding Laili, calming her down. ¡°Is she your sister?¡± asked the blond boy. ¡°Yes, she is our sister,¡± answered Michael, before Lucius would. Michael was bleeding from the nose. His lip was swollen, and his nose was bruised again. ¡°It¡¯s nothing I¡¯m used to it,¡± he mumbled. ¡°The fountain is near follow me,¡± said the blond. The stranger walked proudly, holding his shoulders upright. He was well-dressed simply and cleanly, except for the bloody trousers, of course. He radiated such self-confidence in everything that it was enough for Michael to feel respect towards him. ¡°What did they want?¡± asked the stranger when they left the alley. ¡°To take the money,¡± answered Lucius. ¡°Did you have any?¡± smirked the blond boy. ¡°Three copper coins.¡± Michael could hear the anger in his voice. ¡°Sorry, I meant nothing bad,¡± said the blond boy. The smile lifted the corner of his lip. But eyes¡­ Michael had never seen eyes like that before¡­ Melted gold¡­ ¡°Do you have parents?¡± asked the blond. ¡°No¡±. ¡°Do you have a home?¡± ¡°No¡±. ¡°I see,¡± mumbled the blond after some time. Alleys, dead ends, wide streets alternated¡­ and the fountain was getting closer. There were few people in the square. The doves moved in groups; they were hungry just like quite a big fraction of the Mondelay citizens. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you helped, but thank you anyway,¡± said Lucius to the blond boy. ¡°I have done little, they provoked me to beat their asses.¡± ¡°Still, thank you,¡± said Lucius, and introduced himself and Michael to the boy. ¡°My name is Uriel, but you can call me Blondy,¡± was the answer. They cleaned themselves and the bloody clothes with the freezing cold water. Lucius and Michael were already talking when Michael dried his wet hands on the clothes and soon joined them. Uriel asked lots of questions, he was interested in where they spent nights, how they found food, etc. Lucius and Michael talked about sleeping under the bridge and finding food, they also mentioned stealing the pan and exchanging it for money, which was followed by the pursuit in the streets and the fight in the alley. Next, it was Blondy¡¯s turn to tell the boys his story, and he also told the boys a little about him. He did not have a home either and spent nights anywhere available. His mother had died a long time ago; as for his father, he had not seen him for a year. Blondy claimed living under the bridge would be difficult because of the spring rain, which would raise the level of the water and the river would overflow. He suggested finding a hut, or a collapsed building, whose owners were dead and find shelter there. He was also in search of such a place and offered to live together. The boys agreed happily to that. When he heard they needed these three coppers to buy a coat and some food for, he offered to accompany them to the clothing market. Ruined streets, broken fountains, hanging clothes, alleys stinking of the piss and smoke. Burned-down traditional landmarks replaced one another on the way to market. Blondy did not interfere with the bargaining and stood several steps away from Michael and Lucius. The coat that cost them two coins was big for Lucius, but it was of excellent quality and pretty warm, so it outweighed its first disadvantage. ¡°What are you planning to do now?¡± asked Uriel after shopping. ¡°We thought we would buy some food with the remaining money, we can share whatever we can get,¡± suggested Michael, but Blondy refused, ¡°I have to go, I will come to the bridge in the morning, as we have agreed, we can go to the city and look for the shelter¡±¡­ Uriel did not break his word and came to the bridge at the break of the dawn. Michael found it difficult to get up. His sides were hurting from lying on the ground, but he got up eventually. They had nothing left from the food they had bought the day before, except for the milk bottle for Laili, which was already half empty. It was unbearably cold at night. They slept hugging one another, with Laili in the middle, but it helped little. ¡°We might have to walk a lot today. I don¡¯t think the baby can walk that much. We should leave her somewhere,¡± he said. ¡°Where can we leave her?¡± one could feel a tension in Lucius¡¯s voice. ¡°I know one person. She looks after the babies,¡± answered Blondy. ¡°I will tell you all about her on the way.¡± Michael picked up the baby and the bottle of milk. Laili was already used to him and no longer cried when he took her up. ¡°There are a lot of orphaned kids after the attack on the city, and many of them are the same age as your sister, or even younger. I know one woman, who has sheltered the kids, and she takes care of them. We can leave the girl to her till the evening and when we come back, we can collect her,¡± Uriel explained his plan. Lucius did not answer for a while. ¡°Let¡¯s see the woman first,¡± he said at last. ¡°She is a beauty,¡± Uriel petted Laili on her head, who instantly hid her face in Michael¡¯s arms. The kid was really beautiful - with a pink face, chubby cheeks, a cute, small, turned-up nose, reddish curly hair, and huge green eyes. They passed by the pillared hall, from which one could either go to the main square of the city or to the arch bridge, which was the largest among the city¡¯s bridges, in front of them was the downhill towards the shipyard of the city. They turned to the burned theater and went towards the arch bridge. ¡°Where did you learn to fight like this?¡± asked Lucius unexpectedly. Michael wanted to learn about that too, but did not have the guts to ask. ¡°My brother taught me,¡± answered Uriel. ¡°I was really lucky with those three. I knew they would follow me and hit me from the back, so I had to turn round at the right moment and use their own power and other tricks to beat them. This was unexpected for them and I saw fear in their eyes. That¡¯s why they could not defend themselves. I was lucky, but if I met them again, I guess they would beat me for sure. If they had fought me together, or the first one who hit me had been more careful, and the other two not that scared, they would have won. First, their boldness, then their fear, defeated them. I watched your fight too. You seem experienced, but Lucius must be a newbie,¡± told Blondy to Michael. ¡°I can say it was my first fight. I mostly got beaten before that,¡± said Lucius ironically. ¡°I did not get less than you either,¡± Michael tried to encourage his friend, but realized that did not really sound like one. Lucius only smiled as an answer. ¡°What did I do incorrectly while fighting?¡± continued Michael. ¡°You should not have wrestled, because that¡¯s not your strongest side; and also your opponent was much bigger than you. You would have had much more advantages if you had fought with your hands, even better if you had moved quicker. You don¡¯t use your fists correctly either, use the whole body and the shot will be stronger.¡± Uriel stopped talking. ¡°What have I done correctly, then¡­,¡± mumbled Michael to himself, but as Uriel smiled at him, he must have said it louder. ¡°Let¡¯s turn right here,¡± said Blondy, as soon as they passed the Rahail temple. Until Michael had seen the Big Temple during one of his trips in the rich neighborhood, he never understood why the temple one in front of them was called the small one. It was twice as big as the other buildings around. The golden dome of the temple and statues of warriors carved on the walls took one¡¯s breath away when seen even from afar; the arch on the marble pillar had just been damaged and a dozen people were working on repairing it. A middle-aged, thin woman in black came out. The boys greeted her. ¡°We want to leave the kid with you,¡± said Uriel. ¡°I remember that.¡± The woman kneeled and tried to caress the little girl, but Laili felt shy as usual when seeing a stranger, and hid behind Lucius¡¯ leg. ¡°I will take care of her,¡± said the woman, but Laili had other plans and despite a lot of requests and caresses, she did not stay with her. Thus, the boys apologized and left. ¡°What should we do now?¡± asked Lucius. Michael felt it relieved Lucius that Laili did not want to stay with the woman. ¡°We will have to stay with her, alternatively. One of us till the afternoon, then others after the noon,¡± answered Blondy after a brief silence. They set the meeting point at the Rahail temple and went in different directions. After voting, it was Michael¡¯s turn to look after Laili. Lucius wanted to have Laili for the entire day, but then they still stuck to Uriel¡¯s plan. They voted to see who would take Laili first and where they would go. Michael went to the harbor, but he knew he could not find any shelter there. There was not even a slight chance to find a shelter in this part of the town. However, he continued their search for the shelter and visited the places he loved to wander around on Sundays. While doing so, a strange feeling started worrying him. Everything was so different that it felt like he had never been there before. The place he had loved so much, where he dreamed about becoming a captain, the sails waving in the wind. That was the most beautiful thing for him. All had disappeared. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Michael had seen and felt a lot of terrible things after escaping from the shelter, dead and mutilated bodies, pains of their parents, children, siblings, and spouses. But despite everything, seeing the harbor in this condition made him sadder. He could not explain why that harbor was so special to him. Having experienced all after seeing so much pain, he realized that after the attack on Mondelay, he not only gained but also lost something very important, personal to him, something that meant a lot to him. He was walking around with the kid in his arms and soon realized that noon was approaching and he had to leave soon. He had to meet Lucius on the third strike of the clock; the temple, however, was quite far, he had to hurry. He quickly went uphill, and after the clock struck for the second time, he started running. He was almost at the temple when he finally heard the third strike of the clock. He could hardly breathe when he finally got to the destination. Lucius and Uriel were already there. ¡°How is it going?¡± he asked as soon as he got there, but before they would answer, he realized they had found no available shelter. ¡°I have seen nothing either,¡± said Michael, panting. Lucius took the baby up and hugged her. ¡°You must be tired, it¡¯s my turn now,¡± he whispered. ¡°I have got some food.¡± Uriel took some bread and meat out of the bag. They made themselves comfortable behind the temple walls and started eating, trying to remain invisible to others, as, in Mondelay, where the third of the population was starving, one could easily cut people¡¯s throats for food. Food was not much, but they still filled up on that a little. Before they started looking for a house, Lucius asked, ¡°Where did you find meat? Maybe we can get some more too.¡± ¡°I stole it,¡± answered Blondy so simply that it was enough to guess he had been occupied with that his whole life. Michael got interested too. ¡°From whom?¡± he asked, still chewing on some meat, and when he heard Blondy¡¯s answer that he had stolen it from the guardsman, he almost choked on it. Uriel smiled and hit him on the back. ¡°Careful!,¡± he said. Before Michael could breathe, Lucius asked with his eyes wide open, ¡°How did you manage that?.¡± ¡°To tell the truth, I did not steal meat from the guardsman. I stole some money and then bought meat with it. So, I stole it from the guardsman.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better to steal money than food. You have more options,¡± continued Blondy when he saw the surprised faces of the boys. ¡°How did you dare to steal from the guardsman?¡± asked Michael. ¡°If caught, you would have your finger cut off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s exactly why it¡¯s more interesting to steal from the guardsman,¡± Uriel smiled, but after still seeing the surprised faces, he explained what he meant to them: ¡°When there are so many starving people, theft and begging is the only way to get food; merchants and other people are more careful about what they have, but guardsmen think they are safe from thieves, as few dare to pick their pockets. That¡¯s why they often leave their things unattended, making them easier targets compared to others. Also, the guardsmen don¡¯t really know the city that well, they find it difficult to orientate here, compared to the locals. So it¡¯s better to rob them, they will learn their lesson.¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious you have extensive experience in the field,¡± said Lucius after a while. ¡°Not big, but not little, either,¡± said Uriel, ¡°you should not steal from one guardsman twice,¡¯ he added as a piece of advice, ¡°Thank god there are a lot of them in the city,¡± mumbled Lucius, but Michael still heard it. ¡°We have nothing else to say but thank you,¡± said Michael. ¡°Forget that,¡± answered Blondy. ¡°I still have some money left and we can use it in the evening, but before that, we have to find a shelter, or else I think it¡¯s going to rain tonight.¡± Michael looked up. The Sun only rarely showed itself through the gloomy sky and when it did, it still hid instantly behind the clouds, as if was embarrassed about what was happening on the ground. ¡°We have to continue our search in another part of the city, so the Rahail Temple will no longer be a good meeting point. Let¡¯s move to the other side of the river, maybe we can find something there,¡± said Uriel and the boys agreed. The arch bridge was the largest amongst the city bridges. According to Uriel, it would be a great place to meet. When they crossed the bridge, they acted according to the plan. Laili was with Lucius now, and they were just going in different directions. When Michael noticed something strange, a boy was spying on them at the corner of the house and as soon as Michael realized he was being watched, he quickly hid. Michael looked at Uriel, and he nodded as a sign that he had also noticed the boy. ¡°Let¡¯s go over the bridge,¡± whispered Blondy and turned to the arch bridge. Lucius looked surprised at both of them, but he realized something was wrong and followed them without uttering a word. Uriel walked in no visible hurry. He must have been trying not to attract a lot of attention from the people standing on the bridge. Lucius caught up with them. ¡°Don¡¯t look back,¡± he whispered to him. When they had already walked over the half of the bridge, Uriel invisibly turned his head around and whispered they were being followed. They started walking a little faster. ¡°When we get to the end of the bridge, I will turn left and hide, you go straight ahead and before reaching the first building, Michael, you kneel as if you are fastening the shoe, Lucius, you go on and hide Laili somewhere.¡± ¡°How many of them are there?¡± asked Michael. ¡°I counted four,¡± answered Blondy. ¡®One of them is the guy I beat up yesterday.¡± ¡°That brunet?¡± asked Michael. ¡°No, another one,¡± Blondy answered and turned left (they had already reached the end of the bridge). Many people were swamping on the bridge and in the streets and the followers must have had trouble following them. Michael and Lucius continued their way. There was a little distance left until the first house, so Michael kneeled while Lucius went on walking. Michael¡¯s heart started beating faster. That terrible feeling came back, and he could not help but look back. He saw four boys running towards him, not taking their eyes off him. They seemed to startle a bit. They did not expect him to turn round or even notice he was being followed. The leader seemed familiar to Michael. He was one of them who had beaten him and Lucius the day before. When approaching, the boys slowed down. They did not expect the situation to develop this way. Michael saw Uriel behind them and realized it was time to act. As soon as the boy standing in the back got hit by Uriel¡¯s stick, Michael hit the one in the face (following Uriel¡¯s instructions). The things processed quicker than Michael expected. The boy he had hit in the face fell, covering his face up, but he continued fighting, not wanting the boy to have any time to gather his strength. Uriel hit his adversary with the stick again and did not let him fall and hit him in the air. As for the remaining three attackers, one was unconscious, another was holding his stomach, crouching on the pavement, and the third one was groaning and moaning about his knee. Michael saw the boys moving towards them from three different directions, and Lucius approaching the place with Laili in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go over the bridge!¡±, shouted Blondy and the boys rushed toward the bridge immediately. They were circled from three sides. The arch bridge was the only way to escape from the attackers. Michael looked back. The entire crowd was following them. There could have been at least fifteen people from what he could make out. He did not even want to think what would happen to them if they got caught. They ran as fast as they could, crossed the bridge, passed by the houses, some of which were burned or destroyed while others were still standing. The temples, former institutions, unidentifiable ruins, and other landmarks of Mondelay. Lucius was lagging, so the boys slowed down a bit. Uriel took Laili and all of them ran again. The pursuers were getting closer, anyway. ¡°They are trying to trap us¡±, said Blondy and stopped so unexpectedly that Michael could not avoid him and almost tipped him over. Luckily, Lucius stopped on time. Otherwise, they would all have fallen down. Uriel handed Laili to Michael. ¡°Run¡±, he told them, ¡°Run! I will hold them for a while¡± and with these words, he uncovered his cudgel. ¡°Are you mad?¡±, screamed Michael. ¡°They will kill you!¡± ¡°Quickly hide the girl somewhere¡±, he shouted and looked at the followers ¡°Take the girl away! Quick!,¡± Micheal froze for a second, then handed Laili over to Lucius. ¡°I am staying, hiding the baby does not need two people,¡± he said for both of them to hear. ¡°Why should I always be the one looking after Laili while you are fighting?!,¡± protested Lucius angrily, but he soon realized there was no time and disappeared. Only several seconds had passed when the first group of followers approached Michael and Uriel. They did not dare attack them instantly, as they had not gathered yet and looked at each other, hoping anyone would start fighting first. Uriel was waiting for that hesitation. He stormed into the group and started hitting everybody with his cudgel. Michael could not have even imagined anyone could use a piece of wood that professionally. He stood there dumbfounded, staring at Blondy, who used his cudgel so quickly that Michael could not properly follow his movements. One would have thought he wanted to hit the opponent in the head, but it would turn out he was really aiming at his legs, or at someone else¡¯s side. He moved so amazingly that no one would predict what his next move would be. Michael stared at this stunning scene and realized it was his turn to do something. He attacked the well-built boy standing a little further, who turned out to be quite strong, unsurprisingly beating Michael up well. However, Michael left his own trace on his face, too. Despite Uriel¡¯s skills and Michael¡¯s attempts, other boys kept joining their adversaries. Michael felt fists hitting him from every direction, but he would not give up helping Blondy as much as he could. Now Uriel was not in a pleasant state, either. He had his nose broken and lips cracked and bleeding, but he still fought bravely. Meanwhile, Michael was already sprawled on the ground and tried in vain to stand up while getting kicked from above. Michael had heard the phrase ¡®fighting like a tiger'' before, however, he had never seen a real one. Even if he did, he would not be more surprised than seeing Uriel attack the boys. The cudgel was broken and Blondy continued fighting with his bare hands. However, although he was better than his opponents, he ended up laying on the ground soon. Michael guessed there was no point continuing fighting, so he just covered his head, so he would not get any more cuts and wounds. Kicks and fists hailed on them. He now only thought what would happen first, he would lose his consciousness or the boys would tire of beating him and Blondy up. And then kicks suddenly stopped. He looked up surprised and saw Lucius with a spear in his hands fighting against the gang and screaming something (supposedly ¡®don¡¯t touch us¡¯), spinning around and around, so no one would sneak up on him from behind his back. Then he helped Uriel out with only one hand, who tried to help Michael, but before Blondy got to him, he himself stood up. The gang boys were standing in a circle around them. There was no way of getting away from them. Lucius span like a spinner to prevent anyone from getting close to them. Using the spear was useful now, but he did not know how long it would help them. Michael could barely stand on his feet. Blondy was not in a better state, either. ¡°Guardsmen¡±, heard Michael gang boys¡¯ screams, and the boys scattered around. Soon several guardsmen and one red- uniform soldier appeared. ¡°I wonder who they are looking for?¡± asked Michael, but seeing Lucius¡¯ spear, it was more than obvious. He also noticed the spear holder was trying to sneak away. He had only several seconds left to escape. Michael became hopeful he could make it, but the red uniform soldier¡¯s scream, ¡°It¡¯s them!¡±, brought him back to reality. Despite his injuries, he ran quickly after Lucius, who had already discarded the spear and was also running quickly away. Blondy outstripped them in seconds. As in everything else, he was much quicker in running, too. He caught up with Lucius too, and left him behind. ¡°Follow me¡±, he screamed. The boys had no other option but to do as they were told. Blondy changed the direction in order to puzzle the guardsmen. Finally, when Michael thought he would lose his strength after all these fights and running, Blondy went to a stall, said something to the seller, who, in his turn, hid all of them under his stall. The attackers heard them running and started looking for them¡­ ¡°Where is Laili?¡± asked Blondy and Lucius, after gathering his breath, told him how he had hidden Laili under the staircases of the entrance of the house, then he snatched the spear from one of the stumbling red- uniform soldiers (he hit him with a stone). ¡°Do you remember where that house is?¡± Uriel asked Lucius. Lucius nodded, but said nothing. ¡°It¡¯s time we went back, then.¡± They crawled out of the stall carefully, thanked the seller, and followed Lucius. They soon found the house. Laili was quietly crying under the stairs with her face on her knees. As soon as she saw the familiar faces, she started crying so loudly that before they could calm her down, the soldier together with the guardsman heard and saw them. The boys had to run away, even though they could barely stand on their feet. Michael used all the swearing words he had heard from the night watchman to curse his fate. There were red-uniform soldiers among the guardsmen. Uriel still advanced. It was amazing; he was holding the baby, but he was still the fastest. Michael could not get how and why they ended up on the bridge. The guardsmen must have blocked every other way, and the only way that remained was to approach the bridge. This bridge was much shorter and narrower than the arched one. They were about to go to the end, but the guardsmen appeared there, so they had to go back to the middle. The limping soldier had a wicked smile on his face. He knew he had won. ¡°Since when does a person with a limp run so fast,¡± groaned Lucius. ¡°What should we do now?¡± asked Michael, observing how the distance in between the soldiers them got smaller and smaller. ¡°We have to jump,¡± said Uriel calmly. ¡°From where?¡± Michael felt his heart sink. ¡°Have a lucky guess,¡± Uriel climbed on the stone banister together with Laili. ¡°No!,¡± howled Michael. ¡°I¡¯m afraid of heights!¡± screamed Lucius while climbing up on the banister. Michael stared at them, stupefied. But he was not alone. ¡°What are you doing?¡± they heard from the limping soldier. Guardsmen froze, but Michael knew they would not be puzzled for long, so he climbed the banister quickly. He did not know he had the fear of heights. Lucius kept his eyes closed. Uriel¡¯s smile was frozen on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He screamed and pushed Lucius. Michael wanted to say he did not know how to swim, but he jumped so quickly he could not utter the words. The guardsmen ran towards the bridge, hoping they could at least catch Michael. Michael stood on the banister. ¡°Rahail, damn my fate!¡± He screamed and jumped in the river. Chapter IX Chapter IX ¡°Witch seed! Witch seed!¡±- shouted the mad crowd and in the bloody twilight, the glass-eyed people of Ardiel were encircling Lucius,- with eyes full of fear and anger. They set the house on fire, dragged out a half-asleep woman with her son, and took them to the center of the village. The lights from torches were dancing around while Lucius was being dragged by the crowd¡­ He could not see Laili and inexplicable fear would not leave him that the girl was still in the house, that was burning like a death-pile ¡­ The icy cold water made Lucius feel its strength. He was the first to surface, and the air breathed in brought spring fragrance into the lungs, - the smell of life and revival. But that did not last long, as he instantly disappeared back into deep dark parts of the river. The light in the air twinkled like a faraway shimmer. Lucius knew swimming - he had learned at the lake in his village, but fighting against the whirlpool with the rusty skills turned out to be impossible. The water he had breathed in made him cough and slowed him down. Desperate for air, whirlpool churned Lucius around until he no longer knew up from down. He was about to lose consciousness when someone dragged him up, and he knew it was Uriel. ¡°Hold her with hair and try to out-swim the current,¡± Lucius heard, and in seconds he was holding Laili in one hand and was fighting against the current with the other. Blondy swam back toward the whirlpool while Lucius was trying to save himself and his sister. Michael was nowhere to be seen. Lucius felt the slow-flowing stream and realized the riverbed was expanding. The hope of survival filled him up with new strength. Laili¡¯s cries, which were difficult to hear in the river, meant that the girl was still alive and Lucius was doing his job well¡­ ¡°No! Please no!¡± screamed Lucius desperately, when his mother was being tied to the stake and people were putting the twigs to her feet ¡­ The wet clothes closely stuck on his body, made the swimming even more difficult. With every movement of his hands, he thought he could not cope with more, but the energy that he had felt or the willpower would not let him give in to those thoughts¡­ People¡¯s screams were heard even in the open riverbed, but they did not bother or did not dare to help the boys and were watching them from the bank of the river¡­ Then the current relaxed its grip, and he tried to escape it, just in time for the next enormous wave to break over his head and push him back under. Each time he surfaced, the process repeated itself, until he was battered and winded, and still out of his depth. Laili was no longer with him. Instead of fear and panic, he just felt overwhelmed, helpless and undignified; he let his baby sister down, he could not save her¡­ It was dark and cold in the water, there was only one little dot shimmering in the air. As he struggled, an intense pain bloomed at the top of his chest, spreading downwards and inwards. Then, the shimmering light started coming closer and Lucius stuck out his head from the water. Some powerful hands had grabbed him and were taking him to the bank. Lucius forced himself not to close his heavy eyelids. That was the only remaining feeling that connected him to the conscious world. The vomiting sensation woke him up. As soon as he came round, he searched for Laili. The child was lying next to him. Pale and scared, she did not utter a word but was just blinking her eyes. Lucius relaxed a little, seeing his sister alive. He tried to sit up, but he was so weak that he could not manage. Two tall men were standing close by, looking down at him. Lucius pointed at Laili to ask how she was, but they answered well before he could pronounce his question. This time, he heard a calm voice. He did not know who was speaking, but that voice did not belong to those men. ¡°The girl is alive, but I don¡¯t think any of you can avoid becoming ill,¡± said the calm voice. ¡°There are more kids in the water,¡± he said. ¡°I won¡¯t go back to the water even for five gold coins,¡± snarled one of them. ¡°I will add five more,¡± the voice said. ¡°For ten gold we can even bring a mermaid.¡± the strangers ran into the water. Lucius sat up, leaning onto his elbows. The hope-filled up his mind. Two men were swimming towards Michael and Uriel. ¡°Give this to the sailors,¡± he heard from behind, and when he turned around, the men gave him a leather satchel. Lucius took it with no hesitation and as soon as he grabbed the satchel, the man turned around and left. He was tall and thin, dressed in all black and carrying a stick. One would not say he was dressed lavishly, but he looked much tidier compared to the other citizens of this city. Lucius stared at the figure with amazement. There was something extraordinary in that man, but what - he could not guess. Lucius¡¯s strength came back, and he sat up. The sailors were already bringing Michael and Uriel toward the place he was sitting. Uriel could already swim on his own, but you would not say the same about Michael. Lucius crawled towards Laili, helped her sit up, and hugged her. She was shivering from cold. He patted her on the back and tried to warm her hands up¡­ As soon as they got closer to the shore, Lucius seated Laili back on the ground and was struggling to go towards the sailors to help them, but before he stood up, they had already come out from the river. Uriel was walking on his own, whereas Michael was being carried by the sailors. Lucius moved towards them as quickly as he could, but his legs started trembling and he was about to fall when Uriel helped him to trudge. On his pale face, his eyes seemed unusually large. ¡°How is he?¡± asked Lucius about Michael. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Uriel whispered. You could hear the fear in his voice. Lucius turned to the sailors with the same question, but they only asked angrily where the man had gone. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Lucius kneeled next to Michael, trying to feel his pulse, but he could feel nothing, so he quickly started massaging his chest, the same way his mom used to do. He shifted his head so the water could come out from his mouth and nose. Lucius looked after Michael, bringing him around. He did everything his mother used to do to the drowning people. Blondy said nothing. He did not want to interfere. Lucius could not tell how long it took him to make Michael breathe again. The sailors had already left. Michael was very weak. He could barely speak and found it difficult to stand up without help. Uriel helped Michael while Lucius was holding frozen Laili. He did not know where he was going; he was just following the boys and was surprised they could even move. Boys had lost the track of time, but when they left the city, Lucius realized they had already been walking for a while. They walked up the hill, approaching a flat place where the forest got denser. Having been walking for a while in the forest, they came across a hut so unexpectedly that Lucius could not even notice it. It was a dark, shabby shack with a broken roof here and there. Uriel unlocked the door and everybody went in. The hut was dark, which made it impossible to see. Gradually they got used to the darkness and they could already see a bed with broken legs in the corner and with some clothes on it. Blondy helped Michael to the bed and asked Lucius to lay Laili on the clothes. ¡°Where are we?¡± Michael sounded hoarse. Lucius knew there was no way he could escape the fever. ¡°This is our future house,¡± answered Blondy. ¡°Then, why did you make us look for the shelter all day?¡± asked Michael. ¡°I will explain it later. Now we have to find wood and light up some fire, or else we will freeze¡±, answered Blondy. The fear had disappeared in his voice. Michael tried to get up, but Uriel stopped him. ¡°You must rest, Lucius and I will look for the wood.¡± Michael was really weak, otherwise, he would not give up that easily. ¡°Hold Laili close to you. This will keep you both warm before we get back,¡± ordered Blondy before he left the hut. It was unbearably cold in the hut. The boys searched for the twigs without a word. They did not even have any strength to talk. As if everything was not enough, Lucius felt his fever rising. He already had a sore throat, and he started looking for herbs. However, it would have been difficult to find herbs for four people (It was obvious Uriel was also feeling bad). ¡°Is there anything like a kettle or just something to boil water in the hut?¡± he asked Uriel. ¡°No,¡± he answered shortly. It was difficult for him to talk. So Lucius did not ask him anything else. They had survived the water, but would they outlive the fever?! In the only room of the hut, there was a fireplace. They put the twigs there too. Blondy kneeled at the fireplace and started rubbing two twigs together. Lucius picked several herbs and started crushing them on the wooden floor. Michael was playing with Laili. They both sneezed a lot as if they were competing. Lucius finished crushing the herbs. Uriel was still trying to light a fire, but with no success, which provoked occasional swear words. Laili was in a better mood. She no longer looked like a scared, pale, shivering little girl. Lucius smelled smoke and heard Uriel¡¯s joyous cry. Even though one could not yet see any fire yet, the smell was enough to congratulate Uriel, who smiled and went back to the fireplace. Soon the fire was roaring in the hut. ¡°If we go on like this, the twigs will soon run out,¡± said Uriel. Lucius had never thought he would ever be so happy to see the fire. Although the hut was getting warm and even lightened up a bit, the kids were still cold, so they sat around the fire. They glanced at the fire flames dancing on the dark, ashy bricks and despite the burning heat on their faces, they were not willing to leave the place. They had taken off the clothes which were drying in the room. Michael coughed, reminding Lucius that he had made some herbal mass. He stood up and distributed it among all three of them. ¡°I know it tastes terrible, but we have no other option,¡± he added. All three ate the handful of crushed herbs without a word. Even Laili did not protest. Encouraged by his friends, Michael also chewed the black mass of herbs (it tasted so bad that it made him shiver). ¡°Even though it will not make you better for long, but it will help you for now.¡± ¡°What shall we do then?¡± ¡°I need a kettle or some kind of utensil to boil water in it and make some medicine,¡± said Lucius. ¡°This is not enough for Michael and Laili. They have to lie down for several days and take as much fluid and medicine as possible. So I have to gather some herbs, otherwise, these are not enough for even a day¡± ¡°We have to fetch some twigs too, or we will run out of them before twilight,¡± said Blondy, looking at the pile of twigs, which seemed to Lucius as more than enough. After several minutes of fighting and Michael¡¯s protest, they decided Lucius would go to the forest to find some medicine and gather twigs. As for Uriel, he would go to the city and try to find a kettle and maybe even some clothes for boys. They shifted the broken bed to the fireplace so Laili would be warmer. Uriel headed towards the door, but before he left, Lucius stopped him and gave him the purse. ¡°I was to give this to the sailors, but I thought we¡¯d use it better.¡± ¡°Fantastic!¡± said Uriel happily and left for Mondelay. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Lucius gathered all the twigs together and tried to remember the place. It was difficult to find as many medicinal herbs as he needed, so he had to go deep into the forest. He almost got lost, but wandering around for a while, he found the place he had collected the twigs¡­ It was already getting dark when he finally reached the hut with all his twigs and herbs. Uriel had not yet returned from the city. Michael and Laili were asleep. Lucius added some twigs to the fire. He could not make any herb tea before Uriel brought the cooking utensils, so he sat down to rest. Hearing the kids¡¯ calm breathing made him unusually relaxed, as if an invisible fairy, who would always protect them from any imminent harm, had filled the hut with kindness. Lucius felt warmer, so he stood up. The fire had brightened the place up. The cobwebs were seen scattered on the ceiling and walls. There were some crumbs fallen from the ceiling. The only window was blocked up with the planks¡­ ¡®Why would Uriel make them search for the house if he knew this hut existed? When will he uncover his secret?¡¯, burdened with thoughts, the boy was pacing up and down the hut. He soon stopped and started sorting out the collected roots of the herbs. Maybe they were not the best of the best, but that was all he could find, and he was forever grateful to God for help. While collecting some twigs, he found a smooth stone to crush the herbs with. While Lucius was getting ready, Uriel opened the door with his hands full of presents. He had brought a big sack and a sooty pot. Lucius checked the pot. It was clean inside and would not leak. ¡°We need some water.¡± He turned to Uriel. ¡°There¡¯s a stream nearby.¡± Uriel grabbed the pot and left. Lucius hung the utensil with water on the chain. While the water was boiling, he crashed the herbs into a smooth stone. Blondy had also brought the three wooden mugs from the city. He opened up the satchel himself and gave a pair of trousers and a shirt to Lucius: ¡°That¡¯s for you, you¡¯ll have something to change into,¡± he said in a frail voice. Uriel woke Laili and Michael up. The dress was big for Laili, but it would fit in the future. ¡°But, where did you get all this? How?¡± Michael asked Blondy. ¡°There was enough gold in the satchel,¡± Blondy answered shortly. Lucius prepared everything according to his mom¡¯s rules. ¡°What¡¯s that for?¡± Blondy grimaced in disgust. ¡°That¡¯s for us,¡± Lucius tried to smile. ¡°I know that, but why should we drink it?¡± Blondy would not give up. ¡°Because we jumped into icy water, then we walked in the streets all soaked. We will be very lucky if we don¡¯t get a fever, but Michael and Laili already show some signs of it. We have to take medicine on time, or else there will be no tomorrow for us.¡± ¡°Okay, we give up.¡± Michael shuddered in disgust. He still could feel the terrible taste of the previous medicine. Lucius filled up the wooden mugs with herbal decoction and handed them to others. As they did not have the fourth glass, he would have to drink it later. It was not strange for Laili to drink herbal decoctions, so she calmly drank her portion of the potion. The boys were still holding theirs, hesitant. ¡°The sooner you drink, the better¡­ And it does not taste that bad,¡± he added to calm the boys down. Lucius¡¯s last words encouraged the boys- Michael drank everything in one big gulp, whereas Uriel sipped slowly, but still finished his drink. ¡°It did not taste that bad.¡± Michael and Lucius looked at each other meaningfully. ¡°The key thing is for it to do its job¡­¡± said Uriel thoughtfully. Laili¡¯s eyelids were getting heavier, and she was yawning. Lucius took her up carefully. She went to sleep quicker that way. Indeed, she fell asleep in several seconds, so Lucius put her down on the clothes and sat next to the boys near the fireplace. Both of them were staring at the fire. They were strangely similar and strangely different at the same time. The flames brightened their faces. Michael was brunet, whereas Uriel was blond. Michael had short hair and a pale complexion; Uriel, on the contrary, had long hair, combed towards the back, and darker skin. When Lucius first saw Michael, he was sitting in the dining hall in the shelter. Although Lucius noticed a slim boy eating his food, he could not make out his face. The only reason he paid attention was that nobody would sit next to him at the table, and if he could feel something back then, he would definitely feel pity. The second time when he glimpsed Michael in the hall, the boy passed him by and saw how others also observed him. If he could feel something then, he would feel irritation, because, as it seemed to him then, the boy was only interested in his appearance and did not miss a single chance to look in the mirror to admire his looks. The third time he saw Michael was when he went into his room to beat him up, but he slipped on oil and even got a fist in his chin. The most distinctive meeting was when Michael was waiting in line to get whipped. He was the smallest in the line, the weakest too, so weak that Lucius wondered how he had even stood in the line, but then he walked to the pillar in the center of the yard and Lucius realized that his prejudice about him was all wrong, he was very different. Michael kneeled at the pillar and looked at the kids with glassy eyes. Lucius felt he had already seen that look somewhere. And that boy who was getting whipped and did not utter a single word differed from the boy he had known before. Lucius saw Uriel after the first fight when he was thrown onto the ground. Maybe because of that, Blondy, who even had a distinctive and elegant way of walking and a proud smile on his face, looked as if he had something in common with everybody. He held himself and talked in such a manner that even the lord would be envious of his skills. Lucius and Michael were stunned by his fighting skills, too. He fought masterly with a spear and barehanded. He must have been amazing in a sword fight, too. While he believed Michael had a soft and narcissistic personality, Uriel seemed a more proud and strong person from the very beginning. Between Uriel and Michael, it was difficult to say which one was more distinctive looking, although they had almost nothing in common. Uriel looked through his golden eyes and that must have been the most peculiar and different thing in him compared to Michael, but it was the eyes that made both of them similar in Lucius¡¯ eyes. Or, perhaps, it expressed their eyes that radiated unique power. The fire was crackling. The boys did not make a single sound, as if they were waiting for each other to start. ¡°Should we put off our talk?¡± started Uriel and this sentence that must have meant a question sounded different to Lucius. They did not answer, more precisely, they would have, but Uriel answered his question: ¡°I guess on this chilly night in this warm hut, where we feel feverish and at the edge of falling with illness, is the best time to talk about this¡­ Then, I have nothing else to do but to start my story.¡± ¡°This story begins well before today¡¯s search for the shelter, and how odd it may sound, it includes my father in it. Everything started with him falling in love with a girl when he was young. He had courted a lot of girls, but he fell in love with that woman and intended to marry her, but he was not allowed. The girl was born beneath his family and, according to Rahail¡¯s rules, that kind of marriage was not accepted. They say that the couple wanted to elope as they already had a baby, but my grandfather found out about the plan and it fell through. The woman my father loved so dearly disappeared from the royal court. The boy, however, stayed with my father, following my grandfather¡¯s wishes.¡± ¡°Nobody knows why the woman ran away, but it is believed that all had happened to the baby and the grandfather did not break his promise - the child was made a legitimate heir¡­¡± ¡°Soon after, my father was forced to get married, and I was born.¡± ¡°My elder brother was taken a hostage by the country that is known as a carrier of the throne, people say that woman came back and my father was with her for a while, but my grandfather, the king at a time, soon found out and that woman disappeared from Cairthebys for good. Since then my father started drinking, and this is how I always remember him - drunk. This is how life was before my brother¡¯s return. My mother had already passed away two before. One thing you could say about my brother was that he was not an ordinary man. After returning, he did things no other man had ever thought he would. But this is a different story. The grandfather had already died, and my father took the throne over. However, as everybody said, in reality, my brother was ruling the country.¡± ¡°Finally, my brother disappeared too, just like his mother, which was a colossal blow to my father. He reminded him of the only woman he really loved, and he could never marry. He gave up on ruling the country and was rarely seen in the palace. Father drank, visited prostitutes, hunted and walked around, dressed shabbily. Many people frowned upon his behavior and a lot of lords supported my uncle as the king. My father did nothing but wander about and if he had to fight anywhere, as people said, he really enjoyed it. During one of his trips, one of his young warriors got injured. My father sent him to the nearby village to get treated together with some of his subordinates and soon joined them dressed as the commander. In this very village, he met the woman he always loved, and the rest of the story you know much better than me, Lucius.¡± Uriel did not even look at Lucius. ¡°Only the wounded warrior survived the death with poison, but when I found him, he was already mad. From his story, I learned about a boy who had burned alive Rayan Arc de Ludgar, the man I called my father¡­ My uncle had already taken over the Al-Moravid¡¯s throne and raised me as the future heir, but I excused myself from the court to look for my father but what I learned was his death.¡± ¡°No one could tell me where to find the boy, but what I knew for sure was that he went towards the city and I realized the boy who could poison and burn twelve men would definitely reach the city if he desired so. I was aware of how you and your sister looked (from the description provided by the man who had saved you), that¡¯s why I came to Mondelay alone and looked for the boy and his sister. Two winter months passed that way, but I could find nobody.¡± ¡°I had just left Mondelay when I heard about the attack. I learned the guardsmen were about to enter the city, so I joined them in disguise. We were late and came to see the ruined city and slaughtered people as if the abomination itself was embodied prowling around. The fire was burning everywhere, and we could only see that the fear and pain had consumed the entire city before we rode into the rich neighborhood surmounted on horses. At the entrance, however, we saw an amazing sight. In one of the local lord¡¯s gardens, the laughter of two boys broke the silence of the night. They were playing with a little girl and having the time of their lives. It was such a strange sight that even the guardsmen halted their horses and, instead of fulfilling their duties, stared at the children playing in the garden full of blood. I instantly realized who that little girl and the boy were, but I could not grasp why would anyone be so cheerful in such a bloody place filled with corpses. What were they doing in the kingdom of death¡­ I did not know what I would do when I found you, Lucius, but I had to find you after that night. Mondelay is not that small, it was difficult to look for you, I almost lost hope once again. But once when I was wandering around the city, I saw you running away. I watched your fight from the corner and still don¡¯t know to this day why I intervened. I wanted to get to know the boy who was my half-brother and the murderer of Rayan Arc de Ludgar, or to take revenge on my father. Maybe both. That¡¯s why I proposed searching for the shelter. I wanted to talk to you, to get to know your personality, and even kill you if I decided on this scenario. That¡¯s why I suggested leaving Laili to that woman. I wanted to carry out my plans without the girl, but she did not stay. Then I proposed voting and sharing the time with Laili and chose such a place to look for the shelter, where you could find nothing. Michael had to take Laili first, and I followed you so that I could trap you in one of the dead-end streets. It was easy to do, but I soon realized you were not really looking for a house. Maybe from the beginning, you wanted to find a shelter, but later you wandered around with a different purpose. You too were following someone, and I became intrigued. That somebody was a beggar and kept moving from one place to another. He moved several streets away and sat in the street with his head tucked in his arms, only one hand reaching out for elms-he must have been new to the trade and embarrassed to look in people¡¯s eyes. You took out a small piece of bread, maybe one left from the day before, looked at the beggar for several minutes, put a piece of bread in his lap, turned around and blended in with people so quickly that he could not see you, even if he looked up. He quickly devoured the bread and extended his hand to beg, then he suddenly started coughing... I realized what you had done. When I approached the man, he was already dying¡­ Lucius, why did you kill him?¡± ¡°He was from my village¡­ He was one of those who had burned my mom alive,¡± Lucius heard his voice. ¡°I see, I understand you,¡± said Blondy and continued. ¡°At that point, it was time to come to the meeting place. Disturbed by the sight of the dying man, I could not see where you went and, to tell the truth, was no longer sure if I wanted to kill you. Your merciless behavior would double my desire to kill you, in normal circumstances, but I saw such pain and misery in your eyes that my desire disappeared. I did not know what that was, just an interest or something else, but back then I did not want to admit to myself that I no longer desired what had brought me to Mondelay. I tried to hate you. I made myself think you were a coward and you could only behave ¡®bravely¡¯ when hiding behind the poison. That¡¯s why I took you towards the arch bridge. I knew those boys would see and follow us. I thought you would run and abandon me and Michael, but when you came back with a spear¡­ We needed a shelter, that¡¯s why I brought you here- to my hut¡­ I never felt the real life in the castle, my brother made me see it when he came back to Cairthebys. I talked to him about the motherland, about love, about everything my uncle had taught me, but the only thing he said was to forget all that¡­¡± Uriel did not finish the last sentence. ¡°Killing you would have been my uncle¡¯s choice, but my brother¡­¡± ¡°Lucius, I am no longer willing to kill you or plan to return home as the prince fulfilling his duty,¡± finished Uriel, his story. Blondy was still staring at the fire. Lucius, however, felt empty. This had already happened to him once. He stared at the fire. He observed the playful dance of the flames until they started dying out. Michael stood up and threw some twigs in there, and the yellow flames continued dancing before they died out again. This continued till morning. No one had said a word. They only looked at the fire kept alive by Michael¡­ Together with the dawn, emotions came back to Lucius. He felt he had to tell his side of the story to Uriel. He took a deep breath and started telling the story, which Michael had already heard. The sun was already up in the sky when he finished. The silence filled the room again. There was the only firebrand in the fireplace, but Michael did not rise to add any twigs anymore. They sat like that in the cold and silence until Blondy said- ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°I will find some food, you must rest,¡± said Uriel. Lucius did not know if Blondy would come back, but he wanted him to, because the person he had burned with his own hands turned out to be his father, and he did not want to be alone with that kind of burden on his shoulders. Blondy was the one with whom he walked around all day and nearly drowned in the river. In such cases people usually reveal what Lucius did not know before Mondelay: one cannot forget the person who stood next to you through thick and thin¡­ Lucius lay down and closed his eyes and heard Michael add some wood to the fire, trying to warm the room up. Soon the fire started roaring and crackling. Lucius felt the warmth (not only from the fire) consume his body before he fell asleep. Chapter X Chapter X There are some nights spend in constant wakefulness¡­ When the spirits awaken and the forest turns phosphorescent, it¡¯s time for the sleepless nights. By the daybreak, moonflowers bloom and the raindrops fall to the earth, rejuvenate its habitants. Huge fungi glow magically and a frolicsome breeze dances among the wilted leaves¡­ The green-clad Druids spread into the forest, humming their song¡­ It was the fourth vigil for Eden, and so would end the fourth year with the forest wizards. He couldn¡¯t wait to return to the Fall Palace and reunite with his family. He missed his little siblings Bran and Damiana, though he knew memories of the forest would not give him rest, either. Eden glanced over the silent valley from the edge of the cliff, greenery was shining around. Gigantic fungi, embedded in the hills like trees, emitted silvery light and combined with phosphorescence created a mysterious glow in the valley. ¡°Do you see a deer?¡± - Elder Druid silently approached Eden. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°There,¡± - Druid pointed his hand. A huge stag was walking between the trees. It was far away and therefore could not see Eden. ¡°It has shining horns - a sign of a settled soul,¡± said Eden. Awakened souls nestled in the forest creatures. ¡°Do you want to approach?¡± The elder asked. Merlin was Eden¡¯s mentor. The other apprentices had only one tutor, although Eden, as a prince, had three of them. ¡°Of course!¡± he answered, and went down the slope. The grass in the plain was waist high and made his uniform wet. Fortunately, the Druids¡¯ magic clothes dried on their own and the moisture did not bother Eden. He even enjoyed looking at the phosphorous, glowing water droplets. ¡°Be careful, Eden!¡± laughter mingled with Druid¡¯s voice. Again, he caught up with him silently. The elder did not run but somehow moved so that he was ahead of the prince. The place was full of greenery, and Eden was so captivated by the beauty of the night that he could not understand where the stag was. It was easy to get lost in the dense, misty forest. Eden slowed his pace, looking around, digging deep into the woods, the field and the rock no longer even visible. The shadows of the fallen trees grew in the greenery and darkened the environment. A sense of unusual calmness and depth took over Eden as if he had moved to another world. It lit up suddenly, and Eden saw the shining horns. A deer was coming from the trees. The animal was ten feet high and was radiating green from the inside. ¡°It¡¯s coming to you,¡± heard Eden Merlin¡¯s voice, and he walked cautiously toward the animal. The deer looked even more glorious up close. The enormous eyes gleamed white and gray fur was blowing in the breeze. Eden raised his hand and moved into Druid¡¯s trance. Instantly the world has changed colors. Stag became white, transparent, while an ocean of greenish sensation penetrated into him like the breath of the world... Stag bowed his head and touched Eden¡¯s hand to his forehead. Heat flowed from the soft and furry body. A connection was being made with the fourth spirit. Eden felt his strength and was overwhelmed with joy and amazement. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The connection was made, Eden! - he heard the pride in Merlin¡¯s voice. Eden felt a surge of energy and found himself between worlds, face to face with the spirit. Then... When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the ground, looking up at the deer¡¯s eyes, but the white light had disappeared. After making the connection, the settlers left the animals. The stag was now an ordinary deer, though still remarkably large. ¡°It was quite impressive for the fourth year,¡± Druid stood nearby, leaning on his cane. Eden stood up and looked at the stag. After the connection, the animals disappeared into the forest, although the deer did not move. The newly linked connection was not solid, but such a curiosity gripped Eden that he still dared to enter the trance. Filled with greenish, he felt an unknown force - the fourth, which was the strongest of the four. Druid was becoming after seven connections. With each new soul, the sense of trance also changed, and Eden could hardly even imagine how the other three souls would change the feeling when the fourth could do so much. The deer seen in the druid trance must have been ordinary, but there was something else alive in it, something horrible, which was looking for Eden and found him, eventually... For a second he found himself face to face with something, and indescribable pain and fear engulfed him. Everything was red and the size of this thing was lost in infinity... Eden felt saddens, feeling beyond time and space, which was eternal¡­ ¡°Eden, brace yourself!¡± - Merlin was here too - between worlds. Old Druid - with ancient knowledge and his spirits... ¡°The war has begun, Eden, do not lose your courage...¡± - With these words, everything fell apart... He could vaguely feel how he was being led, and when he opened his eyes, he could see the red-eyed stag fighting with forest creatures. Maybe he was even dreaming. He could not understand what was real and what was a dream... ¡°He¡¯s got a fever! We should keep him conscious!¡± - Eden recognized the voice of Arcadius, his second mentor. ¡°Where is Merlin?¡± - he tried to ask, but only mumbled and it seemed they could not understand because no one answered. It exploded in his body and Eden felt as he was being kidnapped in a trance ... ¡°Do not enter the trance, my prince! You are branded with a cursed seal!¡± - Arcadius pressed Eden on the forehead, where the Druid sign was painted and engulfed it in magic. Calmness seized Eden, and he felt the golden energy of mentor that pervaded his being. Time stretched like an eternal second and suddenly everything turned red again for a long... ¡°Merlin¡± - The prince opened his eyes. White was everything from the beginning. Then other colors appeared; a blue environment and again a white blanket. He realized he would be in a tent - a traditional Druid tent. Did not remember how he got here or what happened at all¡­ He looked at the white cloth once, then heard: ¡°Eden, do you understand me?¡± - Arcadius¡¯ voice was full of sadness. ¡°Yes,¡± said Eden. There was silence for a while and then: ¡°Where is Merlin?¡± asked the prince. ¡°Merlin is no more...¡± - Silence reigned in the tent. The forest wizards set up camp at the foot of the horned mountains and gathered here. Eden was still weak, but he still had to attend tonight¡¯s meeting. The prince did not know what was happening, but he felt suspicious. They did not reveal something - something important... ¡°Take the cane, Eden¡± - Arcadius had an ancient voice, - Ancient and still sad. He would not be over fifty years old, but he was imbued with knowledge. Eden felt weak, but still refused support. He was a prince, an adviser to the future king, and guardian of the kingdom. He would not give up on weakness... The row of stones stacked in a circle was strangely thinned. The Druids were gone. There were hundreds of them here at dawn. Now twelve were sitting on the carved stones. ¡°Where are the others?¡± - Eden mustered the courage. ¡°Most of them died, others could not come. We have to talk about your future¡­¡± - said Arcadius and stood up. ¡°Wait! Why are they dead?¡± - The gravity of Arcade¡¯s words overwhelmed Eden. ¡°All those who went into a trance to protect you died as soon as they collided with the redness,¡± - Kah-Thabad answered. Eden felt unbearable despair in his voice. ¡°We can not understand how Merlin took you out of the trance...¡± - The venerable magician looked more like a ghost of himself than a powerful wizard... Eden remembered his rituals in the Fall Palace and Cathedrals of Time. Kah-Thabad was glorious then, but now... ¡°I vaguely remember how he fought...¡± - Eden¡¯s voice trembled with emotions ... ¡°No one could resist the redness, child, everyone fell after the first collision¡± - Eden heard one of the twelve voices and others murmured as a sign of consent... Chapter XI Chapter XI The hut was in the middle of the aspen grove, quite close to the city, but it felt as if they lived in the middle of the dense forest. The sky was clouded, ready to rain. ¡°Where are they?¡±, Michael thought. He took the stick carved by Uriel and practiced aiming the tree. However, he soon recalled Lucius¡¯s warning and put the stick down. Before he was fully recovered, they forbade him to move around a lot he was supposed to be in bed right now, but he could no longer bear staying in the bed and went out to breathe in some crystal clear air. Uriel had carved out the fighting cudgels for him and Lucius and promised to teach how to use them, but, because of Michael¡¯s illness, training was put off. That day he survived, but swimming in the icy river left him with a long-term mark. According to Lucius, Michael¡¯s condition was the worst, that¡¯s why most of the money they had was being spent on his recovery. Michael was already fed up with sitting in the hut doing nothing. They mostly lived on the money Uriel got by stealing, but sometimes Lucius also sold his medicine. After that night, it seemed as if some invisible wall had appeared between the two, which was slowly collapsing, although its demolition proved to be a long process, despite Michael¡¯s multifaceted efforts. Lucius collected plants in the woods, concocted herbal medicines, and sold them in different neighborhoods in Mondelay. The boys brought a lot of news from the city. They found out that the hordes of mysterious creatures also attacked other cities of Al-Moravid outcomes of those attacks were more brutal. Townsfolk started discussing magic and supernatural powers openly, but nobody knew who the enemies were and what they wished to achieve. At first, many people believed it was just another attempt to overthrow Al-Moravid by the neighboring kingdoms, but as they later found out, the attacks had started in several countries simultaneously. People panicked, as they no longer knew whether there was a safe place anywhere in the world. The ships no longer dared sail as they were attacked too, and no one really knew what the reason behind all of this was. Looting became a widespread activity. People dressed in black robbed everyone, which terrified the townsfolk more, who already saw monsters lurking in every corner. Dozens of martial arts schools were opened in Mondelay. People did not spare the last penny so that they could at least learn how to defend themselves and were getting ready for the forthcoming attacks. Refuges from Madriel killed the hope that Mondelay would not be attacked for the second time. They were attacked three times and were forced to leave the city. Whenever they reached a different destination, they only saw ruins and rubble, before they ended up in Mondelay, in the city which was not yet fully destroyed. The rumors about the mysterious creature living in the mountains near Mondelay spread around in the city, which made the villagers nearby desert their homes. They sent the guardsmen to the mountains to find out more information, but not a single of them returned to Mondelay. Amidst all of this, Michael had to sit at home idly. He angrily kicked the stone and went back to the hut door, limping. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡± he heard Lucius¡¯s voice. Michael turned around quickly. ¡°You think there is nothing to be angry about?¡± he answered, angrier than intended, as his right foot toes were still hurting, ¡®I have to sit at home all day while you can go out and about and have fun. Lucius just smiled in the answer that made Michael even more furious and was about to blow up, when Lucius stopped him: ¡°I have good news for you¡± Michael was all ears, Lucius smiled widely, ¡°Tonight Uriel is going to train us and from tomorrow onwards you can join us in the city.¡± Michael could not believe his ears. ¡°But didn¡¯t you tell me I had to stay in bed at least one more week?¡± he asked, whispering. ¡°We just wanted to see how you would take it. We were teasing you,¡± said Lucius, laughing. Michael looked around to find something to throw at him. Lucius must have felt the danger and left the hut but didn¡¯t go too far. He laughed and watched Michael swagger, although soon realized that Michael was genuinely angry and apologized. Even though these apologies were not utterly sincere, it still worked on Michael, and excitement soon replaced the feeling of anger. They were about to train in martial arts that evening. The next day they could head for the city. This news made him so happy that he totally forgot about his fury. They decided to warm up before Uriel¡¯s arrival. In several minutes, both of them had bruised their fingers and had several painful bumps on their heads. Laili had also woken up and was staring at them with interest. The fencers¡¯ enthusiasm was not fading away, and they still tried to beat each other up. Michael heard a cough and as soon as he turned around, he got hit with a cudgel really hard. Bitter tears rolled down his cheeks. ¡°It was a good hit¡± Uriel praised Lucius. ¡°What was good about it, I was looking in your direction, when he hit me,¡± said Michael angrily. ¡°You need to be cautious during the fight. You should only think about the fight and the opponent,¡± answered Uriel simply. ¡°I coughed on purpose so that I could confuse both of you, but you paid all the attention to me,¡± answered Blondy. Michael did not say a word, just looked at Lucius with eyes full of envy. Lucius, however, became suddenly interested in the holes in the ceiling. ¡°I brought some food. I was about to have dinner, but I did not want to leave you like that when I saw you training so heartily. Let¡¯s go out,¡± said Blondy and took a cudgel from the jacket. The students copied him and prepared their tools. Blondy bowed graciously to both of them, and when the boys did the same, they got one more bump on their heads. That¡¯s how they learned a new lesson that there was no time for reverences during the fight. Then Blondy asked the boys to attack him and promised he would only defend himself. The boys were quite happy with this arrangement, but attacked him carefully, as they were not sure anymore that Blondy¡¯s fight would only mean defense; as well as this, they did not want to injure him. Gradually, though, they liked the taste of the fight and threw the punches and cudgels so mercilessly, someone observing from afar might have thought they were ready to kill each other. They wanted to hit Uriel at least once, but he defended himself so skillfully that he made boys lose every hope. He did not really move that quickly, but he still outsmarted both of them. Michael could not tell how long their fight continued, but Lucius and he were so exhausted that they finally gave in, whereas Uriel calmly stood with the cudgel and did not seem to be tired at all. ¡°How do you do that?¡± asked Michael when he caught his breath. ¡°I breathe properly,¡± answered Blondy indifferently, ¡°the reason I started with the training was to find out what skills you have, including breathing properly and using the cudgels, but you know even less than I expected. It¡¯s not that bad,¡± he calmed them down after seeing their expressions, ¡°I will teach you everything and you will move correctly, the worse would have been if you knew how to fight, but incorrectly.¡± They dedicated the remaining time of the lesson to the correct breathing and using the cudgels. Although none of them could do any of it properly, at the end of the training, which was cut short because of the rain, the boys had made some progress. At least that¡¯s what Blondy said. He praised Michael, as he had made pretty swift progress. He might even disclose the talent in the sword fight. If Michael was asked, this was not because of the talent, but his great desire to learn, and deep in heart he felt he was secretly competing with Lucius, that¡¯s why he listened carefully for Uriel¡¯s instructions so that he would have been able to repeat every action with no obvious mistakes. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. They might not have allowed Blondy to take a break if not for the rain, which made the boys extremely disappointed, but Uriel, on the contrary, looked thrilled. In the end, they had no choice but to get back home. It was drizzling at first but soon rained torrentially. The broken roof was leaking profusely. They put the bowls in three different places so that the floor wouldn¡¯t get wet and muddy. As the rain was heavy, they had to empty the bowls often. Uriel warmed up the food in the fireplace, and they sat down to eat. Michael was the first to finish. He could no longer wait, took the cudgel, and started revising the movements he had just learned. Soon Lucius joined him, but in the end, he got bored and gave up. Uriel was still eating heartily and commented on Michael¡¯s movements with his mouth full of food. Michael tried to consider his notes. Lucius woke Laili up. It was time to eat, but as it seemed, she was far more interested in what Michael was up to than in her food. Nothing could outweigh Michael¡¯s enthusiasm, neither the boys¡¯ jokes nor the exhaustion he felt. He could already see the improvement, which made him even more motivated, even more than necessary, as he almost broke the window, which was already on the verge of collapsing, with his cudgel. Except for Laili, everybody asked him to stop doing whatever he was doing and rest a little. This is how Michael¡¯s training ended that day, and he joined in the discussion about planning the next day. The key thing was who to follow to the city - Lucius or Uriel. In the first case, he would have to sell medicine in different neighborhoods, which, despite his utmost respect for medicine, attracted him less, compared to learning how to steal, that¡¯s why his eventual choice fell on Uriel. The sun rose sooner than Michael expected as if he did not even close his eyes. It was time to get up. He was not used to getting up early because he could sleep till midday because of his illness. He stretched lazily and turned over in his bed and only got up after having received a big poke in his side. It was still very dark in the room. Michael left the hut, but when he bumped into the wall, he realized the door was in a different direction and when he hit himself against the wall again, swore out loud and asked where the door was. The boys were sitting and arguing about whether he was a sleepwalker, but as soon as he started talking, they sighed with relief and led him to the door. One could feel the morning chill outside. Michael shrugged and walked towards the stream. After washing his face, shivering, he went out to pee, but after he was done, only then he realized he had followed the wrong order of the routine and went back to the stream to wash his hands. He was shivering, with his whole body on his way back. The sun had not risen yet and the forest still looked dark because of the densely¨Cset trees. Uriel was waiting for him in the hut. ¡°Lucius will stay with Laili,¡± he told Michael. ¡°What are we planning to do?¡± Michael asked. ¡°We need to eat first. We might have to be hungry all day, and we won¡¯t be able to last long unless we eat now,¡± Blondy replied. Lucius had already set the table. They devoured the remaining food quickly. Michael and Uriel left for the city, whereas Lucius set off to the woods. Uriel and Michael slowly followed the meandering trail. The boys could sometimes glimpse the silhouette of the city among the trees. Fresh and sobering cold air filled Michael¡¯s lungs and woke him up quickly. Michael was going to the city, and this was happening in reality. He did not know why, but two weeks spent in the hut and the stories retold by the boys made the city, where so many things happened, a far-away and unattainable place for him. He was finally heading for there and what else could he ask for?! The boys quickly left the woods and walked down the slope of the valley, which led to the city. Michael ran down the slope and no longer paid any attention to Uriel¡¯s warnings about not going down too quickly. He still had to wait for Blondy to reach the bottom of the valley, and they would finally go to the city known for narrow and meandering streets. He could hardly believe his eyes, noticing how much had changed. This part of the city had never been crowded, but now there were so many people there that it was difficult to move forward. ¡°It is the most convenient time for pick-pocketing because there are so many people around. It is time for you to learn your first lesson,¡± whispered Uriel and followed a man with an immense belly, who moaned with every step. Uriel did not get too close. He kept his distance. As for Michael, he was following Uriel closely, trying to grasp Uriel¡¯s plans. Suddenly Uriel sped up and when Michael thought finally something was going to happen, Blondy walked by the target and went ahead. Michael could not get what Blondy was up to, but as soon as things starting to fall from the stall nearby, he suddenly got the hunch and guessed what was about to happen. The fat man stopped and when he bent down, mostly because of his good manners, to take some things, Uriel picked his pocket and quickly went to Michael. He grabbed his arm and speedily ran away as fast as he could. ¡°What did you steal?¡± Michael asked, whispering as soon as they got away. Without uttering a sound, Uriel opened up his fist and Michael could see a black leather pouch on the palm of his hand. They turned into the deserted dead-end street to count the money in the pouch. It was not as much as Uriel expected, but it was still good money, so they thanked their fate, anyway. Blondy did not waste time and explained how to steal relatively safely. He clarified it was highly important to divert the attention of the person you were going to mug to something else and then quickly get to the action. The danger that someone would notice him was always there, that¡¯s why he had to learn how to run quickly and to choose such a target that cannot run fast. For instance, overweight people, like that man. He also explained that it was better to pick people¡¯s pockets when they were in a hurry and not when they were yawning out of boredom, it was easier to steal in familiar streets so that he could hide easily if he needed to¡­ After this lecture in the theory; it was time to do some practice. Michael tried to pick Blondy¡¯s pocket several times, but he was so unsuccessful that he had to endure Uriel laugh at him for half an hour. It was first decided that Michel would try to get down to work on the same day, but looking at his clumsiness, Blondy was having second thoughts, and if not Michael¡¯s persistent begging, Uriel would never let him try. Michael wanted to prove that he too could be of some help, and he was not as clumsy as he looked at first glance. He wanted to show that he could also be helpful, apart from eating free... That¡¯s how they ended up in a crowded street looking for a victim. Mondelay was overcrowded with refugees and some places were so crammed, there was no place for an apple to fall. Blondy pointed at two people, but the future pickpocket turned both of the options down. One of the prospective victims had such a sad face that he could never make himself steal anything from him; the other man was smiling so warmly that it would have been a shame to do any harm to him. After a bit of a fight and disagreement, they finally picked the proper candidate and moved on to the execution of the plan they made. Michael followed a bald man, trying to shorten the distance between them so that he could be at his side at the right time. He was panic-stricken. The boy saw Uriel and hurried up so that he could get to the man quicker, but he was a little short of time when Blondy bumped into a man. Michael could not properly reach the man¡¯s pocket, therefore, he could not pick the wallet. Fortunately, the man could guess nothing, as he was busy cursing Blondy, or else he would have been in big trouble. As soon as Uriel got away from the bold one, Michael once again had to suffer through his derisive words, which made him so angry that he finished what he had started no matter what and run after the previous target. He had a crazy idea; he was not sure it would work, but he was fully focused on fulfilling the task and minded neither his fear, irony or urgent advice to go back and calm down. In fact, that made him even furious and triggered him to finish what he was about to do. He almost caught up with the old one, but the right moment did not come. The man in question stopped at several stalls, looked through goods, but did not look like someone who wanted to buy anything. He never stood near any other person, let alone next to anybody. Michael had been following him for about ten minutes before the right moment came up. The man was standing at the stall looking at the peaches when a young boy and a girl passed him by. Michael grabbed one of the strawberry-like woman¡¯s butt at exactly the time when she was standing next to the bald man and the result was amazing. The man accompanying the woman got so offended; he beat the bald man badly. Luckily for Michael, the latter did not really think about his wallet, and the boy not only got easily what he had been praying for and got away from the place as soon as he could, but the whole thing also turned into the scene that attracted many people. Michael proudly presented his first prey. Uriel praised his skills and admitted he was not that bad after all. After opening the wallet, they found out that Michael had stolen much more money than Uriel. Overjoyed, they went to the harbor and celebrate Michael¡¯s first successful job. Chapter XII Chapter XII As the first job finished so early, they had a lot of time to kill. So before heading towards the tavern, they went sightseeing in Mondelay. Michael couldn''t even imagine it was possible for the city to rebuild this quickly. Same places which were burned a few weeks earlier now looked attractive, with theaters, temples, and houses. The mysterious attacks had strengthened the citizens'' religious beliefs and those people, who did not even have proper houses, were building the temples to Rahail now. Newly built houses belonged to those nobles who had escaped from other cities and had come to Mondelay. "Come, I want to show you something," the characteristic smile appeared on Uriel''s face and he could hear adventure in his voice. Intrigued, Michael agreed with no hesitation. Uriel took him to the newly built Rahail temple, which was encircled by the fence. Near the fence, there was a three-story house. Uriel suggested climbing over the wall of that house, Michael had no other way than to agree so that he would not be a coward, however, when he passed by the second floor and looked down, out of fear, he closed his eyes and leaned closer to the corner of the building. Seeing Michael''s face, Blondy, who had almost finished climbing, laughed out loud. "Come up, don''t worry!" he said. The wall was easy to climb over as the bricks were broken here and there, you could easily hold on to them with your feet and hands, but Michael was terrified of heights, and if not Uriel''s ironic words, he would have decided not to move at all. But Blondy''s mocking remarks made him overcome his fears, and he finally climbed up the wall. Uriel praised him once again as he was walking on the edge of the roof, dexterously and calm. Michael went as far as possible from the edge, was scared to look down. "Come here," asked Uriel and Michael strode towards him as bravely as he could. Blond was standing at the edge of the roof, which was quite dangerous. Michael''s knees were shivering, but he ignored that. Blondy patted him on the back to encourage him, but he hit him so hard that the boy almost fell from the roof. He got so scared; he fell down on his knees and shivering violently, did not dare to stand up on his own. "Get rid of the fear and let the wind take it away" whispered Uriel, "take a deep breath and look up in the space, this will make it easier for you to get rid of negative emotions". Michael knew he had no other choice up there, so tried to follow these instructions. He glanced at the domes glittering under the cold sun and slowed down his breathing. He could not really recall when he felt emptiness fill him up and how long it took him to feel completely devoid of any feeling, but he was sure of his state now. Looking at Uriel, he noticed his astonished look. "You have made it!" Uriel shouted happily, then he turned around and walked toward the further edge of the roof; Michael followed him swiftly as if he was walking on the ground. They soon stopped simultaneously. Uriel pointed at the plane tree standing in the temple yard. "I will jump and follow me with no hesitation!" he said, then he stepped back so that he could gather some speed for jumping off the roof towards the plane tree in the yard. Michael, now empty from every emotion, jumped off the roof; however, he lost his confidence in the air and started screaming when he felt he was falling down. Finally, he grabbed the branches of the tree. He looked down and saw that he was hanging from the branch about six or seven meters up from the ground. He heard Blondy shout, ''Don''t worry, I will lift you up!''. Michael looked up and saw Uriel jump towards him, still clinging to the branch; then he grabbed him with his empty hand and lifted him up. When Michael came round, he was already hugging the tree. He was now aware of the meaning of the phrase- blood curdled in his veins. "Why did you shout that much, it gathered the entire city under the tree," said Blond playfully, with a hint of a rebuke. "I jumped from the three-story building and you are asking me why I was shouting?" answered Michael angrily. "I am not in a mood of fighting," gave in Uriel and started climbing up the tree. "What are you doing?" Michael was dumbfounded. "I think you know it," the answer was brief. People had gathered at the tree and were looking for the person who had screamed that loud. Michael was invisible in the branches of the tree and trying to follow Uriel as close as he could. What he could do is to climb and not look down at the crowd below. They had been climbing for a while when Michael realized how tall the tree was, so he looked down anyway. He hugged the tree again, horrified, and could not open his eyes for some time. To overcome his fear, he used the trick taught by Blondy. He started breathing deeply, opened his eyes slowly, and looked into the distance. This helped him a bit, and he was strong enough to continue crawling up the tree. He did not know why Blondy was climbing up the tree, but there was no other way, so he still followed him. The wind became stronger, and the tree started swaying even stronger. His heart skipped a beat with the first blow and he clung to the tree. "A little longer and we are there," Uriel encouraged Michael, who continued crawling up the tree. He soon ended up next to Blondy. They had almost got to the top of the tree, which was at least thirty meters tall. "Why are we doing this?" he mumbled, but Uriel made him even more scared when he pointed at the dome of the temple. "Not here, but there." "You crazy or what? How are we going to get there?" asked exhausted Michael. Blondy said nothing. He only stared at the temple. The wind was making the tree sway from side to side and when the tree bent opposite the dome, Uriel ran on the branch and jumped. When the tree swayed back, it was quite close to the walls of the temple. Michael screamed in fear, but Blond did not even hear him. He hung on the battlement of the wall and climbed up the wall like a cat. When he could stand up, he turned round to Michael. His eyes said so much, words were no longer necessary. Michael took a deep breath, closed his eyes, opened them again, looked Uriel into his eyes again, and ran towards him... Michael and Blond were sitting on the tallest dome of the temple, admiring the city. Mondelay was offering a breathtaking view, people buzzing in the streets, sandy beaches and restless waves, sparkling domes and a white wall in the background, endlessness lost in the sea, the city divided by the roaring river and the spring forest encircling it. The laundry blowing in the wind and the swept dust; the fire blazing in the towers and the pale sun, smoke going up in the sky like braided hair and loose hair, patched land and colorless, pale sky, beggars in the streets and the rich staring from the balconies, guardsmen without horses and heroes carved on the temple walls... The view was so breathtaking and picturesque that they stared quiescently at it for so long that if anybody watched them, they would think somebody had put the stone figures near the dome. Being so high in the sky made the boys feel extremely free. This feeling was so overwhelming that Michael forgot everything and enjoyed every second of being there. The evening descended over them so quickly that neither of the boys remembered they had planned to go to the tavern to celebrate Michael''s first successful working day, but then again even if they remembered, they would still prefer to sit and contemplate on the roof of the temple. "We should be back here sometime," Michael told Uriel when the sun hiding behind the clouds disappeared into the sea and all went dark around. Uriel nodded slightly and without looking at Michael, he got up. "My brother was the first person ever to take me to the rooftop of the Cairthebys''s castle when he got back from being a hostage to the capital of Al-Moravid and showed me the grandness of the city. I remember how the glowing, red sun kept disappearing somewhere on the horizon. I remember how excited I was when observing the falconers, the flight of the escaped falcons'' sky, and my urgent desire to fly with them. How badly I wanted to run and fly away wherever I wanted to. I remember the first time I climbed up the roof, I was shaking with fear like a leaf; since then, however, an evening would not fly without me creeping up there via the route my brother had shown me and how excited I was when watching the sunset from the highest domes of the city. I remember how much I wanted to take somebody with me and show them the attractions of the heights, but I was scared to give away my secret, so I never did. But later, I considered my brother''s sudden disappearance as a betrayal on his part and tried to avoid everything that reminded me of him. Soon after I heard about my father''s death, I started visiting the roof again and at the highest point of the dome, at the very place I loved sitting, I found a letter from my brother, already faint and faded. There were only several words written, "If you want to fly, chase your dreams, Uriel." I didn''t know back then what it meant, but after meeting you and Lucious, now I get what Nehirah was trying to tell me. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Let''s fly together to our dreams, swim across the oceans and seas in search of them, walk through the icy mountains and sandy beaches, let''s look for the wonders of the world and experience the adventures that will reveal the essence of freedom in each and every second; let''s never wish to look back till it is time to take the last breath, but when we die one day, may our fulfilled dreams follow us like the proud eagles soaring up in the sky... While listening to Uriel''s words, Michael felt a strange feeling surmounting and filling his whole body. It was as if Michael''s dreams were now being sounded by Uriel and when he finished, Michael started telling his stories about the ships, harbor, shelter, being whipped, meeting Lucius, escape, fear, fire and gradually realized that his stories were a string of emotions that had no connection with each other but still made full sense to Blond. "My brother taught me how to overcome the fear. There are two ways of that, he told me - anger and emptiness. Emptiness is much more difficult to master and is used much less. But both of them have advantages and disadvantages... If you want to learn how to fence, you need to master both." The boys talked a lot, and it was obvious they understood each other very well. They did not notice how the evening set in and when they looked around; it was already getting dark. They did not find it difficult to climb down the tree. Soon they were walking on the colorful streets of the city, still chatting heartily. "There are several criminal groups in the city. All of them have their territories and firm control over them. They rip a lot of money from the traders for their safety, but not only them but from the pickpockets too. Every group wants to extend their territories, because the larger their space, the more money they get, that''s why they constantly fight and kill one another. On the territories, it''s the decision of the gangs to who steals what and when, that''s why it was extremely dangerous for Uriel and Michael to be there, especially they already had a conflict of interest with one gang and the boys were in the bad book of other gangs as well. "Should we pop into the tavern?" Blondy reminded him of the original plan. Michael just remembered that he had eaten nothing since morning, and he readily agreed to this proposition. The tavern was in a suitable location and well-visible from a number distance, but even if not this, besides the bright lights shedding from the windows, one could hear the deafening noises. Opening the door, loud sounds greeted the boys. Music, shouting, singing, laughing, whispering, coughing and clattering of glasses were blended together... The odor was so strong that it exceeded Michael''s powers to identify the "ingredients" making up the overall smell, so he did not even try it. It was pleasantly warm in the large, bright hall. A huge fire was roaring in the fireplace, the candles hanging on the walls illuminated the hall. The thick air was disturbing but not surprising and unexpected, given the conditions. The boys found a small table in the farthest corner and ordered cheap food. Uriel went to grab some drinks while Michael was looking around. Different people filled the tavern with, starting from the guardsmen, among which you could also see the red uniform soldiers, finishing with the beggars, whose life circle comprised begging, getting drunk, and falling asleep. You could also see merchants, sailors, and people whose professions a twelve-year-old boy could not tell. One could see the elderly and the youngsters, well-dressed women and red-skinned men wearing queer clothes... Some girls were dancing on the stage. The stage was quite far from the boy''s table and they could not really enjoy the performance. The noise made it difficult to hear tunes, so Michael just sat there idly waiting for the food and drinks. Uriel soon brought drinks, as for the food either the waitress forgot all about them, or the cook had a lot to prepare. Finally, the boys'' prayers were answered, and they were provided with food. The waitress was still laying on the table when half of the food had already disappeared. The behavior of the boys surprised her, especially with that of Michael, but the latter was so focused on food that he could not care less. Uriel poked him, but Michael was so busy with his grilled salmon, he paid no attention to Blondy. Later, when there was no food left, he asked Uriel what he had said. "Nothing, I just noted that the waitress was beautiful," answered Blondy, displaying no emotion. Intrigued, Michael searched for the waitress, but he could only see fat soldiers having fun. "Just my luck!" grumbled Michael and looked at the plates on the table again, hoping to find some food. He was unlucky in this case too, but he was about to swear again when Uriel poked him and showed him at someone on the stage. He did not regret following Uriel''s advice... A young black-haired girl was dancing on the stage. She was following the rhythm of the music and conquering the hearts of the audience at the same speed. The entire crowd had gathered close to the stage. The boys have got closer too. "I did not know that the waitress could dance here," said Uriel. Michael was staring at the stage with his eyes wide open and was not sure why he felt so dark in his soul. Was this because of the lack of light or the raven-black hair summoning the ghosts into the tavern? The girl''s black eyes were ablaze with dark fire, which attracted the viewers. She was dancing in a black dress. Everyone was silent, and the sounds of instruments seemed deafening. Gradually the rhythm died down, which made Michael sad a little. Like everything wonderful, this beautiful dance had an end, too. When it finished, the applause shook everything around. The dark-haired girl curtseyed elegantly and quickly disappeared. Half of the audience comprised drunk guardsmen and gamblers, who were urging the girl to dance again. Sometimes they used swear words. Michael and Uriel went to pay their bill to the fat woman, who obviously was the owner of the tavern, but she had no time for them. She was busy arguing with one client about some girl who was too young while glancing at the gold coin lying in the stall. The drunk client, who looked like a red uniform more solid, continued asserting his point and finally achieved his goal only after having added a silver coin to the gold he had already sacrificed. Michael got extremely intrigued and while Uriel was paying the bill, he followed the soldier in the red uniform to see why he had paid her so much money. He did not have to wait for that long. The girl, who looked like the one who was dancing some time ago, now was wearing the uniform of the waitress, was approaching the table with a wine bottle in her hand. Suddenly, the drunk men snatched the bottle away and grabbed her. The girl fought back with the expression of fear and anger on her face, but the soldier in the red uniform did not give up but grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the stairs leading to the second floor. Michael felt the blood rushing to his head. He could no longer think clearly... He could hear Uriel''s cries from afar while he was running over the table and the broken crockery started flying from both sides of it. He could hear the screams of the girl, asking the fat woman why she had broken the promise. Michael jumped off the table, twirled the cudgel in the air, and hit the soldier in his mouth with it so hard that the soldier''s teeth dropped around in the room. At this moment, everything erupted so quickly, and what was happening exceeded Michael''s abilities. He glimpsed the guardsman running towards him, but Blondy hit him with the bottle and he fell down. The second guardsman tripped over his friend and fell. The third one would definitely reach Michael if the girl had not helped him to crouch under the table. Michael started a huge fight. Most of the customers were already quite drunk and no one really knew why they hit each other. At first, the guardsman tried to catch Michael, but later no one really remembered him and they got involved in a huge fight. Michael was worried about Uriel. The last time he saw the boy was when he saved him from the guardsman. He was not sure what happened to him after that. It must have been so difficult for Uriel to fight alone; that was it, Michael could not take it anymore, he had to come out and help... He was about to do so, when the waitress-dancer or the dancer-waitress grabbed his arm and pushed him back under the table, telling him he could not yet leave the shelter. Michael did not really expect that; He could not utter a word, just coughed. Then muttered that he had to find Uriel and was about to leave the shelter when Uriel dragged him back. More precisely, he crashed into him and they both rolled back under the table. Uriel''s coat was torn, he was holding on to the bloody cudgel; shouting, screaming, swearing, and sounds of broken dishes would not stop. The boys under the table could no longer tell the exact time they had been sitting there; they wanted to come out, couldn''t stand sitting there anymore. The swearing and shouting slowly died out. The fighters didn''t have any strength anymore. Uriel carefully peeped through the hole in the tablecloth and looked around the dining hall. "There is no one nearby. At least that''s how it seems from this peephole. I think it''s the best time to creep out," said Blondy and crawled out so that he did not even look at the girl. Michael once again coughed and asked the raven-haired girl as politely as he could if she wanted to go with them, but he received a stern no. Feeling frustrated, he was about to leave the room when he heard the girl say thank you. This one word made him so happy that he accidentally jumped up and hit the table so hard that he almost cried. Without saying a word, Michael looked around, there were several people fighting here and there, trying to take away the sword from the guardsmen, another one was standing in the corner with a spare sword, but he was so drunk, he could not hold it properly and swayed it back and forth. Others were lying on the floor unconscious or still fighting. Women were hiding either behind the curtains or under the tables, waiting for the fight to finish. It was obvious to the boys that they could not sneak out from the room unobserved; it was too dangerous, so they went back to the table. Michael was searching for the girl and finally saw her standing on the staircase leading to the second floor, waving to him. Michael poked Uriel and showed at the girl, then went to the stairs stealthily. Before Michael reaching the destination, Uriel rebuked him about his reckless behavior, however, Michael continued with a joyous expression on his face. They were almost there when Michael got a strange feeling and they heard a deafening roar and shutter. They did not know why, but they turned around rather slowly. The deafening silence consumed the hall. Everyone had turned into stone from fear, the shatters of the windows were scattered all around the floor. In the middle of the debris, a reddish man mounted on a horse was standing. Neither the horse nor the rider looked alive; what was even worse, they did not look dead either. Chapter XIII Chapter XIII The horse covered in blood was so hacked up that Michael wondered how it stood. The one-armed man, pale like a sheet of paper, was shivering on the horse. His right arm, which was half chopped off, was covered with the red uniform drenched in blood, but the most terrifying thing was that both the rider and the horse had foggy white eyes. Suddenly, the rider gripped his own throat tightly, gurgled he needed help, and dropped together with the horse. Nobody moved first, but then everybody ran towards the door. Michael and Uriel were standing as if frozen and did not even quiver. They eyed each other that it was time to run, but at that very moment, something strange happened. Those people who had just left returned quietly as if being enchanted by some magic. The room was being filled up with mute panic. Although the people stupefied by the fights were gradually returning, they did not dare to utter a sound. They must have felt something was hopelessly wrong. Uriel and Michael saw the door of the tavern despite the vast crowd of people. They noticed the guardsmen, covered in blood, mingled in the crowd, red eyes were glowing on their disturbingly pale faces. There were three of them, but the number was still enough to scare the unarmed people to death. The rider who had broken the window stood up slowly and the glow in his eyes made a well-dressed woman scream out with fear... The soldiers dressed in red uniforms acted. They were extremely strong. They could easily take people up with their bare hands and throw them around. People were panicking, nobody dared to fight against them, no one even thought of doing that. Everyone tried to run, but the terrifying four did not allow them to approach either the door or the window. As well as being strong, the red-eyed guardsmen were extremely quick. Uriel quietly whispered to Michael they could have tried escaping from the second-floor window. As if being under a spell, the girl was still standing at the stairs. Uriel and Michael got to her safely and dragged her up the stairs. Other people followed them too. The second floor was largely occupied by the bedrooms, most of which were locked from inside by the scared customers. People, panicking and shivering with fear, were trying to break into the rooms. The second-floor corridor was filling up quickly, and Michael and Uriel soon realized that unless they hastened, the guardsmen would soon turn this place into a slaughter yard. While Michael was trying to think about the way out, Uriel turned to the girl, shook her to bring her around, and asked her name. "Angela," she said automatically. "Listen to me, Angela, we need to get away as soon as possible, or we will all die; just calm down and tell me how to escape. There should be another exit." "There is one window, over there," Angela pointed at the door. Uriel tried the door, but it turned out to be locked from outside. The boys started kicking the door, but they soon realized they could not break it. They looked around in search of someone stronger. They picked out one huge, a queerly dressed black man with a sword around his waist. Michael did not know what Uriel had told the man, as they were talking in a language unknown to him, but it did not really matter, the main thing was that the black man could break the door on the first try to they went into a small room. The window overlooked the street, but as soon as the boys looked through it, they lost all hope of escape. About a dozen of the red-eyed guardsmen, surmounted on their horses, were waiting at the windows. Having witnessed their strength, the boys were sure that their number was not important at all. "The entire building is besieged," Michael heard the girl''s hopeless voice, and he was about to turn to Angela, standing at the window when he froze on the spot, seeing the wounded soldier with his arm cut off, at the doorstep. The glowing red eyes were looking at the people in the room. Terrified and hopeless, they did not really mind who would be the first victim. There were five of them in the room - Blondy, Michael, Angela, the well-dressed woman, and the black man, who must have been the servant of the woman. The guardsman stepped into the room, and Michael and Uriel grabbed their cudgels. Strangely, in these blood-shedding circumstances, Michael felt even excited, as standing in the room, ready to fight, was a sign of bravery on his side. The black man grabbed his sword, too. The guardsman stopped and looked at the frozen people in the room. He suddenly rushed towards the black man, but quickly changed the direction and jumped in front of the well-dressed lady, punched her and threw her against the wall, then rushed back to the black man. The latter swooshed his sword, which, in fact, saved his life at that moment. The guardsman still dashed towards him, grabbed the blunt side of the sword with the only remaining hand, and threw the black man and his sword to the other side of the room, next he ran up to him, grabbed him by his throat, and lifted him up. He would definitely kill the black man if boys had not attacked him with their cudgels. The guardsman kicked Michael. Uriel''s cudgel broke on the head of the soldier. He did not seem harmed, not even shaken a little; he only let go of the dark man who fell on the floor rasping. Michael struggled to get up, but he was soon running towards the red-eyed soldier screaming desperately, but the adversary was first to attack Michael and threw him on the ground. Michael almost lost consciousness, feeling that his lungs were devoid of air. He could barely see how the soldier lifted Angela up in the air and was about to strangle her when Uriel hit him with a sword in the arm. The girl fell down with the cut-off hand of the men, still gripping her neck. Michael stood up with difficulty. Although he felt dazed, he could still feel that the guardsman with no arms was faster than Uriel. Michael took a deep breath, and feeling a sudden rush of strength, grabbed his cudgel. Despite not being able to free himself from the fear, he ran after the red-eyed soldier, hit him with the cudgel, and jumped aside so that the soldier could not reach him. This movement was successful. Even though the red-eyed one avoided the strike, he could not hit the boy back; On the contrary, it was Michael who was preparing for the second attack. He swung the cudgel; the guardsman stepped back and at that moment Uriel swooshed his leg with the sword, leaving him one-legged. After this, everything finished quickly. Uriel''s sword went through the heart of the man monster and the eyes of the guardsman became glassy and lifeless. Everything around was drenched in blood. Blondy kneeled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Michael helped Angela stand up. "Don''t be afraid, everything is behind." He tried to calm down the shivering, pale girl, but, deep in his heart, he knew he was lying to her. Nothing was over yet. The red-eyed riders were lurking in the street, whereas three guardsmen were slaughtering people in the tavern. If the boys did not come up with something sensible really quickly, they would soon be killed. Michael tried to think hard, but he could not concentrate on anything. Uriel stood up and carefully looked through the broken door; the soldiers were there, but they already knew that, as they could hear them from the corridor. There were only three people left alive in the room. They had lost every hope of escape and had no desire to fight against the adversaries. How lucky it was that the guardsman had only one arm and Uriel had cut off the second one. They knew they would not be that fortunate now even the adversaries attacked them one by one... They had to escape somehow, till there was time, but where could they go, Michael did not know, and neither did Uriel. "This is the end, isn''t it?" thought Michael. "All the dreams will disappear together with me..." The word "dream" reminded him of something and he screamed - "The roof!" Angela stared at him surprised, Blondy, however, realized what he meant, "Let''s go to the roof," he finished his words looking pleased with Michael''s idea. While Uriel was opening the window, Michael was explaining to the girl that there would be nothing scary, at least not as scary as what would happen to them if they stayed in the room. The first to crawl out of the room was Blondy as the most experienced climber. Standing on the windowpane, Michael helped him to climb up. Then they helped Angela, who stood on Michael''s shoulders, while Uriel was holding her from above. Finally, it was Michael''s turn, and he also managed to climb up onto the roof. Michael looked down and saw how the red-eyed soldiers were staring at them. "Those scaring eyes," said Michael. He did not feel safe on the roof. He felt apprehensive. What if the red eyed-soldiers could climb the walls? He became more scared by ominous glares from the soldiers standing in the streets. They quickly got away from the edge, hoping that the attackers would soon forget them if they did not see them. So they sat shivering on the roof and listened to the sounds of death coming from downstairs. Suddenly, they heard bells ringing. The guards of the city might have learned about the slaughter in the tavern, or they must have heard the noises coming from the building. "I think that''s good!" whispered Michael hopefully. No matter how strong the red-eyed soldiers were, they could not defeat hundreds of armed men. He believed all was going to be well now and he let himself be happy, but he was too optimistic. Suddenly, he saw a white hand clutching the edge of the roof. In several seconds, the guardsman that Uriel had just killed with a sword was standing in front of them, miraculously safe and sound; Not even a single scar was visible on his face. The eyes were glowing as brightly in the dark night as never. Now Michael was horrified. The soldier that was lying dead on the floor with both arms and a leg cut off in the fight now was standing in front of him as if nothing had happened. Was there really any logic to fighting against him? Or where else could they go? They were on the roof. No way out! If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The guardsman looked as if he knew how desperate the youngsters felt; he was not in a hurry to attack them. The enemy was getting closer and with every step he made, Michael felt how pleased the monster living in the body of a man was in anticipation of what was bound to happen to the kids. Michael felt fear and anger rise in his heart. Michael checked his cudgel, looked at Uriel, and saw him holding the sword hilt in his hand, looking at him. "We will die fighting", Uriel said. Michael got hold of the cudgel and stood next to Blondy. The red-eyed suddenly stopped and stepped back with a heart-wrenching hissing. "Is he really afraid of us?" thought Michael, but when he followed his gaze, he realized it was not them who the red-eyed soldier was looking at, but at somebody else behind them. He automatically turned around and glimpsed a stranger in a black robe with embroidered symbols and a silver mask on his face. The stranger had a hoodie on his head with which he hid his face. Michael could not even tell whether the stranger was a man or a woman. He was running towards them, more precisely, towards the guardsman, and his long cloak was swirling in the wind. The red-eye started hissing loudly and took one more step back forward. The mysterious stranger moved smoothly as if gliding in the air. The guardsman hissed one more time and ran towards the stranger, who also started moving quicker and the distance between them got smaller. Michael glimpsed a swirling cloak and the leg inside it hit the guardsman. Michael could hear a terrible thunder-like sound, see how the guardsman fell back and fly in the air for several meters before he could land on the edge of the roof and grasped it with his only remaining hand. He got back to his feet and ran towards the stranger. Michael saw the chest, injured after the hit, heal in front of his eyes. The stranger didn''t move, he only threw his right hand back and when the red-eyed soldier got closer, the purple light shone out of the palm of his right hand. Suddenly, he struck with the sparkling hand on the roof. Whatever happened next was something weird that Michael had never experienced in his entire life. They felt as if all the colors had disappeared from the universe and the sounds followed them. Strange bitter cold appeared from nowhere and permeated their souls. They felt as nailed to the rooftop by some strange force. Michael could only move his eyes and watch the guardsman fade in front of his eyes, still struggling to get up. The weight he felt on him was unbearable, and Michael felt it was becoming more and more difficult to breathe. Under the weight, the roof tiles broke in some places and Michael felt his spine was about to break into two when he suddenly felt the weight disappear. He barely got back to his knees, breathing deeply, cold sweat covering his face and still feeling terrible pain in his back. Colors and sounds were coming back to the world slowly. Michael glanced at the stranger. He was still standing, unmoved. The guardsman was kneeling and trying to get up, but in vain, one could hear his bones breaking inside. His body was squirming and his bulging eyes were about to pop out of their orbits... "He can''t feel pain. That must be the reason he is not screaming," whispered Blondy. The stranger lifted his hand up and stood up. The red-eye was obviously in pain. He was horrified to look at or to listen to. Michael closed his eyes, or else he would throw up. The stranger started moving towards them. Uriel held up his sword to defend himself. "If I wanted to kill you, you wouldn''t be able to defend yourselves with that sword," said the masked man coldly. "Who was that red-eyed man?" "The Guardsman," answered Michael briefly. "Where did you see him for the first time?" "He crushed into the tavern window with the horse," answered Michael, and retold the man everything that had happened. "Did you observe any kind of color change in their eyes?" asked the stranger after a while. "Before falling down from the horse, his eyes turned into white, but then they changed into red again," replied Blondy. "I see," said the stranger and walked to the edge of the roof. "Answer my questions and I will tell you something more interesting about these guardsmen!" shouted Uriel. Michael could hear Blondy''s voice tremble, but he sounded determined at the same time. The man turned around and walked back to them swiftly. "Tell me what you are planning to say!" said the man coldly. "Answer my questions first." Blond did not give up easily. "You know I can kill all three of you in a second, don''t you?" they heard an ominous remark. Uriel answered nothing, only held up his sword and stared at the man directly in his eyes. They stood unmoving for some time. "Ask me whatever you want. I will answer if I find it necessary," said the stranger. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" was Uriel''s first question. "Who I am is none of your business, but what I am doing here, I guess, you have already experienced," the man pointed at the remains of the red-eyed guardsman. "So you kill creatures like him?" "The cause I follow is much more than killing creatures, but this guardsman was very dangerous. I don''t really know enough about them to help him... I could not just let him go, I had to kill him," explained the stranger. "Where are these creatures from and what do they want from us? How can you fight like this and what the hell did you do to us a few minutes ago? How it comes you have so many unusual skills and what is happening? When will all this end?" Blond bombarded the stranger with questions. "The reason they have sent me here is to find out where these creatures come from. I would have never imagined what I have seen today. A lot of things may change because of that, however, you won''t be able to understand why. I don''t intend to tell you anything about my skills, but in order to end the devastating process which started in several parts of the world simultaneously, you must tell me everything you know and bear in your mind that every second count." Blondy gazed at the stranger, then he started talking. "It was reported that in the south of Mondelay, there must be a strange creature living in the mountains. We learned about this a few weeks ago. They sent there the army to check the rumors and you can see the result," added Uriel angrily. "Can you explain what could have turned men into monsters?" he pointed at the remains of the soldier. "Did people live in the mountains?" asked the stranger calmly. "They abandoned several villages after the appearance of the creature," Michael answered quickly. The stranger did not reply, but he turned around and left them. He was halfway through the roof when he paused. "He must prepare to jump off," thought Michael to himself, but when the stranger stepped back, he knew something was not right and suddenly became nervous. When Michael heard strange hissing sounds behind him, he realized who was behind him before turning around. The red-eyed guardsman, covered in blood, was getting ready for an enormous leap. He looked like a beast and the silver moonlight made him look even more terrifying. Michael started shaking in terror, turned to the man in the robe, but when he saw two more guardsmen standing in different corners of the roof, he felt blood curdle in his veins. The guardsmen were getting closer. Uriel grabbed Michael and dragged him towards the center of the roof, close to the black-robed man. Screams and loud moaning reached them from downstairs. Michael heard the guardsmen slaughtering people in the tavern. Everything was silver in the moonlight around and the eyes of the enemies looked like dancing red dots in the air. These eyes that one could not avoid looking at no matter how hard they tried. The stranger flashed past Michael like an arrow. The guardsmen stormed towards the man''s cloak, flattering like the raven''s wings. Michael glimpsed the stranger while he was still floating up in the air. However, he was instantly thrown away by the blast following the green light. The boy did not give in to the pain and sat up at once so that he would not miss a single detail about the fight. Indeed, it was incredible to see what was happening on the roof of one of the taverns in Mondelay. The man in the black cloak was fencing against two red-eyed guardsmen with astonishing speed; the soldiers, however, had to use fight back as their adversary was unbelievably strong and quick. Their tricks made Michael want to join them in the fight and could hardly keep himself away from jumping in the middle of the fight. The third guardsman also stood up and joined the fight, although his wounds from the green light had not yet healed. The steel sword sparks colored the silver light in gold. The boys could hear thunder around them and the fairy tale was coming to life in front of their eyes. Michael did not fail to notice how skillfully the stranger avoided three swords, but in the end, getting ready to attack, one of them kicked him and threw him back. Falling down, he broke several tiles, rolled over down the roof, and stopped right at the edge, kneeling on one of his knees. He instantly waved his hand up and glowing in purple struck with it on the rooftop. The guardsmen were hit by the light and thrown on their backs, mesmerized by the strange cold filling up their bodies. "The fight is over," thought Michael to himself, but as soon as he saw the guardsmen overcome the gravity, he knew nothing was over. Unbearable heaviness disappeared in seconds, the freed red-eyed soldiers appeared in front of the masked man and Michael once again thought that the fight was over, but before the three swords would cut into the flesh, the man in the black cloak turned around and swept the guardsmen away. The stranger jumped up back to his feet and continued swirling. The fiery shapes appeared around him and he directed them towards the red-eyed soldiers. One got caught on fire, whereas the other two avoided the attack and advanced towards the stranger. The latter stopped swirling as soon as he threw the fire figures over and waved his hand at unimaginable speed. As a result, a yellow cosmic body fell from the sky and took down the part of the roof, sweeping the guardsmen, burned to ashes, away. The explosion was so powerful that it threw the watching audience up in the air. The stranger greeted the third red-eyed soldier with a sword and slaughtered him with his twirling motions. Then sat next to the kids to catch his breath. "Are you OK?" the stranger did not really look worried. The youngsters did not answer them as they were petrified by what they had just witnessed. "How did you do all this?" Michael could no longer hide his astonishment. "It is strangely quiet," noted Uriel and Michael soon guessed the reason behind it. There had been a fight in front of the tavern a few minutes before. The silence, however, meant that it was over. Three kids started at the stranger in fear when he got up and walked towards the edge of the roof that looked over the tavern entrance. He had barely got to the place when he jumped back and the arrow hit the spot he was just standing on. Soon another red-eyed soldier appeared, and it became obvious to the kids who had won the fight downstairs. Blood was dripping from the silver weapons of the guardsmen, who looked like mystical knights under the moonlight, getting ready to fight. They were ten of them - Michael counted; they had obviously murdered the hundreds of defenders of the city without losing a single soldier themselves. The fireballs appeared once again from the palms of the stranger and the red-eyed soldiers attacked. The fireballs encircled the stranger and the kids and saved them from a miserable death. Soon they had to obey the stranger and jumped down the roof hole made by the meteor-like cosmic body. Again, Michael glimpsed another guardsman turned into ashes and the walls bathed in blood almost made him throw up. The stranger followed them, jumped through the hole like a cat and the fire covered the hole to protect the kids from the soldiers, but the monsters were not planning to give up that easily. They broke into the room through windows. Michael realized the second floor would also be swarmed by the soldiers. Next, everything happened so quickly that he could not restore the sequence of events in his memory. The rooftop fight episodes looked like a masterpiece painted by a genial artist. Cutthroats and slaughtered bodies collapsed walls and broken windows with torn curtains, broken bones and gutted bodies, sticky floor, and dirty ceiling. The shadows dancing on the walls reminded Michael of the stories about dancing shamans told by Uriel, the swirling of the cloaks of the red-eyed soldiers, drenched in blood, and that of the black cloak. The ghosts of death lurking in every corner and the danger imminent at any moment made Michael feel a riot of emotions. Chapter XIV Chapter XIV Michael and Uriel were not back yet. Lucius could not understand the reason for their being so late. His gut told him that something was obviously wrong. Laili was restless, which made it very difficult to fall asleep. Time moved slowly, and he put all that on his groundless anxiety. At least he had already made his mixtures, which he planned to sell in different neighborhoods. If he had not enough sleep, it would be difficult to wake up early, but obviously, there was nothing he could do about it. He tried to go out as often as possible, hoping to see familiar sights. The only things he could lay his eyes on were the mystical shadows of hundred-year-old trees, which, swallowing the moon behind the bushy branches, let both the imagination and fear run wild. The fire was still crackling in the fireplace. He heard a strange noise behind the door. He had only made one step towards the entrance when the door burst open and blood froze in his veins. Uriel was standing at the door, covered in blood, with his blond hair stuck to his wet face. He could barely stand on his feet. "What''s wrong with you? Where is Michael?" Lucius rushed towards his friend to help him... "No time for explanations," Uriel stopped him, "grab your medicines, take Laili and follow me..." He had such a miserable voice that Lucius could easily guess how much effort it took him to even utter a word. He got down to work instantly, woke Laili up, grabbed his medicines, and threw them all in his bag. "Now what?" Lucius followed Blondy, who was already standing at the door. Holding Laili and his bag, he followed Blondy, whose hair now had turned red. The darkness covered everything around Blondy and the children, following him. Uriel was bleeding. He could barely stand on his feet. Lucius could not wait to bombard him with questions. The bleeding became stronger. If Lucius did not help, they could not reach the city. He stopped as soon as the thought went through his head. He put Laili down. "I have to see the wound, or else you won''t be able to continue," he told Uriel. He took off the shirt, tore it. Uriel did not object, he obviously knew Lucius was right, he just sat silently on the ground while Lucious was treating his wounds. As they continued their way to the Mondelay, they heard the bells ringing from the city. "What is going on?" Lucius asked Uriel. "I will explain later," he answered, frowning in pain. "Don''t worry, he is alive," said Blondy in a frail voice and Lucious finally sighed with relief. The dark forest looked sinister and smelled damp. The roots of the trees tangled and intertwined like snakes, made it even more challenging to walk. Lucius was careful not to fall. He had no right to fall. He was holding Laili with one hand while helping Blondy with the other. Mondelay was unfamiliarly alive at night. The streets were overcrowded, people were standing like sardines in a can. Huge bells of the church were booming. The entire crowd was moving towards the wall of the noble neighborhood. Fierce screams sometimes broke the sickening silence around. The boy wondered what was happening. The closer they got to the wall, the more people appeared around them. People standing in the longest queue near the main gate doing everything to reach the place first. However, the gates were protected by armed soldiers. Uriel headed towards the soldier on the horse. Lucius recognized the commander. As soon as the commander saw the boys, he whispered something to the guardsman standing next to him, who led them to the destination. The soldiers made a narrow passageway in the crowd. It was so tiny that they struggled to move forward, however, they soon forgot about it as soon as they ended up on the other side of the gate. Lucius expected Uriel to explain why the guardsmen behaved like that, but the wounded and exhausted boy could barely stand on his feet, let alone explain everything. They headed towards the streets, which had turned into ruin after the last attack. Uriel suddenly stopped and weakly pointed out the building that miraculously was still standing. It was a sign they had to enter there. The building must have belonged to one of the wealthy families of the town. The boys almost crawled on all fours from exhaustion to get to the door, which, to their surprise, opened soon and they ended up in the hall with pillars and filled with wounded officers. Lucius heard painful moans from everywhere; the people dressed in orange were attending to the officers, trying to save their lives, but it was obvious there were not enough doctors to help everybody. The ones left without the healers were pitifully asking for help. "What the hell happened here?" gasped Lucius, but he soon realized that no one would answer his question, so he turned to Uriel, who was about to lose consciousness. He tried with all his might to drag him inside the building, while kept asking for help. No one came to help though, nobody had a minute to spare for them. Lucius was holding screeching Laili in one hand and trying to drag Uriel into the uncertain direction. "It''s them!" Lucius heard someone''s voice and guessed they were talking about him. The person led them into the room with several beds, one of which was occupied by Michael lying with closed eyes. "What happened to him?" asked Lucius and moved towards the bed. However, someone grabbed and stopped him, saying he was alive. Michael opened his eyes, too. "Calm down, mate, I''m fine," he said in a frail voice. He obviously was not, but Lucius chose not to reply to him. He gazed at Uriel, who was being helped to occupy the only vacant bed. One of the three people was a middle-aged man dressed in orange, two others were dressed in soldier uniforms. Lucius put down Laili and opened his bag full of his medicines. Then he went up to Michael, smiling weakly, and started examining him (Uriel was being treated by the middle-aged man, so Lucius helped Michael). "How do you feel?" he asked quietly, but the answer he was feeling just fine did not satisfy Lucius, so he continued examining him. Michel had several wounds, however, they were not deep, so Michael''s life was not in danger. He already had his wounds bandaged, but obviously, that was done quickly and superficially, so he re-dressed his wounds and used one of his medicines, "lotion made of the twisted roots" (that''s what mother called it). Lucius had just finished attending to him and was about to ask him what had happened when Michael asked him to help the dark-haired girl, who was lying unconscious on the bed. Lucious looked around. There was no doctor here. The middle-aged man had finished looking after Uriel and tiptoed out of the room. Lucius looked at bandaged Uriel and thought he looked all right, so he moved towards the unconscious girl. Surprised, he was trying to guess who the girl was, or how it came that Michael knew her. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. "Her name is Angela," he heard Michael''s frail voice when he got to the girl''s bed and started examining her. "Why would I care about her name?" Lucius thought and stared at the girl''s face; he had never seen her, otherwise, he would have definitely remembered such a beauty. He carefully examined her and realized that her condition was much worse compared to the boys. Someone badly wounded her in the shoulder and the even worse, much deeper wound was near her stomach. Someone did not correctly administer the bandages, and she was still bleeding. Michael knew he had an arduous task ahead... Lucius wiped the cold sweat off his forehead; he was panting and his hands were trembling. Could not really tell how much time had passed, but it felt as if the entire night had gone by. He often witnessed his mum stitch the wounds, but he had never tried doing that himself. But now, when he had, he could hardly believe he had managed well. The girl woke up and had to endure unbearable pain. "Scream, that will help with pain," told her Lucius several times, but the girl was silent even though she was bleeding from the lips she was biting on, suffering from the unbearable pain. Lucius had got the instruments needed for stitching and the medical spirit, though it took him a lot of self-convincing and persuasion, otherwise, he could not manage so much and so well. After stitching the wounds, he could not think of anything else, so he just gave the girl remaining spirits and added that it would ease up at least some of her pain. The girl mumbled something like a thank you and quickly took a shot (she grimaced, that was the only disdain she expressed). Lucius moved on to Uriel. Laili was with him so that she would not see stitching the wounds - he left her in the farthest place of the room, with Blondy. Lucius sat near the bed and petted Laili on her head. "Don''t be afraid of anything," he caressed the tear-some baby and hugged her. Uriel had woken up too and was staring up at the ceiling. "Won''t you tell me what has happened?" Lucius asked finally, tired of waiting for so long, and looked questioningly at Michael (he looked better than others). Michael signed and told their story- what happened after they had met a girl called Angela in the tavern, he described the broken windows and red eyes, blood rivers and slaughtered people, cutthroats and faces suffering from pain, fighting against the one-armed soldier and the attempt to hide on the roof, the red-eyed enemies on the roof and the wizard in a mask who saved their lives, the fight under the moonlight and in the tavern. Michael continued their story and described how they miraculously survived the death several times, how selflessly the stranger fought against dozens of soldiers, how he revived the dead in the tavern so that they could also join him in the fight, how the tavern burned down during the battle and how Uriel and Michael fought against one guardsman, but in vain, as he injured Angela and Michael. However, Uriel beheaded him with his sword, later how selflessly Michael and Uriel helped the wounded masked wizard to get away from the red-eyed soldiers when the second round of the guardsmen circled the tavern and how the red-eyed monsters ran after Michael, Uriel, Angela, and the wizard and they once again mercilessly fought against six monsters on their way, but now together with the army. Michael described the unimaginable strength the red-eyed ones possessed, so if not the mysterious stranger, nobody would have been able to stop the monsters. They would have slain the second army and continued to slaughter innocent citizens. According to Michael, after defeating six monsters, the badly wounded wizard told the commander of the Mondelay army to warn the citizens to seek shelter from other red-eyed monsters in the noble neighborhood. The guardsmen were so shocked after the fight that they still could not think straight. The black-robed stranger was a miracle sent by God. Some of them declared a state of emergency, the others helped the wounded to get to the rich neighborhood. Michael and Angela followed the flow, whereas Uriel went to warn him and Laili. "Where is this masked man?" asked Lucius after a long silence. Somebody answered he was being taken care of. "But how can this place accommodate the entire city?" he asked once again, though he knew no one would answer the answer was silence. Everybody (except Laili) was deep in their thoughts. Lucius could hardly breathe in this room. "I will be back soon," he went out. The coolness of the hall greeted him as soon as he stepped out, but the moans of the wounded were so depressive. He was about to leave the building when one doctor stopped him. "Do you know how to stitch a wound?" he asked, and when Lucius nodded silently, he continued: ''We don''t have enough people to look after the injured. Please help us. Having no other choice, Lucius had to agree. That''s how he ended up with one soldier with one leg already amputated and a gaping wound in the other one. The soldier was tied to the newly assembled bed so that he would not interfere with the doctor, although the rope could not hold the soldier back and he was still restless-the ropes rubbed the skin on his hands but the patient would not stop moving. At first, Lucius thought the pain was making him wamble, but after hearing his screams, he soon realized something else, perhaps, the unimaginable horror he had experienced, had made him scream. The wounded was obviously trying to escape from someone or something and was screaming his lungs out, "Don''t let it touch me, let somebody stop it..."- Lucius was horrified by this gruesome sight and tried to focus on the wound he was stitching with trembling hands, although sometimes his eyes crept to the amputated leg. Lucius lost the track of time. He could no longer count how many soldiers he stitched and how many times he thrust a needle into the flesh split open. They tied some of the wounded to beds. Some of them were unconscious and could feel nothing, and some bore the pain heroically. Every poor, delirious and exhausted person had different wounds. Lucius could no longer take it: moaning, hopeless screams simmered in and swelled his heart, the smell of sweat and blood suffocated him. He threw the needle into a bowl of some boiled water and left the building. Nobody stopped him, nobody asked him for help. Surgeons were swarming in the yard. They had to operate in harsh conditions and now they were catching their breaths outside, trying to talk, to think. It did not surprise Lucius looking at them standing in the yard. He expected that everyone else would also want to get away from the horror happening inside. Lucius wanted to talk to anybody, so he hurriedly crossed the garden and went out into the wide streets of the rich part of the city, which now were filled with people. The long line of people meandered outside the palace. People continuously entered the place through the enormous gate. The noble people were angrily talking to the soldiers. They must have been against the people entering their neighborhood, but the soldiers were not giving in, making them even angrier. Lucius would never forget these streets, how he ran along them looking for Laili, how he ran for life. Staring at the endless stream of people, Lucius wondered how many people were still beyond the gate. Probably many more than inside it. Would the neighborhood be able to give shelter to everybody who needed it? If yes, for how long? He was not sure of the answer; he was afraid of the future, of the creatures different from people with their red eyes and supernatural power. If he had seen them, he would think less about them, but now his imagination wrapped them in a haze of uncertainty that stirred tremendous turmoil in his mind. Chapter XV Chapter XV It was freezing cold outside. Lucius was trying to warm himself up by stamping his feet and moving his arms. Suddenly, he noticed several nobles in the crowd. "What are they doing in the building full of wounded people?" he thought to himself and followed them. Entering the yard, the nobles headed towards the building. It was obvious they were not there to make peace. They pushed the door roughly and stormed into the building. Their sudden appearance startled the people in the room. After a brief awkward silence, the doctor, whom he had seen somewhere, asked the nobles what they were doing there. The answer was strict: "In the name of the nobles and the governor of the city, we demand to see the wizard, as we know, he is being treated here." "Following the commander''s orders, no one, but doctors may visit the wizard." "You are in Mondelay and as I am the governor, no one can go against my wish!" shouted the nobleman, distinguished by his well-built body. "Sir, I am sorry, but I cannot disobey the commander''s orders," the doctor replied calmly. The governor said nothing, stepped back, and told something to his people. Who took out their weapons hidden in their clothes and moved towards the doctor. Nobody knew how everything would end, if not the loud sharp voice cutting the air around. "That''s enough!" this voice made everyone freeze on the spot. Lucius guessed who it might have belonged to. The wizard was slowly descending on the wide stairs of the Palace. He was covered in bandages from the waist down and calmly strolled down holding on to the banister. The silence once again consumed the place. Even the wounded stopped moaning. Despite obvious suffering from deep wounds, despite the pain, the wizard must have been through, one could feel such dignity, style in every move he made the people could not take their eyes off him, haunted by the power the man had over them. "As I understand, you want to see me so urgently that you were ready to kill people for that," he told the noblemen in his chilly voice. The guardsmen were holding their weapons up, still staring at the wizard in awe. The wizard walked toward the governor, who now stared at the wizard as if he had swallowed his tongue. The noblemen were looking at each other flustered and did not even dare to move. The wizard stopped in front of the governor. "What did you want to tell me?" he had a calm but cold voice. The entire hall was silent, absorbing each of the words. The governor also noticed it and finally muttered out whether they could talk somewhere else. The wizard looked around the hall and before the governor replied; the door was banged open again, and the officers stormed into the building. Then the army divided into two parts and gave way to a well-built man of medium height. Lucius heard someone whisper he was a commander. "What are you doing here?" the commander asked the noblemen sternly. "I am the ruler of the city and where and when I go is only my business!" replied the governor, fuming. ''You allowed all and sundry to enter my city, you did not lock the doors despite our constant demands, you never notified us about the fights in the city, you don''t inform us about your plans and now you ban us from entering somewhere? Don''t you think you are taking over? Have you forgotten I am still the authority?'' "My soldiers are shedding blood in the city. People starve to death, the kids are dying in the arms of their parents, the streets are covered in blood, people are going insane. You are sitting cozily inside your wall, enjoying yourselves at the fire, while my soldiers are sacrificing themselves and find frozen kids in every street. How you dare to rebuke me?" shouted the commander in reply. "How dare you talk to me like that?" the governor''s face reddened with rage. He continued yelling some words. As a reply, the Commander also started shouting. Some officers followed him and the entire hall was in pandemonium. The tension was increasing. The soldiers also unsheathed their swords, and no one knows how everything would have ended if not the wizard. "Enough!" this word silenced the hall. However, this was not just a shout, it was much more. A strange feeling which sent shivers down his spine overwhelmed Lucius. Others must have felt the same way. This must have been the reason everybody froze suddenly so that you could hear a pin drop. As soon as the wizard started talking, Lucius realized he was talking in an unfamiliar language for the people of Mondelay, but somehow every word he was saying was still understandable and sounded like ringing a bell in the heart of every listener, although he never raised his voice. The wizard said that the fight here was ridiculous compared to the danger they loomed ahead. If they continued in that way, everybody would die. He was certain that the only way to survive was to stay within the wall of the town, as the people beyond the wall would face an inevitable death in the hands of the red-eyed soldiers who were about to attack the city. Therefore, everybody should be allowed in. The wizard added people were not fully secure within the gate either, as the red-eyed monsters could also break in, so they had to survive the attack until the help arrived. For that, however, they needed a food supply and many people capable of fighting. The wizard said that now the officers were collecting food in the town and when they had collected as much as they could and when the people had entered the wall of the city, the gates would be closed. This had to happen sooner than later. If not, then all of them would be doomed. As soon as the wizard stopped talking, the hall was silent again. He did not say who would come to help them or what kind of help they would be receiving. Lucius asked nothing. He was not sure whether this was for fear or any other reason, although he could understand that the power of the wizard over the people was enormous. First, the governor turned around and left together with his people, then the commander heeled him with his officers. While the wizard was talking to the doctor, the latter answered briefly and pointed at Lucius. Although nobody had uttered a single word before, after this all people shouted and talk excitedly. The wizard approached Lucius: "Are you Lucius?"- The wizard asked softly, oozing the warmth. Lucius nodded slightly. "Take me to your friends, please," said the wizard, and Lucius realized it was difficult for him to talk. The wizard must have been weak and Lucius accompanied him to the room of his friends. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Some guest was leaving the room when they reached it. This meant that everybody was up, including Laili, and all of them were talking simultaneously. Lucius opened the door and entered the room, although this did not affect the people in the room much- nobody paid attention to him but Michael, who just acknowledged Lucius'' entrance by looking up at him. However, everybody noticed the entrance of the wizard. Michael even tried to get up and if the wizard had not gestured not to, he would have got up. The wizard asked about the health of other patients and put two of his fingers on their foreheads. Lucius was not sure what that meant but the wizard said thoughtfully that all would be alright (The wizard did the same to Lucius, although nobody was sure about the reason the wizard needed to check Lucius'' health-he was perfectly healthy). "The spot on my forehead that you touched is still hot," Lucius told the wizard. He did not expect the wizard to answer him, but he was wrong. The wizard explained this simple and magical trick that allowed him to learn a lot of things about the present condition of the person. The wizard could learn a lot of information by listening to the hidden energy of a person, including whether their life was in danger. This small lesson in magic arts made such a huge impression on Lucius (and not only on him) that he wished he could do the same. He imagined how much easier it would be for him to treat people. Especially the words ''a lot of things, made his imagination run wild, and he even believed the simple touch also possessed the healing powers. Uriel was daring enough to ask the wizard about the fate of the city and he wanted to know the truth about what were the chances to save it and the citizens. As the wizard said, the crucial part played the food and how much they could live off of the supply. How would all these people live together inside the city wall? "What about the red-eyed monsters, when should we expect them to arrive?" this question by Uriel must have been the hardest to answer. Lucius had never seen the creatures who were to blame for this slaughter. However, the tension that followed the question made it obvious that all the people in the room were terrified of them. "It''s impossible to predict when they will enter the city, but somehow I''ve feeling that they will appear this very evening." A long pause followed his words. Michael broke this pause with his question: ''What makes you think this won''t happen this afternoon?" Lucius was surprised at how easily the boys could communicate with the wizard and how plainly he answered their questions as if they were long-term friends. "I don''t think they will, but, of course, it is possible," answered the wizard. "That''s why I am trying to speed up the process of the citizens entering the city and the soldiers gathering the food. If the red-eyed ones come to the gate before we manage to lock it..." the wizard did not finish his words, everyone easily guessed what he was going to say- they had no chance of surviving if they let the creatures enter the city. "So you think they won''t come out during the daylight!?" Uriel voiced another question. "As I observed, the daylight irritates their eyes. They can see the surroundings pretty well in the evening, but their eyes hurt when the light is strong. This does not mean that they cannot fight during the day and they won''t disturb us." "For how long will we have to stay within the gate if we lock it on time and who is coming to help us out?" Lucius finally dared to ask those two questions he felt he had to ask from the very start. "Around ten days. We''ll have to defend the city for ten days. I have already sent the signal and they are definitely going to help us," answered the wizard. "Who are they?" Lucius repeated the question. The wizard did not reply. He only looked back into the boy''s eyes. He had dark chocolate eyes. His gaze made Lucius think of a deep, bottomless lake whose depths one could easily get lost in. No matter how hard one tried, these eyes would always find the truth. "Who will come to help us?" Michael, who was torn between curiosity, impatience, and timidity, asked the same question again. "The guardians of the Temple of fire," said the wizard drily, "They are the closest to the city." Lucius felt the wizard was not particularly happy about their probable arrival. "Who are the guardians of the Temple of fire?" asked Angela. It was the first time she said a word, "I have never heard of the Temple of Fire." "There are lots of things you don''t know my dear," said the wizard, and Lucius guessed this was the end of the conversation. He proved to be right. The wizard said goodbye to everybody, wished them to get better soon as they all needed their strengths to defend the city, and left the room. The kids were alone and as soon as the wizard left; they started passionate debates about the Fire Temple. They tried to guess what it was and to what extent it was connected to magic, whether there were other temples like it too, or it was the only one, what was its function and who its guardians were, or why would a temple need a guardian, or was that just a name for some kind of cult? After mentioning the cult, they all started discussing which religion this temple might belong to. The official religion of Mondelay worshipped Rahail, but Lucius'' village had its own god, a pagan idol, whose sculpture was secretly hidden in every house as worshipping him openly was illegal. According to Uriel, gods like that were frequently worshiped in other villages, but neither they nor Rahail had any direct connection with the fire. As he said, in a remote kingdom, far from Al-Moravid, in the mountainous part, people worshipped fire as a symbol of closeness to god and that temple could have been situated there. The place was so far from Mondelay that made it impossible to reach them in ten days. Uriel''s argument, compared to others, seemed quite credible and realistic, but Michael did not agree with him and said the magic could not have been taught there. Uriel believed, however, that magic could not be learned unless it was an inborn skill. After discussing the topic for a while, Lucius insisted on their describing to him what had happened to them in the tavern and after that. Nobody really wanted to discuss this topic, but they could not refuse either, so during the next half an hour, they listened to Uriel''s and Michael''s stories (sometimes, Angela also filled in gaps). Lucius heard a lot of new things. He learned about the incredible powers of the wizard, which he used against the red-eyed monsters, about his magic and swordfight the boys had never seen before, about his swiftness and quick reactions and masterly skills he used to fight off the red-eyed monsters. "But, if those monsters were so strong, how did you kill one of them?" asked Lucious. "First, we got lucky as our opponent was one-armed, plus he did not use a sword, he must have thought we were too weak for him, but I cut his other arm off and then killed him with the help of Michael''. "We thought he was dead, but we were wrong," Angela added. "Second time, yes," continued Blondy (Lucius could feel that he found it too stressful to recall the moment). "The whole tavern was on fire. It was difficult to breathe. The dead whom the wizard had brought back were all glowing yellow and tried to catch the red-eyed monsters so that they would turn into ashes together with them. We were looking for the exit from the hall when we saw the wizard fall and the monster run towards him; That monster was no smaller than the beast himself! I knew, if the wizard died, we would all share his fate, so I ran to help him, but Michael got to him first, fortunately, there was a sword on the floor, he grabbed it and posed it to attack the adversary." "I grabbed the sword with both hands but the strike was so strong that it threw me on the floor," said Michael, "When falling, I glimpsed the red-eyed guardsman sweeping away by the wave created by the wizard. The next thing I remember is Uriel trying to pick me up while I still grabbed my sword and that guardsman running towards me." "The wizard was fighting against others and had no time for us then, that''s when Michael and I got wounded," said Angela. "If not Uriel, he would have killed us both. I don''t know how he managed, but before the guardsman hit me, he just cut his head off," Michael added. "It was just luck! Michael was on the floor, the red-eyed was about to thrust the sword into him. I was lying on the floor quite far from Michael. The guardsman knew he could kill Michael and then easily attack me before I could even jump up and get to him. I knew that too, so I did what I had to do - I threw the sword at him, though I was entirely hopeless about the success. I did not really expect throwing the sword at him would change anything," said Uriel calmly, "everything happened in a second." "The sword saved my life," Michael finished the story. Lucius imagined what they had gone through a few hours ago. He could also realize what they had to go through the next ten days. "You all were really lucky that day," said Lucius. "Now try to sleep, you need to gather your strength," Lucius went to the door to find out if they had locked the gate or not, but the tension and emotions made him feel so tired that he went back to the bed and fell asleep on the floor... Chapter XVI Chapter XVI "Lucius!" someone was shouting his name from far away. "Lucius, wake up!" he heard the voice closer and opened his eyes. He felt strange after waking up. "Lucius!" Uriel was calling him and shaking him. He squinted his eyes, looked around, and saw someone else in the room, apart from his people - a soldier in the uniform. "What is going on?" he asked, half asleep. "Lord Felix wants to talk to you," answered the officer politely. "Who?" Lucius asked, surprised, and before the officer answered, Uriel said that Lord Felix was the commander of the city. "Now?" he asked with the hope he would not have to leave instantly, but the face of the officer told him otherwise. He got up carefully, so that he would not wake Laili up, put his coat under Laili''s head, and followed the officer. They strolled along the hall. Lucius tried not to look down, but sometimes he could not help and, looking down, saw the wounded soldiers on the first floor. He could hear their moans, which made him wish he could close his eyes and cover his ears with his hands to stop hearing them, but he could not do that in front of the soldier. They walked along a luxurious corridor and finally approached a huge wooden door, which must have been Lord Felix''s room. The commander''s room was splendid. In the corner of the luxurious room was standing a marble statue of a severe man, on the wall one could see a stuffed wild bird, and on the other one, there was an enormous portrait that depicted a man who did not seem familiar to Lucius. His attention was drawn to the commander sitting behind a large desk who looked up they both looked into each other''s eyes. He could not say whether this was his typical look for those whom he invited to his office, or only it was Lucius'' privilege. As soon as the commander beckoned him to go closer, Lucious stepped towards him. When he walked to the desk, he was asked to sit on a sofa. "I prefer to stand, my lord," Lucious answered, questioning himself if that was the form of address. "As you wish," answered the commander, looking surprised at his boldness. "I need to talk to you about Lord Marcus," he moved straight onto the business. "Who?" asked Lucius, surprised again. "Oh, you don''t know the name of the wizard?" replied the commander, no less surprised. "Is his name Marcus?" the boy answered with a question. "As I understand, you do not know his name!?" Lord Felix asked again. "That''s exactly what I mean," agreed Lucious. "So you want to tell me that after all this, you haven''t even asked his name?" said the commander. "That''s right, answered Lucious simply. "What do you mean by, after all this?" he asked again. "You were together in that damned tavern!" the annoyed commander raised his voice. "I was not there, only my friends." "Even so, he accompanied you to your friends'' room," replied Lord Felix, emphasizing the word "friends". "Yes, he asked me to take him there, and I helped him," Lucius answered in a calm voice again. "And while you were in the room with him, you never wanted of getting to know him?" the Lord asked. "I haven''t even thought about that." "Okay, that does not really matter," the commander gave up. "What did you talk about yesterday?" "Why not ask him yourself?" Lucius instructed the Lord. "Because!" the commander''s angry voice echoed in a large room. ''He had no time for me. He wouldn''t even tell me why he had made us do all this stuff, or what was happening, or where he was going!" "Has Lord Marcus left?" Lucious gasped. "As I see now, he hasn''t told you either. Several hours ago our savior wizard disappeared and took around twenty fine soldiers with him, and this happened after we had been following each of his instructions and even locked the gate," Lord Felix stressed the word "savior". "Are you sure he has left?" Lucius could not believe his ears. "We are certain he is not within the wall, and as he told us, we can''t leave the city," answered the commander. "How many people did he take with him?" asked Lucius. "Eighteen, I am not sure." "What is he planning to do?" Lucius asked himself rather than the commander, as the Lord himself sought the answers to his questions. "How on earth would I know what is going in his damned mind?" the lord growled. "You''d better tell us what he told you!" "He asked about my friends'' health and told us the help would come in ten days." "I know that. Did he say anything else?" the commander seemed tense. "He told us the guardians of the Fire Temple will come to Mondelay to help us, as they are the closest to our city." "I have never heard of such temple," said the commander after a while. "You don''t know many things!" "What did you just say, you little brat?" cried the enraged commander. "That was the last words Lord Marcus told us, my lord," Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He asked nothing else; he sat at his desk with his face plunged into his palms. "Lord Felix!" Lucius heard a distant shout. But judging from the reactions of the lord and the officer who had accompanied him and was still there, they did not hear a thing. "Lord Felix!" the call was close already. The commander lifted his face up and asked who was calling his name, but before someone would answer, the breathless officer ran into the room: "What''s wrong?" the commander did not let the officer catch his breath. "The wizard... the wall... the people..." the officer tried to gather his thoughts, but because of the scant breath or some other reason, he failed. "What wizard, what wall, what''s happening!" the Lord got nervous. "Come see it yourself, my lord," the officer pleaded. The commander said nothing else, but pushed the officer away and went out. Lucius had to run after the commander. His guts told him something was really wrong. He ran towards the end of the hall in several seconds and rushed down the stairs, heeling Lord Felix. In a minute he was running after the Commander who was far ahead. In this short time, the streets of the city had radically changed - the streets of the rich quarter were full of tents and people. In the buzzing crowds of people, Lucius found it difficult to follow the commander, but he was still managing not to lose him out of sight. Lord Felix was running towards the gate of the city- the huge wooden and iron door that was obviously locked from inside. In front and on top of the wall, a sizeable group of guardsmen had gathered. They were yelling and presumably trying to push the door open but in vain. The reason they wanted to open the door, however, was unknown to Lucius. As soon as the guardsmen saw Lord Felix, they divided into two groups and let the commander pass, however; the latter was so tired that before he could walk along the line of the soldiers; he took a little rest, which gave Lucius a chance to keep up with him, use the privilege of walking in the freed- up space in the footsteps of the commander and get on top of the wall. Lucius'' heart was beating fast, but he would not give up. He had to follow the commander. He knew if he stopped, he could not make his way through the soldiers, could not observe from the top of the gate and see what was going on. So he did not spare any strength and his efforts paid off in the end. On the stairs of the wall, he realized that with the help of Lord Felix he would get to the top, and soon he was looking down from the top, eager to learn what the hell was happening after all. Taking the number of the soldiers into consideration, this did not seem to be a simple task, although not that challenging as he initially thought. The soldiers did not get to the edge and see what was going on. Those people who were standing in the second row did not move into the first row, which people usually do during such situations. They were just standing frozen on the spot. They did not even talk but mumbled prayers to Rahail to protect them. Lucius broke through the people and finally stood on the edge of the wall. However, as soon as he saw what was happening downstairs, he felt the blood in his veins freeze. In front of the wall, Lucius saw Marcus- the wizard in his black robe with golden signs... There were several people lined up behind him. Three of them, two women and a man, stood closer than others. Horror was imprinted on their ashen gray faces; as if turned into ice, they could not move. Lucius could see from above that one woman was bleeding from her chest, but she did nothing to stop it. The wizard wetted his hands in her blood and was drawing something on the gate. "Open the gate!" the commander shouted. Lucius could not hear or see anything, he just stared at the woman bleed to death. Then the wizard moved on to the man. The officers were screaming and no matter how hard they tried, they could not open the gate. The man also bled to death and when the wizard moved to the third person, Lord Felix started shouting: "Shoot that bastard with arrows!" The people near Marcus were standing silently and their glassy eyes were staring at the painting the wizard was making on the gate. They shot the arrows towards the wizard; however, he continued painting without stopping. Neither an arrow nor a spear touched him. People were screaming from above, begging him to stop, but he heard neither shouts nor arrows. Lucius could not tell how long it took Marcus to paint, but when he finished, the third victim dropped dead as well. Lucius thought Marcus would explain his actions, at least now that he had finished, but he strolled along the wall. People followed him quietly as if they had not witnessed the terrible sight a moment before. "He has obviously bewitched them, that''s why they are so obedient," Lucius heard somebody scream, but he could not see the speaker, as everybody on top of the wall was walking simultaneously with the people down on the wall. "Where are they going to? Why won''t the gate open?" Lucius heard the same question repeatedly, but the answers were if not the same, but, at least, similar - the gate was bewitched too. After quite some time, the wizard stopped, so did the people on top of the wall. The wizard approached the wall, and three people followed him. One of the three was a woman again and two men. Lucius understood that the same would happen again. Lord Marcus cut the woman¡¯s throat open, painted something on the wall, and left three dead bodies under the painting. It was obvious what would happen to the remaining dozen people - four women and eight men. The soldiers started shooting the arrows, but now they aimed at the victims too. They must have wanted to relieve them from pain, but as soon as the arrows reached them, they would either break or scatter around. When they achieved nothing with shooting, the people started swearing and threatening the wizard or begging to spare the ones who were still alive. "Don''t kill my child!" an elderly man begged him, but the wizard did not listen. He continued with unheard-of calmness and led the remaining three people to death. Lord Marcus finished the sixth painting, and he was about to continue his road alone when the old man screamed and jumped from the fence. The wizard turned around swiftly and the airwave created during the spinning movement not only stopped the man but threw him back behind the gate, killing him on the spot. Lucius stared at the dead man and then looked at the wizard, who calmly continued his road as if nothing had happened. Nobody dared to swear and threaten him. The people only stared at him in silence. Lucius did not understand what had just happened. Couldn''t the wizard have made the man fall on the ground? Why would he have thrown him up over the gate? Why was it so important on which side he would die? Behind the gate or outside it? However, soon enough, these questions were turned into abundant emotions- the wizard''s unpredictable actions filled the boy with terror. Lord Marcus had killed everybody around him. There were dead people lying next to six paintings on the wall. According to the Commander, the wizard chose these people himself. Now that no one was alive, Lucius could not even predict what the wizard was up to and what he was planning next. One thing was certain, he was slowly marching along the wall. He reached the gate where the wizard had created the paintings and the first three victims were lying. Lord Marcus stopped at the gate, exactly in front of the painting. He put his bloodstained hands together as if praying and, after several seconds; he started moving them in the air as if carving out some invisible things. At first, the spectators standing on the top of the wall noticed nothing, but soon a small blue lighting figure took shape. However, it was difficult to make out the contours of the figure from above. However, it got more and more radiant and soon turned white. The wizard stopped twirling his hands around the light, caught it in his fist, and thrust his open hand onto the gate. The entire wall trembled as if an earthquake shook it. People lost balance but still managed not to fall over and waited for what was next to come. The wizard stepped back from the gate and turned around swiftly. He did not move but just stood waiting. Lucius was fully consumed with horror. "Look what''s happening!" somebody screamed and pointed at something downstairs. The painted sign right under them was glowing red, but most horrifying was something else: the red hands came out of the wall paintings and dragged the lifeless bodies inside. But what would happen next Lucius did not want to contemplate. When the bodies disappeared in the paintings, the red smoke streamed up into the sky. "Look, other paintings are in smoke!" they heard a desperate scream. Lucius counted five more places covered in a red mist, getting stronger and stronger, creating the illusion that the smoke from all the six paintings was gathering into one stream. This supernatural sight stunned everybody. The red smoke covered the city in a haze. Somewhere in the middle, the smoke coming from six different paintings united into one stream of dark red smoke. Suddenly they heard Lord Marcus'' voice: "Demons, hear me out..." The wizard was neither screaming nor talking loudly, but everybody could still hear him. That was the only thing Lucius heard before everything got blurred and sank into darkness... Chapter XVII Chapter XVII "Lucius!" he heard a voice from far away. "Wake up!" someone was shaking him. Lucius opened his eyes. It was dark around. "You must lack so much sleep," he recognized Uriel''s ironic voice. "Where would you be, you are leaning onto my bed and, as I see, still sleeping?" "What bed, what is happening?" he tried to rise, but banging his head against the bed, he had to sit down again. "What''s wrong with you? Did you see a bad dream?", Uriel tried to calm him down, but how could he calm down after everything he had seen. "Where am I?" he asked once again and looked around. His eyes got used to the darkness and he could see the surroundings better. It was the same room in the palace where his wounded friends were staying. Laili was tight asleep next to him. Others were also in their beds, except for Uriel. However, there was another person in the room, the officer who had taken him to the commander. "Lord Felix wants to see you," the officer said politely. Lucius was staring at him in bewilderment. He could not understand why people around him were behaving as if nothing had happened. Uriel poked him, however, he could not understand why, because he had to follow the officer or his friend just wanted to wake him up. He got up, took Uriel''s jacket, and followed the officer. "Did I dream about all that?" Lucius asked himself for the hundredth time. He could not believe he had such a vivid dream. He remembered when the officer took him from the room; it was still broad daylight; when he woke up, he looked around, because the sun was peeping into the room through the window. Did all that he had seen happen in reality? He woke up at different times in that case, but why would the officer and Uriel behave that way then? They behaved so normally. The officer talked to him as if he saw him for the first time. This meant that either Lucius had a nightmare, or he was the only one who remembered what had happened. When they were going down the stairs, he heard the moans of the soldiers, but as it seemed to him, they were not as intense as previously they were much more reserved and soft. They went through the hall, walked up to the wooden door that looked distinctly familiar and this feeling doubled the suspicion. If everything was a dream, why did the door look so familiar? He had never been in that hall before. Or how did he know that Lord Felix was a commander? They opened the door and stepped into the study: the commander was relaxing in his armchair, there was a marble bust in the corner and a wolf''s head attached to the wall, as well as a stuffed wild bird. Everything looked familiar to Lucius. "Oh, is that you?" Lord Felix opened his eyes and looked at Lucius. He looked more tired than strict than he showed the last time they had met. "It gets dark pretty early, doesn''t it?" the commander did not wait for an answer, pointed at the armchair in front of the desk so that Lucious would sit. This time, Lucius give in quickly and sat in the armchair. The yellow lights from the candles and torches were dancing on the smooth surface of the desk. "I want to talk to you about Lord Marcus!" the commander started after a while and Lucius guessed once again he knew something he shouldn''t. "What do you want to know, My Lord?" asked Lucius, pretending to be confident and calm. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "What did he tell you this morning when he was with you in the room?" the commander asked without beating around the bush. ''First, he asked about my friends'' health and when we dared to ask him what we could expect in the future, he told us it would take the help ten days to arrive." "I know that. Did he mention who is helping?" "He mentioned the Fire Temple, my lord." "I have never heard of anything like that," murmured Lord Felix. "anything else?" "Nothing I can think of, my lord." The commander was deep in his thoughts when Lucius took advantage of the silence and asked nervously: "Do you know where Lord Marcus is?" "No, but he is not in the neighborhood, that I am sure of." "Did he take anyone with him?" Lucius felt how his heart started beating faster. The commander stared at him strangely. "Why are you asking that? Was he planning to take anybody with him?" "I don''t know, my lord, he hasn''t told me anything." "Why did you ask then?" "I don''t know, I was just curious whether he went alone or had a company," lied Lucius, hoping nobody would notice he was lying and he would not have to admit the truth he was not sure of himself. The commander looked at him suspiciously for a while, asking nothing, leaned back in his armchair, and closed his eyes. "It''s a strange night," he murmured to himself. Lucius did not know what to do and just sat in the armchair, feeling uncomfortable. The conversation with the commander had confused him even more. If not others, the commander should have remembered what had happened, but just like others, he did not. A knock on the door scattered these weird thoughts. When the commander snarled that permission to come in, Lucius saw a figure clad in a black robe with golden symbols on it. Lucius did not know what to call the emotion he felt when he saw the wizard: fear, surprise, anger, happiness... Happiness because as the wizard was not outside, he could kill nobody. When Lord Marcus entered the room with amazing grace, the commander attempted to stand up and greet him, but Marcus showed it was unnecessary. Lucius wanted to let the wizard sit in his chair, but he soon realized it was unnecessary as he headed towards the window. He then drew back the curtains without a word and stared at something unknown in the sky of Mondelay. Lucius, the commander, and the officer waited for the wizard to speak. "I have to ask you something, Lord Felix," the wizard finally started talking. It sounded like a rhetorical question and the wizard did not really expect the answer, even though the words were obviously directed at the commander. "Say it, Marcus," the commander did not hesitate to answer. Lucius knew right away the commander would definitely fulfill his wishes unless it exceeded his powers. The wizard turned around, approached the desk, and gave some papers to the commander. He took them, put them on the desk, and peered into them. There was something like a map painted on the paper. He had marked several places on it. "This is the map of the noble neighborhood, which I borrowed from you this morning. The highlighted places are the areas where I need to ask you to make huge bonfires and boil water with the largest pots you have." the wizard made his instructions absolutely clear. However, this was only the beginning. Only making the fires and boiling water was not enough. Marcus took out little pouches from the pocket. There was some kind of powder in them, which they had to add to the water and bring spears, swords, and shields to the designated areas. It was obvious the commander did not know why they had to do all these he gave the officer standing nearby the map and the pouches. The officer left the room swiftly to fulfill the command. "May I ask why we should do all this?" the commander asked the wizard. The latter was still standing at the window, staring at something in the sky. "Before the help arrives, we will have to protect ourselves from the red-eyes on our own. I am preparing for that now," Marcus answered calmly, but this calmness caused weird, unsettling feelings in Lucius, especially after seeing that dream. "But how will boiling water and the weapons around it help us in the battle?" Lord Felix was genuinely surprised. "It will be a real challenge to fight against them with ordinary weapons. The boiling water is necessary to prepare the liquid that we will use to wet the weaponry. This will help us at least fight them, as using only ordinary swords we don''t stand a chance," Marcus explained and turned to Lucius - "How are your brothers?" "They are fine before the help arrives. I guess, they will walk already," Lucius sounded calm. He did not want the wizard to know what he had seen in the dream (unless he already knew). "Ten days for the wounded is a luxury. We will need every person to defend the city. Your brothers have already shown me how skilled they are in killing the monsters," the wizard said with a smile that looked oddly unnatural on his face. "But their wounds are not healed yet. How will they fight, if they can barely walk?" Lucius asked, surprised. "I will take care of every wounded person, they will soon start running around," smirked the wizard, and to prove himself to Lucious'' astonishment (and to the commander''s as well), he healed one wounded soldier on the spot. Lucius and the commander could see a pinkish line on the soldier''s body instead of two deep wounds. Chapter XVIII Chapter XVIII Michael leaned to the side to avoid the wooden sword coming from above. He barely met the blow with his cudgel, otherwise, he would have ended up with one more bump on his head. He stepped back immediately to increase the distance, but exactly at this moment Uriel kicked him so hard that all the air escaped from his lungs, and if not Angela''s cry - "Don''t give up, Michael!" - he could no longer stand up. It was as if these words gave him some strength... Humph... How long should I lay on the ground? As soon as he regained some breath immediately jumped to his feet and made a furious swing with his cudgel, but it was unthinkable for Blondy not to take advantage of his reckless reaction and struck him in the chin with the hilt of his weapon so hard that he went down numb, sparkles in the eyes. And then the darkness took over... Upon regaining consciousness, leaned against a wall. Still dazed, listening to Angela''s jokes about his mastery, and watched the fencing of Uriel and Lucius. Blondy was much better than both. Nor was it surprising from a boy trained by the best fencers at the royal court. But that was not all. He had his style of combat. Sometimes Uriel moved delicately like a butterfly, sometimes forcefully swung his sword like a raging bull and that made it almost impossible for the opponent to keep up with his pace. That''s why neither Michael nor Lucius nor some other guys (many of whom were two to three years older than them) could not hit him even once during all this time. As for Lucius, he was a calm and cautious one, rarely attacked Blondy, and mostly defended himself, so he lasted longer while fencing with Uriel. Blondy said that Michael had a better reaction but was impatient, and so he seemed to have the most bumps or bruises. The rest of the boys were not weaklings, but not too strong either. They know too little about sword fighting, so, despite their age difference, they could not easily beat Michael and Lucius. They held practical exercises throughout the day in the noble district, and they could not complain about the lack of teachers. Most of the officers trained the people in sword fighting, but masters of martial arts who drastically increased in numbers after the invasion also shared this burden. From time to time, Lord Marcus would explain how to fight red-eyed (who only looked like humans on the outside), who were usually much faster and more agile than ordinary men (not to mention the ability to regenerate). The wizard said that they react poorly to light and thus it is better to fight them in the sun or the powerful light of torches. For this purpose, the fire was constantly lit on the battlements and there were mirrors to provide light for relatively dark places. According to him, the red-eyes or otherwise the marked ones were deadlier at close range, so everyone should try to keep fighting on a long-range with bows and arrows before they approach, which was an incredibly difficult task because of their enhanced reaction and regeneration abilities. So, on the very first day of entering the town, the wizard made a liquid in which the drawn weapon was much more effective against marked ones. It was already the third day that they were in quarantine, but the attack did not take place, though at night you could see the red dots on the roofs or in the streets, leaving everyone restless in the rich district. Servants of the temple of Rahail silently cursed the wizard. They believed it was a punishment from God, but they did not dare to say anything out loud, for in the depths of their hearts they feared physical death more than the spiritual perdition. Michael and Lucius continued to spar with Uriel. After the practice with officers, did not drop their swords from morning till night. Soon it was non-arguable that Blondy was a better teacher than most of the officers, and so they stopped losing time with them. A small space was found between the house and the wall, and they held their fencing lessons amidst the encouraging shouts of Angela and Lyle. Soon after, Uriel became so famous for his lessons that the number of fencers behind the house drastically increased. To ask Michael, it wasn''t just Blondy''s influence. Not a few boys came here to see Angela rather than to improve swordsmanship and this somehow irritated Michael too much, though he said nothing. Girls soon followed the boys and amidst all the cheering and coquetry; it became interesting and even fun to watch the fights. Michael was not pleased at all as he got his ass kicked in front of so many people while fighting Uriel. Yet he spared no effort to study fencing, but that turned out to be a lot more difficult than he thought, and he studied most effectively while fighting against Blondy. Though each clash ended in defeat for Michael, it still attracted him. In those few seconds, when the swords collided he felt a fluttery sensation through his body, its agility and spontaneous movements evoked an unimaginable sense of freedom in Michael''s soul and till he could stand on his feet, despite the bruises, selflessly threw himself into the momentary pleasure of dueling. That''s why his fights lasted the shortest. Caution, escaping the clash, diminished the feeling of freedom, and so he was never careful. Michael always attacked hastily to feel that excitement in the body and the freedom - in the mind, derived from the clash. It didn''t matter to him how the fight ended. Victory or defeat, it meant only one thing for him, the end of the few seconds that so captivated him, thus neither victory brought great joy to him, nor defeat - great pain. Another opponent of Uriel fell on his stomach with his hands clasped (Lucius was already defeated). The Blondy looked around and, unable to find anyone willing to fight, turned to Michael and asked with a smile, "want to try once more?" Michael got to his feet with difficulty, picked up the cudgel, and headed for the middle of the circle of boys. The fact that nobody expected him to accept the challenge amused him somehow. As he approached, he held out his wooden sword and waited in a fighting stance, though Blondy quietly stepped back: "Look, better you spar with someone else and I''ll take a short break," he said with a smile, and chose the opponent for him, who obeyed with alacrity. Michael knew the opponent. He still remembered the strength of his fists, when he tried to seize the money from him and Lucius collected from selling pans. He was the brunet Uriel beat up with two boys and then had to swim in the river because of his friends in ice-cold water. His name was Damien. On the second evening of practicing with Uriel, he came with the other boys and asked them to teach them fencing. Michael, at first thought he didn''t remember who they were, but then he realized the Blondy remembered very well, but he accepted a request also he realized the brunet would not dare to make such a request on his own, had he not received an invitation in the first place from Uriel? Blondy gave the signal to start the spar and before Michael could clear his mind and attack, the opponent already had swung his cane, and he barely repelled it with his wooden sword. Otherwise, it would gnash his teeth completely. Blow turned out to be so forceful, if he hadn''t met with both hand grip, he would have had a hard time holding it back. As he blocked the blow, leaped to the right and tried to hit from above to the opponent''s forehead, but the cudgel from the side changed the direction of the blow and he ended up hitting the opponent in the shoulder. Damien''s snarl and the blow towards Michael''s face were almost simultaneous, and he hardly pulled his head back, otherwise, it would have cost him dearly, though the inertia caused by this movement was such that he had to take a step back to prevent him from falling. This gave the opponent an opening for attack. He swung the cane to Michael''s feet and help him fall on the ground, then tried to strike him while laying. But Michael spun in lightning speed, evaded the hit, and, while still on the ground, hit Damien hard on his wrist in response. The embittered brunet no longer had the ability to fight and nor desire. Michael won. He heard the words of praise from friends as he stood and stared at the brunet, who was almost in tears, as he massaged his injured wrist. Is this really that guy who''s only a glimpse has scared the hell out of me so far? I bested him today, thought Michael. He felt this fight added something to him, something inexplicable but pleasant. - And it''s all your merit, Blondy. You gave me all the means to fight that one, to overcome my fears, to become more confident in my strength. - The boy thanked Uriel in his thoughts... Uriel announced a half-hour break. Michael wiped the blood off the nearby fountain, tidying up. He was so beaten up and exhausted that he could not say a word, let alone talk to Angela and Lucius. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Half an hour soon passed and the next stage of training began, mastering various skills. They also involved girls in such exercises. They often asked some irritating questions, but he diligently explained it. Michael thought the girls weren''t interested in the answers, they were just flirting with Uriel, but not everyone was behaving like that. Neither did Angela that made Michael happy. The training lasted until the evening and the people slowly dispersed. Those who remained gathered sticks and sat down to regain some energy. They sat for a few minutes so that they could not even speak and then moved to the fountain to quench their thirst. It was getting dark and the tension inside was growing. Everyone was waiting for the attack at night and despite the training in fencing or the tools enchanted by Marcus, fear still settled in the district. Deep down, everyone knew they could not easily stop the attacks, and even if they succeeded, many would die. The streets, the yards, were full of people. When people were together, it was easier to deal with the fear caused by the expectation of danger. Every evening they gathered in groups, trying to cheer up the fear in their hearts, especially after the sunset. Each day indeed differed, but today was clearly unusual. Everyone noticed this, and a strange silence descended on the district. Michael did not know why, but Uriel went towards the wall and they followed. Laily walked arm in arm with Lucius, and Michael and Angela followed behind. "You fought well today,"- Angela began. Her big, black eyes burned Michael''s heart inside out. He wanted to say something clever, make an interesting conversation, but he couldn''t think of anything. "Uriel was also cool." - that was all he muttered. "That brunet was a head taller than you, but you still defeated him. Blondy says that you have a natural talent." "Do you often talk about me?" - Michael seemed heartfelt. - "Not at all," Angela added as she stepped forward. - "Well, it would be good if you thought a little more about the victory, and less about the shaking of the sword." - she took a few steps forward and did not stop. Michael realized the girl got upset with him. - What an idiot you are, Michael! - Got angry with himself, tried to push himself forward, but his knees felt so numb that he soon gave up and continued at his slow pace. Those ahead were already on the wall when Michael climbed the steep stairs. What''s going on? - He wanted to ask surprised by the silence, but couldn''t say anything, as looked at what was happening. Behind the wall, on the roof of the house, stood a child, probably a girl. She wore only a silver nightgown over his body, flapping away by the wind. She seemed like a ghost in the moonlight - a red-eyed ghost. In the empty city, they got glimpses of them many times, but for a moment only, and then they faded and disappeared. But this one stood motionless. From a distance, she looked as if she were looking everyone in the eye one by one. Her gaze did not allow anyone to look the other way. Suddenly a second child appeared on the roof of a nearby house, a boy about the same height and red-eyed too. He was wearing a shirt and crop pants. So, the children began to appear on the roofs, and soon their number exceeded a few dozen. They stood silently and stared, and those above supplied the enchanted weapon inside the wall and lit a fire in every corner to illuminate the area in the event of an attack. The wall was full of officers and experienced fighters, armed with spears, bows, and crossbows to kill enemies from a distance, just as the wizard had taught them. And those who could not reach the wall in time standing on the balconies and roofs of houses in the streets. It was a terrible feeling to stand behind a wall waiting for death to enter the gates. Michael clearly remembered what they were alike, and if not for the many people around him who had inadvertently added to him some courage, he would not be capable of withstanding such fears. The hours passed and nothing happened; they attacked no one. Midnight was approaching. Tension and fear grew among people. The bell rang. The sound announced midnight in the city at other times, but now it meant just one thing - the attack has begun. Fighting was going on in the district of the rich. People were running, falling, swaying under the wave of the crowd... The greatest weapon possessed by the marked ones was the fear factor. If it weren''t for that, those inside the wall could soon win. After all, Marcus also fought with them and fought incomparably. They also had new weapons and how could a few dozen red-eyes not be handled, but the fear was so strong that those fleeing from death were teasing each other instead. Uriel took the spear from one of the wounded fighters, threw his sword at Michael, and shouted, "Follow me!" At the corner of the wall, or the junction of two walls, they fortified. On the way, whatever weapons they could get, they set up all the walls like a barricade. The escape was not an option. The marked ones mostly chased runaways. They were easier targets to hunt down. Finally, they managed to repel the attacks, thanks to the wizard. The entire area was lit by the moon and a huge number of torches. Survivors looked out of the broken windows with frightened eyes. Arrows fired from balconies and roofs slammed into the streets. The screams from afar still reached Michael. It seemed everything has not ended yet, but the sounds seemed to subside soon, for there were feels of joy and hope in them. People scattered in the streets and searched for the survivors. Many of the wounded and injured were still alive and in need of help, so despite their own wounds and fatigue, they did not hesitate to save as many people as possible from death. It did not miss Michail''s eyes that the rich also came out of their palaces and helped the people in search of the wounded. They may have been looking for their own, but it didn''t matter. The key thing was that everyone tried to help each other. Then they saw the Wizard. He was wearing a cloak, followed by officers, holding dead bodies of children with white eyes. They placed corpses in the middle of the square near the gate of the wall. Then people started coming from every street, bringing the bodies of the dead and resting them in the same place. The sense of joy that victory and survival had brought to the people was slowly drained, like the lives of those children who had recently turned into red-eyed monsters and slaughtered people, but now their small, feeble bodies rested in the square. They killed those children and even though everyone knew they had no other way to save their own lives. It was a terrible feeling to realize that they had at least committed this horror. "We have to finish the job!" the wizard said in a low voice, nevertheless, everyone heard it and they understood what was meant by ''finishing the job.'' A man standing next to Lord Marcus, in whom Michael hardly recognized bloodied commander, took one officer''s torch and advanced towards the resting bodies on the square, but the Wizard stopped him with a hand motion, entering the middle of the square himself. He paused, his hands clasped like a dancer as if he was fondling something in mid-air, and in a few seconds a yellow dot appeared between his hands, and from that point, a fire broke out and hung in the air. As if Lord Marcus was sculpting a fire, giving it a shape that grew continuously, circling around Marcus hellishly. The wizard waved both hands and set fire to the corpse. Waves of fire surrounded the motionless bodies and engulfed them. Michael saw Lucius had turned his face away, and he remembered what his burned bodies were reminding him of. The heat of the fire overwhelmed Michael. He couldn''t help but stare at the burning fire almost all over the square, in the middle of which stood Lord Marcus, raising his hands to the sky. "How can he withstand such ardor," thought Michael, but he also realized that such questions made no sense. He had no clue what it meant to be a wizard. The fire was getting stronger and stronger and rising above. The yellow flames already covered the wizard. Only the rising hands could be seen and when the fire approached his fingers, Marcus waved his hands and it subsided, and in a few seconds, the fire was completely extinguished and left emaciated bodies all over the square. A strange, unnatural silence fell as soon as the flames stifled. The breeze blew, swaying ashes from the square, and at that moment they heard a voice as if it were far away, but at the same time so close that it was as someone was shouting in your ear. The voice was gradually getting louder, sounded like nothing ever heard and you could not forget it. Odd emotions accompanied it. Everyone could feel the pain, anger, or sadness. People covered their ears, some even fell into agony. Some of them were hallucinating, shaking hands meaninglessly, and jumped here and there like crazy, wrestling with each other and rolling on the ground. Michael stood by and could not understand why others acted like that and what was wrong. Nothing happened to either Lucius or Uriel. Angela was standing paled, but nothing else was wrong with her, though Laily was crying heartily and Lucius was calming her. It seemed to have much effect on younger ones. Michael didn''t know how it would all end, except for Lord Marcus, who uttered an unusual whisperer of unfathomable words that overwhelmed the voice of a mysterious creature, and people came to their senses. Laily stopped crying and looked dumbfounded, townsfolk who had been rolling on the ground a minute ago could not even remember what had happened and were waiting for an explanation from the wizard, who was sitting in the middle of the square, against the backdrop of the ashes floating in the air, looking like worn out phoenix waiting for its cyclical death to be reborn again. Michael could not understand what get him so exhausted was it a fire spell or the words that he whispered at the end. He felt he had known the answer already, somehow felt that wizard embedded an enormous amount of energy in each word whispered. "What was that voice?" the commander asked the wizard. "That.." Marcus began in a surprisingly tired voice, "was the voice of a vessel..." "What vessel?" asked the second question in a frightened voice. "The vessel of the Red Regad..." muttered the magician and lost consciousness. Chapter XIX Chapter XIX "Do you think he will wake up soon?" - Michael heard the whispers of two guards standing at the door. "I hope he will, otherwise no good is waiting for us" replied the other, and looked at the children standing near the door. They had already gone several times to the chamber where the wizard was asleep and stood at the door. No one but the commander could enter the room. Michael did not know why they were going so often to that room. This was not helping him, but some unknown force was drawing them near the wizard and they spend most of the days waiting there. At first, the guards forbade it, but then they gave in. They stood and waited silently. After hearing that strange voice, they had little to say to each other. That night, the four of them felt something they could not explain. That was the reason they became so speechless and maybe that''s why they went there so often. The sound of heavy footsteps echoed in a hall as they saw bandaged commander walking towards the door. He stopped for a moment, gave a disapproval look to the youngsters, and disappeared behind the door without a word. The janitors called the youngsters to leave, but none of them moved. "Are you not going to leave?" - One of them sighed, the second one went towards them. But the door opened, and the commander appeared, frowned, walked towards the children. "Go inside, he wants to see you..." - he said eagerly. They looked at each other and entered the room one by one, lord Felix slammed the door and stayed outside. It was a large, bright room with rhombic windows. Lord Marcus, lying on a white sheet in the middle of the room, stared at the visitors with half-opened eyes. As they approached the bed, the wizard stood up slightly. He stared at them insistently for a while, then touched them with two fingers on the forehead one by one. They felt a burning sensation where Marcus touched them. When he had finished, he put his head in his hands and sat like that for a while, then suddenly laugh hysterically. "That bastard was right," - he repeated several times and then continued laughing loudly. The commander opened the door - "What is happening?!" He asked in confusion. Youngsters stood dumbfounded. The commander glared at the wizard, while he laughed like a madman and ignored his surroundings. A few minutes passed like this until the wizard calmed down. Finally, he apologized, blamed everything on the high fever, and went back to bed. Then Lord Felix ordered the children to leave the room. As they crossed the yard and found out that streets were almost empty after last night''s bloodshed. The wounded were taken to the palaces. After the first combat encounter, the commander changed the defensive strategy. He gave officers favorable positions on the wall to the good use of long-range weapons. Their main hope was the recovery of Lord Marcus, and since he had already awakened, they were relieved. "Why did he laugh so strangely?" - Angela asked, though everyone was worried about the same question, none of them had the answer. "Who was he talking about being right? Or what was he right about?" - Angela continued. "Did you feel the heat on your forehead where Lord Marcus touched you?" "He has done the same before, hasn''t he?" They were lost in the sea of questions and too little was known. Last time the wizard explained that by touching the forehead he was examining someone''s health. But now they seemed rather healthy. Then why did he touch them? What check was needed? The fact that he started shouting about some bastard being right, at the moment he touched the forehead, further intensified everything. "No, there is something more in this story." "Did Lily wake up?" - Michael asked. "Don''t think so, but if he wakes up, Livia will watch over him," Lucius replied thoughtfully. After the horrible night, they were taken to the hall of one of the luxurious houses and given to caregivers. Livia was one of them, fifteen years old girl from a noble family, her parents had died earlier and her only sister was lying with injured people in the hall that was owned by her family. The voice heard that night had a profound effect on youngsters. They could hardly sleep at night, expecting the voice to be heard again, and only feel a bit relieved when they were together. "What should we do now?" - Michael asked. "We can practice." - Blondy replied. "What is the point?" Lucius said callously. Training in the city was no longer intense. There were not enough people to stand on guard positions, not to mention the fact that most of them lost hope and didn''t see any point in fighting anymore. When only thirty marked ones with children''s bodies caused so many casualties, what chance should an extra few days of training add against such force? However, such an attitude was not shared by everyone, including Uriel, who trained with double strength. Michael and Lucius had a different view on the matter, with Lucius no longer seeing any point in exercising. He thought it made little sense for the trainees whether they die prepared. But out of respect for Uriel, he still swung the wooden sword flabbily. In contrast, Michael was grateful for every lesson the blonde had given him, for every bump or bruise that had taught him anything. It was to Uriels'' credit that they were alive today, so he was always happy to spar. Eventually, Lucius was persuaded. They found a quiet place and resumed sparring there. After training, they hurried through the streets of the rich quarter and reached the house, which was one of the most beautiful of the surrounding buildings. Somewhere here was the building from which they kidnapped Lily on the day of her escape from the shelter, though now Michael may not even have found the building. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. They passed a yard covered with spring grass and flowers, which was sinfully cluttered with heavy shoes. No one cared about the decorations at such times, but it was still heartbreaking for Michael to see the flowers trampled like this. Livia lived in a large, white house with large balconies and a marble staircase. When Michael first saw this house, he wondered why a couple who had only two children needed a house of this size. But rich ones think differently... The inside of the house was even more beautiful than the outside. The place was full of children. Some were still asleep, the awake ones playing with each other. "Is Lily still asleep?" Angela asked. "Will find out soon," said Lucius and stopped one caregiver - "Do you know where Livia is?" - But Livia herself found them before the caregiver could answer back. Seeing her evoked a sense of spiritual peace. She smiled warmly as approached. "You returned earlier," - said in a quiet voice. "The wizard woke up!" Angela announced immediately. "Oh really?" - exclaimed Livia and the caretaker simultaneously. "We are saved then," she said with a sigh. "It is too early to talk about survival, red-eyes are rambling outside and lord Marcus is still weak," Uriel muttered. "How could you be always so pessimistic!?" Michael said to the blonde, then turned to Livia. "Is Lily still asleep?" "Don''t know, let''s see," she replied, happy with the news, and led them to the room where Lilia and her sister were with other children. Lily was sitting on the bed with eyes wide open. She was a child with rare beauty, that instantly caught your eyes. She stood out from everyone in the room. "You woke up, girl?" - Angela hugged the baby. Lucius also ran to his sister, took her by the hand, and turned her over. The baby cheered happily and this pure cheerful sound made the mood of everyone lighten up. "Lizzie, how are you, darling?" - Livia kneeled in front of her sister''s bed. The six-year-old girl was thin and pale. "I dreamed of a spinning man again" ... - the girl started crying. Almost every child dreamed of the spinning man. No one could explain what was happening. Some children were afraid to see him in their sleep, but some were happy to sleep just because to saw him. "Calm down, dear. This was just a dream and nothing else. The spinning man will not hurt you," Livia tried to calm her sister in a way that was so familiar to everyone. So did Michael and Lucius soothe Laila, who wept and recounted terrible dreams; This is how parents calmed their little ones when they remembered the epilates. With their calmness and alertness, some parents achieved the goal, calming the child as much as possible. Some were in vain, some children soon calmed down, some were long troubled by the emotions evoked by nightmares. The wizard spent the entire week in bed. He got up on the eighth day, though he still had difficulty walking, walked the whole quarter of the rich on foot. Lord Marcus visited the wounded, encouraged them, gave advice to the doctors, even helped them, but with a weakened body, got tired in a few hours, so he had to return. He talked to several passers-by on the streets and encouraged them, but when asked about the strange dreams of children, he politely avoided answering. Once or twice they asked for help, to save the children from these nightmares, but refused again, instead assured them that the children were healthy and his intervention was unnecessary at all. The wizard''s recovery also made people noticeably happier, hoping that the red-eyes would no longer dare to attack and they would survive. By the time the day ended, not a single red-eye could be seen by the guards on the wall. In the streets, townsfolk were already openly talking about the ending of attacks and congratulating each other. Of course, not everyone thought so, especially the Commander, who was expecting attacks every minute and often changed guards on the wall so that those who were tired of long shifts would miss nothing suspicious. The four of them would wander the streets, sometimes visiting Laila. From time to time, Uriel used to exercise and teach the two to fight for hours. The result of the practicing was noticeable for Michael on each sparring with newly acquainted opponents. This evening, when the eighth day was ending, Michael was standing in front of the next opponent and was waiting for the sign of Uriel to start the attack. The boy was taller than him with a strongly built body, but Uriel had already explained and even shown how to fight with the bigger opponents and now was the chance for him to try it. Waiting for the clash, impatient excitement spread like wildfire all over his chest. They often fought duels in the streets, and most often Michael took part in it. He enjoyed fighting and also was pleased to hear the applause of spectators after victories, the number of which grew more and more from battle to battle. Blondy gave the start signal, and Michael dashed towards the opponent. Hurriedly swung the wooden sword aiming his forehead, but knowing that the opponent would escape the blow, changed its direction midway and struck it on the shoulder. Without turning back kept attacking and with the false maneuver learned by Uriel, his cudgel found the opponent''s ribs. If it was the actual sword, the duel would already be over, but with only a cudgel in his hands he ended up with an infuriated opponent twice his size, realizing that he instantly jumped backward. Did the right thing, because the massive opponent, embittered by the pain, swung his sword violently. Not able to end the fight quickly, his only strategy was to dance around the boy and evade his attacks, to get him tired with time and then beat him. That did not seem too difficult, because of the clumsiness of his adversary. He easily struck the panting opponent several times in the abdomen, chest, and even in the forehead and when the enraged youngster swung his cudgel with all the remaining forces, Michael jumped aside, struck the sword on the wrist, and disarmed him. Then he kicked him with a circular downward blow, knocked him down, put a sword to the throat, and forced him to surrender. Shouts of applause followed from the audience, praising his sword mastery. Uriel also came to him was going to say something, but stopped because of sudden silence, looked around to understand the reason for this and saw a wizard approaching them. People looked at Lord Marcus with great admiration. The crowd silently split in half to allow him to meet the boys. The wizard greeted the people with a warm smile, shook hands with some of them, greeted them as if they were old acquaintances, and only after speaking to boys. "Fought well," he told Michael. Praised Uriel too - being an excellent teacher, to teach fencing so well in such a short time. And then asked to follow him. They immediately left the crowded place and stopped in one of the empty streets. "How do you feel?" asked Marcus suddenly. "We feel normal," Angela replied instead of everyone, though almost everyone felt Marcus didn''t ask it in vain. "Do you notice anything strange about yourself?" After a bit of silence, Angela waved her head as a sign of refusal on behalf of everyone. As Marcus opened his mouth to ask another question again, Lucius murmured he wanted to say something. Marcus paused, turned slowly, and slapped looked Lucius in the face. "What did you have to say?" He asked softly. "Ermm... for the last few days ... I have some strange sensations," Lucius said. "What do you think from where it comes from outside or from the inside?" Asked the wizard. "No idea, I can not even understand it, have never felt in such way before..." I do not even know how to describe it ... Lord Marcus was silent for a while, then continued with a strict voice - "Soon the same thing will happen to you. At first, it will confuse you, not understanding what is happening or why is it happening, then you will be scared, but you will change nothing by being frightened and gradually despair will grow in you but don''t lose hope, do not fall spiritually!" Said the wizard, turned back and hurried away. Nobody has seen him in the city since. Chapter XX Chapter XX The evening was over and it was getting dark when the officers sent by the commander found the four. It was then that they learned from them that the magician had disappeared somewhere and that the last ones who saw him were they. The youngsters told everything that Lord Marcus had said, hearing that Lord Felix''s mood worsened and they were dismissed. Confused by the disappearance of the wizard and by what he said as well, they wandered in the streets frustrated not knowing what will happen next. Now that the eighth day passed after the attack and hope of survival was slowly growing, the disappearance of the wizard was a major blow to everyone. The commander may not have revealed this to anyone, hoping that Lord Marcus would reappear, but the four of them already knew in their hearts that the wizard will not return. "How does it feel?" - Everyone understood to whom this question was addressed. "I do not know how to explain," said Lucius a few seconds later. - It does not feel like smell, sight, or hearing, it is neither pain nor joy, it is not like a breeze that fondles on the skin and it does not growl like fear or anger from inside, it is something else that I have never felt before. As if ... as if madness overcomes your mind, I can not understand where it comes from and it disappears without a trace in a second ... They already know every corner of the noble district by heart so they could even move blindfolded. Before, when Michael lived at the orphanage, he did not like this place. He hated the people who lived there. But now Michael does not have the same feeling towards this place. After that night''s experience, when both rich and poor fought together for survival, his attitude changed. He even felt sympathy for the place where he learned sword fight and barely escaped death on that night. Currently, this wall kept away from red-eyes and even this "vessel" thing whose voice almost drove everyone crazy. Everything was dreadful and gruesome here, but somehow attractive as well ... They climbed on top of the wall and, as usual, felt a bit relieved, captivated by the dead silence reigning around. A cool breeze unsuitable for spring was blowing. The huge fence gleamed yellowish with lots of torches. The sky framed by the silver stars above and the vivid picture illuminated in yellow below caught Michael''s eyes, and in this silence, he felt a strange closeness with Lucius, Uriel, and Angela, who leaned against the stone railing beside him and gazed out over the space into the darkness. "When will the same happen to us?" Uriel broke the silence. "Don''t have any idea. You can''t predict it in advance. It happened to me three times and I could not understand once, what it was caused by. Maybe you won''t even experience it," said Lucius. "Marcus knows," - whispered Michael more to himself. Something unnatural was happening to him at that moment. Two soldiers were standing on a guard post on the fence. Michael glanced at the helmet, the glittering tongues of fire dancing on the glossy helmet, and ... that was when it happened for the first time. Did not know what it was, or how to describe all that he felt. Everything happened in a second, only in one second, but when it passed, his whole body trembled, found himself on the paving stone. He did not feel any pain, only shivered while sitting on the quarry. Lucius and Angela tried to bring him to his senses, but he, immersed in the depths of that second, did not want to wake up. However, Angela''s slap was so strong, it returned him to reality, and saw how those two soldiers were running towards them. "Which? Which one was it?" Asked the one who held the crossbow in his hands. The strange thing, though, was that he asked his mate, not the youngsters. "Do not know for sure, Might be him" soldier pointed the spear at Michael. The second one nervously looked at the boy, who, with Lucius''s help, was already standing. "I see nothing like in his eyes, Rodger!" "Trust me, Jake, I could swear it to Rahayl''s name that I saw the red eyes!" Despair faded in his voice. "Sir, this must be some mistake. We were here too, but I assure you, we have noticed nothing like that. Perhaps eyes looked reddish due to torch lights. Lately, I see red eyes everywhere, but every time it turns out to be my imagination only. No wonder, everything is due to fatigue and tension everyone is experiencing after that cursed night," said Uriel. Only then did Michael realize Uriel was hiding him. He was trying not to allow the soldiers to see him directly. Michael could not understand at all what was happening around him, who they were looking for, or why they mentioned red eyes. But he felt that something was wrong, and he was the reason, that''s why all of his friends were circled around him in a defensive stance. Guards stared at all four with great suspicion, though most of all at Michael. They did not believe Uriel at all, but maybe in the depth of their hearts, they even wanted Blondy to be right. Neither of them knew how to act. Their confusion ended with the officer''s arrival. Intrigued by the gathering promptly appeared to the subordinates to find out the reason. "What the hell are you two doing here? For what reason did you leave your posts?" yelled the officer. The soldiers looked at each other warily, unable to decide what to answer. "We saw the children on the wall and came to make them leave the place," barely uttered Jake. "Go back to your checkpoints, and you brats return to your homes. Here is not a place for a stroll!" the officer snarled at the youngsters. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. They, too, silently obeyed and climbed the nearest staircase, which shone golden in the light of the sliding torches. The fact that so many torches were found in such harsh conditions surprised Michael. When he had finished his steps, he looked up and saw the soldiers'' still standing at the wall. They looked into each other''s eyes and suddenly Michael could see the fear in their eyes. "Do not look," whispered Lucius, "and Michael turned his eyes away from them." Uriel was walking fast. Everyone moved without saying a word. Michael could not bear it, so he longed to understand what had happened. Lucius stubbornly continued his silence. "Please wait a bit discussing here is dangerous" Angela calmed him down. They came to a burned and abandoned settlement that was not suitable for living. No one was around. As soon as they stepped into the ruins, Michael immediately threw a coriander of questions at Uriel. In response, he only received a request to lower his voice and saw how Uriel put his head in his hands. His friend''s behavior surprised Michael. He had never seen Blondy in such a desperate state and looked to Angela and Lucius with demanding eyes, but instead of saying anything, both averted their eyes. Even more surprised, Michael only asked them without hesitation - can you, at last, tell me what the hell happened? - However, he did not have high hopes for an answer. Uriel raised his head in his hands and looked at Lucius. "Did the same happened to you? "Maybe... I knew nothing about the eyes because, thankfully, all three times, I was alone. I still did not know that this was happening and I think Michael could feel nothing either." Lucius answered. "What are you talking about?" - Michael already understood in the depths of his heart what they meant. "Your eyes turned red, Michael before you fell," said Angela''s voice somewhere in the distance, as if something had stuck in her chest, it become difficult to breathe for Michael. His suspicion was justified. "What does all this mean? What awaits us? Marcus said it would happen to all four of us, didn''t he? Are we doomed?" - Angela started asking questions hysterically. Uriel got up and walked back and forth. "If they see our eyes are red, they will kill us." "Are not you a prince?" Michael tried to protest. "Nobody knows except you and even if they knew, nothing will change. My uncle gladly killed me if he knew where I am now. "Because we do not know when our eyes will turn red, our contact with people is dangerous. Eventually, everyone will understand what is happening to us and death will be the end," Uriel said calmly. "Are we becoming marked ones, like others? In that case, what is the point of staying alive? - Angela asked, this time desperate. They looked at each other as soon as they heard this question. No one understood why this was happening or what the connection was between them and the victims. The threat of their life, about which Uriel said, was real, and everyone was aware of it, though they could not avoid it. So everyone was silent for a good while. "Wizard told us there is hope, so we should try at least, first thing we should do is to leave the city immediately," Uriel said gravely. "What should we do with Lily?" Asked Lucius. "We must leave her here. It will be safer here than with us," said Uriel, who could hear in his voice how hard it was to utter each word. "What?" Lucius was heated. Uriel answered nothing, just stopped walking and sat on the floor with her head in her hands. Leaving Lailly was unbelievable to Michael. She was their little sister, waiting every night at Livia''s house and lighting up their life with a childish twaddling. How could they leave her alone when nightmares were tormenting her and her only hope were they? But Uriel was right. If they had not left, much worse things would have happened, even Lucius realized. Concerned about her sister''s fate, she faced the walls as she walked back and forth. "You are right," said to Blondy in a hushed voice, sitting down and putting his face in his hands. "How should we escape?"- asked Angela. "The main gate is closed and they will not open it until someone comes to help. The magician said we had to stay inside the wall for ten days, now it was the ninth dawn and tomorrow, help might already appear. We have to spend this day somehow so that no one can see our eyes at that moment," said Uriel. "We have to see Lily before that," Lucius said, and everyone agreed. If they ran away, they would do it after saying goodbye to Lily. How could they go without seeing her ?! On the way to Livia''s house, Michael kept asking himself the question. When the locals heard the story of the four of them, would they hunt them down? Their calm and smiling faces spoke of the hope of survival. They probably did not even know about the disappearance of the wizard. This made Michael feel strangely sad. Lord Marcus was not in town, and if they get attacked that night, it would be the end, but if they survived today, help might come tomorrow and the gates will be opened. Though in the depths of their heart he wanted it. At this moment he was given an excuse to stay, and between them and the uncertain world that awaited them beyond the walls, nothing would remain after the gates will be opened. Michael looked at the contours of Livia''s house from a distance and immediately felt his heart pounding. The twilight of the morning had not yet completely faded, and gray landscapes followed the white colors of the palace. The tall, wide-windowed building looked strangely murky and made the already gloomy mood even worse. They carefully entered the house. The building was quiet. The equal breathing of dozens of sleeping children seemed to enliven the walls as well, giving a magical tinge to the shadows scattered throughout the hall. They sat on a thick carpet in the room, next to Lily''s huge bed. Michael once looked at Lucius and the sight of his copper face reminded him of the moment he had met him at the shelter for the first time and told his story. One could read nothing on his frozen face, but in the depths of his eyes, there was a reflection of that pain, now, in that moment that the boy was experiencing, and this small reflection was so hard to see that only once was Michael able to look him in the eye. The door opened and someone entered the room; it was Livia. "What brought you here so early?" She asked cheerfully, but as soon as she saw their faces, the intonation changed immediately. "What happened?" She asked warily. "We should talk," Uriel said, gesturing to get out of here. "Michael and Angela followed Uriel and Livia, Lucius did not move, he was sitting on the carpet again and was looking at sleeping Lailly. "What was you wanted to talk about? Said Livia once they went to the balcony. Michael hardly understood Uriel''s speech, and he was so engrossed in thinking about Lily that he could only distinguish certain words. Uriel tried to explain to Livia the need to get them out of here and leave Lailly so that the real reason behind this being kept unrevealed. Although it was still unclear to Livia why they were leaving, she did not ask for further explanation, so she promised to take care of Lily until they returned. Michael was infinitely grateful for these words. Uriel and Angela also shared this gratitude. Angela even burst into tears when she heard Livia''s response and even hugged her. Before Michael calmed down Angela, Uriel tried to warn Livia that they might not return alive so she should know that''s why if she was in charge of guardianship, it might not be a short-term duty... Chapter XXI Chapter XXI It was already well past noon when they took Lily for a walk. Joyful laughter was heard all over the crowded streets of Mondelay. Lucius and Michael tried their best to entertain the little girl. Livia accompanied them too, she also took her little sister for a walk. On the way, she has asked several times about the reasons for their departure, but as the four of them avoided answering, she gave up at last. They stopped at a park-like location that was more of its remnant after the first attack. Here, they tried to start a game that would entertain children. It took a lot of effort to get Livia''s sister in the mood as she was too stressed, because of the unbearable regime and dreadful dreams. About an hour had passed when the city bell rang and immediately the entire city felt that something had happened again. They ran towards the wall to see what was happening. There were already many people walking up the stairs, and it made no sense to get into that mess, especially now that Lily and Lizzie were with them. "What''s happening?" - Michael shouted at the soldier standing there. "Let''s climb to the roof of the tower!" - offered Uriel. Michael did not wait for the soldier to answer and chased Uriel. The bell tower was the tallest building in the Noble district and overlooked a twice smaller wall. The huge bell hanging under his roof was still ringing so that it almost completely obscured the voices of the people gathered there. "They won''t let us through the stairs, the only way there is climbing on the wall." - noted Blondy. Lucius and Uriel were the first to climb, and by the time Michael reach the roof, they were already digging something into space. Exhausted, he rested his elbows on the edge of the roof. "So what''s there?" - Michael held on and stared at Lucius with his outstretched finger, though he didn''t need an answer. Lucius pointed his finger towards the harbor, and there stood a gigantic ship - a ship that no one had ever seen before. They came with dusk. The soaring sails seemed golden in the rays of the setting sun. A huge ship was serenely swaying in the waves. It amazed Michael at how the vessel of that size entered the port of Mondelay. "They are disembarking!" - shouted the officer below. After some time, Michael himself saw miniature figures moving towards the wall. As they approached, the excitement increased. Fear and hope, joy and despair were growing at the same time among the townsfolk. They did not know what intentions newcomers had. The closer they got, the better they could be seen. They calmly moved in order. There was something special about those strangers as if the wind was obeying them, as it grew stronger and stronger as they approached. Soon they would reach the wall and no one knew what would happen next. Whether the commander would let them in and how things will develop after that. The entire city was eagerly waiting. "Look at the fire!" said Lucius, pointing to the torches on the wall. The abnormally strong flame rose even higher and brightened the city. "Open the gate!" - Demanded a voice. These words were not commanded aloud, even so, everyone heard them as if someone had whispered in the ear. Nothing happened. Everyone was standing petrified and waiting for the commander''s order. "Open the gate!" - echoed the voice and the flame of the torches rose to the sky with such a noise, as if threatening to insiders. Immediately, the soldiers moved. Michael did not know who gave the order, the commander or anyone else, but soon an enormous iron gate was opened with a crack. A sizeable crowd gathered near the gate, split in half, and gave way to the entrants. Boys could see well from the roof, the newcomers would be up to thirty men, moved peacefully in red and gold robes. Swordsmen dressed in white and red uniforms followed them. At the end of the entrance stood a commander with the accompaniment of an entire army. "Come on, we can catch up!" - Exclaimed Uriel, and climbed down on the bell tower. Michael followed behind with Lucius. They could easily reach the commander before the strangers through that corridor. Part of the soldiers spread around the commander in the street, others mixed with the people patrolling. They rushed among the people, broke through the ranks of the military, but no one interfered, as if they did not even notice them. Everyone was looking for something that captivated them. When youngsters finally escaped from the ranks of the military, they understood what it was. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. People were walking towards them, but not ordinary ones - wizards. It was not just the glorious robes or the graceful movement that distinguished them from the others. But something else, as if some unearthly aura was surrounding them, something that manifested in their gaze. Marcus had something similar, but he single-handedly couldn''t affect intensely. But this time there were so many of them, that even stone walls could feel their existence, not to mention the townsfolk. It was enough to see them up close and you would even lose the ability to move for a few seconds. Newcomers stopped, one wizard walked towards the commander. He was tall, black, with a strangely powerful aura, and something else that gave him such grace that Lord Felix looked like a peasant compared to him. "Who are you?" - asked the stranger with a deep voice. "I am Lord Felix, the current commander of this city. Lord Marcus told us you will come for help, though we were waiting for you tomorrow." - The commander''s voice seemed to be relieved of tension, and courage was added to each word. "What did Lord Marcus tell you?" Asked the black man. "He told us that he had sent a signal and help would come from the fire temple on the tenth day," the commander replied. "We definitely got a sign from this city, but it did not ask for help. The sign belonged to the necromancer. Marcus de la Crowley is a dangerous man. He has been wanted for years and we too have come to this sinful city to capture him dead or alive!" Michael could not describe in words what the commander looked like when he heard this answer. Faded, he could not make a sound. He was not the only one in such a condition. Soldiers and residents looked like frozen figures. The moonlight shone silverly on the quarter, that was slowly fading from hope. Desperate townsfolk stood silently in the streets, trembling with fear. Suddenly, the cry of one man aggravated the already unbearable silence. "Red-eyes!!!" People seemed to be awakened by this dreadful word; the crowd started moving. The commander cried desperately, "Lock the gate!" But it was too late. Unnaturally fast-moving figures ran from the gate and added reddish to the silvery night. There was blood - lots of blood. There was a fire - roaring fire. Glistening swords clashing with eyes, shining reddish in that dreadful night, and there was magic - old as the world itself and marvelous as existence... Had it not been for the newcomers, this night would have been one-sided slaughter, for the marked ones who came in through the gates were adults, not children, and the warriors were powerless against them even with enchanted weapons Marcus gave to them. Red-eyes were slaughtering ordinary people, but newcomers hunted them down. It was astonishing to see them. Michael also saw sorcery and unnatural mastery of the sword during the battle of Marcus. Although he was only one, he fought alone, and these wizards performed miracles side by side... Michael and his comrades, like others, ran to find a safe place. On the way, they picked up fallen weapons and thus reach the bell tower with two spears and one sword. They thought there would be more chances of survival on the roof of the bell tower and, with great effort, somehow lifted everyone there. From the roof of the tallest building, they could clearly see battle developments in the town. Wizards mostly used fire, and the marked ones were turned into living torches. However, the fire burned not only the red-eyes but also townspeople, and the local soldiers often fell victim to the magic that was intended for the enemy. The commander, along with several hundred officers, fortified one of the houses. Soldiers were armed with both torches and swords so that, with the help of the light, they could still resist the casualties. They were, in fact, the only group except for the witches who were still fighting. Among the wizards, the black man stood out. Assessing his abilities, he must have been the commander of newcomers. While his teammates attacked the red-eyes in groups or pairs, he fought them alone and even defeated them. Innocent people did not die during his attacks because his every move was performed with great precision. The surrounding fire was destroying the marked ones with lightning speed. "Look how he fights!" - Michael heard Angela''s admiration. It was easy to guess who she was referring to. Seven or eight red-eyes surrounded the black wizard, but he seemed to move calmly between them, as if close friends, not bloodthirsty creatures, surrounded him. Marked ones were armed with swords and spears, while the wizard only confronted them with magic, although despite the numerical advantage, the fate of the battle was still uncertain... Two of the adversaries ran towards the wizard, but at that very moment, they jumped back when the blazing fireball was about to fall from above, while in midair they still managed to shoot their spears. The spears were swallowed up by the light sculpted out of nowhere, and swarmed into the air, transformed into snakes. At that moment, the third red-eye approached the wizard, but the fire snake surrounded him and set him on fire. The other marked ones did not stand idle either and few spears might end the wizard''s life hadn''t he performed an acrobatic backflip. Raging fire encircled the spinning wizard, spinning on his heels, that engulfed several enemies in seconds. But others escaped and resumed the attack in a matter of seconds. The black man had to use weapons to deal with them. He was confronting two spearmen with dual swords when the third one was incinerated by the fire snake. At the same time wizard jumped and with choreographic dual slash left his enemies headless. Though one of the red-eyes managed to wound him in the leg... Chapter XXII Chapter XXII Youngsters were called to the commander''s room, without giving a reason. Lucius had already been to this room twice today, once in a dream and a second time for real, though he never voluntarily went there. "Why do they want?" - Whispered Angela. "They probably want to interrogate us about Lord Marcus," Uriel replied in a whisper. No one raised their voices until the officer in front of them entered the room and led them inside. The room was still lit by candles as the morning twilight faded. Five people, including the officer, were in the room - the commander, two officers, and two strangers in red and gold robes, one of whom was a black wizard, whose combat abilities made a great impression on the spectators from the bell tower. A middle-aged red-haired woman with a slender appearance sat with her back to the door. The black man looked out the window, but when they entered, none turned around. "Why did you call these kids?" - asked a deep and powerful voice. "These children know a lot more than I do about the necromancer you are looking for, and I thought it would be useful to listen to them," - replied Lord Felix in a tired voice. Slowly the black man turned around, apparently still suffering from the wound that the marked one''s spear had inflicted on his thigh. Had he been an ordinary man, he would not even have been able to stand on his feet, but Lucius did not expect normalcy from him, and it doesn''t surprise him at all. The wizard stared at the children for a second, but that one was enough to make all four of them squirm. Commander, why do you think these kids know something? Asked the man. "My officers have seen Lord Marcus talking to them several times, and finally, even before his disappearance, they were seen with him by my soldiers. The black man turned again. "Your name?" - addressed to blondy. "Uriel," he replied. "Uriel ... is a good name, my name is Vittorio, Vittorio de la Arcane, and I want to hear the truth from you. Where is Marcus de la Crowley?" "I do not know," Uriel replied. They really didn''t know about Marcus''s whereabouts. He didn''t tell us if he was leaving either. Lord Vittorio nodded slightly as if believing his answer. "What were you talking about, with Marcus?" - This time the woman questioned them. "On many things." "About what things?" "For example, that help would come in ten days and we have to survive before that, but he did not tell us that your goal would not be to help us but to capture necromancer, and you probably realize that he would not have told us if he was the one," Uriel replied. "What about the red-eyed creatures? Who are they?" Asked Vittorio. "As far as I can remember, he said little about them," Uriel replied. Silence followed his words, but the commander broke. "You what? You do not know what you have been fighting all night?" Silence again, and then: "No, we have not met such creatures before," answered the black wizard. "It is strange, but your necromancer knew what he was doing when he was helping to fortify this city," said the commander, then as if remembering something, he added: "Marcus once mentioned a name. It happened the night the Red-eyes attacked us. When we won that battle and burned their bodies, we heard a strange voice that almost drove us crazy, Marcus could stop it somehow, and when we asked whose voice it was, Marcus referred to the red regatta, or rather the vessel of the red regatta, and said that..." The commander abruptly stopped narrating, looking at expressions of a black man and a red-haired woman. One could read extreme fear and surprise on their faces. "Did he say Regad?" - The woman asked as if she could not believe her ears. "Yes, I''m sure Regad it was," the commander confirmed. "Vittorio," the woman addressed with a name. "It''s Impossible Jahna, Marcus''s lied, probably to confuse us, what on earth could the vessel of the Regad be doing here?! - But still we must put the temple guards on the city walls, along with the followers of Ba''Allah." - added Vittorio. "If you do not believe, then why do we need all this?" - Jahna asked. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. "Because these red-eyes could be still somewhere?! Vigilance is always vital." "Could it be that we really are dealing with a vessel of the Regad?" "I''ve already said Jahna, even thinking about it, is total nonsense! But anyway, taking the precautions is always important in such situations." Jahna no longer argued, got up from her chair, and hurried out of the room. "What is this red regatta?" Asked the commander. "It''s Regad! But never heard of about the red one," replied the wizard. "What about Regad anyway?" - Asked the commander again. "It''s hard to explain. You can''t understand," Vittorio replied. "Is it dangerous?" - The wizard looked strangely, but said nothing and walked out of the room with a slight limp... "They locked the gate again, we can not escape" - this thought was running through Lucius'' head as he walked out of Laila''s room. The girl was up all night and as soon as she lay down in bed, she immediately fell asleep. Livia was talking to the hostess of the house, while Angela, Michael, and Uriel were waiting in the hall. They were going to leave this building and find a place where no one could see them if their eyes turn red. They left the house, warning no one. As soon as the wizards arrived, Lucius had the idea to tell them about their condition and ask for help, but depending on how they reacted to the mention of the Red Regad, it was unlikely that they would help Lucius and his friends. They could even kill them. So he gave up on this idea. A similar idea came to Uriel, but after a joint discussion, they decided that for their own safety; it was not worth revealing the story. Anyway, at least for now. The four of them, contemplating their destiny, walked down the blood-soaked street and searched for the house they had found after Michael''s first seizure and spent the night. Uriel found a house in the Nobel district that was burned and ruined, but more or less good than nothing. As they were about to enter the building, it was then that Uriel had his first seizure and froze. Lucius took off his coat and immediately covered his head so that anyone would not see his red eyes. So they entered the building trembling. They sat and discussed from dusk till dawn what to do next. Whether Lord Marcus was a necromancer, and if so, what did it change? What did it mean to be a necromancer at all? Why he was wanted, and why an entire army of wizards and weapon masters came to kill or capture him. What was happening to them and what could have been done to stop it? How would they escape from the city when the gate was locked again... What did the word Regad mean and why did this name have such an effect on the wizards who recently destroyed the red-eyes? Lucius witnessed with his own eyes the battle of Vittorio de Arcane - a black wizard who single-handedly defeated eight red-eyes at once, and how powerful this Red Regad could be that even mentioning his name changed the mighty wizard''s face. Kids planned to stay in these ruins all day and night. They stocked up on food and water. But in the afternoon, all four of them heard a strange melody, that at first sounded very weak but got louder later. After a brief hesitation, they went outside to find out where this melody was coming from. Angela was the only one in the room who had not yet been under a seizure, and it was more dangerous to take her out. So she stayed and the three of them went to find out the source of this melody, though they soon discovered that the townsfolk did not hear any melody unlike them. The source from which this sound was coming was hard to find, for even after about an hour when they had walked half the noble district, they didn''t have a slight idea where the one who was producing this melody might have been. Finally, they climbed the bell tower again so that they could still look around and find something. The sound did not fade from the ears; it did not even weaken and was already becoming unbearable. Lucius was rubbing his hands on the stone. His fingers were so numb that he could no longer feel them. The muscles tensed, but with great effort still climbed the dome. "Do you see anything?" - Michael asked. "Nothing" - answered Blondy. "What a massive ship it is, right?" - Huge vessel caught Michael''s eyes again. "Have you ever seen such a thing?" Lucius grew up in a village and had not seen the port before, so it was no surprise that it also fascinated him. But Uriel, who was a prince and usually sailed the kingdom''s largest ships, shared Michael''s emotion too. "It''s weird how a ship of this size entered the harbor," Uriel said thoughtfully. "Perhaps with the help of magic," Lucius suggested. Uriel nodded in agreement. Michael did not make a sound, he was looking at something insistently. "Did you see anything?" Uriel asked. "Are there people on deck there?" - Michael turned to Uriel. The blondy narrowed his eyes. "Yes, there are people." "It is not surprising that a ship of that size did not have only thirty people, also some of them had to stay to protect it," said the blondy. The melody was piercing the brain. They stopped to look at the harbor and resumed the search for the melody stream. They hoped that if they found what they were voting for, they could get rid of it as well. "Look what''s going on!" - Michael shouted, pointing to the port. The ship on which the wizards came to Mondelay was on fire, and the distant sound of fighting and explosions was coming from there. "They are fighting on the ship," Uriel whispered. The fight, which started a few seconds ago, did not last long, probably a minute. The explosions stopped, and it left the ship on fire. "Is it sinking?" - Michael was shocked. Lucius suddenly realized that the melody had disappeared as soon as the battle at the port was over. "What the hell is happening at all?" Said Uriel when he saw how the gate of the fence was opened, and the seven horsemen and three officers on horseback marched towards the harbor. Whether they stepped into the smoke-blackened building and cracked the walls, they immediately discussed what had happened in the harbor. "Why did the end of the fight coincide with the termination of the melody, if you think about it?" Asked Lucius. "I thought of him, too," replied Uriel. Michael said nothing. "Where do you think that melody came from?" - Asked Uriel, who thought for a while and then asked the following question: "Do you think the same as what I do?" Lucius silently nodded his head in agreement. "So you think that this voice belonged to something?" - Michael asked. "A vessel of the Red Regad," Uriel specified. "What will happen to us if this is true?" Asked Angela, and Lucius noticed more firmness in her voice than fear - even though her face was still pale. She was a beautiful girl with black wavy hair and magnificent but fierce eyes. The lightness of the dancer was so evident in his every movement and it was no surprise Michael liked her so much. "We have to run away, all four of us in danger, while staying here," Uriel said. "But how? They locked the gate, didn''t they?" - Angela answered. "Today, after the attack on the ship, a group of wizards left this area, accompanied by three officers. I guess they will first go to the port and find out what happened there, but they should eventually come back and it will be necessary to open the gate to let them in, so we will have our chance to escape then. Also, we will need horses," the blondy concluded. "Then we must hurry, otherwise, they may return before we are ready..." Chapter XXIII Chapter XXIII They barely persuaded Livia to go up to the roof and let them know as soon as the riders appeared on the main street leading to the gate. They knew that those who had gone to the port had not yet returned, nor had they heard fighting, so they might return soon. Livia was afraid of heights but still agreed to climb on the roof of a tall building, which was quite difficult for an inexperienced girl, so the boys also cheered her on. Lucius and Uriel were hiding near a huge stable, waiting for a sign. Michael stood on the other side of the street to get the attention of the guards when needed. Lily was asleep. Lucius hadn¡¯t said goodbye to her, but now it was too late to think about it. There was little time left. The mirror in Livia¡¯s hand reflected the sunlight, and thus they realized it was time. ¡°Red-eyes! Red-eyes!¡± - Michael shouted and when the stablemen came out of the stable, Lucius jumped into the window. A few seconds later, they found themselves in a stable, although Lucius did not know what to do next. ¡°What now?¡± - whispered to Blondy. ¡°Do not worry, I am not stealing horses for the first time,¡± he smiled at the sight of Lucius¡¯s surprised face. ¡°My brother taught me we used to steal from our own stable ...¡± Uriel galloped towards Angela, and without stopping, grabbed the girl. The guards and stablemen at first stared in amazement and could not believe that someone was stealing the horse in front of their eyes. Then they turned away from Michael and chased Uriel, but on foot. None of them thought of chasing them on horseback. Lucius was expecting this, too, and dragged the horse out of the stable. He was not a splendid rider and got lucky that the horse turned out to be calm and restrained. Lucius galloped towards Michael and assisted him to sit back. Michael barely made it to the horseback after several attempts. Soon they rushed to the central road, moving towards the wall. Uriel was nowhere to be seen. Lucius couldn¡¯t slow down, as the gate was already being opened, and he had no other choice. As he approached the gate, Uriel also galloped his horse from the side road and joined them. ¡°Stop at once!¡± - shouted the officer, when Uriel ran into the slightly opened gate and Lucius followed behind. Several riders followed them back. Uriel immediately yelled at Lucius to follow him and change direction. Michael turned and counted five wizards in red and gold robes. ¡°They have tired horses so we will drop them eventually,¡± said Michael, and Lucius rushed at full speed. ¡°Why do they follow us?¡± - Michael asked. Lucius was also very interested in the answer. It would have been understandable if the officers chased them for stealing, but did the wizards bother for such petty theft? Besides, they obviously could not catch up with the tired, emaciated horses. ¡°I think we got rid of the wizards,¡± said a delighted Uriel. However, he noticed his horse was slowing down. ¡°What the hell?!¡± - Uriel greeted. Tried to subdue the horse, but the stallion resisted, neighing tried to turn back. Angela could not restrain herself and fell down. Blondy jumped off as well, as the horse became too disobedient. Suddenly Michael¡¯s horse jumped unnaturally and boys found themselves on the ground and the horse ran back. ¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± - Uriel could not come to his senses. He helped Angela get up. The girl was not seriously hurt, only had several bruises. ¡°Why did the horses run? What the hell made them so mad?!¡± - The blondy could not calm down. Lucius was no less irritated, though, before making a sound his headache so much that he collapsed on the spot. The pain was so unbearable he thought his head would explode. He heard unearthly screaming, piercing his brain even more. So they lay on the ground, convulsing in endless agony, suffering in excruciating pain. Suddenly, the distinct sound of a horse came to Lucius. Next, he felt that someone grabbed him and dragged him on the horseback like a sack. Blinded by all this pain he could barely see, but still caught sight of a ghostly figure with red eyes. Surprisingly, it was not the eyes of a wicked, bloodthirsty creature... The wizards did not spare the horses. They put all their strength and effort into reaching the wall, staring back and forth as if something (or someone) was following behind. The unbearable headache did not stop, as if it was not enough. Someone¡¯s incessant screaming pierced his brain. At some point, Lucius realized it was his own voice all this time. Everything felt like a dreadful nightmare and he hoped to wake up second by second. ¡°Do not fall behind, we are approaching the gate!¡± - Cried, someone. Lucius realized they were already on the main road and had to stay for a while before the wall. His rider looked back and screamed in fright, ¡°That something is too near!¡± The wizard ahead of them turned the horse and galloped in the opposite direction. ¡°I¡¯ll try to stop it for a while!¡± - He shouted. Lucius could vaguely see how the wizard was approaching something reddish, but he could not figure out what it was, nor did he care, because of the maddening pain. ¡°Close the gate!¡± - Lucius heard the order. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. As soon as the gate was closed, the headache disappeared, but it left him exhausted. They found themselves in a huge, bright room, probably in the hall of some nobleman. ¡°They asked me to climb on the roof, I did not think...¡± - Livia¡¯s weak voice could be heard, someone was sitting in front of a red and gold uniform and was scared to explain something. ¡°Let the girl go. He knows nothing¡± - Vittorio had a firm voice. ¡°Yes, but...¡± ¡°Get her out of the room!¡± - repeated the wizard. Lucius noticed the fear in Livia¡¯s eyes as someone pulled her out of the room. ¡°Drink it,¡± the middle-aged woman handed the glasses to the children. Lucius knew her. She was in the commander¡¯s room earlier. The drink turned out to be warm and tasty, it also increased their stamina. ¡°I think they are ready to answer our questions,¡± said the other wizard. ¡°So why did you escape?¡± asked the red-haired one. There was no answer. ¡°Rufus told me when they pick you up. You were screaming, convulsing, shouting. Can you describe what were you feeling? ¡°Intolerable headache,¡± Uriel replied. ¡°And it started as soon as you reached that place?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Uriel again. ¡°When my people found you rolling and convulsing on the ground, your eyes were red. Do you know that?¡± ¡°Why do we have to talk so much?! Let¡¯s kill them and end it. At least we can not help them. There is nothing to find out here. They met that creature and became marked ones too,¡± said the youngest wizard. The black man raised his hand and silenced him. ¡°Why did you run away from here today?¡± - Vittorio repeated the woman¡¯s question. There was no point in hiding anymore. The wizards knew about eyes already, so silence could only bring death to them. ¡°We decided to escape after seizures. A few days before your arrival in Mondelay, first, it happened to me then to the others,¡± Lucius replied this time. ¡°What seizures?¡± - Vittorio frowned. ¡°Seizures, which were accompanied by redness of the eyes and we got afraid, if someone saw our eyes, they would kill us. So we ran away. ¡°It is nonsense, Vittorio. They lie to deceive us,¡± said the young magician. Vittorio answered nothing. He put his head in his hands and it was like that for a while. The others watched him and the kids silently. ¡°I was there, Vittorio. I saw how our ship sank and it left no one alive on the ship. In this city, on this land, something terrible is happening¡­ What should have killed so many warriors, Vittorio? We searched the streets of the city for the traces, but in vain. Instead, we all felt that something or someone was watching us. If it could sink the ship, it would have defeated us too, but only showed up when we went back inside the wall. Maybe the city commander was right, Vittorio. Maybe it¡¯s really a vessel of the Regad... ¡°Do not talk nonsense!¡± - The red-haired woman interrupted the wizard. ¡°If the vessel of the Regad was here, no one would be alive in this city.¡± ¡°Maybe the vessel is too young?!¡± - said Vittorio. ¡°Well, even if it was born yesterday, these sinful walls could not restrain it. And what about the red one? Is there even such a color?¡± The woman asked. ¡°Existence of regads is confirmed by the magic of the barons. The purpose of this creature, whether it¡¯s a vessel or not, is unknown to us. Therefore, it means nothing if these walls are intact and townsfolk are still alive,¡± - sighed Vittorio. A strange silence fell. Most of them had desperate faces. In the eyes of Lucius, they were wise, powerful wizards. He thought they stood above ordinary people, but now they resembled ordinary mortals with fear in their eyes. ¡°What should we do, Vittorio, if it¡¯s really a vessel? You are the only shaman among us, and what can we do against such creatures?¡± - Whispered red-haired one. ¡°I do not know, but if it is really a vessel, it can only be newborn. Otherwise, we could feel its existence,¡± Vittorio said thoughtfully. ¡°How do you know all that?¡± Asked one of the wizards. ¡°Years ago, when we were very young, Marcus and I were fascinated by the tales about Regads. We read a lot about them. Marcus knew a lot more about them and wanted to understand more. Maybe that was the reason for everything that had happened later. But now it does not matter. The main thing is that I know something about this creature, and what I have heard here makes me think that we might really be dealing with a vessel. ¡°What does a vessel of Regad want here to kill people? Destroying the city? What is the point of all this?¡± asked the younger wizard. ¡°I do not know, Rufus. Understanding the motives of the Regads is not a simple task. Wherever the vessel appeared, the goals or causes of this event have never been known...¡± Again, everyone sank into silence and thought until one of them asked, ¡°Should we kill them?¡± ¡°killing them is unnecessary for now. Let¡¯s lock them in this room. I will decide later what we can do,¡± - Vittorio answered. Then, everyone was given their roles and left the room one by one. Only kids, a middle-aged woman, Rufus, and Vittorio remained in the room. ¡°What do you think is happening to them?¡± - continued the red-haired wizard. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say,¡± he replied. - They don¡¯t look like ordinary marked ones, also they have not been in direct contact with the source. As the process started beforehand. ¡°Maybe they are lying?¡± ¡°I do not think they would try to escape from here for no reason when they could meet horrible death in every second beyond the walls. Marcus¡¯s interest in them makes me more curious...¡± ¡°What if a vessel turns up here?¡± - Rufus asked the black wizard. ¡°If that happens, then I will have to perform an oriental dance.¡± - He replied. ¡°You mean Delta?¡± - Admiration and respect were felt at the same time in Rufus¡¯s voice. Vittorio nodded slightly in agreement and then turned to the grumpy woman with the words, ¡°Jahna, I¡®ll need your help to prepare for this.¡± ¡°But nothing has happened yet, and we do not know if we are really dealing with a vessel,¡± replied red-haired. ¡°It may be too late when we found out. So we need to take measurements now. I can not do oriental dance alone. I have not recovered enough yet, so I need your help.¡± - Said Vittorio and left the room. Kids were left alone and not a minute had passed since they were looking for an escape already. The balcony door was open. But they could not escape from there with no one noticing. The exit door of the room was locked. And even if they escaped somehow, meeting with this creature was more fearsome than death itself, so they soon abandoned their intention and returned to the soft seats. Lucius had everything messed up in his head. There was no connection between Marcus¡¯s behavior and the story of these wizards. He could not understand why Marcus summoned them to Mondelay if he knew they would come to kill or capture him. Why were his eyes red when he had no contact with that creature before escaping? Was it related to the dream that he had before being called to the commander¡¯s office? If that¡¯s the case, then Michael, Uriel, and Angela should have seen something similar, but they did not. He then remembered when Marcus touch their foreheads, he started laughing like a madman, repeating that some bastard was right about something. Maybe that was the reason¡­ Lucius could say think of any solution. ¡°If I reveal my identity, could it possibly help us?¡± - asked Blondy. ¡°I do not think the royal authority is anything to the wizards,¡± replied Lucius. ¡°You are right, it is not worth disclosing¡± - Agreed Michael. The door opened, and the maid brought food. When Lucius smelled it, he remembered he was hungry as hell and, despite all his worries and thoughts, sat down at a large wooden table to eat. The others joined immediately. It was weird, but eating improved their mood a little and later the fatigue took its toll and they fell asleep... Chapter XXIV Chapter XXIV A strange feeling awakened Lucius and immediately realized that something had happened or was about to happen. Uriel also woke up with him, and they found Michael standing at the window looking outside. The three of them stared at Angela, and for a second she too opened her eyes and whispered, "Something is not right." They got to their feet and ran to the balcony. It was already midnight in Mondelay, the area was lit up with lots of torches. Officers were coming and going in the streets and on the wall. There was almost no one outside except the guards, and they notice nothing strange at first glance, but the feeling that woke them up was getting stronger and stronger did not give them rest. Something had to happen or was already happening. They returned to the room from the balcony again. The only thing that illuminated the room was torchlight coming from the windows, so they set it in semi-darkness and because of this darkness, they discovered something they couldn''t while on the balcony. Their eyes in the room glowed faintly red. The redness on the outside was almost imperceptible, but it was slightly visible in the darkroom. "The redness will increase." Stated Lucius. "Why do you think that will be the case?" - Michael asked. "When we woke up, we were in the dark, but we noticed nothing in each other''s eyes, so either it appeared after, or it was so weak from the beginning that we did not notice." "What should we do?" - Michael frowned. "We all feel that something is about to happen, so we have to warn the wizards." - Uriel noted and everyone agreed. They ran to the door and knocked on the door, but no one answered for some time. At last, they heard the voice of a servant approaching the door and cursing the children on the way. "We want to see wizards now!" - Cried Uriel. "You brats, are you crazy or what? It''s midnight and everyone is asleep. Don''t make me repeat and go to your beds now!" shouted the servant angrily, and hurried away from the door, but the youngsters would not give up so easily. They took chairs and started pounding on the door rhythmically. After a while, they heard the voice: - "Enough! Stop this madness right now!" Slowly the door opened, and they found themselves in the face of a young wizard who, as Lucius remembered, was called Rufus. "What the hell" He yelled at the sight of them and jumped back, taking a combat stance. "I knew from the beginning, leaving you alive was a wrong decision." - gritted the wizard and waved his hand backward... "Wait, listen to us!" cried children desperately. Rufus was a little confused by this, apparently not expecting reasonable verbal communication from red-eyes. "Take us to Vittorio. We have something to say!" Uriel implored. "Humph, why should I?" - Rufus asked hesitantly, remaining in his fighting stance. "Something will happen soon, something terrible, please we should talk to him," - begged Lucius. He hesitated for a moment, then cleared the way. "Walk in front of me! One wrong move and you are dead meat!" They met Vittorio in the hallway, sitting on the floor with their legs crossed and the robe tightly wrapped around his torso. Red-haired wizard standing behind him. At the sight of the kids, she too jumped back warningly, as if preparing some spell, but Vittorio stopped her. "Well, what is happening now?" - Asked the black wizard and looked at their eyes showing no emotion. "Something will happen soon," Uriel said. "And what makes you think that?" "We don''t know exactly, but somehow all four of us have the same strange feeling," replied Uriel. "Interesting..." whispered the wizard calmly, then sat for a few seconds in silence, and then he addressed Rufus and the red-haired wizard, "Prepare for battle, warn the others, perilous night awaits us!" When Rufus and Jahna left, the kids end up alone with Vittorio, though he did not order them to return to the room, only sat and watched their faces without emotion. Then the wizard got up slowly and headed for the main door. "Something unusual is happening here that I can not quite understand. Hope I made the right decision when left you alive and you will be the key to explaining this mystery. Try to stay alive tonight." he said and left. The thunderous sound of the bell broke mysterious silence, indicating the impending danger. The officers also immediately began preparations to repel a potential attack. Lucius and his friends were alone in the corridor and did not know what to do. "What do you think will happen?" - There was concern in Angela''s voice "We''ll probably see soon," Uriel said in a heavy voice." "Let''s get going anyway, we need to find some shelter." - Angela went to the door first, the boys followed behind. "Should we go to the bell tower?" - Michael suggested to his friends. "The bell tower again," Lucius thought, but still agreed. Probably it was the safest and highest place in the city they could observe the events from. The wizard''s house was quite far from the bell tower, so they had to walk for some time but noticed nothing suspicious. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The bell tower was almost empty, with both soldiers and officers heading for the wall, so they advanced without a problem. "You were right, Lucius," said Angela. "What do you mean?" - he could not understand immediately. "The color of our eyes became brighter." Lucius looked at her friends: Angela was right, her eyes were glowing red. Even the strange feeling that woke them up had intensified noticeably. Youngsters sat there for some time but nothing happened. Somehow they got used to that strange feeling too and get a little sleepy. "Maybe it will fade away as before," suggested Michael. "Shh, listen,"- whispered Lucius frightfully. They heard a voice, the same one they heard on that dreadful night when Marcus burned the corpses, but it was way too louder now. When the four of them reached the edge of the roof and looked down, they saw what was happening to the people under the influence of this sound. They fought with whatever weapon they could get their hands on; they desperately tried to kill each other. In a matter of seconds, the streets of Mondelay had already become a chaotic battlefield. "Why do not they silence the voice?" Angela shouted in despair. "It seems they cannot. Vittorio mentioned Marcus knew a lot more than him about this phenomenon. It seems nobody in the city could stop this bloodshed now. Thankfully, we got lucky to climb here. No one could reach us so easily at this height. Whoever is down, almost everyone is exposed to immediate death.." summed up Blondy. Suddenly Lucius broke down... "Lily!" Kids looked at each other frightened, it felt horrible to even think about, what might happen to their little sister. "I must find her," said Lucius. The friends silently agreed and marched with him down. Angela also wanted to go with the boys, but Uriel persuaded her to stay, otherwise, she would slow them down and in that situation, every second was important. They rushed down the stairs. Two severely wounded officers were lying in the courtyard of the bell tower. The boys grabbed their weapons and ran towards Livia''s house. Mindless townsfolk chased each other in the streets to kill each other. It was a gruesome scene to watch. Completely innocent people were dying. They reached Livia''s house without using a weapon. The voice that evoked dreadful emotions also affected the boys, but not so much as to make any of them mad. That is why they somehow coped with this horror in the right mind. Livia''s house appeared, and they soon found themselves in the yard, however before they could run to the door, a soldier armed with a sword attacked them and Uriel and Michael had to fight him. The brawl did not last long. Although the soldier was twice the size of the boys, skillfully was much inferior to Uriel, so a few seconds after the attacker was lying on the ground wounded in both legs. They found the door of the building open. Some servants were lying on the floor, some were still fighting with each other. Two of them chased the boys, but they kicked them out of the stairs and ran towards Lily''s room. At the door, Livia was lying on the floor trying to get rid of the servant who was choking her. First Uriel rushed at them, knocked out the servant with a head blow, and then leaned towards Livia to help her get up, but now Livia attacked Uriel. Michael had to tie her hands to keep everyone safe. The children were out of bed, sitting on the floor with their hands over their ears, whispering something. Lucius rushed to Lily and picked her up, trying to calm her down. A little girl was trembling, repeating with a weeping voice - the braided man, the braided man. The brother whispered in his ear, then sang her favorite song and the girl calmed down a little. Lily stopped weeping, but she was still cold and trembling. Lucius hugged her hard. The door opened, and Michael entered, bringing the unconscious Livia with him. "She was getting wilder, and I had to knock her out," he apologized. "You''ve done the right thing," replied Uriel, leaning over Livia''s sister and trying to calm her down. "What now?" - Michael frowned. "We have to lock the door," Uriel replied. "And what about Angela?" worried Michael. "We cannot take Livia and the children there safely, so we have no other choice, to stay here until it''s over. These mindless people could not reach her at the bell tower, cannot reveal themselves. Angela will be safer there." Blondy assured him. They placed two beds and some other furniture at the door. The next concern was to keep the other children warm, so they placed them close to each other and covered them with a mattress. After a while, the little ones no longer shuddered and became calmer. The sound stopped abruptly. The boys looked out from the windows. People in the streets were coming to their senses. They looked scared and surprised, because of the circumstances they found themselves in, still, they helped each other to get up. Michael started waking Livia. She was no longer a threat. As she woke up, Michael told her everything that had happened. Lucius and Uriel were whispering something. The voice ceased, but the remaining silence felt creepier to them, and the strange feeling that preceded all this had not yet disappeared. On the contrary, it was getting stronger. "It''s dangerous to stay here," Uriel said, and Michael agreed. They quickly removed the beds and led the children outside, taking blankets and sheets with them. "Wait, what about other children?" - Livia asked and then Lucius remembered that in this house, in other rooms, there were dozens of little ones sheltered by Livia. "We can not take so many to the bell tower," said Michael. "Well, what should we do then?" Asked Lucius. "Let''s lock them up in somewhere safer. We will take the key in case the voice appears again. At least older ones can not touch them until we are back." suggested Uriel. They agreed because they had no other choice and hid the little one in the underground basement with the iron door. They wanted to see the wizards and warn them, that the danger had not yet passed. It was easy to find them; They were in all corners of the city, healing the wounded townsfolk. The very first encounter led them to Vittorio. After a few minutes of walking, they found themselves quite close to the wall and found the black wizard right there. He was wrapped in a robe and was watching something, insistently. He heard their arrival before they could say anything, and without turning around, whispered, "It''s not a right time to talk" "The danger has not passed. Something else will happen," Michael said. "But thank you for letting me know," he said and turned to the red-haired woman standing next to him. "Assemble the knights. We will need their support as soon as possible." Knights in red and white mantles appeared in a few seconds and circled Vittorio. The black wizard gave some order and the warriors also retreated a little, though they did not go far from Vittorio. "Why not call other wizards?" Livia asked in a whisper. "They are still treating the wounded people, and Vittorio knows that," Lucius replied. "Let the girl go," said Vittorio. Lucius realized he was referring to Livia, though Livia herself understood and ran away from there. It was strange. The wizard did not order the boys to go. They were curious, but one dared to ask the question. They stood like this for a few minutes. Nothing was happening, and then the melody reached Lucius''s ear. It was a melody that was heard before he ran out of the Noble neighborhood, but now it was louder and heard somewhere here, this time very close. Lucius was blinking, listening intently. Maybe he could see. "What is happening?" - Vittorio asked, only now Lucius remembered that only he and his three friends understood this melody. Uriel quickly explained the matter to Vittorio. "Get ready!" gritted the black wizard in such a voice that Lucius immediately realized he had noticed something. He looked up in the same direction and saw something peculiar himself. Someone was sitting on of the battlement of the wall, bent over, with his legs folded. Crimson smoke was rising from his body, leaving a riddle on how he got there... Chapter XXV Chapter XXV ¡°So it was the oriental dance,¡± Lucius thought. Suddenly, the boy stepped back, realizing he was standing on top of the bloodied Vittorio. He could not remember how the hell he ended up there. Everything went blurry after they saw the stranger sitting on top of the wall. ¡°Please don¡¯t¡­¡± wheezed out the black wizard. Lucius himself had blood on his hands and clothes. He turned his head and saw Michael and Uriel, both with bloody weapons in their hands standing with befuddled looks on their faces. ¡°Please, please...¡± whispered Vittorio again. ¡°What happened here?¡± - Lucius turned towards the wizard and froze. He just noticed a four-line deep wound that appeared on the wizard¡¯s chest, as if some wild animal had attacked him. His heart sank, realizing he himself was that animal. Suddenly, a pervasive sense of dread filled Lucius¡¯s stomach. He stepped backward, shaking his hands hysterically, stumbled on something and fell. He did not even try to get up, just lying on the ground horror-stricken looking at his hands and bloodied wizard. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. Soldiers armed with spears were encircling him and his friends. ¡°Be ready and attack at once!¡± - he heard Jahna¡¯s voice. The wizards and knights looked startled. They would have probably killed them if not Vittorio. ¡°Stop it. I¡¯ve already completed delta... No need for more killing¡­¡± mumbled the wizard. Soldiers approached them cautiously, still pointing their weapons... They returned to the same building they were locked up in before. The wizards left the youngsters in the hall and ushered Vittorio into the chamber. The boys were sitting exhausted on chairs. Soon Angela joined in. The officer brought her in, pushed her aside, and then silently walked out of the hall. ¡°Where¡¯ve you been?¡± Asked Michael to Angela. ¡°The only thing I remember is that from the tower I saw a ghostly reddish figure on the wall and then the officers found me on the street and brought me here.¡± - Angela answered, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°The same happened to us. We do not even remember what we were doing after seeing that figure.¡± Michael shrugged. They sat in silence for about half an hour. One of the wizards led the kids into the rooms and provided them with some strange liquid. The drink had a soothing effect on them. The cozy room, with soft beds, and the fatigue took their toll, and the boys soon fell asleep. It would have been well past noon when Lucius woke up. Uriel, dressed in a wizard robe, was looking out the small window at the streets. Lucius found another pair of wizard robes in the room, quickly got dressed and approached the windows. Only one-third of the townsfolk have survived, but despite such an immense loss, one could still feel the festive mood in the streets. ¡°The gate has been opened, people are returning to their homes in the lower town,¡± Uriel noted. ¡°How do they know it is safe to go beyond the wall?¡± Lucius asked. ¡°Perhaps the wizards declared so¡­ Well, Marcus was right in one thing. In the end, those wizards turned out as our saviors,¡± said Uriel. ¡°Maybe he was right on other things, too¡­¡± They heard newly awakened Michael¡¯s voice behind. ¡°Marcus mentioned the red regad and the last thing I remember clearly was that reddish smoke around that damned figure. And he warned about madness and here we are. Too much coincidence for me. Don¡¯t you think the same?¡± Michael continued the monologue. Suddenly, the door opened, and a servant appeared on the threshold. ¡°Lord Vittorio wants to see you,¡± she said in a nervous tone and hurried back. ¡°Is it me or does she look scared?¡± - Michael asked, but this was an assumption more than a question. Neither Lucius nor Michael answered. - They silently went to Vittorio¡¯s room, which was quite far from their bedroom. Michael knocked three times on the big wooden door. ¡°Come in!¡± said the hoarse voice. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Angela was already there, sitting beside Vittorio. The black wizard was lying on the bed, his whole body wrapped. He pointed to the empty chairs next to the girl. They hesitated a little and sat down in the reclining chairs. ¡°As this girl tells me, you remember nothing after seeing that figure.¡± The boys nodded. ¡°I thought the same¡± - the wizard had a thoughtful voice. ¡°What did you think?¡± - Michael insisted. Vittorio looked at the boy. ¡°Brat, do you have the slightest idea what you have you done in a time-lapse, you have no memory of?¡± ¡°I think I could guess¡­¡± Michael replied gravely. ¡°You can guess?¡± - Vittorio voiced. ¡°You¡¯ve killed people, several experienced wizards and knights!¡± ¡°What?!¡± - Angela moaned. ¡°Not you. You are innocent for a time being,¡± Vittorio told her. ¡°When the Regad¡¯s vessel appeared on the wall, he took control of your bodies. In that state, you¡¯ve managed to kill fourteen knights and five wizards before I completed an oriental dance. The vessel could have come and stopped my incantation. All the wizards were fighting you and I was defenseless. Why did not he come down? Why did he allow me to complete the dance that could eventually destroy him?¡± The boys stared at wizards in confusion. They had no answers. ¡°What happened to that creature?¡± - Angela asked in a weak voice. ¡°Destroyed as soon as the oriental dance was complete, and that is why you¡¯ve probably come to your senses.¡± Replied the black wizard. ¡°Even if the vessel took control over our bodies, how on earth we could kill so many powerful and experienced warriors?¡± - Michael¡¯s voice trailed off. Vittorio said nothing, just looked up and remained like that for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s strange,¡± he whispered, more to himself. ¡°I felt the power of the vessel and even though he was very young, no one in this city could oppose him. If he had wanted to, he would have killed us all, but he did not. And I could not understand the reason for that mercy.¡± ¡°Is it a deep wound?¡± - Lucius pointed to the wizard¡¯s chest. ¡°It is a wound that would never truly heal, given its poisonous nature,¡± Vittorio explained. ¡°There are traces of a vessel left in it, and that¡¯s why it is so difficult to cure.¡± ¡°Why did you call us here?¡± Uriel asked. ¡°I wanted to understand the motive behind the vessel¡¯s actions.¡± ¡°Did you really think we would know it?¡± - The blondy was surprised. ¡°I did not say that I expected a direct explanation from you. ¡°Tell me everything you remember about Marcus. Now that I know about your eyes, you have no reason to hide anything.¡± - Vittorio eyed the youngsters. They talked for a long time, remembering everything that could be said about Marcus. Lucius weighed every word, not wanting to disclose his dream. There was something so unnatural and horrible in that event that even after all this, he could not take any risks ... The gates of the Noble district were open to everyone. By order of the commander, the whole town was celebrating tonight. The strange thing was that despite all the losses that people had suffered, it was hard to find anyone on the streets who was not having fun. ¡°Is it all over?¡± Angela mumbled as they passed a row of tables and continued on their way to the gate. They wanted to come to the lower district. It would probably not be difficult to find an abandoned house to live in. As the wizards said, people¡¯s lives were no longer in danger. The four of them could live normally and needed a house for that, too. Townsfolk on the streets could not recognize kids, but the officers remembered them and tried to avoid any interactions. ¡°They probably saw us on the square when the vessel took over. But it could be beneficial for us in the future.¡± Uriel grinned at the sight of Michael¡¯s clenched fists. ¡°When everything calms down, the fear of the city guards towards us repeatedly turns out to be a source of loot.¡± ¡°We should go back. Feast has already started, and soon there will be no free meal for us. And afterward, I want to see Lily,¡± Lucius intervened. They soon joined the flow of people entering the gate. The deeper they went into the affluent area, the more people got involved in eating-drinking and dancing-singing. By the time they reached the Noble district, they were already full up and intoxicated. They found Livia near his house. The remaining wizards were blended among the people, most of them talking with the nobles of the city. The nobles also seemed happy, completely forgetting the fear that had gripped everyone until the wizards appeared in the city. ¡°Once we find a house, we can open a fencing school in the lower district. Many will come to study with you,¡± Michael told Uriel. ¡°It is a good idea. Many students will not only bring us money. As soon as the situation calms down a bit, the gangs will start dividing up places in the districts and then...¡± Michael and Uriel were planning loudly the future, while Lucius was sipping his drink and listening to them with a smile. The friends were so tired that they went to Livia¡¯s house to sleep. Singing, dancing and drinking in the light of bonfires continued until midnight. Lucius missed his little sister so much that he rushed to the baby¡¯s room as soon as he entered the house. Usually, children often sleep at such times, but because of the noise coming from the street, most of them were still awake. When they entered the room, the children were sitting on a mat on the floor and playing. Lily raised her head to the door slam. Lucius immediately headed straight for Lily. The girl jumped up and instead of hugging her brother; she leaned back and leaned against the wall, scared. Astonished by his sister¡¯s behavior, Lucius looked at the other children. They, too, leaned into the corner, trembling and whispering something. Lucius, dumbfounded, turned to his friends for some explanation. Neither they nor the caregivers could understand what was happening. They could notice nothing odd. Only the children had such an immense fear as if monsters were standing in front of them. The caregivers and Livia tried to calm the little ones down but in vain. ¡°What are they whispering?¡± Uriel asked. The children were repeating some words hysterically. Livia got down on her knees in front of the little ones, trying to pick out the words. The four of them and the caretakers stood together. They did not make a sound, waiting for her... Chapter XXVI Chapter XXVI Lucius''s intoxicated mind mixed up pain, anger, and dizziness. But all this was still nothing compared to the burning sensation coming from somewhere deep inside. The sight of his sister''s face tortured him, with its unspeakable fear and the mystery of why she was so scared. ¡°What happened?! What is happening?!¡± - He heard questions from somewhere, far away. Rufus and Jahna, accompanied by several other wizards, went into the room. Lucius''s befuddled mind could not grasp why there were so many officers, wizards, and servants in the hall. It''s likely that something occurred, so they all got together to figure out what happened. However, Lucius really could not think more than that. Now he was just trying to deal with the feeling he got when he saw his sister¡¯s eyes, along with the feeling of dizziness and a racing heart. Wandering senselessly in the storm of these sensations, he realized Vittorio had entered the hall full of people. Angela, Michael, Uriel, and Livia were all sitting drunk in the seats and, amazed by the behavior of the children, could barely say anything. Instead of them, the caregivers answered what happened a while ago during the meeting with the four children. Vittorio paid close attention to what they were saying and then took one of the kids to observe for himself... Wizards silently gathered around. One of them gave Lucius a strange liquid that quickly relieved his hangover from the day before. Michael, Uriel, and Angela were sitting and waiting for the conversation to start. Only Livia was nowhere to be seen. Eventually, the wizards started talking, but it was not a language Lucius was familiar with. Lucius felt his heart sink with each word Vittorio spoke. Then Rufus, the long-haired one, and two or three wizards spoke, but what they said was still unknown to Lucius. Finally, when everyone finished talking, Vittorio stood up, took out his dagger, and start walking toward the youngsters. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± - frowned the wizard. ¡°Wait! Why?¡± - cried, Blondy. ¡°Even though the vessel was destroyed, the traces of it were not completely gone and the children noticed it. We have no other choice.¡± Vittorio replied. "If I''m not mistaken, you weren''t too knowledgeable regarding the Red Regad. How do you know that our killing is the only right solution?" Uriel attempted to start a conversation. Vittorio hesitated for a second. He was already dangerously close to them. ¡°The majority decided so...¡± ¡°I am Uriel Arch de Ludgar, son of Ryan Arch de Ludgar and Prince of Al-Moravid. I will not allow you to kill us here just because most of you have decided so!¡± - Uriel did not lose his temper. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you are a prince or a slave, do you have one last thing to say?¡± - Vittorio was about to plunge the dagger when Lucius shouted - ¡°Hold on, I want to tell you something!¡± The dagger only barely scratched Uriel¡¯s skin who was frozen like ice statue. Lucius could see a query in Vittorio''s expression. I would like to explain to you the dream I had and then you could decide about our fate. ¡°We don''t have the time to listen to your fantasies!¡± ¡°This was a vision unlike any other. I''m uncertain if it was a dream or a conscious one.¡± ¡°Say it shortly,¡± Vittorio said, despite the reluctance of several wizards. ¡°When the red-eyed invaded the city, Marcus guided us to the wall, where we stayed in the commander''s house. The next day, Lord Felix asked me to join him in his room to talk about the wizard. We were in the middle of our conversation in Felix''s office when the officer showed up. Fear had him struck mute, and he only croaked out Marcus¡­ Gate... The commander hurried out of the office and I trailed behind. As we scaled the wall, I noticed Marcus on the other side, surrounded by people. He had painted the gate as it seemed with the blood of these people, and when he finished, the hands that came out of the paintings dragged the murdered people inside. Smoke ascended from six painted places on that gate.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Heavenly Demons, listen to my cry! - After hearing those words, I lost my mind, and when I woke up; I was still in the room with Uriel and others. The officer stood nearby to let me know the commander was summoning me. Although I had never seen it before, I knew what the room looked like when I walked in. I hadn''t encountered the Commander before; I hadn''t even heard his name was Felix, however...¡± ¡°Does anyone else have the same vision?¡± - asked the black man. No one said a word. ¡°Vittorio, that''s utter nonsense. He dreams up some deceptions to pass the time,¡± - remarked a wizard. ¡°That''s insane!¡± - Lucius distinguished Jahna''s voice from the rest. Regardless, his attention never strayed away from Vittorio, the only one who wasn''t in a rush to kill them. ¡°Can you recall the locations Marcus painted?¡± Vittorio''s question filled the room with a tense silence. ¡±I can''t guarantee that I''ll be able to find them all, but I should have no trouble finding the gate.¡± said Lucius. Silence fell again for a long time. The black wizard said nothing while he was sitting on the edge of the table with a dagger in his hand, lost in thoughts. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s kill them all!¡± - shouted someone. ¡°We are wasting time in vain... Vittorio, what shall we do?¡± A question from the redhead woman woke up the black wizard. ¡°We have to look,¡± he said. ¡°How should we check?¡± - asked someone from the group of wizards. He gave no response, just told the attendants to bring the youngsters and then departed from the room. The early morning chill could be felt outside while the city was still shrouded in slumber. At the commander¡¯s command, several officers followed Vittorio¡¯s group. A few wizards walked with the Vittorio, while the rest were spread out in small groups going to the gate. So that a massive group of magicians walking together wouldn''t spark the public''s interest. Lucius heard shuffling footsteps as they approached the ramparts with Michael, Angela, and Uriel. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± - asked Michael in a whisper. ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to explain... I couldn¡¯t grasp the moment...¡± - muttered Lucius. They had almost reached the arch, after passing through which the noble district ended. The street was full of magicians, but it was hard to tell they all had the same goal in mind. They opened the first gate. No one said a word to Lucius as he walked towards the closed gate. He felt the coldness of the rusty iron when he touched it. Lucius stepped back to give the black wizard some room and joined his friends, who were standing far away. Vittorio rested one hand on the gate. From far away, he resembled a sculpture. The only sign that he wasn''t made of stone was the part of the mantle flapping in the breeze. Time passed by and nothing happened. ¡°Let¡¯s run, maybe at least one of us will survive this way,¡± - whispered Uriel ¡°There¡¯s no point, they¡¯ll catch us anyway,¡±- Lucius was losing hope. ¡°Look!¡± - Lucius could just about recognize Angela''s thrilled voice. He turned slowly. Somewhere, inside his heart, he seemed to desire that nothing would be found at the gate and the story would remain a dream. But, in the depths of the metal gate, a reddish color was emerging and forming a painting. This painting gave someone a feeling of intensity that you had never experienced before. Lucius felt like he was being submerged in the ocean - the scarlet ocean... ¡°What the hell is this?¡± - His voice was shaking, making the black wizard look like an average person. Vittorio turned away from the gate, watching the gate from a distance, while the others approached the painting. ¡°If only this did not happen,¡± Lucius felt hopelessness in Vittorio¡¯s voice. Everyone expected an explanation, but he remained silent. A mysterious feeling overwhelmed Lucius. His body trembled. The morning''s chill was not the cause. It was an inner shiver... ¡°Vittorio! Tell us what¡¯s going on,¡± - Jahna broke the silence. "It surpasses my imagination¡­" the wizard muttered. ¡°The vessel did not disappear. It looks like my delta was ineffective against him.¡± ¡°This doesn''t make any sense to me.¡± - The redhead''s voice was trembling. I can feel the power of the Red Regad at the gate. The vessel was not here by accident; it was summoned... ¡°Do you recognize what this painting portrays, Jahna? Gate of the White Phoenixes. Are you comprehending what I''m saying? Are you aware of the meaning of the red regad on Pandora''s wall?¡± - Vittorio''s speech shattered the chilly quiet. "The gate can be broken..." Hearing Jahna¡¯s voice sent a chill down Lucius''s spine. ¡°These children will soon become vessels themselves. Our assumption that we were dealing with a simple marking is already ridiculous,¡± - Vittorio pointed to the four. ¡°One more reason to kill them!¡± - One of the wizards unsheathed his sword. ¡°Stop! Killing them will not make it better. The vessel is not attached to them. We will kill them and the redness will wake up in others.¡± ¡°So, what should we do?¡± The weapon remained in the wizard''s grasp. ¡°We must take them as quickly as possible!¡± ¡°What fate awaits the city?¡± - Rufus asked. ¡°If we take them away, there will be no more danger, at least from the vessel¡¯s side...¡± - frowned the black wizard. Chapter XXVII Chapter XXVII Michael held the yatagan up to the sun, feeling its weight in his hand, and staring in awe as the rays of light shone brilliantly off its shiny surface. According to Uriel, only a small amount of these weapons were crafted in Al-Moravid, and it looked like this one was imported from the east - either Maraliyah or Salaim. It was an excellent weapon. It was a bit heavier than the wooden club used for fencing practice. It was a strange moment to think about all this now... Michael, who went to the balcony, was looking at the walls of Livia¡¯s house, the white reflected rays of the sun. Lucius was talking to Livia in the room, and Uriel and Angela were also there. Vittorio forbade them from being in the presence of the children. As he departed the house, Michael was aware of the sneaky glances from the maids. Livia assured them she would take care of Lailly. They hurried to the gate and then to the harbor. They attempted to keep the fact they were leaving town secret. According to Vittorio, the best way to transport the four was by boat and then across the ocean. Because all the ships in Mondelay were burned, they had to resort to riding horses until they could locate a surviving ship in the nearby harbor to cross the ocean. In a strange way but, Michael''s dream of sailing on a frigate was becoming reality. After being burned, partially repaired, and then deserted, the city was now beginning to fill up once again... ¡°How quickly people forget everything,¡± Michael heard Angela¡¯s voice. ¡°It¡¯s just that life goes on,¡± - the Blondy added emotionlessly. The salty scent near the sea evoked a string of memories for Michael, a combination of happy and sad moments... Various things happened after escaping from the shelter... Rufus and Vittorio waited at the harbor with their steeds. ¡°I want to explain our plan to you now,¡± Vittorio began. We can''t all go together, as the vessel will search for you. I have already attempted something to evade the pursuers, but it won''t be sufficient. Rufus will accompany you. You will journey to Werthgold on horseback and, from there, continue to Aleman. Upon saying that, Vittorio mounted the horse and spurred it. ¡°Have any of you ever ridden a horse?¡± - Rufus broke the silence. Uriel''s gesture of agreement and the lack of objection from the others was enough of a response for the wizard, and he moved toward the horse. Michael wasn''t particularly good at riding, yet he was still bold enough to go near the horse. They took off from the city, journeying along the royal road for roughly an hour. Then they turned the horses into a lush forest. The morning breeze bore the fragrance of spring. Michael was no longer fearful of falling, and he wanted with all his might to let the horse go all the way, but Rufus wouldn¡¯t let him until they reached the field, and he didn¡¯t decrease the horse¡¯s speed until he was on the spur. Fields and small hills followed one another, and the space between them expanded more and more. As the afternoon drew nearer, the sun grew darker and darker, so they kept going through the woods. Michael''s back was in pain and his legs were hurting from being on a horse for so long, but Rufus kept going. He refused to slow down. Before they knew it, the afternoon had passed, and they hadn''t stopped anywhere. Michael saw the distant burnt houses, taverns, and windmills at the edge of the horizon multiple times, yet the wizard stayed away from any settlements. Once the darkness descended, they were more troubled by the hunger than the aches in their body. Yet Rufus kept going until the sun had gone down and the horses were exhausted. Rufus kindled a fire close by and took out food from his bags. He handed out small necklaces from the luggage to the four of them. ¡°Amulet¡¯s magic is now ready to work,¡± - he informed the youngsters. After seeing their troubled expressions, he added that the purpose of this was to hide their presence. Roasted ham was delectable and Michael got parched, so he went to the nearby stream. The spring had a coldness that made it delightful to drink. Angela was examining the crossbow they had presented her. Lucius sat pensively next to the fire that was slowly burning out. Rufus went away while Uriel and Michael were having a fencing match. Uriel was unrivaled in skill, but Michael was making progress as well. His swings were precise and swift, his deception was convincing, and he blocked his adversary''s blade as usual, even though Blondy was his rival... Michael, with a broken nose, but neat and clean, soon joined his friends by the campfire. ¡°Is Werthgold far away?¡± - he asked while sitting down. ¡°The nearest to the eastern border of Al-Moravid is Werthgold,¡± said the Blondy. ¡°It¡¯s far enough¡± - added Angela, when seeing Michael¡¯s confused face. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Why are we going to Werthgold?¡± - Lucius asked this time. The dark beasts have not attacked the eastern corner of the land, and Werthgold is a doorway to the Yellow Sea. ¡°Is there an exit route for the Yellow Sea to the ocean?¡± Angela asked. ¡°True, although you can reach the cities of the Samaratian Empire, for example, Aleman, and from there, there is already a road to the ocean,¡± Uriel finished explaining. Samaratia... the royal throne... Michael remembered the lessons of the shelter, even though he only remembered that Al-Moravid was a vassal of Samaratia, yet he did not know what type of empire Samaratia was or what its cities were named. ¡°Let''s get a move on!¡± - Rufus, dressed in plain clothes, stood up in such a way that they can not even hear him. ¡°So fast?¡± Angela exclaimed in surprise. ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste,¡± Rufus replied curtly, but was stopped by Uriel¡¯s questions as he turned to the horses. ¡°What''s the rush? What have you been doing all this time?¡± ¡°You weren''t hidden before giving the necklaces, and the vessel could discover you. It is aware of our having stopped here before. Vittorio split the false trail in many directions, and the vessel can''t distinguish which is the real four. Just Vittorio and I know about this plan and our destination, so even if others get caught, the vessel won''t learn anything. To determine the power of the necklaces, I kept the necessary distance. Now it¡¯s time to overtake those who left here and hope that the vassal doesn¡¯t choose us and come hunting himself.¡± - finished the wizard. The field illuminated by the moonlight no longer looked green as those going with the downpour trampled the grass under their palms and the wind blew on their faces. As the horse neighed, Michael noticed red dots between the trees. ¡°They still found us...¡± ¡°Speed up the horses!¡± Rufus yelled, and soon they dashed towards the open fields. With each glance, Michael observed the figures of the deceased, their red eyes glimmering from a distance, and with each view, they seemed to be farther and farther away. The speed of the finest horses picked in Mondelay was greater than the chasing party could manage and... He was thankful to whoever had given them the horses that allowed them to surpass the others. ¡°Let''s head up the hill!¡± Rufus shouted and nudged the horse to climb the slope. The hill turned out to be not so small, and for a few minutes, the horses ran uphill. When they reached the peak of the hill, the wizard commanded, ¡°Let¡¯s halt!¡± Michael was so surprised by the order that it didn¡¯t even occur to him to do it himself if the horse hadn¡¯t stopped. Rufus, already demoted, handed the bridle to Uriel. Keep an eye on the horses to make sure they don''t flee. ¡°Had we continued, would we have been able to pass them?¡± Uriel shouted. ¡°The red-eyed ones have spotted us, and the vessel is already aware of our location. If we don¡¯t kill them, they will follow us and the vessel will find us and the speed of the horses will not save us. There are four of them. I can feel their presence!¡± - called the wizard and turned away from the riders. The wind made the grass dance like silver ripples from high up, and against its backdrop, three doublets of red spots were easily visible coming closer. Rufus sprinted downhill, and right before he reached his adversaries, he jumped and twirled in the air. While in the air, the bright wave made the red-eyed creatures rock back and forth. A bright green color flashed three times, and a bolt of lightning spread in three directions. One remained on the ground, and the two others rushed to the wizard with their swords in hand. The lingering Rufus seemed to tumble on the grass just as two swords came down towards his head and because of this tumble, the swords cut into the ground instead of flesh... Fire blazed and lightning flashed, swords clanging together¡­ In the end, Rufus emerged victorious, though his body had been marked with wounds from the battle. ¡°Where is the fourth one?!¡± - he shouted when he got to the top of the hill. The horses neighed, and a red-eyed figure leaped out of the trees on the right side of the hill, but not in human form... The massive bear was running incredibly quickly and Rufus was utterly shocked, unable to move for a moment. Fortunately, he recovered in time and could fend off the attack with his hand. The spell, enough to stop the red-eyed human, was ineffective against the bear, who still ran. The raging beast leaped towards Rufus and swept the wizard away with a single swipe of its paw. At that point, a crossbow shot rang out from the horse on the hillside. The animal gave a growl, but then unexpectedly settled down and returned to Rufus. Uriel managed to get his horse toward the bear, and before the beast could hit Rufus with a paw, he plunged his sword into its back, leaning down from the saddle and with some exertion, he grabbed the wizard, though he could not remain on the horse, and pulled him from the ground and away from the creature. ¡°Lucius, Michael!!¡± - Blondy grunted, and both friends turned their horses towards him with drawn swords. Marcus had enchanted all of their weapons to fight the Red-Eyes, though how long it would last against a creature of such size, no one could tell. The bear was incredibly agile and soon reached Uriel, who shifted his horse to be in the space between the bear and Rufus. He then jumped out of the saddle. Predator claw killed the horse instantly. And just as the bear was about to blow off Rufus¡¯ head too, Lucius plunged his sword into the predator¡¯s back. The animal stood on two legs and growled. Just then, the arrow shot by Angela hit him in the heart, but it didn¡¯t kill him. ¡°Lucius, give me the sword and take Rufus!¡± Uriel shouted. Lucius dropped his sword, turned his horse around, and, leaning slightly from the saddle, took Rufus¡¯s hand through his clothes. Blondy¡¯s lessons did not include fighting on horseback, but proper sword thrusting came in handy here, too. The rider''s swing connected powerfully with the standing bear, and it went in so deeply that Michael left it as is. ¡°Michael, give me the horse!¡± - Uriel should have already taken Lucius¡¯ sword. Michael barely dismounted when the Blondy was already in the saddle and was driving his horse toward the bear. The prey was getting closer and closer to its target as the horse, already tired from the entire day''s labor, had two riders on its back. ¡°Move in a circle, Lucius!¡± - shouted Uriel. Lucius did so. The Blondy cut his way and, leaning slightly from the saddle, left a long streak on the bear¡¯s back. The moonlight guided Michael in his search for the sword as it glowed on the ground. He took the sword and ran towards Angela at full speed. The girl was already pushing the horse towards him. It was difficult for Michael to sit on a horse, but now, somehow, he did it on the first try. ¡°Angela, shoot arrows in the legs, but only when we attack it!¡± - shouted the Blondy. Then he called out to Lucius as well, - ¡°Lucius on the circle!¡± The predator still had Uriel¡¯s sword and Michael¡¯s yatagan in its body. It looked like a giant hedgehog because of the arrows thrown, and blood was flowing from the wounds. Despite this, the beast didn''t die, and it kept on rampaging. But Uriel¡¯s plan worked as it couldn¡¯t run as fast because they shot the legs with arrows. ¡°Push it to the fire, Lucius!¡± - Uriel pointed to the place where the wizard had burned the red-eyed man¡¯s body. The wind blew the fire, and soon a large area was engulfed in flames. Blondy sprinted towards the trees and snipped three long branches, tossed them to Michael and Angela, and ordered them to sharpen the branches. The branches caught fire easily, especially the fur, when the pointed branches found themselves in the bear¡¯s body. Chapter XXVIII Chapter XXVIII They laid the unconscious wizard on top of the hill. ¡°I can¡¯t believe a man with such serious wounds is still breathing,¡± whispered Angela. The claws left terrible marks on the dying man¡¯s chest. ¡°We have no time to relax now. Rufus'' steed escaped, while mine has been cut in half. We could not make it with just three horses, so I have to track down the runaway. It won''t be too distant. Wait here, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Uriel sat on Angela¡¯s horse and hooted. With Lucius holding the reins, Michael and Angela sat on the ground next to Rufus as the wizard awoke. ¡°I can¡¯t survive. You must rush away. The vessel is aware of your presence, but if you depart now, he won''t be able to detect you, and the necklaces will provide a veil of concealment. Don¡¯t think of them as simple things... You must make your way to Aleman, Vittorio will find you there. If not, follow the map. It¡¯s in my pocket.¡± Rufus said a few more words before falling silent forever, but Michael couldn¡¯t make them out. Shortly after the wizard¡¯s death, Uriel returned and brought a horse. Angela told her everything and handed over the map she found in his pocket, which the Blondy looked at once and then kept in his pocket. ¡°We have to go. We have little time. The horses are tired, but we still need to get out of here before those scumbags find us. Let¡¯s collect our weapons and run, but first, we have to burn Rufus. We can¡¯t risk him getting marked...¡± After the wizard¡¯s corpse was set on fire, the riders left the place. Uriel saw the tracks of a small army, and they followed it, to confuse the pursuers. In the afternoon, it started raining, and they took shelter in the trees, had breakfast without lighting the fire, and rested the horses. As soon as the rain stopped, they set out on the road. If Rufus stayed away from any human encounters, Uriel would look for the horsemen¡¯s tracks and follow them to keep any chasers off their trail. Blondy often deviated from the map, though they always managed to get back on track. They hardly stopped. If they came down only to rest the horses a little, for a short time. It rained a lot. After the rain, their clothes dried up, sticking to them. They diminished their food supply. Even if they conserved it, they would only have a few days¡¯ worth of supplies. Uriel educated his companions on the road and showed them the symbols that could decide their path. It could be the moss on the trees or the stars in the night sky. They learned Rufus'' map by heart, in case of loss or damage of the paper. They did not enter burnt villages and settlements; they moved carefully. As Uriel used to say: - ¡°In such places, bandits will live.¡± - They did not enter any settlement to find food, they watched from a distance as much as possible. Angela was not inferior to Uriel in horse riding. Lucius and Michael were newbies. A couple of days after the wizard passed away, when they had put some distance between themselves and the battleground, Blondy started up his fencing lessons again. They now possess a considerable number of weapons from Mondelay, the sword of Rufus making up one of them, equaling five swords altogether. Not to mention, two daggers, eight knives, and two crossbows with eighteen arrows were present. Angela was the best at throwing a knife, which was added to her training besides using a sword. Michael was very curious about where a tavern-dancing girl from Mondelay had learned to ride horses and shoot arrows, but he waited until Angela mentioned it to him one evening. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Tired from training, they sat at the foot of the tree and shared the leftovers of their last meal. ¡°I come from the Shabay tribe. I learned to ride a horse when I was very young,¡± Angela said, as Lucius praised her for riding. ¡°The Prairies of the Empire,¡± the Blondy spoke, and Angela silently nodded. ¡°My father was a tribal leader and when the Samaritans attacked us. He was one of the first to fall fighting with them. Then they sold me as a slave.¡± ¡°I became a dancer later. I worked in different cities for my master, while in Mondelay...¡± Angela''s tale got the group talking, and they all started to share their stories. Uriel remembered his childhood and told stories about his brother when he returned from captivity in the kingdom of Samaratia. ¡°My brother''s name is Nehirah Arch de Ludgar, but those in his inner circle called him El-Shahd. At an early age, they brought him to the imperial court to ensure Al-Moravid''s faithfulness. He was raised in Royal Throne, the capital of Samaratia. They gave the city this name because, as the legend goes, four kings ascended the throne at the same time there.¡± ¡°Nehirah was an Al-Moravid prince and heir to Ryan Arch de Ludgar, but my uncle was against his enthronement because he believed a boy raised in Samaratia would be a slave to the emperor if he ascended the throne, and Al-Moravid would never be free. So I was being raised as a future heir...¡± ¡°I''ve been fortunate enough to have the best masters teaching me martial arts since I was a kid. My uncle was the one who taught me about the politics of the royal court, and I would often be present when he talked to generals and nobles. As a ten-year-old, I could go head-to-head with people four or five years older than me and sometimes I would even come out victorious...¡± - the Blondy was lost in his own thoughts, as Michael¡¯s question eventually jolted him back to reality: ¡°Then?¡± ¡°Then my brother arrived,¡± - Uriel said with a strange smile. ¡°You should have seen my uncle¡¯s reaction when he saw him at the border.¡± He had painted his eyes pitch black in the imperial style, plaited his long, cascading hair, and wrapped a silk sash around his head, if you didn''t look closely, you could mistake him for an imperial princess not a warrior prince from Al-Moravid. He sat on his horse with a slight slouch, relaxed and inconceivably different from my uncle¡¯s knights. The one-handed sword hung too loosely from the belt and looked more like a piece of jewelry than a combat weapon. He didn¡¯t look like a soldier, though his lean muscles were visible in his imperial-style clothes, which he wore a little loose. ¡°Nehirah smiled at us with a glowing green gaze and a gleaming white smile when he arrived. He spoke in a soft voice with an imperial accent and introduced his attendants to us with great politeness. He had a one-eyed, swarthy man, an old man with long gray hair and a long beard, a bald young lad, and a young woman with beautiful long hair. My uncle and the other lords, as etiquette demanded, shook hands with all four as equals, although it eventually became clear that the first two were criminals granted amnesty at the banquet, the third a liberated slave, and the fourth a woman encountered on the road, a harlot brought to delight Nehirah. My uncle was furious when he realized who he''d just treated as an equal.¡± - Laughter mixed with Uriel¡¯s narration. The official Samaratian delegation eventually caught up with us, and my uncle had to justify why he had not waited for them, since he mistakenly assumed adulterers, slaves, and criminals were the official representatives of the Imperial Throne. When my enraged uncle looked for my brother, he found him in his own tent, half-naked, with this woman and another man. The guards did not dare to stop him... I thought he would have killed my brother on the spot when he pulled the skirt of the tent, but I only saw a man emaciated with anger and an elated ambassador... Mikhail thought the Blondy would continue the story, but time passed in silence without Uriel saying a word. ¡°Tomorrow we must hunt, or we will run out of food,¡± said the Blondy after a long time. ¡°On what?¡± Lucius asked. ¡°Probably on deer, though the crossbows are small and won¡¯t kill anything at long range, so we¡¯ll have a bit of a hard time hunting anything,¡± said the Blondy. After a long day of riding and practicing, they quickly drifted off to sleep, leaving only Michael to keep watch. They were deep in the forest, and the thick foliage almost completely blocked out the sky, but one could still make out how cloudless and vast it was. Michael still found solace in being here, despite everything. The rustle of the leaves blended with the rhythmic breathing was oddly calming to his ears. He thought almost carelessly about the past and the future. He was unsure of what would happen next if they would reach their desired location, and what they would discover when they did... Chapter XXIX Uriel deftly carved the freshly skinned, crimson-hued meat into delicate pieces, while Angela and Michael expertly impaled them onto hazelnut skewers. Nearby, Lucius tended to the fire, gathering wood and feeding fire. The relentless pursuit of the day had paid off, ensuring they would not go hungry for the next two days. Angela looked blankly at the glowing ashes. Twirling the skewers, Lucius enjoyed the delicious aroma wafting into his nostrils. Uriel readied the leftover meat for storage. "Where''d you score the meat, brats?¡± - they heard a rough voice, out of nowhere. A man with a gap-toothed smile and broad shoulders appeared from the tree shadows. Resting his right hand on the sword hilt. He walked carefully and stealthily, much like a hunter. Michael¡¯s eyes landed on the weapons heaped under the tree. ¡°Don¡¯t even consider it!¡± He heard a warning with a hoarse laugh. An archer was standing next to the tree, pulling a long bow. A bald figure holding an axe stood next to him, while a massive man with a crossbow stood a little further away. ¡°We caught two rabbits, didn¡¯t we, Yang? What do you say?¡± - The toothless one laughed hoarsely again and stood nearby. "Hey, Riley, Ralph," the gap-toothed figure rasped, and out of nowhere, two figures popped up. The archer stood about twenty paces away, arrow in hand, while the axeman and crossbowman approached the bonfire. Uriel caught Michael¡¯s glance and discreetly hid his hand in the sliced meat, observing Lucius tending to the skewers. ¡°Well, little birds...¡± grinned the toothless man, revealing his lack of teeth. His words sparked a shared resolve within the quartet. In a coordinated effort, they sprang into action. Following the setting sun¡¯s beam, a dagger flew toward the archer like a graceful ray of steel. Lucius swiftly propelled a sturdy skewer at the crossbowman¡¯s face, and Angela¡¯s fiery branch sailed through the air, filling it with the scent of smoke. Michael hurried to the weapon stash, stumbled on his way but still managed to grab two swords. ¡°Michael!¡± - He heard the Blondy¡¯s scream and promptly threw his sword with immense force as he spotted the axeman trailing him. Then Michael intervened between Angela and the toothless to allow her to flee. The crossbowman fiercely growled and choked Lucius as he wrapped his arms around his throat. Uriel sprinted towards the axeman, but then unexpectedly turned and jumped towards the crossbowman. ¡°I will kill you all here, you mongrels!¡± - growled toothless and unleashed his sword. Blondy jumped over the fire and ran towards the spearman. The sword was almost knocked out of Michael¡¯s hand by the clash with the enemy¡¯s weapon. Because the enemy was bigger and had more strength, he decided not to meet the weapon directly and instead used his strength to redirect it, but the impact was too strong. Had he not moved to the side immediately, the steel blade would have sliced him. Adjusting his position, Michael skillfully parried the attack, feeling the impact reverberate through his muscles. As he initiated his counterattack at a lower angle, the sword encountered a formidable barrier of chain mail. By using diagonal cuts, stepping, feints, and strikes, he prevented his opponent from catching their breath. With one forceful blow from a heavy boot, Michael''s dreams were crushed, sending him soaring almost two meters into the air. Despite the pain, he got up to his knee and patiently awaited his opponent, who was doing the same. Just before the ultimate moment, he recalled the lessons taught by Blondy. He caught sight of the sword in the air and heard a hiss when he jumped with a dive and swung the sword while lying down... He couldn¡¯t be able to catch up with the wounded leg, thought Michael as he dashed towards the spearman. The crossbowman had Angela¡¯s arrow stuck in his throat. Uriel danced between an axe and a swordsman. Lucius, with two spears, retreated to the face of the spearman. The fencing exercises with Blondy played a crucial role in helping him avoid the initial hit. He clashed the sword against the spear''s tip and lunged forward, but his opponent was no amateur either - swiftly stepping back and preventing Michael from closing in. The weapon moving like a snake first pierced his arm and then passed dangerously close to his throat as he retreated. There was no point in trying to get closer. The opponent was too experienced in that... Michael wielded the sword held in both hands and waited in a defensive stance. The spear was as fast as a snake, but at the last second, Mikhail took his hand and cut the tree with one blow of his sword. The warrior¡¯s eyes widened with fear and his sword became red... The axeman, who had sneered at Uriel, crouched on his sword. The other was already dead with an arrow. Lucius was fighting a limping toothless... Angela''s arrow struck Toothless in his right leg, causing him to collapse onto his knees. He vigorously swung his sword, keeping Lucius at a distance. Angela had her crossbow ready, but she was in no rush to kill the kneeling man. The Blondy approached them with firm steps. He evaded a kneeling swing, halted the second one with his sword, delivered a kick to his face, and swiftly threw him onto his back. He kicked the steel lying on the ground away from the owner. ¡°You are not kids, you are devils!¡± - grunted the toothless. ¡°Why''d you attack us?¡± - Blondy asked and then kicked Toothless in the ribs. ¡°Screw you!¡± - Toothless spit out some blood, but the scream stopped when the blonde stepped on the wound. Michael couldn''t tell if the pain made Toothless braver or something else, but he got up, all stiff, and shook his left hand at the blondy. Blood was coming out of the hand that got sliced, and the guy was bawling. ¡°What did you want from us, huh?¡± - continued Blondy violently. "We, uh, hunt people and, like, sell them as slaves..." hopeless toothless replied. Uriel cleaned the bloodied sword on the toothless body. ¡°We have to leave soon.¡± There they found only dead people and burning huts in the place. "We need to find out where those people were taken," Blondy''s voice seethed with anger. In complete silence, they unanimously agreed and began following the trail of the small army. Uriel was leading them, his eyes scanning the road with heightened vigilance. The horsemen would have scouts and they better not be seen by the pursuers. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.At dawn, they were already close enough to the army. They had a camp spread out on the river bank and they had hundreds of shackled prisoners. ¡°Where are they taking so many people?¡± Angela asked in a whisper. ¡°They are going to the old fort,¡± said Uriel. ¡°It¡¯s a small town, a former fort,¡± he added after a while. ¡°What can we do?¡± - Lucius was interested. ¡°Probably nothing, but maybe some opportunity will appear,¡± hidden emotion was felt in Blondy¡¯s words. The opportunity didn''t arise... They even came too close to the prisoners. Nevertheless, their minds remained blank, and as they pledged to retreat, the horsemen stood in their way. "We shouldn''t have gotten this close," Blondy muttered, her voice filled with unease. ¡°There¡¯s no point,¡± he added as Michael gripped the hilt of his sword. There were many of them: horsemen, infantry... The four were tied with a rope, as there were no shackles in the camp. They surrendered their weapons and horses without resistance, receiving only a couple of kicks. The bandits gathered the prisoners from various villages and headed towards the old fort on foot. Of course, accompanied by the guards. Running away was pointless. Regardless, they would still be caught. They would have a chance of survival if they sneaked away at night, preferably with horses. They covertly scouted the area, evaluated their abilities, and shared their findings. Since the first night, they were aware of the weapon''s location and the horse care routine. Uriel taught them how to untie the ropes, but they remained unsure of how to escape. They seldom spoke to other prisoners to avoid being speared in the stomach. Four hundred horsemen and one hundred infantry archers were escorting over two hundred people to a nearby city, their mission unknown. ¡°Where or to whom are the captives sold?¡± - asked Lucius. Slavery did not exist in Al-Moravid until now, nor was it acceptable in neighboring kingdoms, except, of course, the Samaratian Empire, which had an entire army of slaves. ¡°How are they going to bring so many people from here to Samaratia?¡± Angela whispered. The guards were far from them and they could talk almost freely. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet whether they will take him to the empire,¡± said Blondy, and at that moment, the whip cracked on his back. They walked without talking for the next few hours. Michael''s legs hurt, but the rest of the prisoners fared worse. They were untrained young people who had recently lost loved ones and had to walk in shackles. Michael''s desire to help them turned into anger at his weakness. They reached the old fort after crossing the elevated slope and walking for an hour. Trees were cut down for half a mile around it. The city was larger than it initially appeared, with a collapsed fortress and half-burnt settlement. Due to the narrow gate, prisoners and guards entered the settlement in a row. The structures inside the enclosure easily identified the slave camp. People were divided into two parts here - soldiers and future slaves. Relatively high-ranking officers owned houses, while others pitched tents or lived in barracks. The captives gathered in one part of the city and slept on the ground. The soldiers at the old fort outnumbered the new captives. Michael realized resistance was pointless and escaping was impossible. Michael and the others were sent to the slave camp together. The officers inspected the newcomers as they passed by. Officers wore full armor, but no helmets (tucked under their armpits). A person with goose wings recognized one of them. ¡°Sir Renly,¡± he nodded in greeting. Renly walked past the captives without acknowledging the greeting and approached Angela. ¡°Take this girl to my tent. She''ll be of use tonight!¡± He ordered his men and turned to leave. But stopped when Michael screamed and fought back. The guard intervened and threw him down. He glanced at the fallen man, hesitated to speak, then ultimately departed. Michael was stopped by Lucius: - ¡°There is no point. They will kill you and you won¡¯t be able to help Angela, either. I have a plan.¡± - The words spoken in a low voice cut him off and Michael calmed down. Uriel caught his eye watching the soldiers escorting Angela before they reached Ser Renly¡¯s tent and took the girl in. Michael stood up with the help of Lucius and walked towards Blondy. The prisoners in the old fort had more freedom, so Michael, Uriel, and Lucius didn''t need to discuss the plan, which Lucius explained by removing the necklace. The weapons cart was left untouched in a conspicuous spot. They planned to arm themselves once the guests arrived. Then Lucius had to find horses, and Michael and Uriel... The sun was about to set when the first noise was heard, and Lucius put on his necklace. Archers were shouting on the fence, then... Some soldiers and guards chased, while others raised the alarm, but the boys ignored them. The fugitives navigated between buildings and tents. Uriel quickly covered the distance and jumped on the cart. Michael caught the spinning yatagan before it fell. He managed to stop before reaching the cart and turned to face the pursuers... ¡±Why do you kidnap people?¡± - Uriel¡¯s question echoed in the tent. Michael freed Angela¡¯s hands. ¡°Al Moravid is desolate, it is divided into parts. We need gold to restore this place as a kingdom, so we sell the captives to the Samaratians.¡± - Renly spoke, his mouth bleeding. ¡°How do you take prisoners to Samaratia?¡± ¡°We sail on Graywater in ships, to Merevin,¡± - immediately after uttering these words, the knight ended his life. ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± Angela asked as Uriel threw his sword away and ran away. Without going outside, the blonde looked out of the tent. ¡°The red-eyed ones are looking for us, but they don¡¯t know exactly where we are¡± - she covered her skirt immediately. ¡°Lucius should bring our horses, they are used to it, and he won¡¯t be able to catch others...¡± Uriel jumped on the overturned cart and pushed it along the barracks. Many people running hindered the red-eyed ones from capturing or circling the four. Armored knights couldn''t defeat the fallen. The archers were unable to act due to the inability to differentiate moving figures in the crowded mass. The people who collided with the horses fell here and there and were trampled, but the four relentlessly pushed the horses. ¡°Here!¡± - screamed the blondy and ran between the tents. He caught sight of several red-eye spearmen and aimed his sword, but a crossbow arrow ricocheted and shot one of them down in mid-air. ¡°Come on, Angela¡± - shouted Uriel and changed direction again. One of the knights swung an ax at the blondy, but he evaded. He leaned in his saddle and ran his sword through the unhelmeted man. ¡°To the stairs!¡± - Blondy pushed the horse towards the steps of the fence. The horses galloped with remarkable speed, effortlessly leaving the pursuers behind in the open space. Despite this, Michael couldn''t shake Rufus''s words from his mind, and he didn''t view this growing distance as a significant triumph. ¡°Where are we going?¡± - asked Lucius. ¡°Towards Merevin, maybe somehow we can escape the vessel by the ship.¡± Chapter XXX They trudged through the mountainous forest on rugged, nearly impassable paths for what felt like an eternity. The town of Merevin finally came into view, sprawled across the hillside. Behind it, the wide expanse of the Graywater River shimmered in the moonlight, resembling a gigantic serpent winding its way around the hill. By the time they reached the gates, night had fully descended. Torches flickered across the town, casting an amber glow over the slope. The river mirrored the scattered lights, with small boats drifting lazily on its surface. At the edge of town, the four companions stumbled upon a slave market. Captives, bound and dejected, were being dragged in from all directions. Mounted archers patrolled the perimeter, herding people like livestock. Michael noticed Uriel clenching his fists, the rage in his eyes barely contained. The market buzzed with a lively mix of shouts and bargaining. Amidst the bustling market, merchants from Samaratia and Al-Moravydia bartered and assessed the ¡°merchandise¡±. It seemed that Merevin did not have a shortage of brothels and taverns, either. Uriel pushed his way through the throng, his companions following closely behind. ¡°We need to find a ship,¡± he said grimly. Their horses, held by the reins, followed obediently, while their hands stayed ready on their swords, prepared for trouble at any moment. The so-called harbor was smaller than the one in Mondelay, but it teemed with ships, most of them small and battered. Still, the activity here rivaled the busiest ports Michael had seen. ¡°While I search for a captain willing to take us, find a place to rest,¡± Uriel instructed, handing a small pouch of coins to Lucius and tossing his horse¡¯s reins to Michael. Angela glanced at the pouch with a smirk. ¡°When did he manage to swipe this?¡± she teased as she counted the gold. They picked the closest inn so Uriel could easily find it. Horses were taken care of too. They headed over to a table in the far corner and dug into the food that came a little late, satisfying their two days hunger. Michael was so tired, he plopped down in the chair and shut his eyes, but Angela¡¯s loud shout woke him up and he started looking around to stay awake. The inn was lively. Lamps cast flickering light across walls adorned with black wood and animal skins. The bar was busy, with mugs of frothy beer clinking together and a small, bearded innkeeper rushing to keep up with orders. Above the bar, massive buffalo horns hung as trophies, adding to the rustic charm. ¡°I¡¯ll have a mead,¡± Michael heard the blondy say, and the worn-out boy collapsed onto the chair and devoured the hot stew. ¡°Here¡¯s your drink, sir,¡± the waiter hurriedly brought it over, but Uriel was too busy eating, so Lucius grabbed a mug. Have you found someone?¡± - Angela asked when Uriel finished eating and took a sip. ¡°The Messenger of the Mermaid is the only ship leaving early tomorrow morning. The captain might help us, but I haven¡¯t been able to meet him yet. We can¡¯t afford to wait another day; staying here increases our risk of being discovered by the marked ones.¡± ¡°How big is the ship? Could we sneak aboard?¡± Angela asked again, her brow furrowing in thought. ¡°It¡¯s the largest ship in Merevin, but sneaking in won¡¯t be easy. It¡¯s packed with captives and contraband, heavily guarded. Still, we¡¯ll have to try. The guards might be open to bribery, but we¡¯ll need more money for that.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time to waste.¡± He stood abruptly and strode toward the door, Michael trailing behind, still sluggish from exhaustion. Angela took charge of the ¡°money-making¡± effort. Using her charm, she lured drunken patrons into dark alleys, where they were swiftly knocked unconscious and relieved of their valuables. After the third victim, Uriel decided they had enough gold to proceed with their plan. Uriel approached the Samaratian guards, negotiating their passage. In exchange for a hefty sum, the guards agreed to smuggle them aboard disguised as contraband. Four crates were prepared, and Uriel paid half the agreed amount upfront, promising the rest would be hidden in a tavern wall after their safe passage. Inside one of the cramped crates, Michael grumbled, ¡°I wish these boxes were bigger.¡± His head throbbed from a clumsy drop by the Samaratians, but exhaustion soon lulled him to sleep. ¡°Michael, wake up!¡± Angela¡¯s voice pulled him from his slumber. A faint light seeped through the crate¡¯s cracks, illuminating his cramped quarters. Moments later, the crate¡¯s wall was pried open, revealing Uriel and Angela. Outside, the cargo hold was stiflingly hot, sunlight filtering through small gaps in the wooden walls. The sounds of sailors shouting orders echoed faintly.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°What time is it?¡± - asked Michael in a low voice. ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be past noon, judging by how hot it is,¡± said Blondy. Michael¡¯s question broke the silence that had been going on for a while. ¡°What¡¯s the plan now?¡± Are we gonna try to free the prisoners?¡± ¡°This makes no sense! There are about twenty guards and sailors on the ship. We can¡¯t mess with it,¡± the Blondy answered, not like his usual self. The ship¡¯s about to arrive in Verthgold. The guards gotta unload those four boxes over there. I promised them extra pay for it. I told them they¡¯d be met at the port and given the gold, but all four boxes had to be in one piece. ¡°Alright, if we actually make it to Verthgold, what¡¯s the plan?¡°- Angela asked this time.¡± They took our map and stuff when they captured us, but I think we can still remember the way without it. Verthgold is our first stop, and Aleman might be next. ¡°Yes, but how does a ship full of contraband sail so freely on the Graywater, or dare to enter Verthgold?¡± Lucius doubted, his brow furrowed in concern. The eastern part of the country had remained untouched by attacks, and the power should still be in the hands of the governors. How could they allow this? ¡°I do not know,¡± Uriel replied, his voice tinged with uncertainty. ¡°That region is too close to Samaratia, and maybe they don¡¯t dare to detain the ships, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only thing.¡± ¡°Finally, anyway, what are we going to do?¡± Angela asked, her voice filled with frustration. ¡°We are constantly running, but why or where none of us understand. What should we do if we go to Aleman and we don¡¯t find wizards there? Can we cross the ocean? What does Regad¡¯s vessel want from us? Why is it following us? When did it decide to obsess over us? As I recall, the Red Eyes were just as eager to kill us as they were to all the other people in Mondelay. What had changed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a clue what has changed, but we are running to find out,¡± Lucius replied, his voice devoid of emotion. His deep eyes searched for answers. His sister bore a resemblance with the same intense gaze. ¡°Is Verthgold far away?¡± Michael finally asked, breaking the heavy silence that followed Lucius¡¯s words. ¡°Three or four days, in the best case...¡± Uriel answered, his voice laced with weariness. ¡°During this time, we will need food, which we will probably find in these sacks. There are also gallons full of water, but we must be cautious that no one doubts our existence. Mostly, we have to stay hidden in the boxes because we don¡¯t know who will come in and when.¡± The second night on the ship passed since they set sail, Michael was chewing on a piece of biscuit and pondering when their miserable journey would come to an end. They usually talked late at night, long after most sailors had gone to sleep, keeping their weapons close and sleeping in a way that allowed them to be ready for any surprises. They ate and drank very little to avoid leaving any evidence of their presence on the ship. Michael was waiting for one of his companions to signal that it was time to move. Despite the piece of biscuit, he was very hungry, and the need to urinate was bothering him so much that he could not bear it any longer. He lightly kicked the board and went to the far corner of the cabin to relieve himself. After he finished, he realized that he had left his sword in the box and when he tried to retrieve it, it was nowhere to be found. Lucius was also crawling from the box, perhaps having heard something. The door creaked open unexpectedly, and they heard indistinct voices. Michael froze on the spot. In the dimly lit cabin, illuminated solely by moonlight through cracks in the walls, Lucius¡¯s crouched figure was visible. The sound of footsteps approached. Michael recognized the guards of the ¡°Mermaid¡¯s Messenger¡±. They also noticed him and Lucius. It became clear that they too had not expected to see anyone in the half-dark cabin. Unlike them, Michael and Lucius¡¯ eyes were accustomed to the darkness. Michael was unsure of what the guards wanted in the warehouse. Typically, only contraband and ship supplies were kept there. It was possible that they were stealing or looking for food. Regardless, they witnessed something they were not supposed to see. Lucius swiftly plunged his knife into the throat of the first guard as soon as he opened his mouth to sound the alarm. In his attempt to flee, the second guard was halted by an arrow unleashed by Angela, causing him to collapse to the ground with an iron-tipped stick wedged firmly between his shoulders. Lastly, Blondy also crawled out of the box, sword drawn, but despite waiting for several minutes, no more sound reached their ears. ¡°What now?¡± Michael whispered, his voice tense. ¡°We can¡¯t just leave the bodies here,¡± Uriel said grimly. ¡°But dumping them overboard isn¡¯t an option either; the deck is crawling with guards.¡± Lucius¡¯s eyes lit up with an idea. ¡°I found some emerald grass in the cargo earlier. It¡¯s potent stuff. If we mix its juice into their water supply, it might knock them out long enough for us to escape.¡± Uriel nodded. ¡°It¡¯s risky, but it¡¯s our best shot.¡± Several hours had passed since they had been trampling the grass with their knives. The dead guards had been hidden in a far corner among the boxes. The blood had been wiped off. They had been dabbing Lucius¡¯s upper body with the juice that had come out of the grass and then straining it into barrels. Lucius had been choosing the dosage. There was a lot of grass, but they had to get it before morning, so they had to poison only four of the barrels closest to the door. According to Lucius, the dose should not be excessive, because it would take effect very quickly and others might realize that they were poisoning the water... It was a dubious plan, but they were not going to miss the opportunity. As soon as dawn came, they hid their activities, and those who had returned to the boxes began to wait. Nothing happened for about an hour. Then footsteps were heard on the stairs and the door opened with a crack. Several Samaritans entered. One of them said something angrily, the others answered and walked out with heavy steps. They didn¡¯t come out of the boxes for a while. Then they crept out one by one. Hours later, shouts erupted from the deck, followed by an eerie silence. When they finally dared to emerge, the sight was both horrifying and surreal: sailors and guards lay sprawled across the deck, their eyes glassy and limbs limp. ¡°What happened?¡± Angela asked, her voice trembling. Lucius held up a small jar. ¡°They must have used the poisoned water to make fish soup. The dose was stronger than we planned.¡± ¡°Are they dead?¡± Angela¡¯s voice quivered with fear. ¡°No, just incapacitated,¡± Lucius replied, though uncertainty lingered in his tone. ¡°If someone did not eat the soup and is still sober, we must find them,¡± - Uriel brandished his sword and went down the stairs.