The Mist and the Lightning. Part 14

And Tol noticed the scars on Lis’ thigh:

“Hey bro, what is it? What happened to you?”

“Never mind,” said Lis.

But Tol continued to stare at three even, maroon stripes:

“But how? Where did you get in again, sly beast?”

“Tol, tell me better, how did you find us? You are whom I didn’t expect to see here!”

“You sent me a letter!”

“Have you started to read letters?”

“Yeah,” Tol grinned contentedly, not noticing Lis’ trick and forgetting the previous topic of conversation about his scars.

“We arrived at the Prince’s Estate,” Tol smiled slyly and looked like a contented cat, “but you were no longer there. There was no one there at all! And we decided to go after you. We followed in your footsteps.”

“But why so long!” Lis couldn’t resist.

“Why? We got lost! Lost a lot, buddy. At first we walked right up to the crossing. There your footbridge remained and everything that you did there. The carts left deep ruts… there were remnants of fire pit. It was easy to go. But after the crossing, the weather turned bad, fuck it! It rained for several days. And the river overflowed, and everything in the area was washed away, it became a continuous mess. It was not clear where to go. We went to the wrong field. Then we realized that we were going in the wrong direction and returned to the crossing. We couldn’t understand where to go. The land was large, fields and hills, even if you walk along it for a week, you will not find the right road. And there is no one to ask.”

“Oh, Gods, Tol! And the map?”

“Which map?”

“Maybe you should have looked for maps of the area in the Estate?”

“What for? Did you draw where you went?”

“Okay… How did you find us?”

Tol made a conspiratorial look:

“And, brother, death helped us three times.”

“What?!”

“We accidentally stumbled upon a corpse. We got desperate and that was it… it was Dick Coal. He kept thinking and thinking. He recalled his childhood in these parts. How the reds attacked, how they burned down his house. How he saved Lila, and he almost burned out himself. He noticed a crow. And he said: “Since the crows fly there, there is something there.” We went there and saw a grave dug by animals. Not deep. And there was a dead man. Slave. The collar was tight on his neck, the skin was swollen around, it was horrible. And he himself was thin as a skeleton. We realized that he died of hunger, apparently, you dug him in. You know how happy we were! We found the right trail! We found our way. So they began to search the ground, and after a couple of days we found a new dead man, it was a red. You captured the red, we decided so. He still had some crap on his face. Broken. Dick said these were glasses, he saw, they red ones wear it from blindness. When they don’t see, but clothe, they begin to see through this glass. We were even more delighted when this blind man was found. At this point we completely understood that we were on the right track. And for sure! We passed the blind man, and there was a third, a girl. Beautiful. Only badly beaten, broken bones, they scoffed at her great, it seems. And her hair was cut off to her shoulders, and you know what her hair was?! I've never seen this! Pink like flowers! She was just lying in the ditch. Why did you kill her?”

“This was a slave of the unclean,” said Lis, he sat in thought, his head bowed.

“That's how we found you in three deaths, Al! Well, what about you? So what about your leg? What are these scars from? Who hurt you like that?”

Lis looked at the three scars on his thigh:

“I cut myself by accident. Tol, this is all nonsense. Irrelevant! The main thing is you found us! And we won!”

“Yes!”

“Now I'm sure we will capture Ore too! Do you need diamonds, Tol?”

“Nope…”

“Hey? What are you saying, dear!” Lila interrupted him indignantly. “We need them! We will build a Theater! Big, luxurious Theater! On Asa Street!”

Tol’s face darkened:

“I pity Asa, but I have forgiven you long, long ago, my friend.”

“Sorry,” said Lis, “I didn't mean to. But she provoked me.”

“Yes, she was a bad woman, but when her wish was fulfilled, and Borgan forced me to marry her for a gambling debt, she completely lost her head.”

“Have you forgiven me?”

“Yes, brother.”

And Karina's head suddenly came up with a distinct picture:

The prince's estate, and Nikto asks Karina to comb him.

“Will you comb me? Ver doesn't know how to braid all those kinds of braids.”

“Do you like them?”

“Well, they get tangled less and you don't need to comb it for a long time.”

“Ah.”

“And I will thank you.”

“How?”

“Do you want me to fuck you?”

“No, thanks. Let's do without gratitude.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want it.”

“You want it.”

“Why do you think so? I love Lis.”

“So what?”

“I want to marry him!”

“All girls are different, but they always want the same thing! You are already the third in my memory.”

“Are you talking about Dony? And who else?”

“Never mind. I have understood you.”

“All girls are different, but they dream about the same thing. You are already the third in my memory.” Here it is! First was Asa! First was Asa! She married Tol, who, unfortunately, lost at cards, her wish was fulfilled, but she was not happy for long. By an absurd accident due to a silly quarrel, Lis killed her. And the second, second was Nikto’s girlfriend, Dony. Dony, of course Dony, because she also married some rich landowner by the sea.

Father ordered Karina to go to Dony, literally forced her, Karina remembered how she didn’t want to do this then, to find out who had hit Dony on the head, she didn’t give a shit. Now, she already knew that her beloved and best husband did it. She didn't give a damn about it then, and even more so now.

Dony, in a hurry, is packing up her things, her fiancé should come for her at any minute.

“Maybe you should, nevertheless, return to your female destiny, Karina, it seems to me that what you are doing doesn’t suit you at all. Before it's too late! Love someone in the end, and stop shaming!”

And Dony nervously knocks a puff with powder on her face and looks at Karina with open contempt.

“Lila!”

“Yes?”

“Why don’t you want to build your own theater? You don't play at Dony’s Theater anymore.”

“No,” Lila shook her head, “and there is no Theater.”

“How is Dony doing? She got married and abandoned her theater? Yes?”

Lila’s face stretched out, she turned pale, and Karina froze, feeling bad.

“You don’t know?” Lila asked.

“No.”

“They said lady Dony died in childbirth. I don't know the details…”

Karina felt cold inside: “You are the third in my memory, and everyone wants the same thing.” And they die! It wasn't long after that conversation with Nikto at the Estate, and Karina married Lis. She is the third! No!

The cell in the prison dungeon, and Nikto sits in front of Karina on the dirty straw, chained to the wall.

.“Yes. Yes! It's my fault that he became so evil!”

“You’d better have killed him then?”

“No, no, no!”

“Then what do you want?”

“You ask as if you were fulfilling wishes!”

“But what if it so? You know how the unclean say: “Do not want much, otherwise you won’t have enoughstrength to pay!”

“And people say: “Be careful in your desires, because they can be fulfilled!”

“Right!”

“But my desire was to become a queen! Gods! I married Lis, but I wanted to be queen! I'm not the queen yet. So I will live on!”

“Karina, you will help me to deal with your water supply,” Lila interrupted her thoughts, “I want to do ablution.”

“Lila, wash your pussy,” Tol laughed.

Karina got up and led Lila into the bathroom, her thoughts were now far from here, inside was shaking from the patterns that had opened to her, and Karina was scared. “Lis will kill me, he will kill me sooner or later. Nik asked him to file his teeth again, he will bite my neck like he did then!” Karina involuntarily grabbed the scars on her neck with her hand.

“Karina,” Lila stood next to her and gently and gently pulled her forearm, “Karina?”

“Here you twist, and water will flow. But now there is only cold water.”

“Yes, wait…”

Lila began to rummage in her small, beaded purse, handed Karina a small faceted bottle of dark green glass:

“Here. Take it.”

“What is it? Perfume?”

“No,” and Lila looked seriously at Karina, “it's a sleeping remedy. Very good… tasteless and odorless. When Tol gets very drunk and starts to brawl, he cannot be laid down. A couple of drops of this remedy and he falls asleep calmly.”

“Thank you,” said Karina and took the bottle.

Half an hour later, she poured at least a third of the bottle into a jug of wine. Lis, Lila and Tol, in picturesque poses, passed out on the bed.

Barefoot, in a dress on a naked body, covered with a cape for disguise, Karina ran along the dark corridors of the tower to the left side of the Fort, where the unclean were. Where Nija was.

She was very drunk, and this state gave her courage and swept aside all sound thoughts and fears. She had a poor idea of the further development of events and didn’t think about it. Karina wanted to see him, nothing else mattered. And yet she was very frightened and even screamed, sobering up for a minute, when from around the corner and the unlit hole of the arch someone bumped into her, grabbing and pressing her against the wall.

“Hush, it's me,” said Nija, and they threw themselves into each other's arms, kissing greedily, as if trying to make up for the lost time during all these days of separation. For a long time they couldn’t break the kiss, Karina hugged him and stroked him, clung to his long dreadlocks with her fingers. Finally Nija easily grabbed her in his arms, she grabbed his neck, hugging. Nija brought her to his room and sat her on the bed. Candles were burning there, and in the lighted room, they finally looked at each other. He was still the same handsome, charming, with such a charming smile. He looked at her with slyness and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

But he didn’t immediately knock her down on the bed, but he was looking at her, as if he couldn’t believe that this had happened, and she was there, in his room. A slave came to them, bowing, put on the table in front of Karina a plate with unclean sweets and a jug of wine. Karina noticed that the red-haired girl looked at her dress very carefully and clearly recognized it. Karina didn’t care, she didn’t understand what was happening. She took the candy in confusion. “Why doesn't he continue? Risking everything, did I come here to eat chocolates?” Karina sober up, and the courage left her: “We need to return. It was a stupid idea.” But as soon as she wanted to get up, Nija, as if having caught her thoughts, pounced on her, grabbed her and threw her onto the bed. He was very strong, they started kissing again, Karina felt demonic energy emanating from him, almost the same as coming from Nikto. Nija undressed her and, seeing the body, froze. His face changed, Karina was frightened by the way he clenched his teeth and fists, he literally shook. She grabbed him by the neck with both hands, drawing him to her again, throwing him over herself, not giving him any more opportunity to look. He gave in without saying anything and they continued.

“It’s time for me to leave.”

“I'll show you.”

“No. What are you saying! I remember the way.”

They couldn’t stop kissing, but Karina pulled herself away from him with an effort of will and ran back. Returning to her room, she was relieved to see that Lis, Tol and Lila were still sleeping peacefully on their bed. Karina lay down next to Lis, hugged him with all her love, burying her face in his slightly curly hair. In her crotch, she still felt the jolts: one, two, three, as if her heart were beating there.

“I followed her,” Zanmar said. “She reached the room, and everyone is asleep there.”

“I love her,” Nija said.

“You are at great risk.”

“She has “heard” me.”

“I'm not surprised,” Zanmar replied, “because she is a slave to the White Lord and is used to us.”

Nija looked at his friend very seriously:

“I’ll steal her and take her to our world,” and he, in an unconscious gesture, rubbed his cheekbone, which had been branded earlier.

16

Destruction

Great misfortunes are preceded by signs and omens that we try not to notice. It is better to give up the dilapidated house before it collapses completely. Castles in the air are destroyed at the first wind.

Kors returned to his room. Even here, at the top of the tower, the noise of the celebration was heard.

Nobody called him.

Nobody came to him.

And what should he do?

Kors felt completely alone, and with some bitterness, he felt deceived and left in a stupid position. He was deprived of support and abandoned.

Where the hell is Nikto?

He doesn’t come for him and doesn’t call him.

He doesn't need him!

He is tired of it. He played with Kors, turned him inside out and threw him away.

“I opened up to him, believed him, but he… He forgot about me! He didn’t give a shit. Probably he is getting stoned (as Alis says) now with his Arel and doesn’t even think what it is like for me!”

And Kors was left alone.

Previously, he would happily go to his friends, feeling the unity with them, the strength of their team, but now how could he go? Who would accept him? With a gray face, pitiful, humiliated, asking them to take him back, and still feeling their condescension?

And Kamiel Varah was his friend, they have been friends with him all these years. Varah knew a lot about him and talked a lot about himself. They were so close, so what? Varah stayed there, together with Peace, and never came. He deleted Kors from his life, so easily, as if there had not been all these years of such close friendship. He was having fun there with everyone, rejoiced, and thought that everything was going on well, and according to the plan. Diamonds of the Ore town were just around the corner, he didn’t even think about Kors.

“What about our friendship?! You shared everything with me! What things we did together! You said: “I will break any throat for Vitor!” Where is it all? How quickly you forgot everything! Traitor!”

And Kors was sitting alone, and Kamiel was somewhere out there having fun with everyone.

And Salafael. He also didn’t come. In general, no one came to him and no one called him!

Kors covered his face with his hands. How did it happen that they banished him?! He was so cool! “You spread in front of me and prayed for me! You ate from my plate! What have I done wrong to you? After all, I have not done anything bad to you personally and have never betrayed you all these years! And how many times have I supported you!”

And Kors was covered with a great wave of hatred for them. “I treated you with you with all my heart, and you behaved like that?! Don't do that, don't communicate with that, what's the difference to you?! I didn't do them badly! I'll kill them all!” thought Kors, “Everyone! Varah and Zagpeace, and rascal Ariel!” Salafael didn’t evoke such emotions in him. Why did he do this? Why did he agree? What should he do now? How to live with this shameful face make-up that makes him an outcast? There is no way back to the noble blacks, and the unclean ones don’t need him, they have their own lives. I'll hang myself now, Kors thought. “I ruined everything and they didn't support me. They threw me out right there, seeing that I was lost. They consider me an idiot. But I will have my revenge! If you think that I will forget everything, you are very mistaken! I won’t forget, I won’t forgive and I will take revenge! You don't know me well!”

Such confusion was going on in his head, emotions were off scale. “Where is Alis? Lis is with no one and at the same time with everyone. He is everywhere welcomed, and doesn’t come close to anyone, he is cunning. And the Demon promotes him well, loves him. And Kors is abandoned. And where is his Mission? Where is my Mission?! Lis is probably with Tol and my daughter is there all well,” Kors thought about Karina: “What is she doing? Is Lis hitting her again? Or is she kissing the unclean Nija, congratulating each other on the victory?” And just thinking about it, Kors suddenly “heard” them! Nija and Karina, as well as he “heard” before the thoughts and emotions of Prince Arel about her, but only brighter, because it was not in the past. It was now, at the very minute when Kors was worried about his daughter, she was fucking with Nija. He saw them, as if he was standing next to them, and suddenly he very clearly felt that demonic energy, which he already knew well, and which came from Nikto. Nija also had it! And his daughter, obviously, also felt it, she sat on top of Nija and with moans bent, rising and falling on his cock. Kors saw the marks of the whip on her body, everything that happened became such a revelation for him that he even forgot about his grievances for a minute.