Squint-Eye raised his eyes at Orel.

"Am I a slave?"

"Yes, if you want that, you are a slave. If you like it this way. If you feel like a slave, it's your choice!" Orel turned to Lis. "Lis, do you feel like a slave in our team?"

"Of course, I don't!" Lis snorted looking at Squint-Eye with contempt.

"You see, Bertran Dallen, you're the one to blame in your unenviable position!" Orel continued. "You couldn't make others take you into consideration. There was time when you were one of the best! Everyone loved and respected you! I loved you too! Huh, Bert, do you remember?" Orel talked quietly, almost tenderly. "You were brave and fierce, everyone was afraid of you. And your face wasn't grey like now, your eyes were not red and swollen, always bruised. Your hair," he touched Squint-Eye's dark hair, cut jaggedly, "your hair was long. You were a real warrior. I was proud you were with me."

Squint-Eye covered his face. "Orel, shut up, it was a long time ago! And I don't care! I don't even want to recall it, I became different."

"Why? Bert, why?" Orel moved closer to him, took his scratched hand. Squint-Eye shuddered, yanking his fingers away from Orel convulsively.

"Don't! Don't call me by my name! Everyone knows here my name is Squint-Eye! My name is Squint-Eye! Squint-Eye! Squint-Eye!"

Lis looked at him in disgust.

"Why are you treating him like a child, Arel? Don't you see he became a complete nonentity?"

Squint-Eye glanced at Lis furiously.

"I hate you so much, Lis! I would cut your throat a long time ago, if Orel didn't love you. It's your luck I respect Orel and don't want to hurt his feelings!"

"Ooh, just listen to him!" Lis sat back in his place at the table, shook his head. "How scary! I'm so frightened!"

Orel laughed.

"Really, Bert, you are insane."

"You can never kill me," Lis said smirking, "because I'm much smarter than you. I'm clever and you're a real loser!"

He laughed wickedly showing his teeth filed like a saw jags – horrible, savage teeth that didn't suit his intelligent face. He kicked Squint-Eye's side. Squint-Eye bore it silently, his just lowered his head and his hair hid his face, haggard with illness.

"You're an ass," Lis said, "good for nothing. I wonder how you still manage to fulfill orders."

"I don't want any more," Squint-Eye whispered. "I don't want to fulfill any more orders."

"Of course!" Lis snorted. "It takes effort. It's much easier to inject yourself some shit and then cut yourself."

"Lis, enough," Orel ordered. "Bert – well, Squint-Eye, if it is easier for you… pull yourself together at last. You angered me a lot but I've already calmed down because you're really pathetic. Your fits became too frequent, you become unbearable, you become a burden for all of us."

Squint-Eye raised his gaze at him.

"So, what are you waiting for? Kill me!"

He pushed his short, unruly hair away from his face, raised his head proudly, one of his eyes looked at Orel bravely. His pale lips were compressed stubbornly. He was beautiful at this moment, somehow calm and peaceful. Despite everything, he was a warrior, dark, wicked and strong.

Orel shook his head.

"I can't kill you, we've been together for too long. We were together since the very beginning. You did a lot to restore our square."

"Gods damn your square," Squint-Eye growled, "my whole life went to hell because I had bad luck to be born in your territory! Where is everyone who helped you to assert your power? Where are they? Long rotting in your castle cemetery! I want to join them. If you can't kill me, tell Lis."

"No," Orel shook his head.

"Then him," Squint-Eye pointed at Nikto.

"Maybe, her?" Lis looked at Asa, then at Squint-Eye.

"Fuck you! Do you want to humiliate me even when killing!" Squint-Eye screamed.

"No one is going to kill you," Orel said. "Forget about it and try to pull yourself together. I'll talk to Nik, maybe, he will care to help you, and you'll quit that shit."

"Nik?" Squint-Eye smiled. "What a beautiful name he has now, I would never think Nikto and Nik is the same."

"Shut up," there were steely notes in Orel's voice.

"I don't want him to help me," Squint-Eye said, "I don't want anyone to help me!"

"You will try to get up yourself, right?" Orel asked. "You will try hard."

"No, I don't want to, I don't see any sense in it," Squint-Eye cracked his knuckles nervously. "Do you see any sense in this endless war? Tell me!"

"Sense?" Orel thought for a moment. "I like it, I like fighting. I enjoy it, I can't imagine my life without war, without risk. Why should I look for sense in enjoyment? I entertain myself, so, the rest doesn't matter."

Squint-Eye shook his head.

"No, it's not an answer. I could have accepted such an answer from Tol but not from you. I wouldn't even ask Tol, it is clear about him. But you, Arel, I expected a different answer, I thought you were smarter."

"Do you hear?" Lis asked. "He thinks you're a fool."

"Fine," Orel said in irritation, "don't add fuel to the fire. I would like to punish Squint-Eye but I see it won't change anything – he punishes himself, and cruelly. Bert, promise me you'll stop abusing yourself, stop mutilating your body and raping your mind. It's enough. I beg you, stop killing yourself!"

Squint-Eye didn't answer.

"Fine, if you're tired of everything and you want to die, do it with dignity! Like a warrior! Not like a street wench. Die fighting! For us to bury you with honor." Orel paused. "At night we'll start attacking and you will have a chance to make your wish come true," he said at last, got up and walked away from Squint-Eye.

Squint-Eye stayed sitting on the floor; he leaned against the massive leg of the table tiredly. His hair, cut in an ugly way, hung pathetically framing his pale face; in the front thick black strands reached only to his chin now. He shook his head, touched the remnants of his previously gorgeous long hair.

"You regret your hair," Orel noticed his gesture. "How could you disfigure yourself like that?"

"I'm sick," Squint-Eye said quietly. "Orel, I'm so sick."

"You need to restore yourself, not to destroy," Orel poured some wine. "Go to your room and stay in bed. We're going without you now."

Squint-Eye looked at him frightened.

"Hey, don't look at me like this! Don't try anything stupid, clear?"

"We cannot leave him like that," Lis said. "He'll stay alone and who knows what'll come to his mind. He'll start cutting himself again."

"What do you suggest?" Orel lit another cigarette.

"I think we should tie him to the leg of the table and Asa will look after him until we come back."

Orel smiled. "Hm, why not. Do you have cuffs for him?"

Lis took out the cuffs, tossed them to Orel. Orel came up to Squint-Eye.

"Give me your hands, my friend, and no shit."

Squint-Eye, without looking up, put his arms behind his back and let Orel chain him to the table leg.

Lis leaned to him.

"So, now we won't need to worry about our mad dog."

Squint-Eye turned away.

"Why are you turning your nose away?" Lis laughed. He took Squint-Eye's chin and tried to turn his face towards himself. Squint-Eye backed away from Lis.

"Why are you resisting, look at me! You, shitty suicidal!"

Squint-Eye jerked back sharply trying to get up and move away from Lis but only hit the back of his head against the table. Everyone laughed.

"Lis, stop picking on him," Orel said laughing. "Time to go."

He got up, took his mask from the table and put it on hiding his bandaged face. Lis and Nikto followed his example covering their faces.

"Tell Asa not to hurt our boy," Orel said to Nikto.

Nikto passed his words to Asa. She just cursed in reply, as usual. They left locking the door behind them.

Orel, Nikto and Lis come to the military camp.

Orel has a meeting with commanders. He discusses the present situation with them and plans their further actions.

Since Enriki won't be able to participate in battles in the nearest future, Orel decides to dismiss his detachment that is left without its commander.

But the commoner in command of the detachment, Enriki's right-hand man – Dick Nedwill – convinces him to postpone this decision. He assures Orel that he will manage to command and lead them. Orel gives him a chance.

Orel's troops plan to start the attack. Orel is risking a lot but his soldiers believe in him, they don't doubt their master's strength and power. Mercenaries also believe in the strength and power but not those of the prince – but of the one they think their true master. The all need those rich territories in the southern part of the city.

Tol, Asa and Squint-Eye join them.

Thanks to a clever attack plan made by Lis who took into consideration all the weak points of the enemy's defense and all the characteristics of the location, the vanguard detachment consisting of the best Orel's soldiers and mercenaries make an unprecedented at its bravery dash into Black Bey's rear catching him off guard.

Bey's main forces are located at the borders with Orel's territories. He calls for some troops from the borders to help his weak and scanty detachments in the rear.

It gives Orel the opportunity to break through Bey's impregnable defense at the border and advance. Lis's and Tol's detachments close the ring from the west, the detachments of Squint-Eye and Dick do the same from the east. Bey is surrounded. He flees. His streets are conquered.

Despite his initial wish, Squint-Eye couldn't let his enemies kill him.

They have won.

Chapter 5

In the Garden

They sat in Orel's garden resting and watched the city that spread below. Enriki, very pale, with his arm bandaged and his eyes dim with medicines and pain was sitting in the armchair.

Near to him, hugging each other tenderly, Tol and his faithful Asa were sitting. Tol hadn't removed his sign of mourning for her and the paint was slowly fading by itself. Now a half of his face was dirty grey but it didn't bother him at all. His wounds had practically healed and he was quite perky. The same thing couldn't be said about Asa: she, on the contrary, looked very tired. It was one of the rare cases when she was in a dress – a beautiful black dress with exquisite embroidering. In her hair made into a high hairdo there was a wonderful adornment given to her by Lis. But her face was haggard, her eyes sunken; expensive things made for noble ladies didn't suit her. They just increased the contrast between the luxury of her outfit and her exhausted face with irregular, rough features; it was an attractive face but still a face of a commoner and a half-blood. The sparkling of the jewelry didn't suit her misted eyes; Asa looked ridiculous in this outfit.

Slightly away from the others Squint-Eye sat right on the ground. He leaned with his back against the edge of a broken fountain; his head was hanging over his chest, a forgotten cigarette smoked in his fingers.

Nikto sat on his cloak spread on the ground; his cane he never parted with during last time lay nearby. Lis occupied one of the armchairs. He looked thoughtfully at the twilight covering distant mountain peaks and watchtowers in the east.

Orel walked towards them from the castle.

"So, why are you sitting here as if you're sick?" he said coming up to them. His face painted light grey seemed lifeless in the dusk.

"The weather is good," Lis said, "and the summer is over soon."

Orel sat down on the grass and looked at the city with his good eye.

"My sisters liked to sit here, my mother said," he took out a bottle from the pocket of his jacket, opened it with his teeth and made a few gulps.

"Why don't you order to repair the fountain?" Enriki asked looking at the bulky marble sculpture surrounded by rotting water.

Orel glanced at the fountain.

"When I was little, there were fishes in it," he said.

"Cool!" Tol exclaimed. He almost lay down on the ground and pulled Asa with him.

"So, what about your servants?" Lis yawned.

"Aah, as always – dumb like shit," Orel laughed. "By the way," he turned to Enriki, "your Coal pleasantly surprised me, he is a good warrior and commander, you're lucky to have him. What's his real name?"

"Dick son of Nedwill, Dick Nedwill but everyone calls him Coal."

"Why Coal?"

"He has this name since his childhood. He told me. He was born in the east. One day the Red attacked his village, killed everyone and burned everything. He was just a boy; he managed to hide in the basement and took his little sister with him. Their house was burning but they didn't come out, they just stayed there. When the Black came and started cleaning out the ruins, they found him. They didn't think he'd survive, he was badly burnt, so, they called him Coal."

"And what about his sister?" Tol asked.

"It is even more interesting about her. Three days later he came round and could explain them there was also his sister in the basement. They found her – she was alive and not burnt but her hair was completely grey. Since then they never part. She plays in my sister's theater."

"Is she beautiful?"

"She is pretty, a commoner cannot be beautiful."

"Why didn't we see her before?" Orel asked.

"Did you want to? Are you interested in theater, Orel?"

"Well, I'd like to see her playing."

"Fine, I'll tell Mily."

"I liked her brother, you can't say he was burnt looking at him. He looks good and his hair is long. Why do you let him have such long hair, like a nobleman?"

Enriki shrugged.

"So what, he still is a commoner and he is short."

"Why are all commoners short," Tol asked, "but Lis and Nikto are as tall as you?"

"First of all, they are half-bloods," Orel said. "Besides, Lis's father was not a commoner and Nik doesn't even know who his parents were."

"Anyway, Nikto and Lis are shorter than we are," Enriki added.

"Yes, Lis is the shortest," Tol said.

"I'm not much shorter!" Lis said starting getting nervous.

"Much shorter than me!" Tol said.

"I don't even mention you, you're abnormally tall, like your trees!"

"You are a tree yourself!"

"Fine, don't start! Let's go back to the castle." Orel got up abruptly and grabbed his damaged eye hissing in pain.

"Easy, you fool," Lis laughed.

"You're a fool! Let's go to the castle!"

"What shall we do in your castle?"

"What are you doing here? Watching the mountains?"

"Let us rest."

"Shit, you're crazy," Orel hobbled to the castle.

"Arel, stay with us!" Tol shouted at him.

"Fuck you," Orel didn't even glance back.

"Now he's going to drink himself senseless," Lis said, "and fell from the stairs."

Everyone laughed.

For a while they say silent.

"Fuck, I'm so tired," Squint-Eye said at last. "I'm tired of this shitty castle and its owner."

"We all are tired," Lis said.

"Except Orel," Squint-Eye said. "He is never tired."

Asa asked Lis something in Unclean. He answered.

"What are you talking about?" Tol asked.

"She asked what we said," Lis explained. "I told her we're tired."

Tol looked at Nikto seeking confirmation to Lis's words. Nikto nodded at his questioning stare. Lis smirked but didn't say anything.

"Ask her what she thinks about us," Squint-Eye said.

Lis laughed. "As if she'd say," but translated.

Asa said something.

"She says we're the worst of anyone she's seen, except for Tol, that is."

"Hey, you can't say that about my friends!"

"Come on, Tol, she's right," Squint-Eye said. "At least I won't argue with her."

"But it's bullshit! Don't listen to her! We're the best!"

"Yeah," Squint-Eye drawled and they laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Tol was exasperated a great deal. "Didn't we beat up Bey? A little more and we'll crush him!"

"Yes, Tol, it's cool," Squint-Eye said calmly. "We beat up Bey, we're tough…"

"Aren't we?"

"Yes, Tol, yes, calm down."

"Enriki, aren't we? Why are you silent?" Tol started looking for support.

"I don't have anything to say, Tol. My arm hurts."

At these words of Enriki Nikto turned to him, he seemed to feel like saying something but then changed his mind and turned away.

"What do you want?" Enriki asked.

"I don't like your arm."

"What do you mean?" Enriki got pale. "Explain please, since you have started."

"I'm not sure, I saw it for the last time a long time ago, when you were unconscious. But I don't like what I see now. Your fingers are black, Edin Ol's horse stomped on them so hard that it couldn't be improved, infection will spread from them further. Do you know what I mean?"

"Ooh! It would be better if you kept silent!"

Nikto turned away, put his head onto his bent knee.

"I would let him look at your arm if I were you," Tol said worriedly.

"Is he, like, a doctor?"

"Well, he is, in a way."

"Then let him heal himself first!"

"But he wants to help you," Squint-Eye said.

"Why should I ask for his help?"

"You don't even ask, he offers it."

"And you put him down with your refusal," Tol added.

"What? I put him down? He doesn't care!"

"I wonder why you think so."

"He isn't with us, he is infinitely far away. I look at his transparent eyes and don't see anything, like there is nothing inside. He's empty and it's driving me mad!"

"Maybe it makes you angry because you don't see your reflection in his eyes," Squint-Eye said quietly.

"I'm not empty and I have feelings," Nikto said.

Squint-Eye laughed.

"Do you really love Orel?"

Nikto kept silent.

"He loves his gods," Enriki shook his head. "Why would he decorate himself with their images otherwise?"

"He simply likes to draw," Lis smirked.

"That tattoo on his shoulder, it's like a spit at our faces! You could at least have some respect to our religion," Enriki continued, "and not tattoo such openly blasphemy drawings."

"Why that?" Nikto said.

"Oh really!"

"Come on, cool down. I've spent enough time with you and haven't seen you worshipping your gods even once. Though there were some of your religious holidays during that time. Or am I wrong?"

"No, you're not," Lis laughed.

Nikto grinned in reply, showing his filed but still impressive fangs; it was a smile of a predator admitting his strength. He'd never done that before in their presence. He showed them what they wanted to see. He was magnificent.

"You're not a human," Enriki said. "You're not a human and you don't even try to become one."

* * *

When Nikto came back to his room, he saw Orel who lay in his bed with a half-empty bottle in his hand.