The Mist and the Lightning. Part 19

He could no longer remain on the sidelines, and as a father, he had to immediately stop these vile conversations. Kors tried to jump up, but his head was spinning, his eyes darkened. He thought he was about to lose consciousness. He no longer saw or heard Nik or Zagpeace, but suddenly a completely different voice sounded very clearly in his ears. The voice of the late Kamiel Varakh.

Chapter 17

Kors froze. He no longer tried to jump up from his seat and run to the hunting lounge to save his Nik, even forgetting about him for a moment, because he “heard” the voice of his former friend Kamiel Varakh so clearly, as if he was standing behind him, just in the noise holiday, approached imperceptibly, and if Kors turns around, he will see him.

“I don’t know the details,” Varakh said. “Nikto, commander of the unclean ones, exchanged Digmer and, it seems, two other red warriors for a kid who knows how to make gunpowder. Atley Alis ransomed this boy from the unclean ones,” Varakh’s speech was confident, and his voice was not as weak as Kors remembered it from their last meeting.

“WHAT?! What the nonsense?!” Kors didn’t understand anything and suddenly with his inner vision “saw” a room, a hospital ward. But this was not a ward in doctor Cassiel’s infirmary. Everything is different, and there are no red flowers on the windowsill, and bright blue sky shines outside the window. It is too bright, and Kors will never forget the first time he saw the same blue sky above his head, because that day for the first time he saw not only this bottomless sky, but also his Inness. And her eyes, the same blue, argued with this sky, which of them was brighter. Does Kors see the Upper World now? But this cannot be! And Kamiel Varakh looks different, he is not lying, but sitting on the bed. Yes, he is clearly emaciated, but he is no longer the living corpse he once was. Kamiel has gained weight, and his eyes sparkle cheerfully, and patches of painful blush were blooming on his cheekbones.

Before him stands a red warrior:

“Are you saying that you traded Digmer and two of our soldiers for some unclean person who can make gunpowder? I can't believe my ears! How can this be?!You are lying!”

“I didn’t make this decision,” Varakh calmly answers, not at all afraid of his harsh tone, “this order was given by Atley Alis. And this boy Marcus wasn’t an unclean one. He is a man, and he was in bondage to the unclean ones. Atley Alis… Sigmer bought him out in this way.”

“One black for three reds?!”

“Yes. But he knew how to make gunpowder…”

“Kamiel Varakh, Digmer’s life in exchange for yours! If Digmer is not returned to us now, I will personally order your execution! Don’t look at the fact that we cured you and saved you from death. We didn’t do this for you, but for Digmer. And if the exchange doesn’t take place, believe me, a terrible end awaits you. And your title won’t help you. Pray to your gods that Digmer is still alive! Tell me, who can I contact to arrange a prisoner exchange? Think carefully, your life depends on this person!”

“This man is the true black Zagpeace Gezaria,” Varakh replies without a moment’s hesitation. “He will help me!”

“Damn, what’s going on?!”

Kors is completely confused! And for some reason he was offended that Varakh named Zagpeace, and not him. The picture in his head changes abruptly and he “sees” Fort. Everything around is on fire, black smoke covers the sky. “Did this happen after they left?” Kors is trying to sort out the chaos of his visions and rewind the events back to the starting point in order to understand how it all began.

Fort, a little earlier, doctor Cassiel’s infirmary. Near the chamber where the red captive of Zagpeace lies, Cassiel and Zagpeace himself are standing.

“Sir Vitor Kors is coming here,” the doctor says nervously and quickly, looking out the window.

“And what the hell does he want here at a time like this?” Kors sees that Zagpeace is very unhappy.

“Something must have happened to his white half-blood again,” the doctor replies.

“He either beats him half to death, then treats him with no less enthusiasm. Damn, what a bad time!” Zagpeace says irritably.

(Kors can’t believe his ears. Ah, so it turns out they were talking about him behind his back. “Beats him half to death!” Are you out of your mind, Zagpeace?!Making me look like an inconsistent and cruel jerk?!Well, we will see you later!)

“What should I do, sir Gezaria?”

“Don’t let him in!”

Cassiel’s face stretches and turns pale before his eyes.

“It won’t work to keep him out, I don’t have the right,” the doctor babbles, “but I can quickly give him medicine for his lover, and maybe he will leave without noticing you?”

“That’s the last thing to think of! I’m not going to hide from him!”