- I'm afraid to scare away your people with my appearance! - Claude said with a wry smile and lowered his hood, barely, so that the burns that had not had time to leave his face could be seen. Now the guy was even grateful for the battle with the Sectroses.- Understood. Throw back. Sorry. - Said the man, whose voice began to sound much softer. As if he knew firsthand what it was like to have external ugliness.- Thanks. We have a message from the mayor of Stanburg and his personal accompanying letter.- From old Diaz.- Yes.- How is he? - the guard clarified, looking through the message of the mayor of Stanburg.- When we left him, he began to look much more cheerful than when we met.- Yes, he described your merits. Come on in.- Thanks to. Can you tell me the north street from the north gate, where we should turn.- Go through the gate, on the left there will be a turn for you there, the third street will be yours. Have a good day. - With a smile, the guard returned the note to Cl
The sun gradually descended below the horizon, seeing off the sky with bright flashes and painting everything around in pink, creating bizarre shadows near everything. Gradually, the lady of the night came into her own, covering everything with a dark blanket, in which, in addition to people, there were many other inhabitants, good and not very good. It was quiet in a small room, immersed in twilight, hiding both a neat bed and a table with a vase of unchanging flowers that emitted a suffocating aroma. It seemed that the room was empty, but if you look closely at the window, you could see the silhouette of a young man, sitting in a relaxed position on a chair placed close to the window. His clothes were clean, but terribly shabby, with holes patched in places, giving a false impression of his person. But he was by no means a vagabond, he was a free mercenary, a destroyer of evil spirits, a loner, who now himself did not quite understand who he was. It seemed that so little time had pas
- Dumped! - the roar of the enemy was a signal for action, picking up a mug from the table, with a slightly trembling hand, Claude without hesitation threw the drink at the peasant, who roared in a loud tenor, offended by such an trick of a mercenary. Is it a joke to get a mug of not the best ale in the face instead of a fair fight. Swinging a huge fist, he brought it down on the table, on the place where Claude was sitting, so that the empty mugs jumped and clinked plaintively, but he was no longer there. Throwing back his chair, the mercenary jumped to his feet, swaying slightly. However, unlike the supplying body, everything was clear and precise in the head, the brain worked quickly. Pushing the back of the chair with his foot, he picked up an involuntary projectile and brought it down on the head of one of the supporters, who turned to him as a bully, who surrounded him from two sides. It will be difficult for them to defeat him, although they had all the advantages on their side
The main hall, compared to night time, looked neglected and deserted, only Berg snoring at the table, and a couple of new ones, were all the inhabitants of the tavern. Where the owner was still confident and cheerful behind the counter. “He sleeps at all, someday,” the guy was amazed at the stamina of the innkeeper, and the man was already smiling affably at the mercenary, trying to attract his attention.Sir, Claude. There, on the right, we have a small room where you can put yourself in order, ”the man suggested confidently, which made Claude only smile sourly with a corner of his lips. Apparently his appearance spoke for itself, even if the innkeeper sent him to freshen up and put himself in order. Behind the discovered door, he was met by the promised mini-latrine, consisting of a wide polished dish and a washstand nailed to the wall above it. All the used water flowed into a small vat, which the maids then took out into the street. A shaggy something was looking at Claude from th
- Don't be sorry. We must go forward. Despite everything, I'm even glad that I met you, it was an unusual adventure. Take care of yourself. And hold on to each other. Claude suddenly became emotional, instructing the teenagers as if they were his children.“And we were glad.Daisyra's eyes suddenly moistened, glistening with a pearl of a single tear that rolled down her cheek. Jumping up impulsively, she even took a step towards him, exclaiming excitedly:Claude, I...However, it did not come to an agreement. The door clicked and their relative entered the room, cutting off what the girl wanted to say. The mercenary even felt sorry that he never heard the end of her phrase.— What are you doing, children? the old woman said unexpectedly benevolently and sank into the remaining free chair. The whole furnishings of the room consisted of a few armchairs, a small table, and a wall-to-wall wardrobe filled with books and figurines, everything was so light and airy that Claude tried not to n
- It's not a man! came the frightened whisper of the enemy he had attacked before the blade pierced his heart.The floor was slick with blood, and a small pile of bodies had already formed in the doorway. Turning around frantically, he noted with satisfaction that the teens had worked together quite well to hold the window. A couple of defeated guards were already lying near the young man’s feet, although he himself was not without damage. Apparently, the recently wounded hand was still letting the guy down, and a deep cut on his cheek had already stained his right side with blood.Two more guards were already squeezing through the door, pushing each other and trying not to step on the fallen comrades-in-arms. What Claude took advantage of, he did not have such a moral problem. Jumping up to the taken aback men, he sharply deflected the blade of one, inflicting a hand with a knife in the groin of the other. Barely having time to deviate from the blade that passed a millimeter from the
All this time, Claude followed the enemy, remembering and noticing everything. He will take revenge. Definitely get revenge! By the time the commander left the place of their captivity, the soldiers had almost removed the bodies of their dead and wounded comrades. Each time they carried another body by, they cast murderous glances towards the captives, someone even spat at their feet, but they did not beat them again. Leaving work for the executioner.Soon it was their turn. Grabbing the captives by the arms, the men dragged them along the ground, not allowing them to stand up normally. The knees were worn to the blood, but no one cared, as if they were deliberately trying to cause as much pain as possible. Thus, avenging his heavy victory. The wagon that was waiting for them differed from the carriage that had recently sped away in its shabbiness and gloominess. No insignia and even ghosts of comfort, a bare floor made of roughly knocked together boards, walls, windows, gratings part
The puzzled look moved to Claude, cutting through the heart with incomprehension and annoyance. Already in this man he was always confident, knowing that it was he who would accept his truth. But this distant, puzzled look was worse than insults and scolding. Rolk silently studied his friend's face as if seeing him for the first time, and indeed it was. And the light that beat into the eyes, as if on purpose, made the pupils narrow to barely noticeable lye. That's just why, as if, Claude realized bitterly - this was done on purpose to show the difference between Claude and Rolk, an inhuman and a man. All fraternal friendship, trust, all the time spent together collapsed under this incredulous, offended look.- You did not know! - the bastard admired and laughed derogatoryly. — Inhumans destroy everything around them.- What did the inhumans do to you? Claude asked distantly, not hoping for an answer, just to break the oppressive silence hanging between him and his friend. He did not k