by Ervin Agayan
Arsy turned around and stared at Nihena with suspicion. What is it? Yet another trick or…? He was so desperately eager to master the style that he was ready to believe anything.
“So what?”
“If he refused to teach you, maybe you should find someone more compliant,” Nihena said with a sly smile.
“Like who?” Arsy immediately seized the opportunity. “Do you know such a person?”
“You bet!” The girl nodded. “Actually, you both do!”
Arsy smiled ironically. He seemed to have found the pitfall.
“Let me guess… you want to be rewarded for that information, don’t you?”
“No, I’ll provide that information absolutely free of charge, as a token of goodwill.”
“Holy cats! What unheard of generosity!” stung Zens. “I can imagine the faraway lands she’ll send us to—the lands of dragons and demons.”
Nevertheless, to his great surprise, Arsy became seriously interested.
“There’s no need to travel so far,” continued Nihena. “There’s no need to go anywhere at all.”
“You see?” said Zens. “I was telling you she’s just making fools of us.”
“Be quiet, Zens!” Arsy shouted at him. “Maybe she wants to tell us something worthwhile, and you keep interrupting her.”
Zens silently made a step backwards, as if demonstrating his determination to stay out of the conversation.
“Who is it?” Arsy asked Nihena. “Who else can teach me cathastu?”
“You are looking at her right now,” smirked Nihena.
The silence of the night was interrupted by Zens’s wholehearted laughter.
“What’s funny about it?” The girl showed surprise.
“You? A teacher?” Zens stopped laughing sharply and added with a serious intonation, “I don’t even know whether I should laugh or cry.”
Arsy turned to face his friend, but in his eyes, Zens saw a glimpse of hope.
“You sure saw how she beat me in battle, didn’t you?” he asked his friend. “She can teach me a lot of things.”
Nihena looked at Arsy with a smug smile.
“It can certainly be qualified as boasting, but my lessons will be more effective than those of Sensei Farin. I’ll teach you not only cathastu, but other martial styles as well.”
Arsy’s eyes sparkled with hope in no small way, and Zens hurried to cool him down.
“Arsy, do you seriously want to agree after all her tricks? Yes, she’s definitely cool in battle, but… it’s suicide! She simply found a perfect pretext to drive us into grave!”
Nihena took the lamp from Arsy’s hands, went up to Zens, and drew the lamp very close to his face.
“What are you doing?” The latter stepped back hesitantly.
“I want to see the horror in your eyes when you realize I’ll also be training you,” Nihena said with an incisive smile.
“I’d rather throw myself from a cliff than agree to that reckless scheme,” he stung back.
“You are free to leave, Zens.” He heard Arsy’s voice quite unexpectedly. “I accept Nihena’s offer.”
The girl’s triumphant smile was so close to Zens’s face that he was unable to ignore it. Casting another glance at his friend and making sure about his determination, Zens sighed almost hopelessly and sneered.
“I won’t go anywhere. I won’t miss the most interesting part. I’ll definitely entertain myself watching the torture she has in store for you.”
Nihena’s smile became wider and more exultant.
“No way, my darling. You will either leave or stay and agree to comply with my conditions.”
“Then I’ll choose to leave. Come with me, Arsy! Look at her spiteful eyes and smile,” said Zens. “She must be thinking to herself: ‘I’ll have a hilarious time making fun of them!’ Don’t you dare agree to this reckless affair; she’ll eat you alive, man! Only imagine her in the role of a teacher. That’s suicide!”
Arsy didn’t move.
“You know perfectly well that I am in a no-win situation,” he said almost hopelessly. “I have to master that style whatever it takes. It’s my last chance. Either I do it, or I face imminent death at the hands of Erathos.”
Nihena walked to him, and raising the lamp higher, she said with a warning tone, “I have only one condition.”
“What condition?”
“You comply with all my orders without question. From this moment on, you will be my slave. If I order you to hit your head against the wall, you can only ask how hard. I order you to eat dung, you can ask where the nearest stable is. I want you to realize what challenges are ahead of you. You won’t master that style without serious trials.”
“I was telling you she wants to make fun of you.” Zens edged himself into the conversation again. “Arsy, it’s insane to accept her offer!”
“I agree,” Arsy declared resolutely.
Being in such a desperate situation, he was ready to cling to a straw, even the thinnest and the most dangerous one, which could kill his body and pride. But if he was destined to die during the trainings, at least he’d know he did everything within his power.
“Nihena is absolutely right, Zens. It’s impossible to master that style without challenges,” said Arsy, looking at his friend. “Erathos used to subject himself to many ordeals. Back then, I thought he was out of his mind, and only now do I come to realize that everything he did made good sense.”
Zens shook his head silently, as if judging his decision. He looked at his friend again, then at Nihena, who still had that exultant smile on her face, and finally, he gave in.
“Okay, Arsy. It’s your right. But don’t tell me I didn’t warn you.” He turned around and walked to the gates, snapping over his shoulder. “Take care!”
“Have a good trip,” Nihena yelled to his back. “Though I have a presentiment that we’re going to meet shortly.”
“That is highly unlikely.” Zens turned around and looked at her with a compassionate grin.
“Very soon you’ll come to realize that you are in love with me and will be back to sing serenades under the walls of Mozakon,” quipped Nihena. “But don’t forget to practice singing, or you’ll have your tongue cut.”
“Thank you for the warning,” Zens said ironically and looked at his friend. “Good luck, Arsy! You’ll definitely need it!”
Leaving, Zens cast a scathing look at the girl who was starving them, humiliating and making fun of them. Meanwhile, Nihena smiled cunningly back.
“So what do we have? Unworthy ones left; worthy ones stayed!” said Nihena. She turned around to Arsy and brought the lamp close to his face again. “Think well. Are you ready to go through such challenges?”
“I have no other choice.” He nodded. “You are my only hope. Cathastu is my last chance to save myself from Erathos’s rage.”
“What could you have done to him?” Nihena asked in amazement, being the first to continue on their way back to the city.
“I am the only person in the kingdom who struggles with him in all but name and, I should tell you honestly, who achieved significant results in that undertaking. Needless to say, he doesn’t like it a bit.”
They were going along the street, which they were just walking down, but after a few steps, Arsy realized that Nihena wasn’t actually leading him back to the castle.
“Where are we going?” he asked, suspiciously staring at the old neglected house at the end of the street.
“To the cattle barn, naturally,” answered Nihena with a caustic smile. “We’re going to find you the most delicious dung for dinner.”
Arsy followed her obediently, wondering whether she was joking. Nevertheless, there was no way back. If he must eat dung to become stronger and get a chance to fight Erathos on equal terms, let it be, though he had high hopes that there were still some bits of common sense in that beast’s head.
Two Slaves
At night, Mozakon looked like a city of shadows with its deserted back
streets and dark houses, where the silence was interrupted only by the wind’s roar. The districts on the outskirts of the city were the poorest and the least inhabited ones. Lopsided houses had not been reconstructed for years—the streets lacked lanterns, and the houses were unlit. It seemed like the farther from the central square, the gloomier and more unfriendly the city became.
Arsy and Nihena were walking along one of the deserted back streets, and the lamp in the girl’s hands was the only source of light, though the full moon lit their way pretty well. Hardly had they walked a few meters away from the city gates when they heard a familiar voice.
“Wait for me!” Zens shouted after them.
“Look who’s back,” sneered Nihena.
“I thought for a while and…” Zens hushed timidly.
“And?” Nihena drew the lamp close to his face to have a better view of his green eyes.
“To cut a long story short, I can’t leave Arsy alone in such danger,” declared Zens, while his sly smile gave away the fact that it was by far not the only reason. “If he finds himself in trouble, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.”
The smile on Nihena’s face forebode nothing good.
“So you accept my conditions?”
“Of course!” exclaimed Zens, though his words contained a certain deal of irony.
“Sorry, what?” Nihena pretended that she didn’t hear him well. “Repeat it out loud.”
“Repeat what?” asked Zens.
“That you are ready to be my slave.” Once again, Nihena threw her “branded” coquettish glance at him.
Zens clenched his lips with displeasure, but there was no way back for him. He had to swallow his pride.
“Okay, I’m ready to be your slave,” he said without much enthusiasm.
“Zens, my friend, you’d better come to your senses before it’s too late,” Arsy smirked bitterly. “We’re going to the cattle barn… Nihena wasn’t joking about the dung.”
“Feh! Damn!” Zens screwed up his face, picturing what they had yet to face. “I must be out of my mind, but I’m staying.”
“It’s so good to have you back,” Nihena said, obviously cheering up. “I was upset when you left.”
“Sure enough you are happy; two slaves are better than one,” Zens snapped with a spiteful grin.
“And not ordinary ones!” Nihena exclaimed triumphantly. “The most wanted criminal in Agastan and his high-minded friend. I hope your legs aren’t trembling with fear.”
“No, because I know that you are actually a nice girl and won’t be torturing us so badly.” Zens smiled at her with his most enchanting smile.
“A nice girl?” Nihena spluttered with laughter. “Be careful not to fall in love. I don’t need guys like you.”
“Why? Am I so bad?” frowned Zens.
“You used to be married, you have a child, and on top of it all, you are a criminal. I’ll find myself a suitor a thousand times better than you,” Nihena threw to him, but wit could be sensed in her voice.
They continued on their way. Nihena walked ahead of them, while the young men followed her obediently.
“The slave is silent. He only wishes you good luck,” quipped Zens.
“You keep poking fun, but you have no idea about the number of my admirers,” answered Nihena. With these words, she turned around and stuck out her tongue at the guys.
“Then why don’t you have a boyfriend?” asked Zens.
“Because there isn’t a suitable guy among them. But I hope, someday, I’ll find such a young man.” Nihena stopped again, walked up to Zens, drew the lamp closer to his face, and added, “but that’s definitely not you.”
Zens knew she was sweeping something under the carpet. He learned something about her from the gardener. Rumors said Nihena was in love with some guy, but their feelings were not mutual. According to the gardener, the guy often visited them with the Princess. It should be said that he wasn’t a mercenary but the son of one of the most influential people in Agastan. The gardener whispered a secret into Zens’s ear: he had seen the guy and the Princess in the courtyard one day. He wasn’t sure, but they seemed to be kissing. Since then, the gardener believed no one else but that fellow was supposed to be the King. He even argued with his horsekeeper buddy for a hundred lesos. Zens decided not to tell Arsy about it, so that he didn’t get even more upset.
“Why are you constantly getting at me?” asked Zens. “There’s another guy here besides me; it’s Arsy!”
“But you said he’s in love with another girl. By the way, I still don’t know who she is. So it’s unrequited love. Poor Arsy,” Nihena pronounced with sincere compassion.
“Hey, stay on the topic,” smirked Zens. “We want to know why beautiful Nihena still doesn’t have a boyfriend.”
“I already told you. Because there’s no proper match for that beauty.”
“Arsy, do you think Nihena beats her admirers until they black out?” joked Zens.
“I don’t know, but it seems like there are no young men left in poor Mozakon; they all snuck out,” Arsy joked in his turn.
“Right,” nodded Zens, examining the dark, empty street. “At first, I was even surprised to see the absence of young men in the city, but now I see what the reason is.”
“You know, guys, I like joking,” Nihena turned to them, and her expression didn’t bode well, “but you’ll get a good beating if I hear another joke on that subject. The city is half-empty because, presently, lots of people are busy searching for Erathos.”
“Okay, then I’ll joke on a different subject,” said Zens and continued. “The mercenaries are so miserly, they don’t even switch on the street lanterns.”
Nihena stopped sharply. Zens didn’t even have time to wink when she appeared next to him. One powerful blow of her leg at his chest and Zens fell to the ground, flying three steps away. Everything happened so fast that neither Arsy nor Zens were able to utter a word, let alone prepare. Nihena swiftly went up to the dumbfounded guy, pressed him against the ground with her knee, and spoke with a menacing voice. “I didn’t have the time to give you a lesson. You have a very loose tongue. I’m warning you the last time. Next time, you won’t get off with just one blow.”
“But I was joking on another subject…” he said indignantly, trying to catch his breath.
“Then it was an extremely bad joke,” Nihena said with the same menacing voice. “At present, all the mercenaries are focused on vengeance. They can’t deal with the street lights; most of them are busy searching for the devil. There’s no one left in the city to deal with the street lanterns, you see?”
“Yes, yes, I do! Sorry, I didn’t think about it.”
Nihena seemed to have gotten what she wanted, for she stood up and stretched her hand to Zens to help him on his feet.
“I was meaning to ask you something,” the latter started hesitantly, barely rising to his feet, and continued, without waiting for her consent. “Will I be able to overcome you in battle when you teach us cathastu?”
“God forbid it; otherwise, I’ll have to marry you,” laughed Nihena.
“Why are you hinting at us so often?” asked Zens. “You speak about it more than you should.”
“You have only yourself to blame,” Nihena snapped sharply, continuing on her way.
“Myself?” Zens showed surprise, following her hurriedly.
“If you could only see how you are staring at me,” she clarified arrogantly, without turning around. “As if it’s the first time you have seen a girl.”
“When did I look at you that way?” exclaimed Zens.
“You do it constantly!” Nihena giggled. “For example, during dinner, you were devouring me with your eyes, instead of the dishes on the table.”
Zens’s eyebrows crawled upwards; he even sniffed with frustration. Not finding a good excuse, he turned to his friend for help.
“Arsy, tell her she’s wrong. I’m looking at her the same way I look at other girls!”
“It h
appens after a long stay in prison.” Arsy couldn’t refrain from the joke. Strangely enough, this joke made everyone laugh, including Zens, clearing the atmosphere.
“Even at this very moment,” Nihena snapped over her shoulder, “I can’t see you, but I’m almost sure you are staring at me.”
“It’s so dark here that I can’t even see my own feet,” answered Zens.
“I feel that you’re looking at me with longing, and don't try to deny that, you shameless guy!” Nihena said playfully and making her walk more seductive and feminine.
After some wandering along the streets, Nihena turned in the direction of the least attractive district of Mozakon. Unlike the rest of the districts, the houses here were narrow and wretched; some of them were neglected, and others were half-ruined. The district made an impression of a small village, evolving right in the streets of the city.
This was one of the farthest districts, and the streets here did not stand out for any specific order. Low-standing residential houses and barracks of mercenaries with slightly sloping tiled roofs rose on the road without warning or order. Narrow lanes intersected the city from all directions, snaking between houses, often splitting in different directions, and sometimes even coming to a dead end. Losing one’s way in Mozakon, especially in its old districts, was easy as winking. However, those who were born and spent their entire lives there could find the way, even with closed eyes.
Nihena turned down a narrow lane that ended at a half-demolished wall.
“I have some good news for you!” she said.
Never saying what that good news actually was, Nihena dexterously jumped over the wall, like a cat.
In truth, the guys didn’t get lost either; they also swiftly jumped over the obstacle without any problems.
“What news?” asked Zens, barely landing on his feet on the other side of the wall. Nihena was already walking ahead.
“You can have some rest. I won’t be torturing you today.” The girl turned around for a while, and they saw her reckless sparkling eyes in the light of the lamp. “You may not thank me, though, I should say. You were misbehaving today.”
