by Ervin Agayan
“Oh, big-hearted Nihena, we’re touched by your kindness!” Zens exclaimed theatrically, throwing his hands up as a token of gratitude. “Then, maybe you can tell us why we are going to the cattle barn.”
Nihena turned around again, and they saw her frowning.
“You really thought I was serious about eating dung?”
“Yes, we did!” the guys responded unanimously, after which Zens added, “I even set my appetite to it.”
“Feh!” Nihena screwed up her nose with disgust. “I don’t even want to imagine it.”
“So you were joking?” Zens specified carefully with increasing hope in his voice.
“Of course!” Nihena answered to his relief. “How could you give it a serious thought?
“Easily!” exclaimed Zens. “Actually, I can never understand whether you are joking or not.”
“Seems like something should be clarified here.” Nihena stopped and turned around to them. “I will be going through all the trials with you. Consequently, if I order you to eat dung, I’ll also have to do it.” Nihena’s face was distorted with a grimace of disgust. “I think it’s clear now that I was joking.”
“So it appears that life won’t be so hellish, after all!” Arsy exclaimed cheerfully, “For you will be personally going through all the challenges with us.”
Suddenly, it dawned on Zens.
“I just realized why you were eating that bland porridge with us.”
“You are absolutely right,” smirked Nihena.
“Good Heavens, I feel relieved now, and my legs stopped trembling,” joked Zens. “I was saying, you are kind and fluffy, aren’t I?”
“Or rather prickly and toxic,” Nihena smiled to him.
“I got to experience that already on my own skin,” Zens said laughing.
Nihena answered him with a spiteful smile, and they all continued on their way. For a while, they walked in silence; each busy with their own thoughts. Finally, the narrow street took them to a small stable. There obviously hadn’t been any horses there for a long time, but the smell of dung persisted, having penetrated into the walls and the floor. Soon, it appeared that this nice “venue” was supposed to be their lodging for the night.
“But you said there will be no more trials for today!” complained Arsy, scrutinizing the stinking shelter with displeasure.
“Is sleeping on straw in the open air supposed to be a trial?” sneered Nihena.
“I have slept out in the open multiple times,” snapped Arsy, “but not in such a disgusting place! My eyes are tearing with this rank smell.”
“Ah, well, then it’s a trial,” answered Nihena with a pleased smile. “Make yourselves comfortable, gentlemen. I’ll go get some food.”
“Hold on!” Zens’s smile was just as pleased. “If it’s a trial, then you should also…”
“No problem at all,” Nihena interrupted him. “I’ll spend the night here with you. I’m just off to get some food for us all. I’m also hungry.”
She took the lamp with her, leaving the guys in total darkness. There were just three standing stalls in the stable with remnants of straw that neither Arsy nor Zens were eager to lie down on. Moonlight penetrated the stable through the thinned roof, dully lighting the corners and the guys’ faces.
“What are you thinking about?” asked Zens, noticing that his friend was looking at something in the street.
“I think it’s going to be tough,” Arsy answered, yawning.
“But she’ll be going through the trials with us,” Zens was reflecting aloud. “That inspires hope.”
“Very feeble though,” Arsy shook his head. “We might not have to eat dung, but who knows what nasty tricks she has in store for us?”
Zens’s hopefulness was slowly vanishing.
“Right, I didn’t think of it. She’s quite capable of pulling off some dirty trick, like feeding us some disgusting, slithery insects. By the way, I have no desire to taste whatever she brings us. I’m sure it will be something tasteless.”
“What do you suggest?” asked Arsy, but judging by his face, he had already guessed.
“There are many houses around,” answered Zens with a sly smile. “I’ll see what I can find.”
“Okay,” nodded Arsy. “Only hurry up, before she comes back, or you’ll have a nail in your eye.”
Zens nodded and disappeared in the darkness. He was absent for about twenty minutes, during which Arsy managed to examine the whole stable, remember the Princess, imagine the trials they’d go through, and even ponder the meaning of life. Soon, Zens appeared in the doorway; he walked so noiseless that his coming wasn’t heard even two steps away. There was a basket in his hands.
“Arsy?” he called in a whisper, not finding his friend where he left him.
“I’m here,” he heard a familiar voice from one of the standing stalls. Arsy had ventured to test the straw as his bed. It appeared to be not as bad as he feared. “Did you find anything?”
Zens put the basket in front of him; it exuded a pleasant smell of dough and fruit—patties with a filling.
“Let’s eat it quickly before that crack-brain is back.” Zens was already shoving a patty with apple filling into his mouth. “By the way, it’s my first robbery since I escaped from prison.”
“Since when is stealing patties considered to be a robbery?” sneered Arsy.
“I don’t know what you think. I think it’s a robbery,” answered Zens gloomily. “When you helped me out of the prison, I supposed I’d be robbing for you, but it appeared later that you don’t need my skills.”
“What’s the point in robbing if you can take anything lawfully?” Arsy shrugged his shoulders. “Recently, I’ve been trying not to break laws. I don’t want to pay the policemen for no reason.”
“If it is possible to work within the law, why not?” reflected Zens. “Besides, we’re not robbing for pleasure; life made us do it.”
“No one becomes a criminal voluntarily. It’s a pity that after such transgressions one can’t get clean of the past,” Arsy said with grief in his voice. “People will always see a criminal in me.”
“Does it upset you?” Zens seemed to be surprised.
“If not my love for Parelia, I wouldn’t care a bit what people think about me. But now, I am deeply concerned about people’s opinion. I would like to be a hero in her eyes, not a criminal. But, alas!”
Arsy’s eyes became sadder, and Zens hurried to cheer him up. “Don’t worry, everything will be all right.”
They were silent for a while, and judging by his thoughtful expression, Arsy was pondering something very important to him. Finally, he finished chewing another patty, took the next one, and said, “I can’t help thinking about all this. I’m here, and she’s there, far from me, while someone is trying to win her heart. At the mere thought of it…” Arsy squeezed the patty so strongly that the jam started oozing from it, “I go mad with jealousy.”
“So that’s why you are gloomy?” guessed Zens.
“I hate being helpless!” Arsy exclaimed with anger in his voice. “I’m powerless, and that makes my blood boil. Now, I should only implore the gods to help me.”
They didn’t speak for a while, finishing the patties, after which Zens felt his friend’s quizzical look on him and heard his no less quizzical voice. “But you know, Nihena really likes you.”
“What?” exclaimed Zens with a sneer. “You heard what she thinks about me, didn’t you? Besides…” he rubbed his chest, where he had just received a blow that knocked him down, “that savage girl swept me off my feet!”
“Her eyes sparkle when she’s looking at you,” smiled Arsy.
“That might have to do with frenzy...” joked Zens, but then added seriously, “generally, one should be careful with her.”
“You bet! Can you imagine what will happen if she catches you with another girl?” chuckled Arsy, but became serious shortly after. “You don’t have to get close to her; just be nice to her so that she doesn’t tort
ure us too much, okay?”
Zens nodded silently, thought for a while as if doubting whether he should or shouldn’t say it, and pronounced, “But she’s pretty, indeed.”
“That’s definitely true,” agreed Arsy.
“It’s a pity that she’s so ill-tempered. One can hardly find another fretful and wild girl like her in Agastan,” smirked Zens.
Everything was now as clear as day to Arsy. His friend took a liking to Nihena and to an extent that he decided to come back and consign himself to all these ordeals. Of course, he did it for him as well—for Arsy, but something was telling him that Nihena was playing the first role in making that decision. Arsy chose not to tell his friend that he was guessing his secret. Sure enough, he was unwilling to confess to his friend that he was attracted by a savage girl with the most complicated personality in Agastan.
“She’s so quick,” Arsy said after a while, recalling her blow. “Barely had I winked when you were already lying on the ground.”
“Tell me about it!” exclaimed Zens, finishing the last patty. “I even thought that I didn’t notice her blow because of the darkness.”
“In fact, today she gave a lesson, not only to you, but to me too,” Arsy chuckled, shaking his head.
Nihena came back in a few hours. By that time, the guys finished the patties and gotten rid of the evidence, throwing the basket as far as they could. Strangely enough, they were lucky: Nihena brought lots of tasty food. Barely catching sight of the pastry, cold cuts, cheese, and vegetables in her basket, Arsy looked at Zens thoughtfully. “I can’t take anymore!” said his expression. There was simply no more space left for all those delicacies.
Nihena hung the lamp on the hook in the ceiling, and the room was lit with dull light, casting mysterious shadows on everyone in the room. At that, the girl jerked her head as if matter-of-factly, so they guys could notice her ribbons.
“Oh my God, what a beauty!” exclaimed Arsy with barely noticeable irony. “Don’t you fear that other girls will copy your look, Nihena?”
Nihena smiled, but she didn’t answer. She lay the rag on the floor, placed the food on it and took a seat, crossing her legs.
“Dinner is served!” She invited the guests, who for some reason did not hurry to rush at the food. “As I mentioned, there will be no trials today, but they will start tomorrow, so it’s your last proper meal. I recommend you well.”
Nihena started eating everything on the “table” with pleasure.
“It’s a pity I have no appetite,” Arsy said hopelessly, but the appetizing look of the cold cuts and thinly sliced cheese made him join Nihena. “Though, perhaps I’ll have some.”
“I’m not hungry either,” said Zens. “I’ll only have a sandwich.”
Zens also took a seat next to them, looking at the “table” somewhat with regret, which only Arsy and he could understand. If they only knew the food was going to be so delicious, they wouldn’t have eaten those rough patties. Zens took one of the sandwiches and literally crammed it into his mouth.
“I tried so hard to please you, brought many various things, and you don't want to eat?” Nihena said aggrievedly.
“I’m sorry,” answered Arsy. “You saw how many challenges I had to go through today. It’s no wonder I lost appetite.”
Nihena impassively finished chewing her last portion, but her expression was getting crosser and crosser every second. The next instant, she stood up sharply, and in one swift movement, she grabbed Zens’s sandwich, which he was just about to send to his mouth.
“Well, as you wish! You just lost your chance of having a sound meal. You have only yourselves to blame!”
She quickly folded up the table and returned its contents to the basket.
“I’ll give it to the pigs tomorrow.”
“You could at least let me finish my sandwich,” said Zens indignantly.
Nihena was obviously angry with them.
“You could have told me you were not hungry,” she said. “I wouldn’t be running around like an idiot! Enough!” Her commanding voice was heard in the darkness. “Time to sleep!”
“But I don’t want to,” grumbled Zens.
“Neither do I,” said Arsy.
“It’s an order!” commanded Nihena. “You see, I’m trying to be kind to you, but you don’t appreciate it. I’m counting to ten, and if I hear another word…”
“Okay, fine,” Arsy interrupted her. He had no desire to find out what would happen if they didn’t comply with her order.
As for Zens, he was determined to take a chance.
“The night has just fallen. Who sleeps at this hour?”
Arsy grew scared that Nihena would appear next to him in a split second and knock him through the wall, but the girl simply answered, “Tomorrow, we’re supposed to wake up at sunrise. You’ll have to blame yourselves if you sleep through it.”
Her tone did not bode well. Apparently, Zens had decided to stop tempting his fate and so he chose to stay silent. The silence didn’t last long though; in a few minutes, it was interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come in!” said Nihena.
The door was opened, and a young man came inside the stable.
Terrible News
Nesrin, Nihena’s cousin, was a quick-tempered and gloomy person. People like him were commonly referred to as “hotheaded.” Nevertheless, he knew how to control himself when it was required by the circumstances.
He was a bit taller than average, almost а cut above his sister and twice more broad-shouldered. Generally, Nesrin was considered one of the most “vigorous” mercenaries. Broad shoulders, barreled chest, built hands, and strong legs made him a formidable opponent at the trainings and a deadly foe in life. With an explosive personality, he became a person you would rather not argue with over trifles.
Nesrin was rarely seen smiling. He was rather beetle-browed or at least concentrated. His brown eyes seemed to be constantly tracking down the enemy in any little-known interlocutor, while the battle scar under the right eye made the overall unfriendly expression even worse.
Despite his scar and the forever gloomy expression, Nesrin could not be called unattractive. The scar made his face look manly, rather than ugly, whereas his gloomy expression could disappear as quickly as it appeared. Nevertheless, this long-haired “sturdy fellow” was still single. Women usually thought twice before talking to him because of his menacing appearance, and Nesrin, strange though it may seem, was hardly experienced in love affairs.
However, Nesrin was a good man and a perfect mercenary. He sincerely loved his family, and most of his “gloominess” was explained by his caring and being concerned for the safety of his friends and family.
“Is everything all right, Nihena?” he asked anxiously and immediately turned his frown towards her guests. “What are you doing here?”
“Dad sent you here, didn’t he?” asked Nihena.
Lord Mesdrin was unhappy to know the guys did not intend to leave Mozakon. He became even more furious to know Nihena was going to teach them cathastu. But what could he do? His daughter was extremely whimsical and stubborn, so nothing could stop her if she had something on her mind. They often argued because of her whims, and Nihena always came out a winner. If Mesdrin showed resistance, Nihena brought forward her last argument: “I will leave home if you don’t do it my way!” That was when her father gave way. He knew his daughter perfectly well and had no doubt she’d bring her threats into action.
Their arguments started when Nihena decided to explore the secrets of martial arts. She was a little girl, but even then, she was eager to battle like other mercenaries. Her father understandably didn’t approve of that idea. However, Nihena’s stubbornness had no limits. She left the house, stayed with relatives for a few weeks, and stipulated a condition: “I will only come back if father changes his decision.” In the end, Mesdrin gave way; he promised to teach her battling, but deep in his heart, he still held onto the hope that she would soon change her mind and reve
rt to her dolls. Mesdrin’s hope were futile; not only did Nihena not change her mind, but she seriously took up martial arts, mastering one style after another. It was soon the time to learn cathastu. Mesdrin did his best not to let her learn that style, but Nihena couldn’t be stopped; she didn’t miss a single class, and no one could send her off.
“Yes, he is worried about you,” nodded Nesrin.
Despite his reserved intonation, Nesrin was boiling with resentment and indignation. Arsy, the most wanted criminal in Agastan, was now in Mozakon, and if it appeared the mercenaries didn’t denounce him, they would have serious problems with the government and, most importantly, with Parelia.
“No need to be worried. I just decided to teach the guys cathastu,” declared Nihena resolutely.
“But why?” asked Nesrin.
“Because Grandpa Farin refused to teach them, and now, I am Arsy’s last hope,” answered Nihena. She often called Sensei Farin, Grandpa Farin.
“Since when have you taught cathastu?” asked Nesrin, surprised.
“Since now. The guys are desperate, and if I don’t help Arsy, he will eventually fall victim to Erathos.”
“And which one is Arsy?” asked Nesrin and turned to the man his sister pointed at. His menacing look betokened no good. “I wonder how Agastan endures people like you…”
“What have I done to you?” exclaimed Arsy, surprised.
“Nothing, happily for you, otherwise you’d lose your head. Make sure not to give sis reasons to complain of you, or I will burn you at the stake,” warned Nesrin, threatening Arsy with a finger.
“Feeling like a lion on your own territory? Meet me some other place and you’ll sing another song,” said Arsy angrily as he rose from his seat.
Nesrin menaced towards Arsy. Arsy met him with a brave expression, despite the fact that his opponent was a mercenary likely also trained in cathastu. Zens also stood up and took up a wooden block from the floor. Nihena stood between them resolutely to prevent a fight.
“Nesrin, you’d better go if there’s nothing else you wanted to say. No need to worry about me!”
