"Yes, it fits," Orel said thoughtfully.
"The Unclean know that a man with such a face won't ever be a full-righted member of our society," Enriki said.
"I think he's quite handsome," Lis said.
"Oh, why don't you get yourself decorations like that then?" Tol laughed.
Lis glared at him. "Shut up, Tol!"
"If someone gets such a wound in a battle," Orel continued musing, "no matter how heavy it is, he can use a medicine, 'sama', for example. It heals without a trace then. And if he didn't do it, it means they didn't let him. I think so."
He bent over Nikto, examining him.
"And there are many small tiny cuts, as if he were slashed. But they are all healed."
Lis squatted near to him.
"Orel, look at those scars at his ear. It looks like his ear was cut off. And then a new one adhered."
"He's been through a lot," Enriki said.
"Well, the Red also cut off ears," Lis said. "Ears and fingers."
They looked at Nikto's hand that missed its ring finger.
"Bad luck for him," Tol said. "It seems we'll find out more about him from his body than he would've told us. Let's strip him! While he's out of it."
"So, both the Unclean and the Red were breaking him" Orel mused aloud.
"And so were we," Lis added.
"And why would everyone need him, this nobody from the west," Tol muttered stripping Nikto.
"That's the thing. It's not so simple." Lis lit a cigarette and took a nervous drag. "I wouldn't mess into it, I told you from the beginning! Orel, do you hear me?"
"I hear you."
"Oh, I'm happy."
"Nah," Tol said, "if they maim you, addict to black water, and the rest of it, you won't care about nothing, you'll just want to stay alive!"
"Look, he's trying to restore," Enriki noticed.
"Yes, this guy claws for his life," Lis agreed looking at Nikto's strong muscular body.
"But he doesn't look like a terribly lucky warrior to me," Enriki shook his head.
"No. Too lucky, to my mind," Orel said. "That arrow hit his heart, didn't it?" He pointed at the oval scar on Nikto's chest.
"A lethal wound," Lis said.
"And this one, on his side. The scar is quite recent."
"He has nine lives," Tol snorted.
"And a bunch of problems as well," Orel added. "I'm quitting."
"Are you crazy?" Enriki stared at him. "What are you thinking of?"
"I'm not breaking him any more," Orel said firmly. "I've had enough."