"He is human! You don't know him at all!"
"Well, now you know him," Squint-Eye smiled dreamily.
Tol took out Nikto's jewelry, the chain with nose and ear rings.
"Wow! It's heavy!" Tol admiringly weighed it in his palm.
"Put this disgusting thing back," Enriki winced.
Tol looked at Orel.
"Can I try it on? I wanted to see how it looks on me for a long time!"
"Why are you asking me, it's not mine," Orel turned away; he felt sick.
Tol came up to the mirror.
"Beautiful!" he whispered admiringly, pulling out the ring from his nose to put on Nikto's chain.
"We need to bring a doctor," Lis shut the casket. "We're wasting time."
"I won't let the doctor touch me," Orel shouted, "I'll kill him, I have enough strength for that, rest assured!"
"But why, for fuck's sake?"
"Because Nik will heal me, that's why! He wounded me and he'll heal me!"
"But it is stupid, Arel! Let me take a look, at least!"
"No! Get your hands off me! Get your hands off, Lis, or else!"
"You're burning! Oh gods! You have fever!" Lis grabbed Orel and yanked the bandage off. Orel screamed wildly. There was a crimson swelling in the place of his eye, seeping blood and white mucus.
Enriki covered his mouth. It seemed Squint-Eye's bad eye managed to look straight at the moment when he stared at Orel. Tol dropped the chain, forgetting to stick the ring into his ear, and the chain hung swaying onto his chest from his nostril.
"He knocked out your eye!" Lis screamed holding his head. "What shall we do? He mutilated you! Gods, what shall you do? You're a warrior! How will you fight without an eye? How?"
"Well, I do fight, after all," Squint-Eye said. "Orel will get used with time, I'll help him."
"What? What are you talking about?" Lis was ready to pull out his hair in anger.
"Nik will heal him," Tol said taking off the chain. "He did heal Asa."
"Orel, my poor Orel, forgive me! I'll bring the doctor!"
"No!" Orel tried to get up to stop Lis.
Lis ran to the door and at this moment it opened and Nikto entered the room. He and Lis nearly bumped into each other. Everyone froze.
"Curse you!" Lis shouted. "Curse you, you freak!"
He slapped Nikto's cheek, then the other, the first again, then once more, it happened very fast. Nikto pressed to the door, he was without his mask. Lis yanked off his glasses. Nikto screwed his eyes shut, tried to cover them, he didn't even try to counter Lis. Lis grabbed his hair, yanked it with all his force, pulled Nikto closer at first and then pushed slamming Nikto's head against the door.