Finally realizing what had happened and will now begin, Karina again rushed at Edin Ol, but he didn’t even think to attack. He rushed to Black Bey, picking him up, dragging him away from Nikto. The rest scattered disgracefully. And Nikto was standing. Karina sank to the ground with an exhalation. That was all.
However, she hastened a little in her conclusions, not all of them fled. Toby stood in front of Nikto in a classic stance with a twisted face, his sword tightly gripped in his hand. And Nikto, looking at him, without changing his face, raised his sword too. Their duel, according to the canons of the Academy, didn’t last long. Disarmed, Toby was lying on the tombstone in front of his opponent with his hand twisted in a classic manner. For a while they looked at each other as if examining.
“Well? Kill!” Fear flashed in Toby's eyes, but he held out with all his might, trying to look at Nikto with a challenge.
“No,” Nikto shook his head, “you are not my enemy.”
Toby involuntarily glanced towards the runaway friends.
“Letting go? Are you keeping alive?”
Nikto caught his eye.
“If you want to stay alive, forget about them. And in no case return to the village of swamps.”
Toby's face twisted in fear.
“What? What's there?!”
Nikto didn’t answered this question.
“Go out on the tract,” he waved his hand, “this way. And go back to town.”
“What should I do there?!”
“Start a new life. Go to Tol and tell him everything. Say that I asked for you.”
“As if he will believe me!”
“Tol will believe. Return to the “Upper” to the Academy and finish your studies. Find yourself a good girl and forget everything that came before. Forget Arel!”
Toby chuckled bitterly.
“It's easy to say,” he involuntarily ran his fingers over the disfigured mouth. He rose from the slab, looked at Nikto without fear:
“Is it easy for you to forget what's on your face?”
They looked at each other. Nikto bowed to him. Almost face to face. Letting him see himself, his scars, his tattoos on the cheeks.
“This is not about me,” finally said Nikto calmly. “But…” he hesitated, “I'm trying. I'm trying, Toby.”
He flinched when Nikto called him by name.
“You need a family,” Nikto pulled away from him, stepping back and letting him get up.
Toby chuckled bitterly, brushing dust and moss off his clothes.