“I live the life of those whom I paint…”
Nadya Rusheva
Chapter one
In the Fort
Following an elaborate plan of Lis, they managed to capture the Fort.
Lis with Karina and Nikto descended the steep steps into the dungeon of the main tower.
“You can faster!” Lis was in a hurry and swore at Nikto in red and black at the same time.
-“No! I can’t!” Nikto swore too, only in unclean – he tried to go down the narrow steps of the stairs, and he did very badly.
“In short, come on sharper, eh?”
“Ladders are not what I like! Especially if downstairs!”
Lis held out his hand:
“Do I have to drag you on me?!”
“Damn, I’m coming!”
They went down to the dungeon of the Fort, and Niktosaw the Portal. Near it, the black mercenaries of Kors held the commander of the garrison. This red tried toescape, but didn’t have time.
“Sigmer, let me go!” He cried in despair when he saw Lis. “For our past friendship! You were sitting at my table! Sigmer! I treated you like an honored guest, we shared bread together, drank wine!”
Lis, as if not hearing his words, came up and silently punched his former friend in the jaw. The red fell to the floor, blood flowed from his smashed mouth. The black ones raised him again, holding him on bothsides: tightly bound, he couldn’t even move. The commander glanced at Lis with hatred and spat on the floor with his broken teeth along with blood.
Lis turned to Nikto:
“Is he suitable for the unclean? Can we trade him for Marcus? Or is he too old?”
“It will do,” said Nikto. “He is educated, it will come in handy.”
“Good!” Lis was delighted.
And at that moment, the floor under their feet vibrated, and the Portal opened like a door. They saw a very bright blue sky, brown rocks covered with tufts of hanging emerald green vines, and a beautiful city in the distance. The domed roofs gleamed like gold. Multi-colored: yellow, orange, red, purple – twisted spiers of the towers aimed upward. Everyone froze.
“What is it?” Karina whispered.
“It looks like this is the city of the reds in the Upper World,” Nikto said. “This is the Upper World.”
“He wanted to escape to the Upper World?” Lis was surprised.
“Apparently, yes.”
“How beautiful!” Admired Karina. She admired the picturesque landscape and city.
Lis narrowed his eyes slightly:
“Is this the Upper World? My eyes will burst now, how bright everything is! It’s like I took acid!”
