Tursed my worid upside down

Chapter 32: Rebel Lair



Klaus gathered his last strength and approached Yegor, over whom Lilith was still sitting. The gray lines were spreading with frightening speed and had already risen above his elbow. Klaus touched his friend's wet forehead and pulled his hand back. Egor was burning, and his breathing was weakening.

"Hey," the prince called out to his newly-made allies, not addressing anyone in particular, "is there a healer among you?"

A man in a black cloak, thrown over light armor, approached the young man. A helmet was visible under the hood. Only now did Klaus notice the strangers' attire. They had no uniform, as if this small army had been hastily assembled from various mercenaries they had encountered along the way. Perhaps Klaus would have thought so if he had not seen how they worked together so closely, something that could only be achieved through long and persistent training.

Klaus looked at the stranger carefully, then noticed several soldiers passing by, but none of them had a coat of arms. The only thing they had in common was black cloaks, but if other soldiers did not put on a hood and some even took off their helmets, then the one standing in front of him clearly did not want to reveal his identity.

"Have we met somewhere?" Klaus voiced his guess.

"I think, Your Majesty," he answered with a slight bow, "now you should be more concerned about your friend. How long has he been in this state?"

"Are you a healer?"

"Not exactly, but I know some things. For example, that your companion was poisoned and this poison is very strong, so I ask how long he has been in this state, to determine how much time we still have."

"I don't know for sure, but he lost consciousness shortly before you appeared."

"These stripes, how much have they grown since then?"

"Almost twice as much."

"I understand," the stranger answered and took something out of the inside pocket of his cloak, holding out a small glass flask to Klaus. "Pour this into his mouth."

"What is this? An antidote?" the prince asked, looking at the flask with distrust, but took it anyway.

"No. This potion will freeze all vital processes for a few hours. This will stop the spread of the poison until we arrive at our camp."

"Your camp? I don't think that's a good idea. I want you to help him here."

"With all due respect, but I can't help him here. Our best healer is also a poison specialist in the camp, and if we send for him, it will take twice as long. It could cost the boy his life. The choice is yours, Your Majesty."

"Stop calling me that. Right now, I'm just Klaus. I'll go with you, but if this is some kind of trick, I'll roast all your accomplices, even if it costs me my life."

The man in the black cloak saw that the prince was not bluffing. He knew that this stubborn heir could take such a step, but now was not the time to reveal his identity. First, it was necessary to calm the prince down, and to do this, the man would have to make every effort and save this frail slave, to whom, for some unknown reason, Klaus had become attached.

"There are no tricks, Your Majesty."

"Klaus. Call me Klaus," the prince hissed.

"Allow me to address you as Your Majesty for now, and if later you do not change your mind, then I will be very happy to call you by your name."

"Do as you wish," the prince said, pouring the contents of the bottle into Egor's mouth and throwing his head back so that the liquid slipped down his throat. The Adam's apple on Egor's neck slowly twitched and the guy began to be covered with a thin crust of ice before his eyes. He let out his last breath and froze like a statue.

"Son of a bitch!" Klaus rushed at the man in black "You killed him!"

"No! No, I told you that this was a temporary effect, in a few hours he would thaw out and everything would be as before. I swear, this potion did not kill him!" the stranger answered, raising his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

"If this is not so, then after I destroy your entire camp, I will take on you and tear you off piece by piece, not letting you die easily. Do you understand me?"

"But he was not that bloodthirsty," the man thought, involuntarily shuddering - "But this is even to our advantage."

"I gave you my word and I intend to keep it. And now, let's not waste time and hit the road."

***

The camp was a few hours' journey from the former queen's estate. It was located under an impressive cliff, or rather, it looked like a sheer cliff. As if someone had carefully cut out a piece of land and raised it several dozen meters up.

When the procession approached the camp, the prince noticed about fifteen people at most. Everyone was busy with their own business. Some were collecting brushwood, others were cutting up meat. Several women were sewing something under the crowns of the only tall tree. Something resembling cloaks made of leather, which would most likely be dyed black later.

Klaus dismounted from his horse, following the example of the commander and his soldiers. Carefully removed Egor, who was wrapped in a piece of stiff fabric. He refused to hand over his friend's frozen body to anyone else, but decided not to neglect the offered "wrapper", which at least held back the cold from Egor a little, allowing Klaus not to freeze during these hours on the road.

Lilith, who was riding with one of the soldiers and clearly did not feel the best from such close "communication" with him, approached him hesitantly. Now, approaching her savior, the girl relaxed a little. Klaus only threw a quick, disinterested glance at her, still holding his precious burden in his arms and feeling that the cold had already reached her bones.

- Your Majesty, please follow me - one of the soldiers came up and bowed.

They walked silently to the base of the "rock", where the entrance, lit by two torches, was hidden behind a single large tree. Klaus hesitated for only a second, assessing the situation. How small was the cave? Would he be able to fight off a surprise attack without collapsing the walls on his head? He decided that now was not the time to worry about that.

"Stay outside," he threw Lilith over his shoulder.

"No," she screamed in fear and from this sound the looks that people on the street were throwing became even more interested.

Klaus turned his heavy gaze to her, not wanting to waste time on arguing.

"Please, lord!" she begged. "Don't leave me! I will be useful, I will definitely be useful!"

The girl was seriously scared, thinking that this frightening gentleman would leave her among strangers and she would be captured again. He really inspired horror, especially during the attack, but, strangely enough, the girl felt calmer next to him.

"Good," and they all went into the cave together.

Surprisingly, it was quite spacious. High ceilings, decorated with stone, a wide corridor that led somewhere far into the depths. If Klaus had not seen that they had entered an unremarkable hole in the mountain, he would have thought that he had ended up in an estate, or maybe even a castle, judging by the size of the small part that he managed to see, turning after the soldier into one of the rooms.

It turned out to be a long room. On both sides there were rows of simple beds, close to each other and separated only by small tables. Strange balls filled with fire were flying under the ceiling and illuminating the cave. Several beds were occupied, and Klaus realized, judging by the people resting there, that this was a hospital.

"Please, put him here," the soldier pointed to one of the beds at the very end of the room.

Klaus moved Egor onto the bed and sighed with relief. He could no longer feel his hands from the cold. The prince looked around and saw another passage right behind the bed where he had just laid his friend. The curtains made of gray burlap moved aside, and a skinny man at least a head taller than Klaus appeared in the opening. Short mouse-colored hair, a scar on his cheek, as if someone had specially cut off a piece of skin and the prince assumed that there used to be a sign of a high-born family there. One eye was covered by a bandage made of a bush of black leather. The man also wore a black cloak, hiding underneath not military armor, but a once expensive and exquisite mantle, the burgundy color of which had lost its saturation, and the fabric in several places was so worn that the holes were covered by patches of the same rough burlap in which his friend was still wrapped.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. I am glad that you have finally joined us. I am Brod, a healer."

"Brod? What family are you from?"

"I have long since renounced my family," he answered, running his hand over the ugly scar. "Now I am simply Brod."

"Then Brod, do your direct duties and heal him," Klaus turned his gaze to Egor, who had already begun to thaw and his face was acquiring a pink tint.

"I will do everything in my power," the healer bowed.

"No," Klaus said categorically, "you will do even more than in your power, if necessary."

The healer bowed low again and turned his attention to the patient.


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