Landing not far from the gate, one could see how the guards crowded on the walls, not understanding what to do.
Grunting at their behavior, they were not used to such an enemy and most likely became confused, which would not last long.
Having descended from the wyvern, I heard the guards shouting that the wyvern had a rider who was heading towards the gate.
Approaching the locked gate and raising my head, looking from one guard to the other, who looked at me with fear and interest.
- What do you need, sir, from us humble residents of the city? - The broken voice of one of the guards was heard.
Looking from the guards in search of whoever was speaking, many tried to hide behind the walls when they saw that I was looking at them.
Mentally I shook my head, the guards should not be afraid, otherwise the residents who rely on them will pay for their fear.
There was only one guard who looked at me with fear and did not try to hide behind the walls; he was of advanced age, his short gray hair and with his gray eyes he assessed me.
- My name is Rikua, not long ago I left this city with the hunter Lualia. - I turned to the guard in a loud voice, carefully looking at his behavior. - Call her here, she will confirm that I am not your enemy.
Screams were heard from the walls in which the guards dispersed the frozen residents and went to look for the girl, the speaking guard did not take his eyes off me.
I didn't want to wait long, I remembered that a guard let us through when we left the city, but unfortunately I didn't remember his name.
A little time passed, the guard who did not take his eyes off me and the wyvern suddenly disappeared and reappeared on his face with a gloomy expression.
- Wanderer Rikua, if that is your name, then you should know that the huntress Lualia has not returned. - The guard shouted to me in a wary voice. - After you left the city with her, no one saw her and she did not return to the city.
She didn't go back to town? Remembering our last conversation, Lualia did not say anything about staying in the forest.
- I'm as surprised as you are that she hasn't returned to town. - I answered without hiding my surprise. - She didn't tell me anything about plans to stay in the forest.
The guard silently listened to me and sometimes turned his head towards the walls, apparently someone was standing next to him and speaking quietly because I did not hear anything.
- Okay, you found out that the huntress Lualia is missing. - The guard said warily, turning his gaze to the wyvern. - Now you will fly away on your monster?
Sighing, I wanted, thanks to the girl, to meet with the elders of the city to decide on the possibility of Aueli and Ru'El staying here.
- No, I came here to meet with your elders. - Answering the guard, I could see how he frowned, I saw how his lips moved but did not hear what he said. - I'm not your enemy and I don't want unnecessary casualties on the part of the city's residents.
I heard laughter from the walls, the guard with whom I spoke winced, it was clear that whoever laughed did not evoke respect from the guard.
Behind the laughter, a young man appeared; he had long brown hair and blue eyes in which disdain was visible, looking from me to the wyvern, a grin appeared on his face.
- Get away on your lizard while you're still alive, I know what you did to one of the elders. - The young man said angrily. - Then you attacked unexpectedly, but now you are alone and outside the walls of the city, stay there!
Looking at the young man, I didn't recognize him among those who were in the hall where the elders were sitting. I was wondering why the guard allowed him to talk to me.
- Young man, you don't know, but in the world they rarely ask for anything. - I turned to the speaker in a cold voice.
The young man's laughter was heard again, watching him lean against the wall and a smile was visible on his face, and he spat at my feet and laughed again.
- Get out while you're still alive, otherwise your wyvern won't save you. - He said arrogantly in a loud voice, in his gaze I could see that he wanted to continue trying to humiliate me.
Shifting my gaze from the young man to the guard who looked at me warily and then at the wyvern.
Probably one of the reasons for the strict upbringing in the Kray Empire was to prevent princes and princesses from thinking about themselves more than they really are.
- I wanted to pass peacefully, have it your way. - I answered the young man in a cold voice, listening to his laughter and calling on the tormentors, giving the order to them to seize the young man and bring him to me alive.
The appearance of unexpected figures forced the laughing young man to stop laughing and cautiously move away from the wall.
The orc threw his large shield to another friend and ran up to the wall, lifted it, hitting the shield with his huge hand, giving some kind of sign. Interested in this behavior, I watched as an elf figure armed with two swords ran towards the orc and, pushing off with his feet from the orc's shield, jumped up.
From above it was impossible to see where the tormentor had reached if those standing did not lean on the wall and look down. Fear gave way to fun, leaning on the wall and contorting his face into a grin, he looked at me.
- How stupid are you if you thought that your weak magic could damage these walls! - The young man shouted mockingly, turning to me.
Ignoring the behavior of the young man on the wall, I watched as the elf figure climbed the walls. Finding himself next to the place where the young man stood and thrusting one blade into the wall and resting his feet on the blade and thrusting the other blade higher.
Pulling himself up on the blade that was above him and throwing his arm over the wall, grabbing the speaking young man with a quick movement and throwing him into the air, there was a cry of panic with which the young man fell.
The guards standing on the wall froze, they were still trying to understand what had just happened in front of them, the cry of the young man pulled them out of shock, leaning against the wall, expecting to see the young man broken on the ground, they saw how my other tormentor was holding him in chains, not allowing him to break.
The torturer held the young man in chains, not allowing him to escape, enveloping his arms and legs with chains and putting him on his knees in front of me, I heard the young man screaming and demanding to help him.
- You know, if I had come here before meeting the hunter Lualia, I would have killed you and many of the residents. - I said addressing the screaming young man who no longer had any arrogance or smile. - You should be grateful to her, because of our acquaintance with her you will live.
The guy did not listen to me and continued to scream and try to break free from the chains of the tormentor, shaking his head and creating a blade of darkness and leaning towards him, I could see how he began to sweat and his eyes ran around in search of salvation. Shifting his gaze from me to the blade in my hands, he tried to say something.
- I didn't say that you would be whole, alive but not whole. - I said, turning to the young man in a quiet, cold voice, who froze and looked from me to the blade. - Where I come from value strength in all its manifestations, but you are only strong with your tongue.
Grabbing him with his other hand, his attempts to escape from the grip of my hand gave him only pain, tears flowed down his cheeks, he tried to say something, but I was not interested in what the guy was trying to tell me, pressing his fingers on the levels of his jaw, forcing him to open his mouth in pain. I felt his breath hitch and some of his missing teeth reminded me of who he was.
His tongue twitched, and from the holes where his teeth had once been, saliva began to seep onto my fingers. I winced and, raising the blade, I pierced the young man's tongue with the tip.
The guy began to squirm and try to throw his head up, escaping from the pain, I felt the blade pass through the tongue of the young man who was trying to escape.
Removing the blade and watching how the tongue twitched more and more slowly and gradually turned black until it froze, struggling with disgust, thrusting his freed hand into the young man's mouth and pulling what had once been a tongue towards himself.
I could hear something tearing inside the frozen young man's mouth until his tongue ended up in my hand. Pulling it out and removing my hand, I turned back to the wall.
The guard with whom I spoke earlier appeared in my view; in his gaze there was no longer fear, only fear; he squeezed the wall with his hands and tried not to look at what I had in my hands.
Turning my gaze to the young man who had already lost consciousness, I chuckled and called my tormentors away, raising my hand high to show everyone who was on the walls what I had in my hand.
- He will be alive, consider the tongue as payment for his behavior in front of me. - I turned to the guard standing on the wall, whose complexion began to change more and more. - If you let me through, then no one else will get hurt, unless of course they themselves are to blame.
Watching as the guard with whom I spoke began to move away from the wall and quick steps followed towards the gate, gradually they began to open allowing me to pass.
- You'd better wait here under the protection of the wyvern. - I said in a loud voice to the light elf and the girl sitting on the wyvern.
Without turning to them and leaving the unconscious young man lying on the ground, I headed towards the open gate near which a group of residents were already standing and looking at me and the young man lying on the ground with fear in their eyes; you could see how many of them were trembling.
Approaching them, some began to retreat; shouts were heard from behind the residents, calling on them to move aside.
The residents began to part ways and the guard with whom I spoke came out to me, examining him and how he behaved, I could see that he, unlike the other guards who were looking out from behind his back, knew how to use a sword and most likely once he was or a warrior or a guard in the city.
But if the light elf did not react in any way to the guard's voice, then he was not from Midgen.
The guard looked at me incessantly, fear was visible in his gaze, just like those who had gathered, but he tried to control it by grinning and passing through the gate, I was immediately surrounded by guards holding out their swords and spears aimed at me.
Looking from each of them and watching how fear in their eyes obscured their memories of what happened to the young man.
Raising an eyebrow and turning his gaze to the guard who was trying not to lose me from his field of vision, he looked around at the guards who were pointing their weapons at me.
- You fools forgot that his magic overcame the walls without any problems and we couldn't do anything! - The guard shouted in a loud voice, grabbing the guard standing next to him and knocking the sword out of his hands, the sound of falling steel echoed around the circle. - I order you to immediately lower your swords and spears!