“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!”

The portal closed smoothly and silently. Nikto began to look at him, something was drawn on the floor, indicated by strange symbols and signs that he didn’t understand.

“What a strange Port they have,” he said thoughtfully, “it is as if the main points where you can get are already set. These are all red cities. It is tuned in, focused on them. Well, how can I orient it to my Limit?”

“Deal with it, Nik,” said Lis impatiently. “I need Marcus.”

“Your Marcus can wait! I don’t understand anything! Here you need to demolish all these settings, reset them to zero first. Oh!”

“Nik, figure it out!”

“Then all get out of here!”

Verniy took the most luxurious apartments of the commander of the garrison for his master, and Lis with Karina and Vitor Kors settled down nearby, occupying no less rich rooms of his associates.

Lis placed in front of Karina a beautiful fur vest made from the skins of fluffy white foxes living by the North Sea. Karina, seeing the fur, laughed happily. Lis smiled a little shyly at her too:

“Here, take it,” he put on top a large box full of precious jewelry.

Karina took earrings with teardrop-shaped mother-of-pearls:

“Do you think they will match my dark hair? Will it be beautiful?”

“Yes. Very beautiful.”

She embraced him impulsively:

“Thank you! Thank you! I love you so much! There's such a great bathroom here! And hot water! As soon as I climb in there, I will never get out!”

Lis smiled contentedly:

“Choose some piece of jewelry as a present for Anya. She fought very bravely.”

“What?!”

“Karina…” Lis’ voice became icy, “There’s a plenty here. Don't be a bitch and give something to Anya!”

Tears gushed from Karina's eyes:

“I'm not a bitch!”

“Then don't act like that!”

“Take it! Give her everything!” Karina threw the box at him.

“You will get lit up now! I am not kidding!” Lis raised his hand, and Karina, quickly dodging, jumped back.

“I'll go and take Anya and fuck her in all the holes in front of your eyes! Do you want it? Since you regret the fucking ring or chain for her, I will reward her in my own way, she will like it! She will brag to everyone about how the commander fucked her, and his stupid chick looked at it and cried!”

Karina’s face twisted in horror:

“I won’t forgive you!”

“And what will you do? Will you run to Nija?”

Karina, realizing that the situation was getting out of control, rushed to the box. With trembling hands, she grabbed the first gold chain with a pendant that came across and held out to Lis:

“Here, take it, please. Forgive me. I don’t mind anything, you misunderstood a little…”

Lis didn’t take the decoration:

“Then we'll talk. Nik is waiting for me. Take your bath.”

He went down the stairs to the living room.

“I opened the Port,” Nikto said.

“Should I go with you?”

“Well no…”

“If you need me, I'll go.”

“Do you want?”

“Of course not!”

“Then stay. I'll do everything with Verniy.”

“Thank you.”

“Tell me, besides the commander of the garrison, did you choose two more?”