She ran:
“Run, faster, Nik!”
They had already heard the clatter of guard approaching behind them. So far, only the nearest patrols were in a hurry to help, but soon there will be many more. The failed fugitives, of course, darted back, but Nikto couldn’t run fast, although he tried very hard. At least with one hand, from time to time, he needed to stick to the wall, feeling his way. Here they walked slowly, but now they had to retreat quickly. And she could not even reproach him, because she saw that he was trying very hard and was doing everything in his power. They would be now overtaken by the next group of the fastest soldiers… No! Karina couldn’t stand this hell the second time! Moreover, they again descended to the basement level, which meant that the passages there were narrower and narrower. If Nikto waves his sword, then who will give a guarantee that he will not touch her. No! No! No!
She withstood it. Again fiercely defending themselves and retreating, they didn’t allow the guard to come to themselves. And again, Nikto, fighting silently and blindly, shocked her, and even scared her to some extent. He never hit her, although there was nowhere to turn around in the narrow corridor. Once again, getting out of this two-minute mess, although it seemed to Karina like an eternity, Karina exhaled convulsively. For her, the first time was enough, how she withstood this tension and was able to repulse the second attack, or rather help Nikto to repulse it. She herself didn’t understand how she managed to do it! But what was the use? They had nowhere to run. Only down, which meant that sooner or later they would be caught like rats in a dungeon. There were no exits. The more they resisted, the more corpses they would leave behind, and the worse it would be… the worse it would be for Nikto. Later.
Because now she knew that everyone would say, and how to justify herself: “He bewitched her.” Everything was simple. And very noble in relation to his brother. But it will be later, and now… Now she even regretted that the first guard was so stupid that he let them through, now he only bothered them, and they would have to kill him. To kill again…
Nikto was ahead of her. Having got rid of the guard, almost head over heels they flew down the stairs, from the arch, again to Nikto’s chamber. What a pity that nothing came of it, and he will have to be closed there again. And now, of course, he will be executed, because everyone will consider that he bewitched her, and even if she defends him, no one will believe her. After all, she is bewitched!
There was his chamber. But it seemed that Nikto wasn’t going to return there at all. He ran, if one could call it that, past, deepening further down the corridor, heading in the opposite direction from all exits.
“Nik! There is a dead end! There are no exits!”
He turned around, and to her horror, he quickly approached her, grabbing her arm. The way he dragged up his leg and his blind eyes, to be honest, frightened her now no less than they frightened the guards.
“Where are you taking me?”
Does he want to take her as a hostage? Well, this is not so stupid. Only if his voice came back to him, otherwise the notes would hardly work out with the guards. Without letting her come to her senses, Nikto pulled her along, turned somewhere, several times they went down some steep and narrow stairs, as if he knew this road, knew where to go, and there was nobody here. And the guards were already left somewhere behind.
