The bitter taste was still there. He carefully opened his eyes. Shimmering pain settled in although Baor, the younger sun, was past its zenith, hurrying to shine upon some other remote spot Atef never heard of. He shook feverishly, his arms and legs heavy and pain-riddled. Where is he? Has some new hell transpired starting its own dance? – the thought hummed and ricocheted in his skull.

- Help! – still blinded, he yelled out instinctively feeling the touch on his forehead.

- Calm down, I will not hurt you – a known voice started off with an undertone. – A grave tragedy befell you and I know you have a lot of questions, but you must recover soon. I couldn’t forgive myself if the joyous verve and thirst for knowledge that recently defined you disappear. They battered you badly, but you will pull through.

- Master Togrin! – the youngling rewarded his caretaker with an excited whisper. – Who hurt me? Everything hurts so yeee, I think I’ll croak.

- You will not, no! We applied the best ointments and balms, sang hymns to protectors of the ill, praise-chanted, scented the whole room with incense. You are not leaving us. Rest, we will talk later.

The boy stayed silent for a moment working out his thoughts with a sour facial expression before finally deciding not to give up.

- But who? And how long I slept?

- It doesn’t matter who, it doesn’t now! I don’t want you to bring forth those recollections. You must rest and get stronger otherwise all will be in vain. You were out for two days. Until the healer arrived, we feared the worst, but he chased the fears away. He said you are made from something harder, fiercer, that your body doesn’t let you leave. Like in the story I told you once… Remember? Of turtle and eagle.

- I remember. But turtle was lucky, it tumbled away after falling and ran ‘way to fix wounds. And me … I had scary dreams master, visions my ma’s would call ‘em! - he minced out through a teary squeal. – Of a burned head, ribs that punch into heart, thrones of black shiny rock that come and go and curses … threats from ghosts! Like when Darek shouts that we didn’t dig the norm and then he lashes and slaps, and sometimes cuts bellies open! But t’is was stronger master, like they tore my soul and snatched a piece away to chomp with pleasure! Horrible, horrible, horrible…

- Drink this! – ordered Togrin pushing a spoonful of thick molasses-like mixture into boy’s ranting mouth. A sour-bitter blend infused with honey calmed the boy and he quickly sank into slumber.

*

Whispering?! Quiet, scheming, difficult to guess where from. Horrid! Too close! He wouldn’t dare open his eyes, but he continued listening in fear. Princeps! Who is that? They mention him so often in their talks. At first they hate him, and then they fear him. He killed someone as if he was a monster crafted by some wicked supernatural power alien to this world, or maybe an instrument of retribution the angered gods used.

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– Three of them! Which three? My three? Canna not be! All was a dream, I was out before someone saved me… it must be. All of it was scares, nightmares, visions!

- He is dangerous! I shivered like a hog about to be slaughtered while I was tending to him today! When will you know what to do with him?! He could easily bring this whole place on our heads when he experiences some new shock, the next time maybe something as harmless as a pit stuck in his throat!

- Princeps is a fortunate coincidence, a treasure of sorts – rang the answer in Atef’s head. Dispute of unknown voices started to gain colour and pitch Atef knew.

- He is unaware without a doubt, something like a conundrum which has to be tossed and shifted around to gain the unusual gift he has and, what matters more, master its use. I need more time and that is an order you will obey no matter the fear and risk! We did grow up together, but remember that you are still my servant! And if all goes well, you will be a courtly servant away from this agrarian nowheresville which my degenerate father left in graver state than he found it in.

- What you think I should do? – the fearful responded with unease. For all this time he hasn’t squeaked a single word that would give us any knowledge, while becoming even more dangerous. It’s better we cut his throat in sleep before he kills us off, and let your boys learn on their own what to do!

- Although I have my utmost confidence in those who seek below what he found and mastered with ease, I don’t want to reduce the number of my options! If at any moment he becomes aware of what transpired and your clumsy lies about self-combusting wood and endless roof refurbishing lose ground, you must find a way to control him.

- How!? You saw what he did to Glif, Velmer and Roland!? You wanted to beat it out of him, and now what?! He became a killer!

- That’s none of my concern, you always knew how to sidestep problems. Your style lacks polishing lately though. Daydream about the castle I’d take you to while you handle him, maybe it will give you inspiration. This undertaking must not fail, you have no notion of how much everything changes because of him, how much potential that hole which happen to be on my land has! If those halfwits from Jarat or some other neighbouring county found out, they’d be dancing on our graves now and this land would belong to another. You know far well that the Omologs have already enough problems to keep the Empire together after Besria, while Rethian and Untar spies are everywhere. Who knows which of the local barons, dukes, clergy and other nobles they hold under the paw! Shut your mouth and find out how to have as many Principes as I command, not one! When that becomes reality, the boy is dead weight. Until then, treatment fit for royalty, since the stick evidently didn’t do me much good.

The child’s stone-like fast asleep face twitched at the mention of the stick, breaking the guise of deep slumber. He opened his eyes fearful that his two benefactors-conspirators are present there in the room, spilling out their plans in front of him, presumed dormant. The stillness of the room brought confusion, voices he was hearing dissolved in an instant although they were climaxing towards the finer details of their plan. What he just heard, seemed more as reality than dream. He didn’t feel any exhaustion or delirium, prompting him not to accept that he must be fantasising as he was previously coerced into believing. Setting his mind into a frenzied flux, he stormed across his memories hunting for key events, moments before awakening in the villa. The exertion lasted forever but the mysterious force, he was by now convicted resided within him, remained silent. It saved his life and then secluded itself anew. Confined to the bed, deserted, the boy spent a sleepless night looking for a way out.