Bird. [https://i.imgur.com/u9hnEU5.jpeg]

Nix left, leaving me alone. Kara-kora flew into my room and settled in the closet. I guess they somehow realized that nighttime was approaching when they could sleep and gain fresh strength.

I lay on the hard and weed-scented bed and thought about what had happened that day.

- How long would Jude and his comrades be looking for me? What would he tell my relatives? Would I go back to my usual way of life? Will I be able to use my powers in my world?

It’s strange how things work out. You make plans for a day a week or a few years. You live hoping everything will work out the way you planned. But, an extraneous factor interferes in your destiny and you are no longer a businessman or a teacher, but a soldier. You lie in a foxhole and think about an enemy shell or missile flying by.

I had planned to visit an exhibition of marble sculptures, but instead of an exhibition I lay in a dugout and dreamed of slaying a dragon.

But maybe this unexpected situation makes sense. Maybe it’s a time for rest, for rethinking, for new possibilities I haven’t seen before.

I can panic, and get desperate, but that won’t lead to anything good. Better to accept this situation for what it is and look for ways to cope...

- Hey! Aren't you all tired of listening to me? - I turned to my friends. The beer they brought was warming up, the nuts were still lying in the bags. Michael was the first to answer:

- Your story has some hypnotic power. I listen to you and I feel everything you feel. I’m telling you.

- I experienced the same thing, - Nikos smiled. - Holding the bird in my hand, lying on the bed.

- I would have shit my pants. Fighting a dragon is not my calling, - admitted Sasha. - We knew little about you.

- I knew little about myself, - I shrugged. - If I hadn’t had Nix’s support, or the advice and help of the blacksmith Maleus, I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.

- And you wouldn’t have dragged us to your fucking country, - Blondin said for some reason. - I’m like a junkie now. I’m sitting and waiting for you to inject a new portion of your adventures into my nervous system.....

I woke up when one of the birds played the role of my alarm clock. A gentle whistle snapped me out of my slumber and I jumped up. Nix disappeared somewhere, leaving me with a chopped salad, only with a unique, disgusting flavor. I wanted to wash down the unpalatable breakfast with made coffee. The cup was smoking, and the smell of coffee was present. The flavor of the drink was so disgusting that I almost passed out. I was lucky I didn’t get poisoned. While my host was away, I took a look around his dwelling.

Some doors didn't open, indicating that there was something forbidden in there.

- Fine, - I pretended not to take offense. - I didn’t want to be.

I returned to the room in which the day before the old wizard had told me about the situation in the country. I noticed the chess pieces. At first, it seemed to me that they were covered with gold and silver. Taking one of the pawns in my hands I was amazed: it was made of gold and weighed about twenty ounces. Back home, with a dozen such pieces I could significantly improve my financial situation....

- I’ve been waiting for you to realize for the first time where you’re going, - Basil said, smiling ironically. - Gold!

- I’ve never denied that it’s here, - I was sure I was right. - Even when you first asked me about it.

- But when you came back, you didn’t call us. “Friends, I came back, I brought gold with me!” - Nikos jabbed me. We went back to the conversation we had started on the previous trip.

- ‘You don’t know how I came back. You don’t know what you brought with you. - I replied resentfully to my friend. - How much gold did we have when we finished smelting it? Why did you come back empty-handed?

Nikos realized that he had said something stupid. He had more opportunities to return with gold from our journey together than I did...

.... I took a long look at the figurines, crafted with the utmost care, and looked like magnificent warriors ready to bring victory to their owner. They were presented in majestic and powerful images, each figure embodying its strength and character.

The pawns, though seemingly weak, had a ruthless expression on their faces, indicating their determination to press on and overcome any obstacle to victory. The unknown creator had equipped the pawns with light but elegant armor, providing them with protection in battle. They were armed with spears or swords, ready to fly into the attack at the first command.

Elephants, symbolizing wisdom and strategic thinking, are dressed in luxurious armor decorated with patterns and precious stones. They are armed with sharp daggers or halberds, ready to turn in battle and deliver a precise and deadly blow.

The horses and rooks, presented as steadfast warriors, expressed determination and power. The horses' gaze was filled with desire and readiness to break through the enemy lines, while the rooks towered over the battlefield, ready to give a powerful blow to their enemies. Unlike the pawns, the knights and rooks were clad in massive armor adorned with gorgeous designs and armed with bows, spears, or swords capable of delivering a decisive blow in battle.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

I took a long look at the most fearsome warrior of the chess kingdom. The Queen, the most powerful piece on the board. In her gaze is ruthlessness and strength. She stands confidently beside the king, ready to protect him and lead her army to victory. She is dressed in magnificent armor, decorated with jewels and designs, and armed with a sword or scepter, symbolizing her power and strength in battle.

And the king? The king, for his part, is represented with humility and wisdom. His facial expression shows hope in his army, in their loyalty and devotion to protect him and lead him to victory. He is dressed in modest but exquisite armor that reflects his wisdom and nobility.

The only thing missing was a chessboard. Does Nix play chess? If so, with whom?

I went through the rooms. Found the shower stall. A small room lined with an unknown material that glowed. Warm water poured from the ceiling of the shower stall as soon as I was inside. I thought of the warm water I had seen at the bottom of the hole before I fell in here.

Left unclothed, I inspected myself. Arms, legs, torso. Skinny, weak, awkward. If I’d known I’d be in a ridiculous situation, I would have taken up athletic training. I’d have worked out the major muscle groups in my arms, and legs.

Warm water poured over my head from invisible holes and also dissolved into the floor. I felt an incomprehensible surge of strength. Maybe the water contained some tonic extracts?

After taking a shower, I continued my inspection. There wasn’t much else to see. Just a few rooms, some of them closed. Others, like my bedroom, were of no interest.

To kill time somehow, I decided to do push-ups off the floor. It is necessary to lie down and spread your hands shoulder-width apart, head raised. I could do twenty to thirty push-ups. But now that I was at Nix’s house - I was surpassing my record.

- Three hundred and one, three hundred and two, the main thing is not to lose count, — flashed in my head.....

- You couldn’t do that many push-ups. I know what you're capable of. You'd die from that many push-ups, — said Nikos.

- I could! - I contradicted him. If you want, I’ll show my abilities right now.

- I bet you a hundred you can’t," Nikas reached into his pocket for the money. Basil was his ally. The athletes knew what they were talking about. All right. A bet’s a bet.

I went into the next room and got into my exercise position. Michael started the stopwatch, and Alex started counting. Although everyone in the room was counting.

It only took me five minutes to do 300 push-ups. I didn't look at the faces of the disputants mentally regretting the lost money.

- Why didn’t you say that physical strength would remain with us to some extent after we moved to our world?

- Didn’t you feel it? - I answered a question with a question. - If you didn’t have time for that, now you have a great opportunity to test my assumption.

The boys, without waiting for a command, fell to the floor and started doing push-ups in a race. Ten minutes later, convinced that I was right, they were sitting in their chairs, waiting for the story to continue. Sweaty faces expressed obvious pleasure from the past warm-up.

.... I examined my things. They were unchanged. The water flask is almost half empty. Looking at it I thought I could use a full flask when traveling through unknown terrain. And it would be very nice if the water in my flask would never run out.

- Adchus aquam! Water without gas! - I said the words out loud, hoping the spell I’d invented would work. Many days later I repeatedly thanked myself for my ingenuity. Water was always with me.

Finished with the flask, I picked up the shotgun. It was the only weapon that could protect me. The shotgun shells were equipped with very fine shots, for the smallest birds. They are useless against predators. I wished they were loaded with buckshot - larger lead balls.

The shotgun shells, as if hearing my wish, came in motion. They didn’t dance, just shook for a short time. Then they froze.

When I examined one of the cartridges, I was surprised. My wish had come true. I was now armed with lethal ammunition for a while.

Nix never came. I was beginning to get bored.

- Why did he disappear without warning? When would he be back? What would we do with him?

I touched the front door, it opened ajar. The old wizard left without closing the door behind him. What did he come up with?

- “You can go, I’m not keeping you!”? Or - I’m an old man, I just forgot to lock up a stranger?

Or maybe Nix is already in the village, visiting the blacksmith and waiting for me to wake up and go to the village.

Gathering a few things I left the wizard’s hut. The trapdoor leading to the underground dwelling slammed shut, making me realize there was no going back.

The land of Orkvalia spread out before me. At first glance, the land seems dead and lifeless. Nothing grows here, and the landscape appears empty and monotonous. Rare scrawny bushes, tufts of dried grass. A lifeless space. And yet, with some inner feeling, I sensed the awakening of a new life. Maybe it was in the thin tendrils of green grass. Or in the air filled with the scent of meadow flowers.

The daughter of the blacksmith Maleus is Mila. [https://i.imgur.com/DGOAA0r.png]