Harlequin

      End of spring. The hard work in the fields has already died down and there has been a temporary lull. The wheat is sown, the potatoes are planted. If nature is favorable this year, then in the fall the poor peasants will expect a rich harvest. Summer has already quietly begun to creep up and come into its own. The days became longer and hotter, the last fruit trees bloomed, a certain laziness, calm and serenity fell on nature.       Two travelers walked peacefully along an empty country road, heading from a forest village to the city, to the fair. They left the house early in the morning, when the colors of dawn had just begun to touch the horizon. Somewhere in the young foliage a nightingale began to sing, ending the night with her last song and welcoming a new day. Now it was already beginning to get light and the sun was just about to rise from the horizon.       — Today will be a hot day. — One of the travelers remarked gloomily, looking thoughtfully at the sky and shivering uncomfortably from the cool breeze. He wrapped himself warmer in an old cape, patched many times, and exhaled noisily, bowing his head and muttering gloomily to himself. — I said that you should have left earlier, but you dug so slowly that dawn had already come. Now we have to walk the rest of the way in the heat. The sun is already rising.       — Why are you muttering under your breath again, Sami? You won't be pleased. Better look at what a wonderful morning! The birds are singing, the sky is beautiful, young grass is in the sparkling dew, we are free from work, tomorrow there will be a big fair. Could anything be even better?       — It could, if you hadn’t forgotten the most important product at home and we didn’t have to return home for it. You're lucky that we arrived a few days earlier and had time left to go home and get him back on time. It would have been even better if you hadn’t broken the harness and we could have gone.       — Well, I already apologized! Why do you keep grumbling?       — Obi, apologies won't feed you. When will you grow up, by God? Now shut up and walk faster. We need to try to walk as far as possible before it gets too hot.       — Okay, okay, I'm coming. But... Are you sure you can go faster? How do you feel?       — I'm fine.       Sam's last words sounded rather cold and distant. Oberon, in response to this, only sighed quietly and shook his head, sneaking glances from time to time at his brother, whose face was gloomy, thin, and painful. Thin, pale, earth-toned skin covered her face, making her facial features seem somehow rough and angular. Sharp cheekbones, thin straight nose, dry cracked lips with a bluish tint, narrow jaw. His companion looked more like a revived skeleton than a person. But what stood out most about his eerie image were his eyes. Tired, sunken, and frighteningly gloomy. Their blue was like a dangerous sea depth, sucking in and destroying all living things.       Oberon's gaze involuntarily slid from the face below, to the deformed chest, which calmly heaved in time with measured, not too deep breathing. The unpleasant memories made his heart ache painfully, and the young man animatedly shook his head, driving unnecessary thoughts away.       However, the anxiety that crept into my soul did not go away, but, on the contrary, began to grow. Now Obi increasingly looked at the bag behind his brother’s back, worrying whether it was too heavy, whether he had shipped too many skins to that part? But because of the gloomy appearance of his companion, the young man, out of fear, did not dare to ask a question.       Minutes slowly passed after minutes, merging into hours of tedious waiting and failed attempts to start a dialogue. The words got stuck in the throat, allowing only sighs, grunts and ragged squeaks to escape. As soon as the morning coolness dissipated in the scorching rays of the rising sun, Sam's condition worsened. He slowed down, turned even more pale, began to breathe raggedly and hoarsely and began to sweat.       — Sami, isn’t it hard for you? Maybe we can make a short stop and rest?       — We have no time to rest. We need to quickly return to the city and prepare everything for tomorrow. Besides, it’s not good to take advantage of someone else’s kindness for too long. Old Jack agreed to look after our goods, but for a fee. Time is money. And the longer we go, the more we have to give.       — But is money more valuable than your health? Stop this nonsense! A coin more, a coin less. Nothing will be lost from us. Over the winter we caught and processed so many excellent skins. Surely we can sell them for a good price to some stately gentlemen.       — It's not the season anymore. We were late with sales due to my fault. If we can get rid of them for a copper or two apiece, it will be good.       — Don't be stupid, it's not your fault. Let's take a break and have breakfast? You need to rest.       — I'm fine.       — It’s not okay at all! You can barely stand on your feet! Still too heavy a bag, right? You shouldn't have come back, I would have gone myself.       — You would just waste time, wander around somewhere and come back with nothing. How could you possibly forget marten skins? And despite the fact that we loaded the same pile, where were they?       — I... I don't know. It's somehow itself. Sorry.       — It's not worth it. Still, it’s my fault, I didn’t finish watching it.       Sam nervously shook his head and cursed quietly under his breath, feeling how with every step it became harder to breathe, the sounds around him died down, the fog covered his eyes, and his head became terribly heavy. At the last moment, he felt that he was falling, but he never hit the ground, because he was caught by the hot, strong hands of his brother. The guy clung with all his might to the last thin threads of consciousness, trying to control himself and resist, but the thick sticky darkness stubbornly sucked him into its abyss, extinguishing the last sparks of light.       He stopped smelling the hot dusty road, hearing the rustling of the leaves of the forest belt, and the singing of birds. Instead, a deafening cacophony filled my ears. Gradually, the noise turned into the sounds of heavy rain, the whistle of the wind and the roar of thunder, and the colors that suddenly danced before the eyes formed into a familiar picture of a forest path leading from the fields to the village. The trees around tilted, cracked and creaked pitifully under the yoke of the storm, and the sky, overcast with heavy black clouds, was continually pierced by thin bright branches of lightning, followed by menacing peals of thunder.       Samuel and Oberon fled, eager to return home as quickly as possible. They were working in the field and did not notice how quickly the storm gathered and began. The rain, almost in an instant, soaked all their clothes to the last thread, covered my eyes, nose and mouth, and the icy wind chilled them to the bones. Their feet kept getting stuck in thick, sticky mud, making running difficult and taking even more strength. Wet clothes also did not facilitate movement, sticking unpleasantly and restricting.       — Come on, Sami, hurry up, we have very little left. Hurry up! — Obi shouted, dragging his lagging brother behind him with effort, wanting to quickly get to the house and shelter from the bad weather.       — I’m already running as fast as I can! I told you we should be careful and get home early! But no, it’s a beautiful day, everything is fine, you kept repeating! You can work peacefully! And what in the end?! — Out of breath, Sami grumbled, wearily dragging his feet with all his strength. Unlike his brother, his stamina was not as good.       — Well, I'm sorry, I really didn't think this could happen! Come on, stop complaining and move your feet faster! I'm terribly cold and hungry.       — Am I the one complaining here? You should look at yourself first! I'm in contrast from you...       Samuel was about to say something caustic and offensive, but then he was interrupted by a deafening whistle, and a bright flash of lightning struck the tree right next to the brothers. A loud crack of wood was heard, and dirt, dust and wood chips flew in all directions.       From such suddenness, the brothers froze in fear and closed their eyes against the light, not understanding what had just happened and what needed to be done. Sam was the first to come to his senses. He looked up at the damaged trunk and noticed with horror how the tree was falling right on them, creaking pitifully and as if groaning in pain.       There was no time to think. The guy instinctively made a sharp jerk and forcefully pushed his brother out from under the falling trunk, but slipped and fell before he could leave the affected area. A massive old elm crushed him with a crash and roar of breaking branches and bushes.       Samuel screamed desperately, feeling how easily the bones broke under the pressure, causing unbearable burning pain. The fragments of the ribs dug into the delicate tissue of the lung, tore the skin and muscles, crawling out. The guy wheezed quietly, gasping for air, trying to breathe. He felt himself suffocating, and this suffocation frightened him to the point of insanity, causing instinctive animal horror. Is his life going to end like this? Will it all end so simply, and he will abandon unfinished business, as well as his brother, whom he vowed to protect at all costs after the death of his relatives.       Everything swam before his eyes, and thoughts began to get confused. An unpleasant metallic taste appeared in his mouth, which made him feel sick. A sharp exhalation escaped from the chest, and bright red foamy blood sprinkled the ground. The guy was going crazy from wild pain, scratching at the dirt, desperately and unsuccessfully trying to get out and end this unbearable torture. He couldn't afford to just give up and die here, because he still had so many unfinished business and unfulfilled promises.       With the last of his strength, Sam raised a pleading glance at his brother, as if asking him to save him and relieve him of pain. At that moment, lightning flashed, illuminating a face full of confusion and horror. Oberon muttered something in fear, but the meaning of the words no longer reached the ears of the dying man. Consciousness slowly began to fade, but somewhere in the distance the guy still heard chaotic fuss and screams, felt hot touches that brought a certain sense of peace. Strange voices and whispers began to mix in with them, which obviously shouldn’t have happened, but very soon the guy completely stopped feeling and understanding anything, tired of fighting and simply surrendering to the mercy of fate.       A bright flash flashes before his eyes, and Samuel jumps up in fear and looks around in a daze. There is no dirt, no puddles, no rain, no fallen trees around. He feels the soft young grass under his palms, feels how his face is scorched by the heat of the midday sun, and his breath is stifled from the stuffiness, and the shadow from the foliage of the forest belt does not even save him. The dream was just a stupid vision brought on by fatigue. Trembling, hooked fingers carefully probe the chest. There is no pain, but it is still difficult to breathe, and there is a faint taste of blood in the mouth.       — Hush, Sami, it was a dream, now everything is fine, I’m here. — Oberon whispered quietly soothingly, gently patting his brother on the shoulder and thrusting a waterskin into his hands. — Drink some water, everything will pass now. Did you have that nightmare again?       — Yes. There was a storm and we were returning home. And then I was crushed, and...       — And did you hear voices?       — Yes. But it was as if they were not human. These were the voices of the dead, they called me. And they still call me.       — Silly, there are no voices, you just overheated in the sun.       — Yes, probably.       — You need to eat to regain your strength.       — I don't want.       — Sami, but you have to eat at least a little! You can't refuse food. You won't have the strength! Plus, look how much weight you've lost! You always refuse to eat, and if you do eat, it’s so much that even kittens swallow more.       — Yes, yes, I’m skin and bones. We've already discussed this. But I really don't want to. I do not feel good.       — Please try to eat at least a little. You'll see, the weakness will disappear instantly. Believe me, you will feel better in no time.       — Obi, let's leave this conversation. Have to go. How much time have we lost?       — Don't know. Not for long. But you're not going to hit the road right now, are you?       —Why not? I am better now. We need to hurry to the city.       — That's not the point. You've been kind of nervous lately. What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry to get to the city? We even left a day ahead of schedule. You're always rushing me.       — Everything is OK. It's just too hot today and I want a cold beer.       Oberon smiled bitterly and shook his head, feeling that his brother was hiding something and not saying anything. He gently caught Sam's hand as he stood up and sat him back on the ground, after which he wiped Sam's face with a cool, damp rag and sighed sadly. Not so long ago they were as similar as two peas in a pod. They wore the same hairstyle, wore the same clothes, and even had absolutely identical appearance, it’s not for nothing that they are twins.       But that terrible incident a couple of months ago changed everything. Sam withdrew into himself and began to try to be strong, clumsily hiding his true intentions and emotions. In addition, due to the illness, the guy lost a lot of weight, stopped taking care of himself, began to stoop and grumble a lot, while at times looking around in fear, as if he had seen or heard someone.       In general, when they were just able to get Samuel out from under that ill-fated elm tree, everyone vied with each other to predict his death. No one believed that he would be able to get out. And even Oberon himself at some point despaired and lost hope, for which he then felt a sense of guilt for a very long time, which has not disappeared to this day. From that day on, he swore that he would never do anything again that he would regret for the rest of his life.       — Sami, please tell me what is bothering you so much? You are not yourself today. I can see that something is wrong. Am I not worthy to know the truth?       — You still won’t believe me even if I tell you.       — We are brothers. You know I will always be by your side.       — Ugh, stop with these pink snot. It's disgusting to listen to. Let's get moving, we've wasted so much time.       —Don't go off topic!       — OK. You see, the fact is that... — The young man suddenly fell silent and looked around excitedly, after which he leaned conspiratorially towards his brother’s ear and began to whisper quietly. — I’ve been hearing those same voices for several days now. As then. They talk and talk, whisper and whisper. They said that it was dangerous in the village, and we urgently needed to escape, otherwise we would be in trouble. And also...       — What else?       — I... I see them! I see strange shadows, Obi... — Sam hissed in fear, stumbling over his words and looking around dangerously. — I see and hear them.       — Well, hush, it seems your paranoia is starting to turn into trouble. Calm down and don't make things up. Well, what bad can happen on such a beautiful day? It's a bit hot today though. Yes, and you feel so bad. Look how you wheeze and whistle when you breathe. Are you sure you feel okay and can walk? Maybe you have a fever?       — Here you see! You do not believe me!       Sam desperately clasped his hands, simultaneously dodging his brother’s tenacious palms, not allowing him to touch his head. The young man nervously jumped to his feet and began to shake himself off, preparing to hit the road again. He hurriedly drank some water from the waterskin, took a step and swayed awkwardly, trying to maintain his balance due to the sudden dizziness.       Obi just frowned with displeasure, cursing himself for allowing Sam to get out of bed so early and interrupt the treatment, giving in to persuasion. Not only did the illness seem to have begun to return, but madness also began to add to this, because Oberon himself did not see any shadows and did not hear the “terrible afterlife voices of the dead,” as his brother liked to describe them. The guy hurried to support the twin until he fell again. He felt small tremors and heat spreading in waves under his fingers.       Sam tried to resist and grumble, but the rolling weakness quickly tempered his ardor, and the young man tiredly went limp in the arms, allowing himself to be sat down again on the ground. Next to his brother, he felt protected, from which constant fear and excitement receded away, giving way to peace and relaxation.       Obi sat quietly, sensitively listening to the noisy breathing. He was seriously alarmed by the loud, scary wheezing that appeared, which, judging by the expression on Sam’s face, caused quite a lot of discomfort. In addition, the painful blush on the pale skin and dry lips also did not inspire good thoughts. The guy gently placed a cool hand on the patient’s forehead, after which he carefully laid his head on his shoulder and stroked his back.       — Rest a little, and then we’ll return home. Fortunately, we are not so far from the village.       — Home? But we need to go to the city... — Samuel muttered in fear, trying to pull away, but strong hands held him back.       — No, Sami, you've had more than enough for today. Don’t worry, I’ll leave you at home, and I’ll go back to town and sell everything.       — They will certainly deceive you, fool.       — They won’t deceive me, I promise. Besides, I had already lived without you for almost two months, while you were resting peacefully in your bed.       — And during this time you managed to spend all the savings that we had so persistently saved for many years, not eating enough and walking around in the oldest cast-offs in order to buy a new horse, because our old nag was already on its last legs.       — All the money was spent on medicines and for the doctor’s work. If it weren't for him, you wouldn't be here with us! He created a miracle!       — It’s not a miracle, but it probably would have been better if I hadn’t been there then. Now I'm just trouble.       — Bullshit! Don't make up nonsense. Of course, that money was worth it for you to live. It’s okay, God willing, we’ll save up more and everything will be fine. And you will certainly get better. You just got up too early and need more time.       — But I can’t just lie there and do nothing! There's too much work, I can't take it all and just dump it on you.       — This is nonsense, believe me. There is nothing more valuable to me than you. We are brothers, birds of a feather. Mother always said that we should stick together.       — Do you still remember her?       — Very vague. We were probably too young, but I still remember some of her stories, fairy tales and lullaby.       — And I’ve already forgotten everything. Do you remember our late aunt? How did she chase us with a wet rag when we accidentally turned over a tub of milk?       — Yes, it was a funny time. May she rest in heaven. — Oberon smiled softly, indulging in memories and dreamily closing his eyes. — How are you feeling now?       — I'll get to the city.       — That's out of the question. We are returning home.       — But Obi...       — No “buts”! — The young man abruptly cut off all protests mid-sentence, frowning with displeasure. He brushed the disturbing hair out of his eyes and snorted quietly. — You need rest and peace. There you go, whistling and wheezing like an old kettle on the stove. Tell me, besides your “premonitions,” is there any other reason why you are so desperate to move on? And just don’t lie that it’s all for the sake of money.       — Not for their sake.       — Then what is it? Have you really managed to meet some beauty and are now in a hurry to go on a date with her?       — Who needs me like that? — Sam casually waved it off, sighing sadly and carefully feeling his ribs. — The fact is that last night, before we left, a curious rumor reached my ears.       — Rumor? Which?       —Rumor has it that the royal daimond will arrive in town tomorrow.       — Come on?! The same one who is popularly called the White Death?       — Yes.       — But what did he forget in our area? The capital is so far from here.       — I’m not sure, but they say that terrible robbers have appeared in our area, whose raids devastate entire villages, leaving behind only a lonely scorched wasteland, on which, according to rumors, even grass does not grow, only round bare earth.       — Yes, that’s all lies. If this happened in our area, all the rumors had been buzzing about it for a long time.       — Maybe you're right. But we must not let our guard down. Suddenly these are not rumors. — Sam looked around worriedly, after which he suddenly shuddered and cowardly pressed closer to his brother. — They are here... They came again...       — Who?       — Shadows... They say that evil has appeared. The hour has struck.       — Which "hour"?       — I don't know…       — Well, well, calm down, calm down, I'm here. — Obi gently stroked the twin’s back, calming him down, after which he ruffled up the overgrown, tangled, greasy black strands, took a stick that was lying nearby and began to pretend that he was chasing evil dark creatures. — Come on, let's go away! Shoo! Shoo, you disgusting shadows!       — What are you doing?       — I drive away your delusional visions so that they frighten and disturb you less. Otherwise they will definitely bring you to the grave. But I don’t need such happiness. Shoo! Shoo-Shoo! Phew!       — Don't whistle, there won't be any money. Otherwise, what’s worse, you’ll invite trouble.       — Yes, this is all nonsense. Do you really believe in all these stupid stories?       — They are not stupid! This is the experience of our ancestors, which has accumulated over centuries!       — Well, well, don't be so angry. Let's go home.       — No, we're going to the city.       — Excluded.       — I'm not going back home. I'm already fine.       — We're going home. It’s still a long way to go to the city, it’s much closer to turn back.       —I'll get there.       — No, Sami, not in your condition. Sorry, I should have gone without you. Then you wouldn't feel worse. But what's the point of regretting what you did now? Come on, get up and let's go. Look, we'll make it before nightfall.       — Obi…       — I don’t even want to hear anything! You're putting too much on yourself. Please believe in me for once. I know that before I behaved irresponsibly and thoughtlessly, causing a lot of problems. But I've changed, honestly. Now I know how difficult it was for you then. I completely relied on you and didn’t even think about your feelings. But now everything is different. Please, now you trust me completely, don’t think about anything and get well soon.       — Easy for you to say...       — What are you talking about?       — You are healthy, beautiful and full of strength. And I…       — Nonsense! Sami, we are absolutely the same. You just need to heal and get better. And everything will be just fine, you'll see. Well, it wouldn’t hurt you to wash yourself properly, comb your hair and get a haircut, otherwise you look like a devil who escaped from the forest. By God, you've let yourself go, Sami, you've let yourself go. The same is not possible.       — But…       — No “buts”, now stop resisting and let’s go. Your paranoia won't lead to anything good.       — But this is not paranoia! I really see and hear them. They are here and they don't stop talking! It drives me crazy! Obi, we need to run! Run to the city as soon as possible! You can't go back!       — Nonsense. We'll be okay, I promise you that. You're just delirious, you have a high fever. You'll see, everything will end as soon as you rest.       — But…       — Everything will be fine.       Oberon gently stroked his brother on the back, calming him down, after which he helped him get up and led him home, despite rather weak resistances and protests. The young man was sure that his twin would not be able to get to the city, and that he could feel bad there at any moment, which means he needed to get him back to bed as soon as possible.       Samuel protested for some more time, after which he gave in under pressure and reluctantly stopped arguing, frowning with displeasure and falling silent. He was tormented by strange bad premonitions, but what it was, he could not say for sure. Only frightening shadows continued to flicker somewhere at the edge of the field of vision and mutter, howl, warning of some danger. Their voices were not like living human voices. There was something mystical, ominous, even to some extent sepulchral about them. Their words sounded in chorus, mixed into an indescribable cacophony of all kinds of timbres. Each shadow tried to talk about something of its own, and the meaning of their words could not reach the addressee, getting confused in the noise and meanings of other speeches.       Sam stubbornly tried to ignore them, trying to convince himself that these were, in fact, just visions brought on by the fever of his illness. Gradually, the noise of voices actually began to fade away, the figures melted away and were no longer disturbing. But in their place came inhuman fatigue, which is why the guy had to ask his brother for a short stop for a couple of hours to take a nap and recover at least a little.       Oberon, with a little concern, allowed his twin to rest, while making sure that he did not catch a cold, lying on the cold ground. When the patient finally calmed down, falling into sleep, the young man quietly sat down next to him, thoughtfully ruffling someone else’s hair, showing that he was nearby and there was nothing to worry about. The thoughts in his head were spinning and confused, a strange doubt and confusion grew in my soul, a lack of understanding of what to believe. Sam's speeches sounded extremely convincing and he seemed to be more or less in his right mind, which means that those shadows and voices may actually exist. But, on the other hand, all this could only be a play of a sick imagination, because they are the most ordinary people.       The minutes passed slowly, and the heat seemed to begin to become stronger and more unbearable. As luck would have it, on that day, for some unknown reason, there was not a single living soul on the road. Not a lost traveler, not a cart hurrying to the city fair. But Obi quickly cast aside his doubts, assuring himself that the road they were taking was simply not very popular, because there was a much shorter path, but more difficult, since it passed through forested hilly terrain. The brothers did not choose this road for obvious reasons. Samuel simply could not withstand the endless ascents, weaving between crevices and crossing fast streams and rivers.       Oberon carefully placed his hand on his brother's sweaty temple and involuntarily smiled, feeling that the heat began to subside. This was a good sign. The guy gently shook the sleeping man, forcing him to wake up, since it was time for them to move on, since they were going to get home before dark. The roads can be dangerous at night, because all sorts of robbers, brigands, murderers and other criminals often roam along them. Besides, Obi himself did not particularly like the darkness. His wild imagination depicted all sorts of creepy creatures hiding in the most secret places. So a simple broom turned into a crooked, multi-fingered clawed paw, reaching out to tear out the heart, and the neighbor's fence turned into a giant poisonous snake.       Feeling the shaking, Sam shuddered and jumped up in fear, but quickly calmed down when he was sure there was no reason to panic. After sleep, the discomfort in his chest went away, the fog in head cleared, and he even had some strength to go further. However, the weakness in the body did not completely disappear. Slight dizziness continued to remain, and besides, breathing difficulties did not go away. There was still not enough air, from which the young man instinctively opened his mouth, trying hard to get more oxygen into his lungs, and when exhaling, a thin whistle continued to be heard from time to time.       Trying to defuse the situation, Oberon made strange jokes from time to time, one of which was the one where Sam, due to the terrible heat, managed to swallow an entire kettle of water, and now it was boiling inside. Samuel did not share such enthusiasm and found the joke quite offensive, but remained silent, deciding once again not to attract increased attention to himself.       The day gradually turned into evening, and the steppe landscape gave way to a forest one. The sweltering heat finally began to subside and all nature seemed to begin to come to life. Birds began to sing, small animals rustled in the grass, the air was filled with the refreshing smell of dampness, mold and the pungent aromas of wild plants. There was an atmosphere of its own here, full of mysticism and mystery.       The brothers' souls sang with special love for these places, because here every blade of grass, every small pebble was familiar and dear to them. They grew up in this forest, many colorful memories are associated with it, and the dense thickets to this day continued to generously share game, berries, mushrooms, as well as materials for heating stoves on long cold winter nights.       The twins quickly and in complete silence walked around the chopped trunk of a lying elm, without even looking at the tree. The painful wounds are still fresh. Oberon noticed that Sam, once in this place, became quite depressed and worried, often looking around and quietly muttering something under his breath.       — Obi, are we really on the right path?       — What are you talking about? Of course, we are going right, don’t you recognize this clearing? That elm is the same one that...       — I am not talking about that. It’s just that this place... It’s somehow different, not like that.       — Different? What are you talking about?       — I don’t know how to explain this. I just feel like something isn't right here. It’s somehow too quiet, you can’t even hear the birds. And was there really so many hills and windfalls here last time?       — They were probably set up by badgers and other animals, never mind. Let's hurry home, otherwise it will soon start to get dark.       Samuel looked around nervously and froze for a moment, stubbornly peering at one of the small hills, and almost jumped in surprise when he thought it seemed to move, but the staring game was interrupted by Oberon, who caught his brother by the hand and stubbornly dragged him away, muttering dissatisfiedly about hungry mosquitoes and that he is not going to turn into a free feeder for them.       Finally, by the time it was already getting dark, the brothers reached the outskirts of the settlement. The sight of simple log houses with colorful carved shutters warmed the soul and drove all worries away. Here and there, children ran in a cheerful group along the wide streets, laughing carefree and clearly in no hurry to go home. Here and there, women tired from housework were drinking tea with wheat cakes on the porch, discussing the latest gossip with their neighbor.       — Obi, look, there are guests in our village. I have never seen such an outlandish and stately horse. Look how big she is! Twice the size of our nag, and those muscles flex with every movement. The muzzle is humpbacked, the back is wide, the legs are short and covered in fur! And what wool, black, like a moonless night, but it sparkles in the light.       — Really a nice beast. It’s not often that you hear such eloquent descriptions from you.       — Is it true? Well, it looks like I got excited, don’t pay attention, the fever is probably starting again, something is chilling me.       — Sam, Oberon, good evening, why did you come back for the night? Did you forget something?       — Hello, Aunt Adele. How are you doing today? Is everything calm in the village? — Obi smiled sweetly, jumping up to a small wooden fence, next to which an elderly woman was watering her flower garden, which she was very proud of. The years have not spared her, and her former beauty has long since faded, leaving behind only a shadow of memories.       — Oh, my dear, everything is fine with us. We spin and spin like squirrels in a wheel for days on end, and as full of worries as we had, they never diminished. So why did you come back? Has something bad happened?       — No, no, Sami just got sick on the way and we had to return. Now I’ll walk him home, and then I’ll go into the city.       — At night, you fool?! The roads are especially dangerous these days.       — Nothing will happen to me. — The young man casually waved it off, laughing cheerfully and furtively watching his brother, who stood spellbound and examined someone else’s horse. — By the way, what kind of animal is there? Whose is it?       — Is this the beast? Oh, my dear, a warrior came to our village and asked to spend the night. So we sheltered him, as is customary. It is dangerous now to travel at night and sleep in the open air.       — Warrior? What is he like?       — I haven’t seen him myself, but people says that he is some kind of foreign hero. The face is scary, like a boar's ass, ugh. Fat, clad in strange black armor. He has short hair and wears a goatee. — The old woman whispered quietly, calling the young man to her. — He’s kind of bad. By the way, why doesn’t your brother say hello? Is his illnes really that bad?       — No no. He's just very tired and doesn't feel well.       — Should I give him a decoction of medicinal herbs? Just look, he will have an appetite, otherwise he look as thin as a skeleton, it's scary to look at.       — He is very sick, auntie. He recovered a little and instantly jumped to his feet, but he could barely stand. I can’t feed him anything, even if I kill him. I have no idea what to do with it. Can you recommend something?       — Wait a little. Wait here. I’ll now bring you some herbs, you can make a decoction at home according to an old recipe. My great-grandmother used it to treat illnesses. It will help in a moment, you'll see. — The old lady hastily put the watering can on the ground, after which she picked up the hem of her skirt with her plump hands and trotted off to her hut.       — What did you talk about? — Sam quietly walked up to the twin and leaned against the fence, looking thoughtfully at the darkening forest ahead.       — I asked about the guest. They say that he is a foreign military man who asked to stay for the night.       — Military? And what did he forget in our area?       — God knows. Is something bothering you?       — No, it’s just that my imagination seems to play strange tricks.       — Which?       — Well... Then in the clearing, I bet one of those piles moved! And now on Bald Edge I saw lights flashing.       —Lights? But there’s nothing there.       — It’s not now, but they were, I swear!       — First voices, then strange shadows, and now living bushes and non-existent fires. Sami, this already sounds like the ravings of a madman.       — But I'm telling the truth! I have seen! Saw!       — Well, be quiet, don’t shout like that, otherwise you’ll alarm the whole village. You're probably just having visions again because of the fever. Now let me take the herbs for a healing decoction and let’s go home.       — But I really saw them! I am not crazy!       — Certainly. Now come on, calm down and turn down the volume, otherwise all sorts of rumors will start circulating again. — Oberon hugged his brother and pressed him tightly to himself, exhaling tiredly. — You will get better soon, and everything will be as before.       — Yes. Sorry.       A few minutes later, the old woman brought a small fragrant bag filled with colorful leaves and flowers. Adele began to carefully explain what and how to do in order for the decoction to turn out correctly. Obi just nodded silently, continuing to hug the quiet Sam, who was barely even breathing, looking intensely into the distance. Apparently, he felt something, but could not understand and describe what exactly it was.       Finally, they said goodbye to the old herbalist and returned to their home, to an empty old hut, lopsided from antiquity. There were no notes or frills in it, but its simplicity and originality immediately made my soul feel warm and calm. It’s not for nothing that they say that there is no place better than your own home.       Samuel wearily took off his cape and shoes, after which he padded with his bare feet on the old creaky wooden floorboards and lay down on the bench near the stove, simultaneously pulling on an old fur coat, which served as a kind of warm blanket. He was overcome by a feeling of defeat. He didn’t want to do anything else, just lie on the bench, warm up and take a nap. Through the veil of sleep, he felt careful touches on his forehead and cheeks, which so pleasantly cooled his heated skin. Sleep enveloped the patient's mind, and he instantly forgot all his worries, finally managing to relax.       Oberon, meanwhile, lit the stove and began to fuss with dinner and a healing decoction, which was supposed to help cure the disease and finally return Sam to normal village life without any eccentricities and groundless worries. The guy looked at the sleeping man from time to time, noting that he again began to wheeze loudly, sometimes coughing quietly and leaving small scarlet spots on the bench. His brother slept rather restlessly, and this did not escape the sensitive gaze. The young man became very excited as soon as they crossed a clearing with a fallen elm tree.       It was quite quiet for some time, and Obi, having finished his chores around the house, was already starting to get ready to go, but then strange flashes outside caught his attention. The guy hurriedly ran to the window, almost overturning the table, which “suddenly” grew in the darkness right in front of him. Stumbling, he knocked the modest decoration to the floor. The room was filled with the noise of falling and breaking dishes.       Sam jumped up in fear from the noise, half asleep, not understanding where he was and what had happened. A clouded, questioning gaze glanced briefly across the dark room, illuminated only by the fire from the open stove and a dim small lamp, lingered a little on the lying wooden dishes, scattered food, a large translucent puddle and shapeless shards that had once been a jug, after which it finally moved to the confused and embarrassed brother , looking guiltily back and awkwardly scratching the back of his head.       Having come to his senses, Oberon perked up, after which he more carefully approached the window opening and was stunned. The entire Bald Edge was covered with numerous lights that were rapidly approaching the village, and the first of them were already rapidly beginning to surround the settlement. A strange tension and sense of danger hung in the air.       — Obi? What's the matter? What's going on?       — Get ready, we need to leave here urgently.       — But why?       — Look yourself.       Samuel worriedly got up from the bench and walked up to his brother on weak legs, feeling tired and overwhelmed, after which he looked out uncertainly, already realizing that he obviously wouldn’t like what he saw. The guy almost suffocated when he saw a sea of moving fireflies, which with every second were getting closer and closer to an unsuspecting, peacefully dormant village, hidden from prying eyes in a dense forest.       — Lights... — Only one single word, full of confusion, horror and misunderstanding, escaped from dry lips in a quiet whisper.       Oberon hugged the trembling twin soothingly, afraid that he was about to collapse on the floor, either from weakness due to illness, or from shock because of what he had seen. He felt a small spasm constrict his emaciated, bony body, and felt his chest vibrate under his fingers from the intensified wheezing. Samuel's face was writhing either in pain or fear, and his breathing was heavy and frequent.       The guy slowly took the twin away from the window, after which he sat him down on a bench standing near the table and began hastily dressing him, intending to quickly leave the village and wait out the danger somewhere in the forest. He had no intention of risking his brother's life for a dubious outcome. But he could not leave the village to be torn to pieces by the enemy. Oberon did not know what he should do, because now he was faced with a choice between the well-being of the village and the life of his last loved one.       — We have to wake up the others. — A quiet whisper cut the silence with a blade, rang like a loud bell, reflected from the bare walls.       — But if I do this, we definitely won’t be able to leave. I can't risk your life like that. You're all I have left.       — What about Marie?       — The carpenter's daughter? She's a good girl, but...       — It seemed to me that everything was mutual between you.       — I thought so too. But her parents are against our relationship. You know what rumors are circulating around the village about our blood. They smile at us, but do not want to hang out or become related. They say our family is cursed. But this is nonsense. Who is to blame for the fact that our family was decimated by the plague, and only we and our aunt survived, who soon gave her soul to God out of old age. As a result, Marie fell for these prejudices, thanks to the tales of her relatives, and found herself some kind of... urban... Ugh. In general, it didn’t work out, and it’s not scary. Not a big loss. Your health is much more important now.       — But if we just quietly leave, what ungrateful egoists we will be. Is this what we were taught? Prejudices or not, all these residents were kind to us and helped us in times of special need. How can we just leave?       — Sami, we're just wasting our time right now.       — We don't have it anymore.       — What are you talking about?       — They say that there is no point in running, all exits are blocked. We're trapped. The trap slammed shut.       — Who are "they"?       — Voices.       — Sami, they don't exist. It's just your imagination. That tree must have just hit you hard on the head.       Oberon smiled sadly and gently stroked his brother's head, as if he were a small child, after which he helped him put on his shoes and stand up. He felt uncomfortable under the dissatisfied gaze. An oppressive atmosphere of awkwardness and unsaidness hung in the room. No one risked breaking the silence.       Sam felt offended, because even his own brother did not believe him, considering him crazy. In general, recently the guy himself began to doubt his mental health, because besides him, no one else had seen or heard living shadows. The only problem was that the visions seemed too real and did not at all resemble fiction.       Oberon tried to resist for some time, but eventually gave in under a silent reproach and hastily rushed out of the house, making noise and waking up all the neighbors. However, all these efforts were as useful as a garden watering can during a fire. Yes, people woke up, yes, panic began, but the village was full of women, children and old people, since all the men had left for the fair, and they were clearly not capable of strong defense, accustomed to a peaceful, measured life. In addition, Sam turned out to be right, and all paths to escape were cut off by a strange magical barrier that did not allow anyone alive to leave it.       When the aliens finally reached the village, all hell broke loose. Animal-like monsters, clad in black armor made of some unknown metal, burst into the settlement. Screams, pleas, and tears were heard everywhere. Wooden huts burst into flames one after another like dry haystacks, and the ground was flooded with rivers of blood from those who tried to resist the invaders.       Oberon hurriedly returned home and locked the doors, naively hoping that this could help. He dragged Sam into the cellar and tried to hide him better, but at that moment the invaders reached them. The young man, in horror, grabbed some rotten piece of board and hid in the shadows, looking worriedly at the frozen twin, who was desperately trying not to cough and not give away their presence. The minutes of intense anticipation and fear seemed like endless hours.       But then the closet door swung open, and a huge figure of a monster appeared on the stone stairs in the passage, looking either like a lizard or a bear made of metal. The massive helmet, whose visor completely hid the face, was crowned with either large sharp ears or horns, and the place where the mouth should have been was covered by an overlay in the form of an animal’s mouth, studded with sharp teeth. The body was covered with strong movable armor that did not hinder movements. The gloves and shoes looked more like clawed paws than normal human hands. In general, the personalities of the aggressors were not visible, which raised doubts that they were people at all.       The door slammed loudly against the wall from the sudden opening, causing Samuel to flinch and, unable to restrain himself, cough heavily, squinting his eyes in fear and burning pain tearing from the inside. The intruder seemed to be waiting for just this. He abruptly jumped out of his seat and tightly grabbed the frightened young man, who was cowering like a small weak kitten and desperately trying to kick and escape.       At this time, Oberon sharply attacked from behind, trying to somehow protect his brother, but the board, hitting the strong armor, crumbled without causing any damage. This stupid gesture only angered the stranger. With an animalistic roar, he threw Sam at the attacker, knocking him down and disorienting him, after which he pulled out a sword, clearly intending to kill the grief of the defender.       The sound of measured steps of heavy metal boots filled the room, mingling with the screams and crackles of burning houses outside. Obi, having hit his head as he fell, moaned pitifully, trying to gather his thoughts together and quickly figure out what to do. He couldn’t think of anything better than escape, but it was difficult, because his body was heavy, refusing to obey, and his head in the impact zone was unpleasantly painful, tingling and burning. Plus, he was pressed down by his brother lying on top, who was writhing in a coughing fit and choking.       Oberon hugged his twin with his last strength, and then rolled over, shielding himself from the invader, as if hoping that this would help in some way. Everything was swimming and spinning before my eyes, and my body felt terrible weakness. It seemed to the guy that something viscous and black was beginning to envelop Sam, turning into some kind of tentacles. But Obi wrote it all off as a head injury, not admitting that this was all happening in reality. The last thing he felt before losing consciousness was a weak, warm embrace that served as a kind of farewell.       But the expected outcome never happened. Instead of killing the guys, the enemy suddenly burst into smug laughter, after which he hid his weapon and grabbed the defeated ones, dragging them somewhere outside.       Samuel, delirious, tried to resist, to hit the invader, but it was more reminiscent of the useless fluttering of a fish thrown onto land, which amused the stranger, forcing him to make caustic jokes and egg him on for further actions. When there was absolutely no strength left, the patient fell silent, listening intently to what was happening and trying not to look at the bacchanalia reigning around, since the sight of corpses and blood made him feel uneasy.       — It's all a dream. This is a dream. — The young man whispered quietly under his breath, trying with his last strength to find his brother next to him.       — Hey, Raft, what did you bring? — A disgruntled, commanding female voice came from somewhere on the side, making Sam flinch and become wary.       — Look, I found a real goldmine for us-s-s. Awakening daimond and s-s-stable neutral. For th-h-his-s-s-s pair you can get more th-h-han one hundred s-s-silver coins-s-s-s.       — Are you crazy? Daimond in such a wilderness? They degenerated among people a long time ago and have not appeared like this for half a hundred years, or even more. Stop talking nonsense and get rid of that stunted cripple, and throw the second one in the cart, it might be good for something if it gets there.       — But, Nish-sh-sh, look, nex-s-s-st to th-h-his-s-s brat the sh-sh-shadows come to life. I'm telling you, th-h-his-s-s is-s-s what we've been looking for s-s-so long.       — Really? Then throw these two into a separate cart, and then we’ll figure out who they are and how much they cost. If they really have the blood of daimonds in them, it will be possible to extract a lot of money from the customer. Just make sure that this sick freak doesn’t run away or cause problems, and if they die, it’s not a big loss.       — Whatever you s-s-say.       Samuel winced and tried to look through the fog in his mind at the woman who seemed to be the main one in this company, but she was hidden by similar armor, which made further study seem pointless. The young man felt a rather powerful blow to his head and finally passed out, falling into the cold, sticky darkness that brought peace and relaxation to his exhausted body.       This time there were no strange visions from the past or the afterlife voices of the living dead. There was no fear, no anxiety, no pain, no maddening feeling of suffocation. Instead of all this, there was only boundless emptiness, peace and oblivion, almost bordering on a certain spiritual ease and euphoria.       After some time, the invaders finished their dirty work. They loaded the surviving people into cage-like carts, after which they turned the village into a scorched wasteland and set off along secret bandit paths, trying to get away from the fire as quickly and further as possible, to confuse their tracks so that no one could find them.