"Wanted to bite or kill, I didn't understand," the second one asked.
"Maybe both," Bardy said smiling.
"Deadly bite," the first one said, "but you aren't a monster, that doesn't make sense."
"Judging a book by its cover, not wise, dear guest," Bardy said. "If you like, I can show you," Bardy said and opened his mouth wide, showing his teeth.
"Maybe we can go inside, sit, and talk?" Arrdun asked gently.
They agreed. While Bardy was struggling to close the gate, they started to approach the camp. Arrdun, with two travelers, was approaching the tent, which was hastily made. The crew saw them and continued their tasks.
"Please, come here," Arrdun said, pointing to an unfinished, hastily made tent. They entered.
"Well, I was expecting a little comfort," the second one said.
"Thank you, Commander," the first one said and looked closely at the second one. "Here, we are relatively safe."
"My pleasure," Arrdun said. "Before the rain, we had comfort."
They all sat down. "We will wait for my comrade. He will join us soon," Arrdun said calmly. "Here we can also have private conversations," he said, smiling.
"Which comrade?" the first one asked.
"The gentle one," Arrdun said. "He was standing with me."
Some time passed. Someone slowly entered the tent. "Sorry for being late," Bardy said. "We can start, and our tea should be served soon."
"Thanks for your hospitality," the first one said.
"Tea is good," the second one said. "Especially on a rainy day like this. If you ask me, I like food too," he said, laughing.
"Yes, we like it too," Arrdun said.
"Sorry for my curiosity," the first one said. "But as we are here, no need for details. I just would like to know whose side we are on now," he continued. "The destroyed camp, were you allies or what?"
"No, we were enemies," Arrdun said.
"Understood," the first one said.
After his words, some steps were heard. The cook came with a servant. They were holding four wooden cups. Two they gave to the travelers, and the others they gave to Arrdun and Bardy. While they were serving, the cook started to talk about the tea and how important it was, how he made it. Using that short moment, Arrdun approached Bardy.
"Why so long?" he mumbled quietly. The cook's and travelers' voices were louder.
"Gate problem. Managed to close it, but broke it," Bardy mumbled.
"How will we go out?" he asked.
"Jump it," Bardy said.
While Arrdun and Bardy were having small talk, a servant approached and served them their tea. Bardy looked at his tea, and Arrdun did too. Then they looked at each other. They became confused.
"Thanks, cook," Arrdun interrupted with a higher-pitched voice and looked at the cook, "tea will be tasteful, no doubt," he continued to look at the cook like something was wrong.
"Sorry, I like talking, maybe later, you can join me," the cook said to the travelers.
"My bad, sorry, we kept asking questions," the first one said.
"Before I leave you, I just wanted to say that here with our Commander, you are safe," he continued, "he is one of the best commanders that I have known, he sacrifices his life to protect us and some of his servants do the same," the cook looked at Arrdun's cup, then he looked at Arrdun and left.
When the cook left, Arrdun looked at Bardy and they smiled.
"All right," Arrdun said, "as you have already seen, our camp suffered from the rain, you have also seen our numbers, I can't promise you that you will have a good tent for resting or sleeping," he continued and looked at Bardy.
"Yes, as a second-in-command, I already talked with the crew," Bardy said, smiling, "we will try our best."
"Excuse my impudence, Commander, hearing about sacrifice, why are you here?" the first one asked.
"Good question," the second one said, "I thought the commander should be an example."
Bardy wanted to talk, Arrdun saw it and said first, "yes, you are right, but someone needs to discuss with you, then I will join my crew."
"Understandable," the first one said, "and smart."
"Speaking about the questions," Bardy said, "what can you propose to us?"
"May the Commander say what he needs," the first one answered.
"What I need, I don't think you can give me," Arrdun said, "for now, the food is what we need, we haven't eaten since yesterday. You said you worked with everybody, right?"
"Well, I said we tried to work, but that doesn't mean that everybody agreed with us every time," the first one said.
"Understood," the second one said. "Tomorrow at sunrise, I will go outside and see what I can do," he added, looking at Bardy, and continued, "as you said, we also try to do our best."
They continued to speak about other topics.
"I just realized," Arrdun said, "I didn't know your names."
"Names?" the first one asked, surprised.
"Why does it matter to you?" the second one asked, "I thought clans and masters were more important."
"Yes, that also matters. I am Arrdun, my comrade sitting nearby is Bardy, and what are your names?" Arrdun asked.
"Do I need to give you fake names?" the first one asked. "I'd rather remain silent than tell a lie. We don't use names, call me the first one."
"And me," the second one said, "you can call me the second one."
"What an unusual answer," Arrdun said.
"Thank you for your hospitality," the second one said, "no worries, for now, just ignore our names."
"All right," Arrdun said.
"So welcome dear first and second ones to our camp!" Bardy shouted.
"Thank you for your understanding," the first one said, smiling.
"Sometimes, with some clients, things can go wrong," the second one said. "For this reason, we change our names to save our reputation."
"Speaking about the wrong way," the first one said, "I don't want to be rude, but 'what if' your enemies come back and attack us? I saw the camp's situation and the morale of the servants," he continued. "If they attack you, they can also kill us."
"True," Arrdun said. "I will explain that I didn't know you, and maybe they will leave you."
"Maybe you already worked with them," Bardy said.
"Maybe yes, maybe not," the first one said.
"All right. Now I need to go, and you can rest or join us at the campfire," Arrdun said. "If you need something, let me know."
"Or ask me," Bardy said. "The day was rainy. Sitting in wet clothes, dear travelers, isn't a good idea. I'll join my comrades at the campfire."
"We'll come soon," the second one said.
"Thank you for the invitation," the first one said. "The warm tea has warmed our bodies a little. We'll join you shortly."
The travelers thanked them. Arrdun and Bardy left the tent.
"You know, Radi," Bardy said seriously, "I think I have a solution for the food."
"Really?" Arrdun asked, surprised.
"Yes, but," Bardy said and stopped walking, "I think I'll need help from the cook."
"What is it?" Arrdun said impatiently and stopped walking.
"The thing is, I don't know what parts of the human we can't eat," Bardy said, scratching his head.
"Jester," Arrdun said, starting to walk and turning back to look at Bardy, "we'll cook you first, so you'll never know."
"I can't feel my toes," Bardy said.
"The fire will bring them back," Arrdun replied.
The travelers stood inside the tent.
"That wasn't bad," the first one said quietly. "He's like you, he likes jokes."
"You should act," the second one said. "They won't survive for long. I'm surprised he's still walking."
"Easy to say, hard to do. I did, but I think it was a bit strong," the first one said.
"You had no other option. There was a monster," the second one said. "I proposed to fight, but you refused."
"Are you doubting me?" the first one asked.
"I don't, just reminding you of some facts," the second one said.
"Others may hold, but the wounded one was already dying," the first one said.
"When we entered, I saw that others were also wounded to different degrees," the second one said.
"Yes, I know. I noticed that too," the first one said.
"How long will we test them if they are dying?" the second one asked.
"Good question. I'm already making a plan," the first one said. "You know it's not easy. We can't just go there and say who we are. They are fighting against beings like us."
"Yes, but that doesn't change the situation," the second one said.
"For me, it's hard, because I was hoping to find answers here. I don't want to believe that we are alone," the first one said.
"How long have we searched? I forgot, but I remember what all that cost us," the second one said.
"That doesn't apply to you. You have no fault. Only leaders like myself should take responsibility," the first one said. "I can't give others hope if I don't have one."
"You see far more than I do. You are searching, but maybe you already have it," the second one said.
"Speaking about facts, where is The One or The Special One whom we stood for?" the first one asked, holding back his tears. "We gave all, we stood with him, we suffered, and he disappeared."
"Disappeared, you say?" the second one said. "Where did the Horrors or those who made you tea come from?"
"Don't cheat, buddy," the first one said. "I speak about facts which are evident, not some theories."
"No cheating, understood. Forget about the Horrors," the second one said. "Don't say you don't remember what the One showed us about your tea makers. Even the blind can confirm."
"Sadly, I remember, and this is the reason for the way I am talking," the first one said. "I wish I didn't see or know what I know."
"I see," the second one said. "The more you know, the less you sleep."
"Since when did you start to sleep?" the first one asked, confused.
"I don't need to sleep," the second one said. "It's a metaphor."
"Hmm, I see," the first one said.
"However," the second one said, "if things continue to go this way, it will become reality."
"Maybe I am dumb, but what is the point of his presence if we can't interact?" the first one asked. "Creating beings and then giving up on them, throwing them away like useless trash. What kind of Creator does that?"
"You know what is sad," the second one said calmly. "I think we all are broken. The One or The Special One left us with lots of questions and fewer answers."
"First of all, I am not broken, I am angry," the first one said. "It's not the same thing." "Secondly, they didn't leave us," the first one said tensely. "They betrayed us! That is different. We have zero answers," he shouted, his pupils turning a slight red. His fingers pierced the wooden cup as if he were scooping snow from the ground. Then he closed his fist, and the cup shattered into small pieces.
"Hold your wrath. Don't shout," the second one said. "Remember last time, what brought our wrath?" he asked calmly.
"Only darkness," the first one said sadly, as his pupils returned to normal.
"Exactly," the second one said while putting his hand on his comrade's shoulder. "This is why I am here to remind you sometimes," he said, smiling.
"You know what," the first one said, "I was thinking about destroying the beings created by The One. That way, I could provoke and attract attention," he continued. "But that wouldn't work because others already started killing each other for who knows how long," he said, laughing.
"Technically, after The One, our species is the strongest and the smartest," the second one said. "But the question about the forgotten beings bothers me too. If I can't understand this, how can I call myself smart?"
"There is no deep meaning," the first one said. "We are trapped in a cage like beasts, trying to survive in this forgotten world created by a cruel, heartless Creator."
"I'm not sure," the second one said. "We could be wrong."
"I think our suffering feeds The One," the first one said. "Or we're just entertainment puppets."
"You're speaking out of anger and you're wrong," the second one said. "I'll prove it to you now."
"Hmm, things are going to get interesting," the first one said.
"I can't explain everything, but I'll say this," the second one said. "You blame The One because of pain, wars, and so on," he continued. "We're suffering, and The Almighty isn't here to help us fix the situation, right?"
"Yeah, that could be one of my questions," the first one said.
"You know that's called hypocrisy, right? Right now we're doing the same as The One, and nobody trash-talks us," the second one said.
"I didn't create humans. Your argument is weak," the first one said.
"Are you sure about that?" the second one said, smiling. "Look at you, or look at us. Now look at this almost-dead camp. You alone could fix all their problems with your eyes closed, yet here you are, sitting with me. Why didn't you intervene? What if someone dies while we're talking? Whose fault would that be?"
"I am not The Almighty. I can't guess all possibilities, so I prefer not to intervene to avoid mistakes," the first one said. "My intervention could cause more damage than restoration in their hearts or minds."
"I'm not telling you to change the world. For that, we would need to learn about the possibilities," the second one said. "So you prefer to let someone die instead of healing him? To help someone, you don't need to be The Almighty," he continued. "And if you do become The Almighty, what guarantees do I have that you'll intervene, if you're not interfering now?"
"I must admit," the first one said, "there is something in what you said."
"You could also say you won the battle but not the war," the second one said, smiling. "So, my friend, don't blame The One or The Special One. By the way, instead of helping these people, you broke their cup."
"You know what, now I feel bad about the words I said earlier," the first one said.
"Maybe that's also why we live longer, to understand all this," the second one said. "But if our species can't understand, I don't see how others ever will."
"All right, here is the plan. We are not sure who they are. They didn't want to share how they managed to survive. I won't help the wrong people," the first one said. "This is why I needed The One or The Special One, because they could have given me a signal, and I could act. But like this, I'm not sure."
"Are you afraid of making mistakes?" the second one asked. "Listen. Look at this camp. They gave us their best. Isn't that enough?"
"They are complicated creatures. I don't know," the first one said.
"And we are simplified creatures, right?" the second one said and started to laugh. "And where do the origins of darkness come from, I wonder?" he asked tensely.
"That isn't funny. We didn't lose. We had no chance. We did what we could. That's different," the first one said sadly. "First, The One left, then The Special One left us," he continued. "What were you expecting? We made mistakes, but most of the time, we tried our best. That's why I'm upset with The One and with The Special One."
"Good point. But remember, midnight is approaching. I hope they will not become our next mistake," the second one said. "They have no masters."
"But they have scars," the first one said.
"Come on, don't be so strict," the second one said. "The scars are not mystical. Or are you blind?"
"I am not blind," the first one said. "No worries. I will give them what they need."
"Don't forget the wooden cup," the second one said.
"However, my request cannot be cancelled. If The One or The Special One are present, as you and the others believe, they will notice me. If not, I see no camp here," the first one said calmly.
"Determination is a thing," the second one said sadly.
"Honestly, is it too much to ask, especially from them?" the first one said hopelessly. "How many centuries have passed from the beginning of this world until now? I waited and searched without requesting or commanding them. I have no patience left."
"So serious. What can I say now?" the second one said.
"Call me whatever you like. Sad, broken, wrong, rebel. That would not change my position," the first one said. "You know what, you are right. We are losing time. I agree with you. I will wait until midnight. If there will be no signs, then I will secretly leave this camp."
"Look from their perspective. Would you tell all your secrets to unknown travelers?" the second one asked.