«Damn it! Should have brought at least a bottle of water from the bar»! Dao exclaimed, barely moving his legs.

They had been walking through the forest for an hour. Although the forest itself was not as scary as it is described in fairy tales, on the contrary. Every Christmas tree, blade of grass, bush and any tree was surrounded by rays of light. The heat was worse than the bar. But the guys weren't ruins either. They often went hiking and therefore could pull for two hours. Tao was the first to break down. He sat down on a stump. Minko sighed and sat down next to him.

Birds were singing somewhere in the distance. Hares and mice scurried through the bushes. Could hear the murmur of a stream somewhere nearby. Dao, hearing the sound, rushed to look for the stream, but twenty minutes later he returned all scratched, dirty and terribly dissatisfied.

«Minko, this is some kind of hell! I didn't find the stream, I fell into the nettles, I was torn all over there and fell into the mud»! Dao was indignant, sitting down next to his friend. «Name a day worse than this»!

Minko thought about it.

«Only the first day of school is worse than this day. When Mizer forced you to walk naked with a poster «I am a woman» at school. I'm sorry, but even I couldn't help laughing then», said Minko.

Dao groaned at these memories.

«Everything, everything! I won't whine anymore, as long as you don't remind me of it! You can't imagine how my father then whipped me and said that I was a disgrace to our family»! Dao grimaced.

Minko shrugged his shoulders.

«Listeeeeeeeeen», Dao began.

«No. Stop! That's the tone you usually have when you're going to suggest something absurd».

«You're right, as always... listen, let's find out where all the women are being held and free them! We will be heroes! Eh? Let's save my mom and your sister»! Dao suggested.

Minko raised his eyebrows and thought. But it's true… He will free his sister (one should only guess what she will be like in sixteen years) and Dao's mother. Then all the other women, girls and girls. And they will return to Nailit and live happily ever after…

Ooooookay. I agree. But first we need to find out where the prisoners are. - Minko spread his hands to the sides.

Dao looked at Minko with a businesslike look and said:

«If so, then we need to get out of here. How are we going to save the whole women if we ourselves are dying of thirst here»?

Minko had no choice but to shrug and agree with his friend's opinion.

Dao, like a man possessed, ran around the clearing for another hour in search of a stream. Unfortunately, the long-awaited stream was not found, so the guys sat without water for another hour. Then they gathered and continued their search.

Dao could barely carry his body. Muscles ached, head cracked, eyes closed by themselves. And this despite the fact that Minko was walking as if from home. Fresh, not a bit tired and all joyful like that. Occasionally snatches of Nailit 's hymn could be heard:

...And don't think about sadness,

After all, the sadness has already set foot

On the threshold of our homes; …

Dao could not stand it and sang in his quiet, hoarse voice:

... Don't think

That everything is bad

Everything is just fine!

But that's just unfortunately

Our tyrant won't let you sleep…

Minko looked at Dao in surprise and asked:

«What's the matter with you? Your memory doesn't seem to be good enough to remember the whole hymn of Nailit».

Dao shook his head as if waking up.

«Oh, I'm sorry… I just used to sing this hymn as a child when my father didn't come back for a long time… I imagined saving my mother and all the women with you… How they adore us... eh...» Dao muttered confusedly.

Minko slapped his forehead.

Suddenly, near them, someone said in a heavy voice:

«Are you from Nailit»?

The boys were scared to death and turned their heads.

A small cart was parked near them. A horse was harnessed to the cart. Beautiful, with a long tail and a luxurious mane. An old man was sitting on a horse in a thin shirt and felt boots (!). On his head was a thin hat with a blue ribbon, clearly taken from the girl.

«Don't scare me off! I'm not going to kill you! It's just that you're singing Nailit's anthem at the top of your lungs… I'm also, by the way, from it», The old man replied good-naturedly.

Minko smiled politely.

«Yes, we are from Nailit… I'm Minko, and this is my friend Dao. And where are you going»?

«Yes, to his friend. I'm a merchant. I sell all sorts of talismans, charms and pendants. I know it's cheap, but the funny thing is that people are being led and buying goods! And where are you going»?

«We want to find out where all the prisoners of our city are».

The old man sighed.

«My dear boy, if I had known about this, I would have saved my mother, wife, daughter and granddaughter from there long ago. Unfortunately, no one even knows what the tyrant is doing with them. Maybe they have already died, and we are trying in vain»?

Minko and Dao scratched their heads.

«But».

«Listen up, boys. I'll tell you a secret – this friend of mine is a true seer! He knows everything in this world! Even where my last year's sock was! Will he help you find a place where they keep the captives? I see you are good people. So, let me help you? Get in the cart. Just be careful there! There are glass jars lying there, if they break, then consider that you have come oh-oh-oh»! old man warned and slapped the horse on the mane. «Come on, Setla. Let's ride faster! Or do you want to sing a yoke»?

Setla snorted, shook her mane, and began to move. They drove through the forest in silence. Minko was shaking in all directions. Stomach was turning inside out. Everything flashed before eyes. Minko even lost consciousness for a while. But Dao looked around and couldn't get enough. Picturesque banks of streams, all kinds of mushrooms, berries, bushes, trees, herbs, animals… As if nothing had changed.

«Does your friend live far away»? Minko was finally able to say something.

«Not far. We'll be there in fifteen minutes. He's good, kind. Will help you! Hey, my boy, what's wrong with you? Are you sick»? noticed the blue-faced Minko.

«In... everything is f... good. I was just... dumb... swinging a lot», Minko stammered and tried to fall asleep.

The bump didn't let him do it. The cart jumped so that Minko was almost thrown to the ground. Dao almost broke a jar with some muddy liquid. This «muddy muck» jumped up with Minko. The old man turned to them.

«Are you okay? ... I see that there is not. Let's talk? Let's distract ourselves, so to speak, from unkind thoughts».

Minko just nodded. Dao raised his eyebrows questioningly.

«I am Maron of Nailit. You, as I understand, are also from this town. Km... What else can I tell you about myself? My mother, Davina, must have died there already. Unless, of course, he killed her earlier. My beautiful wife is there, Nura. With my daughter Sana and my granddaughter Vlada… So, I have everyone sitting there. And who do you have»?

«I have my sister there. She's been there since she was born. And my aunt is Polycarpia… Yes, actually, everything. Well, Mom is probably already sitting there. And my father was killed», Minko replied quietly.

He came to himself so much that he could already speak clearly.

«And I have my mother there. Eh, I haven't seen her more than once. Her father describes her as an incredible beauty. And I», Dao blushed and hurried to turn away.

Maron chuckled and suddenly shouted:

«Look! And here is my friend's house! We've arrived! Get out, gentlemen»!

Setla shook her mane, and the guys literally fell out of the cart, miraculously not breaking all the back eighteen cans. Maron sniffed indignantly.

«Be careful there! someone shouted at them».

The guys lying on the ground and Maron looked around. A thin, macaroni-like man was hurrying towards them. It consisted of bones and some skin. He looked a little strange. The glasses were so thick that they looked like two large circles around the colorless eyes. The face was bored and yellowish somehow. If this is a seer, then I am a poisonous scorpion!

Maron brightened and smiled.

«Nanaga! My friend! How long have I not seen you! You've recovered»! Maron exclaimed

Minko and Dao stared at Maron.

«Recovered? Seriously»... Dao did not have time to finish, as a friend clamped his hand over his mouth.

«Oh, and these are my boys. They asked me for help. I couldn't refuse them! Couldn't… This is Minko and Dao from Nailit, my hometown». Maron introduced them.

«Macaronina» only smiled politely and pointed to the house with his hand, calling for entry. Maron nodded and picked up all five cans, carried them into the house. Minko and Dao quickly got up and hurried after Maron.

The house looked like it was upside down. The roof was kind of dilapidated, with moss. And it wasn't a house at all. A hut of some kind in the middle of the forest. Flowers were planted not very neatly next to the house. Apparently, it was an imitation of flower beds. The door was hung with vines and leaves.

«A normal hut! You can hold a wedding»! Dao couldn't resist commenting.

Minko slapped his forehead. This gesture was the most favorite, so Minko openly used it when Dao started to «fuck up» again or said another stupid thing.

Nanaga smiled shyly and waved his hand in the direction of the hut, inviting.

«You will forgive him, please. He's always like this, this Dao»! Minko apologized.

Nanaga just shook his head, saying that he was not offended! all right!

Minko's shoulder brushed against the vines and leaves hanging at the entrance, and found himself in a very spacious room or something similar. There were paintings everywhere. Most of all, Minko was surprised when he saw that the sofa, carpet, table. The chairs and even the wardrobe is made of vines. The guy thought to himself that it would take a lot of work to at least weave a carpet. Minko's mother often wove wreaths of flowers for him as a child. He didn't like it, and he destroyed all these flowers. Now Minko realized how much work and effort his mother put into each of her wreaths…

Maron sat down at the table and examined the paintings.

«Nanaga! Aren't you a great artist by any chance? I see you're just evolving»! Maron pointed to one painting. «Who is this»?

The canvas depicted a long-haired girl with eyes shining like the ocean in the sun. She was wearing an ordinary school shirt and it was obvious that apparently, she was tall. Gold bracelets encircled her slender arm.

Dao blushed and looked away from the painting. But Minko teased a friend.

«What? Falling in love with strange girls»?

Nanaga looked away from the wall and said hoarsely:

«Lady Naora ordered this painting from me. When her daughter was just born, she asked me, as a visionary, to draw her daughter in the future. This order has not been taken away from me yet. Yes, I know why. Tyrant… Eh… And the girl is beautiful. She's like that right now. Sixteen years have passed. Naomi Shurgen»!

Dao and Minko almost fell off their chair.

«Shurgen…That's my last name… And Naora… My mother's name is also Naora... it turns out. She's my sister»!? it dawned on Minko, and he looked at the portrait of the girl without embarrassment.

«Minko Shureg-Onar? That's a miracle»…

«And why Onar»? Dao did not understand.

Minko still collapsed from his chair.

«Onar is the name of the tyrant»... whispered Minko…

***

Had to spend forty minutes to bring Minko back to consciousness, give him a sedative. Minko sat with a detached face and replayed everything that had just happened in his head.

«And so, my dear boy… It is quite obvious, based on your surname, that you are the son of a tyrant… I'm even afraid to call him by his first name, my friend. Onar is his last name. And your father has it Shurgen... Onar and Shurgen are equal to Shureg-Onar... Yeah, I'm even more confused», Maron confessed.

Minko lowered his head dejectedly. That's on you! Dao suspected for a reason that he was the son of a tyrant! Based on Nanagi's words, his mother was his mother, but his father is not his father at all? In that case, his sister is also a tyrant's child or her father is another person. Minko shook his head from all sorts of strange thoughts and asked:

«Maron said that you, Nanaga, are a seer and can know where all the women are locked up. Can you help us»?

Everyone turned their heads towards Nanagi. He chewed his lips while in a trance, and then said:

«Yes, I can help you. And without the gift of providence».

Everyone stared at him in amazement. Then our «macaronina» got up from the chair and went to the closet. The wardrobe was, as you already know, woven from vines. Some kind of tropical dust was settling on them. As soon as the doors opened, tons of papers, ink, maps, books and other junk fell on the poor «macaronina». Minko gasped. With such a blockage, there is hardly anything left of the pasta. But Nanaga seemed to rise from the ruins. He slowly picked up a scroll and opened it in front of everyone on the table.

A Map Of The Inner Passage To The Jail For The Being

Your Lord's note: Tonk, I repeat for the last time! If you sow the card again, then I will take off three skins from you and throw you into a boiling cauldron! Do you want unwelcome guests to make their way to us?

Note 2: Tonk! After you come back from your rounds, transfer Naomi Shurgen from 216 to 845. She behaved very badly! We need to teach this girl a good lesson!

Minko sighed nervously after reading the tyrant's last note. Here it is. His sister Naomi is in cell 845. This means that if earlier it could easily be found on the second floor, now it will have to be already on the eighth. That's the problem, eh!

Dao, realizing this, became sad, but not for long. Curiosity took over.

«Mr. Nanaga, where did you get this map from»?

Nanaga was confused.

«I found her near my hut. I don't know where it came from here. Most likely, the guard of this terrible place where they are being held dropped it on the way during his rounds».

Minko was slowly getting it.

«That is, it means that»…

«Yes. This means that the dungeon with the girls is somewhere not far away, since the detour was made here», Nanaga nodded.

Dao exhaled triumphantly, but then tensed up again.

«Listen, do you know how many armies roam there»?

Maron shook his head.

«Without weapons, we are like mice in a mousetrap there. Let's go there and-oop!- a trap», Dao groaned.

«I don't think it's a problem of any kind», Minko shrugged. «The big problem for us is that we have no idea where your and my mothers are. Let's say I know where my sister Naomi is. But where are they»?

Dao was depressed. It's starting! I wonder if all knights have such problems before their heroic deed? It turns out that the princess's kiss is deserved after all? While Dao was thinking about this, Minko scooped up the card in his bag and said:

«You have helped us a lot, Mr. Nanaga! But we have to go now if we want to make it before sunset».

Nanaga stirred.

«Where are you going? Aren't you staying the night»?

Minko shook his head.

Then he turned to Dao and, grabbing his hand and interrupting his friend's thoughts about whether Naomi would kiss him, slipped out of the tent into the rays of the burning summer sun....