“And the name of the father?”

“I don’t have a father,” the redhead half-blood answers without any emotion, and Igmer moves away from him. Later, he gives the order to feed the captives, all the while mentally returning to the guy Atley Alis.

In the evening he comes to look at him again, scrutinizes him, as if thinking, and as if trying to solve something for himself. The half-blood is very thin, emaciated, and it is strange that he had the strength to fight. Igmer watches as he hastily eats from a rough iron bowl, without distraction, but not as greedily as one might expect, with some dignity. Only he doesn’t know that the reds, mocking their captives, poured them a soup from a trough for pigs, he doesn’t know it and doesn’t seem to even guess, is not surprised at the taste.

“And what does Crassus feed you in his school?”

The prisoner interrupts for a second, looks at Igmer:

“Nothing,” he finally says seriously and continues to eat.

Igmer breaks down and abruptly takes the plate away from him, splashing the remains on the floor:

“Give him a normal meal!” He shouts. And the red-haired half-blood looks at him with incomprehension.

“You look bad,” Igmer said finally, forcing himself to look away from the hungry red.

“I miraculously survived and got here without hope of reaching, sir Igmer,” the warrior raised his head and pushed the plate away.

“Well?”

“It is he. I'm sure. I remember him perfectly. There is no doubt that Sigmer is indeed back, and it is not another red who pretends to be him. Not an impostor, as many believe. Yes, Sigmer has sunk into oblivion, and I don't know how he managed it, but he returned. And he returned with the army.”

“Have you seen him?”

“Yes, sir, close, just like I see you now. And I didn't have the slightest doubt.”

“How is he?”

“Still the same. He hasn't changed at all. He is fearless, very fast, fights on the front line, takes risks,” the red warrior paused, “ he is a professional,” he added, “no red can do that, he combines the mind of the highest race of red and the animal sense of black savages. He’s in charge. There are many black and unclean ones with him. All are fighting together and all are with him and for him. There is always a girl near him, fighting nearby, his fighting girlfriend. She is also very fast and fights on a par with men. She often insures him, literally throws herself with her chest, like a mad woman, shields him, a bold black savage. I'm sure this is his woman, as soon as we stopped attacking or were forced to retreat, he immediately hugged her.”

“How does she look?!”

“I can't say for sure, she was covered, there was a scarf on her face, I saw only her eyes, and at one of the moments we clashed with her, her eyes… it's impossible to forget them! Bright, beautiful, bestial, like cat’s eyes. She literally burn you out when looking at you. She is thin, graceful, but at the same time she perfectly works by a sword, controls it like a feather. She is very strong and hardy. As long as he was on the wall, so was she. And as soon as he gave them a break, she clung to him. Even in battle, they often, repelling the attack, immediately approached each other, he pressed her to him, and she was literally ready to climb on him right there.”

“Beautiful cat eyes?!”

“Yes. My warriors called her that – Sigmer’s wild cat.”

“This is she, it can only be she.”

“Do you guess who I'm talking about?”

“This is Karina!”

“Yes! You're right! I remembered! He shouted to her several times: “Karin”.”

“He's with her again! He found her and returned!”

“Frankly, I understand him. I myself, having met her gaze only once, will now never forget her. I will recognize her from a thousand, despite the fact that I have not seen her face.”

“He returned her to himself,” whispered the red one named Igmer, “this black savage who killed him. He returned her, managed to survive among the blacks and rise. He gathered an army,” tears appeared in his eyes.

“Sir, did you come this way to find out the details?”

“Yes. I've heard rumors that Sigmer is back. But I couldn't believe it. Now I believe that it really is him.”

“And you left the Upper World for this?”

“Yes.”

“Tell me, how is lady Ethel?”

“All is well. She is a good mother and devotes a lot of time to her son.”

“Oh, sir Igmer, your grandson is probably already very big?”

“Yes,” Igmer smiled.

“You replaced his father.”

“It was not difficult, he is a reasonable and calm boy.”

“Sigmer doesn’t execute prisoners, he needs warriors. My man remained in his army. Soon there will be the first reports left at the appointed place. I will decipher them and pass them on to you.”

“Does he have many soldiers?”

“A lot, sir, and they all fight like the last time. I saw Zagpeace Gezaria. I saw Scavenger. They defended Crimson Rock with teeth and claws. They have gunpowder and have learned how to use it. More soldiers from the Black City came to their aid. We were defeated, and many reds again stood under the banner of Sigmer, they remember him and want to fight in his army. Their next target is the Ore town, there is no doubt about it.”