Sacrifices...
This was a desperate situation. Elisis had lost her best soldier and the key to their escape from this prison. Valeros wasn't doing well; Dr. Leonardo had provided initial medical care, and now the injured man slept, most likely due to the psychological shock caused by the amputation of his hand. He was very tired and weakened, having lost a significant amount of blood. He would likely need to be carried during their escape.
— What will we do now? — Elisis asked quietly to Lonios in the adjacent cell.
— We have to stick to the plan, we can't stay here with these interrogations; soon, everyone will be injured.
— Do you think we can succeed? Valeros was a key piece in my plan. Do you think you can defeat the Pirate Lord?
— Not alone, he is more powerful than he appears, we haven't seen the extent of his power yet — the fight against Valeros was like a game to him.
— I noticed that too. The pirate was holding back, and he has that very sharp sword. Plus, he seems to be a good strategist. How will we stop him?
— I'll regret this for the rest of my life for what I'm about to do now. He approached Nimbus, who was in one corner of the cell. — Nimbus, I have to ask you for something that will cause you a lot of pain, but a lot — something not advisable in your condition. But I'll need your help to defeat the Pirate Lord.
What Lonios intended to do? How could the apprentice help his master on a mission like this? He didn't seem as strong or skilled as Valeros. What good would it do for him to assist in the fight? Elisis was left with one thought: the suspicion that the wandering knight had sacrificed his last apprentice, and that's why he was training this other one so intensely. According to her master, this was a common practice among knights without a master. Another clue was that
— You can count on me, master — the boy replied. — But how will I help you if I'm wearing this blindfold?
— Nimbus, we'll have to remove it, but this is a request that a master should never make to his apprentice. Nimbus quickly reached for the blindfold on his eyes, and Lonios held it. — Nimbus, you don't understand what I'm asking of you, when you remove this blindfold, you'll feel much pain, more than you can endure, and most importantly, you may go blind after a while. For a moment, he hesitated, then began to remove the blindfold from his eyes. Lonios assisted him and, free from the blindfold, the boy kept his eyes closed. And courageously he opened them. At that exact moment, he screamed, as if he were being wounded by something. After a few seconds, panting, he calmed down. After blinking a few times, he looked at Lonios. Elisis could swear his eyes were different, the iris seemed to have changed to a feline shape and then returned to normal, perhaps an optical illusion. Around his iris, several red veins protruded.
— How do you feel? — Lonios asked.
— Aside from the headache and in my eyes, I'm fine, just my vision is a bit blurry.
— You're getting used to your new eyes. — Elisis found that statement strange, new eyes? Was she correct in imagining that he had different eyes now? — And the blurred vision along with the pain is because your eyes were exposed to light too early; you should keep this blindfold for a few days for your eyes to heal perfectly.
He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and looked at Elisis:
— You can set your plan in motion; we'll be ready soon.
Immediately, Elisis walked toward Nurse Cristiane, who had her hair down, which was not common for a nurse, exactly as Elisis had instructed.
— Cris, it's time.
— Eli, I don't know if I can do it — she lowered her head, and tears welled up in her eyes.
— Cris, it has to be you. — Elisis approached her friend and embraced her. — You're the only woman resembling me in this cell; we have to do exactly as we planned.
— I don't know if I can. — She cried more.
— You can do it. — Elisis approached her and began to kiss her.
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