Padraig roamed inside the silent castle with an unlit lantern. He stroked the matchstick on the strip only after reaching near the door of Fierlo’s cell.

The noise of match burning alone hinted Fierlo who had come to see him. Padraig had done it several times. He didn’t have any sense of time in darkness but he reckoned Padraig visited him every day at exact time. But this time Fierlo was glad he hadn’t brought the mirror with him. Just the reflection of himself on the mirror had given him chills.

Fierlo pretended to not notice him. It still didn’t stop from Padraig to come closer to him. He acted like he was asleep because Padraig had habit of keeping the lantern dangling infront of his face for a long time.

Fierlo assumed this was not going to be a normal meeting when Counselor Padraig placed the lantern on the floor. The very reason made him break his pretention. Yet he had no desire to look at Padraig’s face.

“Why do you come to see me?” Fierlo said with his head in other direction, “Your presence is hard to bear than this solitude.”

“I’m glad I’ve reduced your pain of isolation.” Padraig said from behind the lantern.

“What is to be glad about in it? I’m your doctor’s project, not yours.”

“Expect more visits from me because this isolation will not end soon. The more you endure it, the better you will get.”

“Cut my throat and I will be more than better.” Fierlo mumbled.

“Others would have said this a lot earlier.” Padraig grinned, “The captives who are not under my shade don’t get to live this long in Hilcastle.”

Fierlo gyrated his head at Padraig in the end.

“Ser Angus wants to kill you.” The counselor resumed, “But I’ve been making excuses to keep you alive.”

“What do you want from me?” he said to the man behind light.

“Patience.” Padraig whispered.

“How good is my patience to you?” Fierlo laughed.

“IT’S WORTH MY LIFE!” Padraig bellowed at him. His words reverberated in the empty room. His snapping had nearly given Fierlo panic attack because he had never heard him yell.

“And you are the only one who can save my arse.” Padraig stuck to his soft voice once more.

“Set me free and I will help you.” Fierlo didn’t hesitate to put his demand on the table.

“Only thing you can do if I unshackle you now is crawling. I don’t want an insect but I want a mercenary with enough vigor to dare protecting Calajhans.”

“Don’t you want Calajhans killed?” Fierlo was confused.

“I am not telling you to guard them.”

“You are not telling me anything.”

Padraig was a second away from screaming. Fierlo saw him clenching his fists. Even though he did not bellow at him, he was not speaking kind by any measure, “Listen you, son of a whore. I want Ser Angus killed.”

Padraig sniffed and watched around to check whether anyone was listening to him or not. He kept his voice low regardless, “When two Calajhans die then Wutke will take its strongest form to start Great Invasion. When the life in Ouskerus is wiped out, the three entities will merge. After the fusion, only Lord Wernh’An and Angus will survive. Rest of us from Hilcastle will not.”

“You are Wernh’An’s counselor. Why would not he save you?” Fierlo questioned.

“Ouskerus will not remain the same after merging. Mighty Wutke will cleanse entire continent. We are nothing more than dirt for him. But Ser Angus will live because he is the closest person to Lord Wernh’An.”

“You want me to kill Ser Angus because you will be Wernh’An’s closest man by default if he dies?”

Padraig chuckled, “Killers like you can smell violent intentions.”

“Why should I help you if I will also die?”

“Death is imminent but by doing what I say, you will not die here like a cripple. Wutke may not even come if we can't make Nortze reveal his identity. Do you want to miss out chance of getting free with your youth? What do you say?”

“I would love to kill Ser Angus.” Fierlo answered.

Padraig chuckled. Those chuckles turned into hysterical laughter when he sat on the floor, not caring anything about the world.