by N M Thorn
Mrak Delar seized Gunz’s arm above his elbow and pulled him farther toward the other end of the room.
“I trust you recognize where you are, Gunz,” he whispered without slowing down.
“I’ve never been in this room before, but I suspect I’m somewhere close to my home,” said Gunz, a touch of nostalgia tightening his throat. “I recognized the underground passage and the brickwork supporting it. I was here when I was younger. We’re under my city, Gomel, and this is one of the catacombs that runs under the river.”
“Right you are,” confirmed Mrak Delar, stopping in front of a door. The entire surface of the door was spinning, shimmering with the bright blue light of a portal.
“This is the entrance into the Land of Dreams,” said Mrak Delar, pointing at the portal. “I didn’t want to teleport you directly into the magical nexus because I believe you need to talk to the Gatekeeper. I don’t think you can find the Apple of Youth and leave the nexus with it without her assistance.”
“Thanks,” said Gunz dryly, “we’ll take it from here.”
He was just about to walk through the portal, when Mrak Delar put his hand on his shoulder. Gunz stilled, his gaze slowly fell on Mrak’s hand and the Master of Power took it off.
“Gunz, I believe that except for the short time you spent on the Isle Buyan last year, you’ve never traveled through the magical nexus before,” said Mrak Delar, and his heavy gaze bored into him. “I just wanted to give you a small tip – remember, anything is possible. Expect the unexpected and be careful.”
“You sound almost like you care what will happen to me, Master Mrak Delar,” said Gunz dryly, raking Mrak Delar with a frosty stare.
Mrak Delar blanched and rubbed his temples with his elegant fingers. “Old habits die hard, I guess,” he whispered and chuckled. “Of course, I care. I need Novak to make the elixir for me and without the Apple of Youth, it won’t be possible. So, while I couldn’t care less about either of you, I do care about you surviving this trip so you can complete your mission.”
Gunz smirked and shook his head. “Please, don’t allow me to detain you any longer, my lord,” said Gunz bowing low to him, the way Kal had taught him. But no matter how hard he tried, his every move exuded an unhealthy amount of scorn. He pivoted on his heel and stepped through the portal.
It was early morning, but the sun was blasting mercilessly, showering a wide-open field with its smoldering rays. Gunz stopped and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth and the feeling of the elemental powers that were flowing freely in this place. It was his second time in the magical nexus and he still hadn’t gotten used to the effect of the concentrated magical energy of this place.
“The sunlight doesn’t bother me,” said Yaroslav, his voice unusually soft and elated.
Gunz glanced at him and a lighthearted smile appeared on his face. “At least something good came out from meeting Novak. You can get a tan now.”
“So, in which direction do we go from here?” asked Yaroslav, stretching his arms, visibly enjoying the sunlight.
Gunz surveyed the area. They were standing in the middle of a wide field, covered in tall lush grass. The swirling light of the portal was shimmering right next to them and it seemed that the door to the Land of Dreams was opened permanently. A tall dark forest rose far on the horizon, surrounding the field from all directions.
“I’m not sure,” mumbled Gunz, sharpening his senses. “I think there is a house right there, at the edge of the forest. Didn’t Mrak Delar say that we need to talk to the Gatekeeper first?”
“Yeah, I wish you asked him for directions before you killed him with your everlasting sarcasm,” muttered Yaroslav. “Let’s go.”
“Asking for directions was never my strong suit.” Gunz chuckled, heading toward the house at the edge of the field. They didn’t get a chance to walk far when a stern elderly voice stopped them.
“Zane Burns and Yaroslav Potemkin. What an unlikely companionship. Where do you think you’re going, boys?”
Gunz spun around and saw an elderly lady. She was dressed in a white shirt and a long dark skirt. A large kerchief with a traditional Russian pattern was thrown over her shoulders and chest. Her hair was braided into a single thick braid that was slithering down her chest like a silver snake. She wasn’t tall, but the way she was talking and holding herself made him feel like he was a first grader standing in front of his teacher. But what shocked Gunz the most was the old woman’s eyes. She had her eyes closed, yet he had a strong suspicion that she was staring directly at them.
“My lady, the Gatekeeper,” Yaroslav said, taking a knee, bowing his head respectfully. Gunz bowed to her, wondering if he should kneel too.
“Get up, Yaroslav, you don’t have time for all that,” she said waving at him impatiently. She opened her eyes and Gunz suppressed a gasp. She was blind and her eyes were porcelain-white.
“My lady—,” Gunz started to say, but she frowned pursing her lips.
“Call me Baba Maria. Your friends in Kendral do,” the Gatekeeper said in a no-nonsense tone. “And right now, I would deeply appreciate it if you both shut up and listen. The time the necromancer gave you is not going to be enough to complete the mission.”
“How did you know—,” gasped Gunz just to get raked with another furious blind stare.
“What did I say about keeping your mouth shut, young man?” she asked sternly, her bushy silvery eyebrows gathering above her unnerving eyes.
“Sorry…”
“Like I said, fifteen days is not going to be enough to complete your mission and come back if you walk. Teleporting or opening your Fire Salamander portals is not going to be an option for you either since you don’t know where you are going. I can’t help you with that, since I don’t know where the sacred garden is located,” she continued.
Gunz threw a quick glance at Yaroslav, biting his lip. “But Mrak Delar said that you could help us—”
“I know what the Ancient Master said, and he was right. I will help you as much as I can,” said Baba Maria, “but I can’t tell you how to find the Thirtieth Kingdom and the garden. There is only one person who can help you – the old witch, Yaginya.”
“Yaginya?” asked Gunz incredulously. “Are you sending us to Baba Yaga? The old witch who munches on kids and travelers?”
“Ugh.” Baba Maria stomped her foot, irritably. “These latest Russian fairy tales didn’t do her any favors. Never mind. You have no time for long explanations. Considering that one of you is full of fire and the other one has been dead for centuries, I don’t think either of you can be a part of her well-balanced diet. Just trust me, you’ll be fine. So, let me give you an Apple, so you don’t get lost in the Land of Dreams.”
“An Apple and a silver platter?” asked Yaroslav.
“Why does everyone always ask this question?” muttered Baba Maria reaching into the pocket of her skirt. She produced a device that looked like an iPhone, but instead of the company logo on the back of the phone, there was a large shining green apple. “This is Apple in a silver case. All you need to do is ask the guiding spirit, Darling Lily, for directions and she’ll show you where to go. And also, if the logo on the back of the device shines red – you’re in trouble. Any questions?”
“No, ma’am. Thank you,” said Gunz, taking the device with caution. “I’ve heard a lot about Darling Lily. It’ll be interesting to finally meet her.”
Baba Maria smiled, a sad smile that brought up a net of small wrinkles around her eyes. She gently touched the collar on his neck and sighed. “It’s been a while since I saw this horrible torture device used on a person. Unfortunately, I can’t help you take it off. I don’t have that kind of magic. So, you need to rush and if you can, find yourselves horses. I hope to see you here before the dark spell the necromancer placed on your collars will kick in.”
“Baba Maria, do you know anything about the necromancer?” asked Gunz. “Something tells me George Novak is not his real name. Do you know who he is?”
The old woman closed her blind eyes and frowned. “He veils himself well. Even my sight can’t penetrate the wall of his magic. I don’t know for sure, but I have some suspicions.”
“Well, in that case, we’ll be on our way,” said Gunz with a light bow. “Thank you for your help.”
“Godspeed, both of you,” replied Baba Maria with a sigh. “And be careful. Remember where you are. Anything is possible in the magical nexus. Be ready…”
Baba Maria snapped her fingers and vanished from the field.
Chapter 17
~ Zane Burns, a.k.a. Gunz ~
Gunz pressed on the home button of the device and immediately the screen lit up with a bright pink light. “Hello Darling Lily,” he said cautiously, remembering all the stories his friends told him about the little guiding spirit of the magical device.
The screen lit up brighter, showing an animated picture of a young girl, stretching. “Well, hello, handsome,” sung Darling Lily. “Okay, who do we have here? I do like what I see… Fire and Ice. Life and Death. How the two of you can get along, I have no idea. You are polar opposites.”
Gunz and Yaroslav exchanged a surprised look. “I’m Gunz,” said Gunz, “and this is Yaroslav—”
“Gunz, right… You’re Zane Burns and your coldblooded friend is Yaroslav Potemkin,” interrupted Darling Lily. “Yum. Can you two get any cuter?”
“Darling Lily, can you please show us how to find Yaginya?” asked Gunz, ignoring Lily’s last remark.
“I see, straight to business then,” grumbled Darling Lily, displaying a frown on her screen. “All work and no play. Fine. Please follow the highlighted route.”
The screen blanked out for a moment and then a standard GPS map appeared. A bright pink line cut through the field and went into the forest. At the bottom of the screen, Gunz read, “Time to destination: 10 days.”
“Ten days?” gasped Yaroslav, horrorstricken. “And this is just to reach Yaginya. When are we going to have time to find the sacred garden and come back to LA?”
“Well, at the pace you are moving right now, you’re never going to get anywhere, are you?” pointed out Darling Lily not without mockery in her voice.
“She’s right, Slavik, let’s go,” said Gunz, offering Yaroslav the Darling Lily device as he started to walk toward the forest. “I think it would be better if you kept the device. If I need to use my magic, the phone will get fried.”
“Hey, hey, hey!” squealed Darling Lily, her girlish voice trembling with fear, displaying a picture of a bar-b-que grill on the screen. “I don’t like to be fried!” Yaroslav took the phone and put it in the chest pocket of his shirt. Darling Lily sighed with relief. “Aw, this is so much better. Your skin is so cold, and I love being so close to your silent heart.”
Two days had passed since Gunz and Yaroslav entered the forest following Darling Lily’s directions. The forest was incredibly thick, and the heavy crowns of the ancient trees hardly allowed any sunlight to break in, keeping it dark and cool. The trail they followed was covered in a soft layer of foliage and a mild scent of fresh greenery lingered in the air.
The darkness wasn’t a problem neither for Gunz nor Yaroslav as they could easily see in the dark with their heightened senses. But the heavy thickets that blocked the hardly visible trail here and there were severely slowing them down. They walked as fast as they could, but even without discussing it, Gunz knew they weren’t moving fast enough.
Even though they hardly took any breaks and didn’t stop at night, Darling Lily still insisted they were moving too slow – her words being, like two overgrown snails. She stubbornly kept showing that they still had eight days to go at the current pace.
As the night slowly descended upon the dark forest, Gunz started noticing that Yaroslav was displaying symptoms of fatigue. It wasn’t normal as vampires could go for days without rest. But the facts were staring him in the face – the vampire started to slow down, and his face showed signs of weariness. Feeling worn out himself, he suggested to take a few hours rest, eat and get some sleep.
Yaroslav didn’t argue and as soon as they came across a small clearing, they made camp. While Gunz conjured a fire, Yaroslav silently disappeared into the woods. Every time Yaroslav was hunting, Gunz was praying that the vampire wouldn’t go farther than a hundred yards distance. But somehow, he managed to religiously keep the proper boundaries and still bring back something to eat.
Yaroslav returned thirty minutes later, carrying a dead rabbit. He sat down on the ground, a safe distance from the flames, and quickly skinned the animal. He passed it to Gunz and wiped his bloodied hands with grass.
Slowly frying the game over the fire, Gunz carefully observed his companion. Yaroslav was lying on the ground, his arm folded under his head and there was something about his face that gave Gunz an unpleasant jolt. His skin, normally marble-white, had a sickening gray tint to it. Dark shadows were etched beneath his eyes and under his high cheek bones, making his face look almost skeletal. His long golden hair had lost its normal shine and was falling limply around his face.
His eyes were closed, but Gunz knew he wasn’t sleeping. “Slavik,” he called softly and watched Yaroslav open his eyes. “Are you okay? You don’t look well.”
A faint smile touched Yaroslav’s lips. “I’m just tired…”
“Slavik, may I remind you that you’re an old vampire. Vampires don’t get tired. So, let me ask you again, are you okay?”
Yaroslav sat down, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his knees. For a moment he remained silent, staring into the darkness of the forest. Then he sighed and said, “No, I’m not okay. And I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel like I’m sick… And you don’t need to remind me that vampires can’t get sick. I know that and this is why I have no idea what’s going on with me.”
Gunz frowned, quickly scanning him with his magical sight. A dark shadow was lingering around Yaroslav’s collar. It wasn’t news to him that the necromancer had placed a dark spell on both of their gray stone collars, but the cloud surrounding Yaroslav somehow seemed to be heavier. Sinister and malignant, it was pressing on his neck, squeezing it in its deadly grip.
“What do you see?” asked Yaroslav, his fingers fidgeting with a small twig absentmindedly.
“I’m not sure, but it seems your gray stone jewelry is active,” replied Gunz quietly. “When you said you felt sick, what exactly did you mean by that?”
“I am slower and weaker,” replied Yaroslav looking away. “My vampire speed… It’s gone. I’m still faster than you are without your full Salamander’s power, but I’m a lot slower than I used to be. I feel it when I hunt. And I get tired.” He shook his head frowning. “Like right now. I can hardly move.” He raised his eyes and Gunz noticed a dim scarlet glow.
“I think Novak did something and now your collar is affecting you,” said Gunz. “When I was fighting in Florida’s captive circles, I saw vampires with active collars. They were slower and weaker, just like you said. I think this is one reason. And the second reason – you’re hungry. I don’t think rabbit’s blood can sustain you.”
“Why would Novak do that?” whispered Yaroslav. “He needs us to bring the Apple of Youth to him, so why would he make me weaker. It makes no sense.”
Gunz shrugged. “There is nothing we can do about that. But there is something I can do about your hunger.” He got up, suppressing his elemental fire. Then he sat down next to the vampire, extending his arm to him. “Go ahead, feed. You need your strength.”
Yaroslav peered down at his arm and exhaled a ragged breath. His eyes lit up brighter, shining red in the darkness, and his lips parted, exposing his blade-like fangs. But he turned away, shaking his head.
“Let’s don’t do it, Slavik,” said Gunz firmly. “We both know that without blood and with an active collar, you won’t be able to go on for much longer. So, spare me the drama and feed.”
Yaroslav snapped around, an angry low growl rumbling in his
chest. He seized Gunz’s arm and his fangs pierced his skin. Feeling dizzy, Gunz lay down and closed his eyes. A few seconds later, Yaroslav let go.
“Did you take enough?” asked Gunz, pressing his hand over the bleeding wound on his arm without opening his eyes.
“Enough not to kill you,” hissed Yaroslav, aggravation in his voice.
“Do you think, there is a pharmacy somewhere in the Land of Dreams? If we continue like this, I will need something for anemia…”
“Why don’t you get some sleep, and I’ll take the first shift,” suggested Yaroslav, sounding as guilty as he looked. “I’ll wake you up in a couple of hours.”
Gunz nodded and turned to his side. Weak from the blood loss and two days of walking, he was asleep a moment later.
Gunz woke up with a start and sat upright. He saw Yaroslav crouching next to him with his katana in his hand, ready to spring into action. He probed the area with his senses and carefully reached for his Swiss army knife. The magical energy of the nexus seemed to spike up a short distance from them as a low throaty growl rolled through the woods.
“What is it?” asked Gunz, turning his knife into the sword.
Yaroslav reached into his pocket and pulled out the Darling Lily device, showing the bright red apple shining on the back of it.
“Wild beasts. Many of them,” he replied, staring unblinkingly in the direction of the sound. “But I don’t think they’re after us…” His voice trailed into a whisper and he fell silent, listening intently to what was going on somewhere far in the forest.
“Wolves?”
Another loud growl rumbled through the woods and a multi-vocal howl followed it, sending chills down Gunz’s spine. The howl became louder and then suddenly disappeared, replaced by another deep growl of a different animal.
“Not sure.” Yaroslav got up, putting the device back in his pocket and gestured at Gunz to follow him. “Let’s check it out,” he whispered.
