The Fire Salamander Chronicles Series: Books 1 - 3: The Fire Salamander Chronicles Series Boxset Book 1

by N M Thorn

  They reached the edge of the forest and stopped. Gunz moved his arm from left to right, like he was touching something invisible in front of him.

  “Do you feel it?” he asked quietly without looking at Karma.

  “Feel what?”

  “The magical energy,” replied Gunz, closing his eyes and sharpening his Salamander senses. “Our fight hasn’t started yet, but the confrontation between the darkness and the light has begun already. Feel it. I can sense the energy of the magic the Guardians are wielding. The bursts of their magic are reaching as far as the end of the village. But if you extend your senses farther toward Mount Karasova, you’ll feel the dark magic at work. I don’t know if it is Agent Zvereva’s magic or the evil of the Zmey that I sense, but it’s dark out there… Poisonous…” He shivered like from a cold wind.

  “Not all of us going to come back in one piece tomorrow,” muttered Karma, shaking her head. “I just hope that I’ll find Milana and see her one more time before—” She cut herself off and sighed.

  Gunz pulled her closer to his side, hugging her. She didn’t object, placing her head on his shoulder. “Karma, we’ll find Milana. If we survive whatever comes tomorrow, I’m sure Chernobog will be inclined to help us. We’ll find her, I promise. Among the six of us, you’re the most fragile. So, be careful, watch your back and don’t do anything crazy.”

  She chuckled darkly. “Crazy is my middle name, buddy. Deal with it.”

  Gunz rolled his eyes. “Could you say anything cheesier than that? You’re losing your touch, Karma.”

  She laughed, but her eyes remained sad. “Maybe I’m losing my touch, but you’re the one who’s scared. I could feel the fear coiling in you since this morning.”

  “You’re right,” he agreed. “I’m afraid. It’s not my first war and from experience I know that it’s okay to be afraid before a battle, as long as you don’t let this fear rule you. As long as you can keep it under control, it’s okay to be scared. A healthy dose of fear will keep you alive.”

  “Perhaps you’re right,” she agreed. “We’ll find out tomorrow.”

  Karma brushed his shoulder lightly with her hand and then turned around and headed back into the village. Gunz followed her, thinking that one thing she was right about—not all of them were coming back in one piece. Since his return from the Dark Nav, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Not just the possible rise of the Skiper-Zmey, but something else. He felt it, but he couldn’t identify what it was.

  Just an eerie feeling that didn’t let him sleep at night.

  Chapter 34

  ~ Zane Burns, a.k.a. Gunz ~

  As they entered the dark forest at around three in the afternoon, following Countess Demidova, Gunz could sense the powerful magical energy flowing all around him and the closer they were getting to the protective circle around Mount Karasova, the stronger he felt the magical presence. With his heightened Salamander senses, he could easily separate the protective magic the Guardians were wielding from the other, darker energy that was polluting the area with its nauseating stench.

  “Do you feel it?” asked Kal, jerking his chin in the direction of the mountain.

  “Yes, it’s extremely powerful,” Gunz replied quietly.

  Mrak Delar stopped suddenly, dropping his head low to his chest, breathing laboriously. Not expecting it, Gunz almost ran into him.

  “Ancient Master, is everything okay?” asked Kal, stopping next to him.

  Mrak Delar lifted his head. His lips were opened, and he was taking ragged breaths through his mouth. His eyes, widened and submerged into darkness, were blindly staring into space.

  “It’s dark here,” he whispered.

  Gunz shuddered. There was so much suppressed anger and cold in Mrak’s voice that he could barely recognize it. “Mrak, what’s going on?” He put his hand on his shoulder, channeling some of his purifying fire energy through his friend.

  Mrak Delar took another strained breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, they were back to normal. He looked at Gunz and a hardly visible smile touched his full lips.

  “Thank you,” he said, slightly uncomfortable. “There is so much dark energy here that it overwhelmed my senses for a moment. But I’m ready now. It’s not going to happen again.”

  As they kept walking, the forest started to lose its thickness and soon Gunz noticed the dark silhouette of the mountain looming not more than a few hundred yards away. Countess Demidova stopped and moved her hand from left to right, whispering something. The air shimmered with a bluish-white light and a man materialized in front of them. He was dressed in a black Guardians’ uniform. A leather scabbard with a short sword was attached to his back. His hands were glowing with the energy of the magic he was wielding.

  “Jasper, what is the situation?” asked the Countess, touching his shoulder to get the man’s attention.

  The man turned his head and his attentive eyes, glowing with magic, quickly checked all of them. He looked like he was in his late forties or thereabouts, but he was probably a lot older. His face was strained, a thick blue vein crossing his forehead, his lips pressed together in a tight grim line. Muscles were bulging on his arms and shoulders, his chest rising with laborious breaths.

  “It’s hard,” he hissed, his voice just as tense as his face. “Harder than I’d ever remembered… or than it was described in our historical records. There is more darkness gathered within the Mount—” He stopped talking to take a deep breath and then continued, “More than we can handle… And it’s fluctuating, the amount of dark energy growing with each hour we spend here…”

  “This has to be my daughter and her followers,” muttered the Countess bitterly, shaking her head. “Whatever they’re doing, it makes Zmey stronger.”

  “Jasper, what will happen when we start fighting Valeria Demidova and her followers?” asked Gunz. “Will you and your team still be able to hold your protective circle around the mountain.”

  Jasper glanced at him and a pained smirk cut through his face. “No,” he replied bluntly. “Even right now, we’re at the end of our wits, our magic is barely holding. We’re all here and there is no one to replace us when our magical and physical strength will get depleted. If all of you add more magical energy into the explosive mix inside the Mount…” He shook his head. “There is no way that we can hold all this energy in the confines of our spell. Our circle will crash. The magical energy, especially the dark one, will spread around like a tidal wave for hundreds of miles… Well, you all are experienced enough to know what would happen then.”

  Gunz knew what Jasper was talking about. The dark energy would rush through the land, destroying every living soul in its way. Hundreds of thousands would die and the souls of those who would survive the blast would be corrupt by the darkness. He couldn’t let it happen. He looked at Kal and then at Mrak Delar. They seemed to be troubled by the same thought.

  Gunz used a small amount of his fire energy and drew a flaming rune in the air. Then he touched it with his hand, whispering a summoning spell. Jasper stared at him with a question in his eyes. The air shimmered with green and red sparks, and Svyatobor and Semargl materialized next to Gunz. Jasper gasped, gaping at the ancient Slavic gods in awe.

  “We are ready, little brother,” said Semargl.

  He glanced around and his flaming eyes stopped on Jasper. He frowned and touched the air next to Jasper with his fingers. A glowing dome of light manifested at his touch, exposing the circle of protective magic that was encapsulating the huge area around the mountain and Mount Karasova itself. The dome was flickering, glowing weaker for a moment and then returning to its full strength again. The god of Fire turned to Gunz and his red eyebrows pulled lower above his burning eyes.

  “I see the problem,” he said, raking his fingers through the scorching mane of his hair. “Who do you wish to leave behind? Me or Svyatobor? We must make sure that this protective dome doesn’t fail.”

/>   “I’ll stay behind,” volunteered Svyatobor. “As a fighter, Semargl is a lot more capable than I am. And this is my domain.” He waved his hand around the forest. “I’m the strongest here, surrounded by forest, not inside of a magical pile of sand. I’ll stay with the Guardians to enforce their protective circle.”

  “Thank you, Svyatobor,” said Gunz, unease spreading through him. “Make sure that this protective circle doesn’t fail, no matter how much magic and fire energy we’ll be wielding inside. Nothing should break through it.”

  Gunz looked at his friend, biting his lip, doubts tearing at his soul. Leaving a Master of Power behind wouldn’t be enough. Besides, Mrak Delar was a fierce experienced warrior, and he was the only one among them who had the power to heal others. Same applied to him and to Kal. The power of a Fire Elemental or a Fire Salamander wasn’t enough to help the Guardians. He didn’t even consider Karma. She was just a witch and adding her magic wouldn’t make much difference.

  To make sure that the protective spell didn’t fail, he had to add the power of a god into the mix. Gunz knew that he was doing the right thing, yet it wasn’t making him feel any better. Now, it was only the five of them left. Five of them against the unknown number of dark mages and the Lord of Chaos.

  “Countess, before we cross inside the circle, is there anything else you can tell about Mount Karasova?” asked Gunz. “Anything that can help us?”

  “Nothing can help you, boy,” huffed the old lady, her voice screeching like nails on a chalkboard. “In your infinite wisdom, you are leaving a god behind. Not the smartest decision as far as I can see. And I don’t understand how your master, Kalidus, is allowing this stupidity.”

  “He might be young, but he’s not a boy. He’s a Great Fire Salamander. And he made the only right decision there was in our situation,” growled Mrak Delar, putting his hand on Gunz’s shoulder. “I would do the same.”

  “I second that,” said Kal quietly.

  “You’re idiots. All of you,” yelled the Countess, tears gathering in her eyes. “Who cares if the protective circle breaks and a few hundred thousand humans die? If my daughter succeeds, we all are gonna die anyway!”

  Mrak Delar seized her shoulders and shook her once. “Look at me, Countess Demidova,” he said, his voice a low growl. “Did I teach you nothing back in Moscow?”

  The old lady gaped up at the Master of Power, her hands trembling. Mrak Delar took her hands into his, gently squeezing them.

  “I know it’s hard and I know you’re scared, but I promise you—the five of us are going to stop your daughter. Skiper-Zmey is not going to rise. But you and the Guardians must do your duty. Remember the oath you gave when you joined the Guardians Order. Keep the circle up. Protect the humans.”

  The Countess let go of Mrak Delar’s hands and threw her arms around his neck. “It’s hard for me. Everything that’s going on is my fault,” she moaned. “It’s my daughter, Mrak… My own flesh and blood. And now you… and your friends are going to risk everything to undo her evil.” She spoke fast, her voice breaking and faltering. “Oh, Mrak… seeing you again brought back so many memories. In 1812, you let me escape with my life. You should have killed me. And now your kindness will kill you and your men. I can’t… I can’t…”

  “Countess, stop,” said Mrak Delar, gently pulling her to his chest. “First of all, I didn’t show you any kindness by letting you escape Moscow. I did what I was ordered to do, and you were chosen by the Destiny Council to protect the Axe of Perun.

  “Maybe there was a reason the Destiny Council chose you as the guardian of the Axe. Think about it, Countess. You were chosen to keep the only weapon that could free the Skiper-Zmey from his prison and you’re the mother of the very person who’s dedicated her life to freeing him.

  “You know as well as I do that every move on the Board of Destiny has a reason. Nothing is coincidental. So, please, you need to get yourself together. If there is anything else that you know about Mount Karasova, tell us. Anything would help.”

  Mrak Delar pulled away, bending slightly down to see the Countess’ face.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered, avoiding Mrak’s gaze. “There is only one more thing that comes to my mind. In front of the Mount there is a small lake. Its waters look clean and inviting, but don’t trust its serenity. The lake has a double bottom. You step into it and it’ll suck you in faster than any swamp. Even gods can’t escape its deadly grip. Stay clear of it and be safe. All of you.”

  Mrak Delar took her hand and kissed it. “Thank you, Anastasia.”

  “You know my name?” exhaled the old lady, raising her eyes at Mrak Delar.

  “I always did.” He chuckled. “I’ll see you when it’s all over.”

  Gunz approached Jasper. “We need to pass through your protective magic to the other side. Can you let us through?”

  Jasper nodded and moved his right hand up and down. The protective dome lit up with a soft white light. Jasper said one word and an opening, just big enough for an adult man to pass through, materialized in front of them.

  Gunz thanked him and stepped through the opening. Mrak Delar, Kal, Karma and Semargl followed. As they started to walk toward the edge of the forest, Gunz turned around. He saw Countess Anastasia Demidova stopping by Jasper’s side and adding her magic into the mix. Svyatobor joined her. His power flowed through the protective dome, adding a soft green color to its glow. As soon Svyatobor added his power to the Guardians’ magic, the dome stopped flickering and shone brighter.

  It worked. Svyatobor’s power will keep the area protected, Gunz thought as he watched Jasper closing the door. Now all we have to do, is keep the Lord of Chaos in his grave. Easy…

  Chapter 35

  ~ Zane Burns, a.k.a. Gunz ~

  Mount Karasova stood out in the surroundings like an unnatural sore thumb. In the forest-covered land, the Mount was the only stark rock, rising above the land like a sinister dark omen. At the foot of Mount Karasova, a small lake was glistening dimly reflecting the gray skies. At the very bottom of the mountain, there was a small dark hole, undoubtedly an entrance into a cave.

  Gunz stopped at the edge of the forest and probed the mountain with his Salamander’s senses. The presence of dark energy was so strong here that he could practically see it flowing through the air, wrapping around the lifeless rock. But besides the energy of Zmey, he could feel other magical energy signatures inside and outside the mountain. He could see the dark shadows of people that were crowding around the entrance into the cave.

  Veles was right, he thought, probing the area in front of the Mount. Zvereva brought some serious reinforcement, but none of them were pureblood humans. They all had magic.

  Gunz turned to Kal, pointing back at the forest. No one asked anything. They stepped back, submerging into the shadows.

  “Did you feel their presence?” he asked. Except Karma everyone nodded. She was standing at the edge of the forest, observing the area. “They all have magic, so Veles was right. Just using Kal’s fire energy won’t work. We’ll have to fight our way through.”

  “There are at least a hundred of them there if not more,” pointed out Mrak Delar. “We can’t go through them without using our magic and power. It’ll weaken us before we even get inside.”

  “It’ll also alert Valeria Demidova to our presence, prematurely,” added Semargl.

  “Hey, Karma,” Gunz called out in a loud whisper. She turned around, arching her eyebrow at him. “I know you’re packing. What do you have in your non-magical arsenal?”

  “What do you need?” she asked, a crooked smirk on her face.

  “A sniper rifle,” replied Gunz.

  Karma pulled her sling bag off her shoulder and dropped it on the ground. She touched the bag, sending some of her magic through it. Then she opened the bag and pulled a VKS sniper rifle and a box with ammunition out of it.

  “Is there anything else you want for Christmas, little boy?” she asked winking at him.

  “Chr
istmas came early this year,” murmured Gunz. He took the rifle, placing it to his shoulder and checked its telescopic sight. “This will do. Do you know how to use one of these?”

  “Really? Knowing my line of business, you had to ask?” Karma rolled her eyes, pulling a second rifle out of her bag.

  “Do you see that hill?” Gunz pointed to his right. A small hill covered in shrubbery was rising just a few feet away. “It’ll give us better visibility and the shrubbery will serve as a natural screen.”

  Karma sighed, shaking her head. “Too much wind here,” she whispered. “The winds seem to be blowing from all directions at the same time. As an expert sniper, you have to know that it would be impossible to make a clean shot in these conditions.”

  Gunz turned to Mrak Delar. The Master of Power smirked. “I can take care of the winds, Junior,” he said with a nonchalant wave of his hand. “It would require just a tiny bit of my power.”

  “Can you also suppress the sounds of the gunshots? I don’t want you to drain yourself doing that, but we should keep it under wraps for as long as possible,” asked Gunz.

  “No problem,” replied Mrak Delar. “A small effort like that is not going to drain me.”

  Gunz turned to Kal and Semargl. “I know that Semargl can’t get hurt. He’s a god,” he said, looking up at Kal. “I’ve never asked you this, Father. Can mundane weapons hurt you? I know that they can’t kill you, but will you be in pain if you get shot?”

  Kal’s thin lips stretched into a smile and he shook his head no. “I’m more fire than human now,” he replied, his fingers exploring the barrel of the rifle in Gunz’s hands. “A gunshot is not going to be pleasant, but not painful enough to cripple me. I don’t bleed red anymore. It’s been centuries since I’ve seen my own blood. Don’t worry, my boy. I’ll be fine. Tell us what you want us to do.”