by N M Thorn
As Gunz was lowering Mrak Delar down, the Master opened his eyes and mouthed just one word, “Now…”
The ground trembled, and the wind picked up, rushing through the forest and disfiguring the smooth surface of the lake. Heavy thunderstorm clouds rolled in and the bright zig-zag of lightning split the dark sky. Mrak Delar rose high in the air, two energy orbs crackling in his hands.
Zmey screeched in fury, stamping his foot. A deep fracture originated where his foot hit the ground and ran toward Mrak Delar. The Ancient Master of Power laughed and sent both energy orbs flying at the same time. Both Morena and Zmey ducked down to avoid the direct impact. But Mrak wasn’t aiming at them. The energy orbs smashed the ice blocks that were holding Kal and Semargl. The ice cracked and a web of fractures covered its shiny surface.
“Ignius,” shouted Gunz, striking the ice blocks with the fire. The ice blew up, showering everything around with small icicles and white dust.
Kal dropped to his knees and roared, like a wild beast, reverting into a full-powered Great Fire Salamander. For a moment, the colossal lizard levitated in the air. A powerful blast of fire energy spread through the area, knocking Zmey, Morena and both mages off their feet. Kal reverted back into his human form, fire dancing around him, making him look like a human-shaped torch.
Both Semargl and Kal unsheathed their flaming blades and charged Zmey who was already on his feet. Without waiting to be asked, Gunz joined their attack. Zmey hurled a giant rock at them with unbelievable force. Mrak Delar met the rock with his power shield and the rock exploded with a loud bang that could wake the dead.
Zmey growled and hit Kal with his intoxicating magic of Chaos. But the ray of his magic never reached Kal. A brilliant white shield rose between the Lord of Chaos and the Fire Elemental. Gunz spun around and saw Gwyn up Nudd, holding the shield.
“Fool me once,” hissed Gwyn ap Nudd, expanding his shield and wrapping it around Zmey and Morena, immobilizing both of them. His unnerving white eyes stopped on Mrak Delar. “Master, I can’t keep them like this forever. I need a deep hole in the ground. Do it!”
Mrak Delar lowered himself down next to Gwyn ap Nudd and connected with the power of the Earth. With one swing of his arm, he moved the stone monolith aside. His arms got pumped with bulging muscles as he lifted a giant chunk of earth in the air.
“Not enough,” growled Gwyn ap Nudd. “Double it. I’m losing my grip. Do it fast.”
Mrak screamed, gathering all the power he had and lifted another pile of earth, making the hole in the ground deeper. Gwyn grunted, dropping to one knee, slowly losing his battle. All of a sudden, his shield shone brighter.
“I’m here, Father,” said Aidan, channeling his magic into Gwyn’s shield.
Zmey tilted his head back and emitted a terrible shriek. Gunz never heard a sound as awful as that. He pressed his hands to his ears, feeling like his head was about to explode. Blood trickled from his ears and his nose. Mrak Delar dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around his head. Gwyn ap Nudd and Aidan were still holding the shield, keeping Zmey restrained.
Angel flew over Gwyn’s shield and pointed his hand at Zmey. “Silenties,” he said quietly and Zmey fell silent. Preoccupied with Skiper-Zmey everyone forgot about the two mages. Quietly they tiptoed around, positioning themselves behind the monolith, so no one could see them. When Gunz noticed what they were doing, it was too late to stop them.
Joining their forces, the mages hit Gwyn ap Nudd with raw magical energy. Gwyn cried out and for a heartbeat his shield dropped. This tiny fluctuation in the flow of his power was enough for Zmey to break free. He rose in the air, pulling Morena up with him. Morena screeched and a frosty winter blizzard tore through the land.
Gunz grunted as thousands of tiny pieces of ice penetrated his skin. He looked around, but there was nowhere to hide. As torturous as it was, he ignored the pain.
“Ignius.” He made a circular motion with his hand and locked both mages into a circle of pure fire. They yelped, backing away from the flames. “Don’t go anywhere.” He smirked at the women. It’ll take them a while to break free.
“Gwyn ap Nudd, I thought you were smarter than that,” bellowed Zmey, anger distorting his features into a serpent-like snout. “Even if you could hold me down forever, you still don’t have what it takes to restrain me. Besides, you also need this!” He showed him the Axe of Perun and cackled. “Oh, wait. Even if you had it, you couldn’t use its power. Are there any illegitimate sons of Perun among you, losers?”
He peered down and cackled again. Kal and Semargl lowered their sword. With horror, Gunz realized that Zmey was right. There was no way to kill him and they didn’t have the power to curse him back into his grave. They didn’t even have the oak coffin they needed.
“I didn’t think so,” continued Zmey. “You don’t have what it takes to fight me. Morena, sweetheart, would you deal with them for me? I spent too long underground. I want to explore the world of the living. See how it’s changed.”
Morena smirked, and the blizzard got heavier, obscuring the vision. Gunz raised his arm to shield his eyes. Through the snowstorm, he saw the giant silhouette of Zmey gaining some height. All of a sudden Skiper-Zmey stopped, as though his bald head hit an invisible ceiling. He grunted and rubbed his head, staring down.
“Going somewhere?” asked Veles. He snapped his fingers and a hoop of glowing red power wrapped around Zmey, pinning his arms to his body. Veles slashed his hand through the air, yanking Zmey down. The Lord of Chaos yelped and blacked out, as the hoop of Veles’ power squeezed him tighter.
Morena squealed like a pig, jumping on Veles. The ancient god caught her in midair with his free hand and threw her on the frozen ground. She hit her head on a rock and passed out.
“Chernobog, if you please,” said Veles calmly.
Chernobog started to chant. A moment later, a large oak coffin manifested in front of him. It was levitating in the air, seemingly unsupported. Chernobog walked to the hole in the ground that Mrak Delar created and peeked inside.
“Master, can you make this hole twice as deep as it is now?” he asked, shaking his head.
Mrak Delar struggled to his feet. Gunz came to help him. Mrak took a rugged breath and connected with the power of Earth. His arms were shaking with strain, but he managed to make the hole deeper. Chernobog carefully lowered the coffin into the hole in the ground and turned to Veles.
“Ready, brother.”
Veles turned back to Zmey who seemed to be unconscious. He lifted him and lowered him in the coffin, conjuring a few cold iron chains to tie them over the coffin. As soon as Zmey’s back touched the wood of the coffin, he screamed and rose high in the air, breaking the restraints of Veles’ magic. His maniacal laugher was as painful as his magically enhanced shrieks.
“Now-now, you had your fun, boys. Admit it—it’s over,” he drawled mockingly, wiping his hands on his armor. “Come on… Some of you actually are still gods. You know you can’t do it. So, why are you wasting your energy and trying my patience? Most of us are actually immortal, so we can exercise in this manner for a very long time. I can’t really kill any of you and you don’t have what it takes to curse me again. So, let’s call it a day and part our ways.”
“You’re right,” agreed Gwyn ap Nudd, rising, shaking dust off his leather pants. “I had enough, too. Even though I am not a god and I didn’t start all this mess, I would like to be the one to finish it.”
Before Zmey got a chance to respond, Gwyn ap Nudd gathered all the power he had and slammed him square in his chest. Aidan joined his attack. Zmey laughed opening his arms wide, demonstrating that Gwyn’s power had no effect on him. Veles and Chernobog exchanged a quick look and added their power into Gwyn’s assault. Kal, Semargl and Gunz joined them and an impenetrable wall of fire rose around Zmey. A multicolored hoop, blazing with blinding light, wrapped around Zmey, holding him in place.
Skiper-Zmey roared, growing in size as anger took hold of him, yet he couldn’t break
free. The more he struggled, the more power it required to hold him in place. Gunz glanced back at Mrak Delar. The Ancient Master was shaking his head tiredly and his defeated look chilled Gunz’s soul.
“Zmey was right. You know the outcome. We need Perun and his brothers,” said Mrak Delar.
“No, you don’t, Master. There is one more way to force the Zmey into the coffin.”
Gunz gasped and spun around at the sound of the voice, releasing his power for a moment. Surrounded by golden flames, Angelique looked airy and beautiful, and completely out of place in the deadly and vicious surrounding of the battle.
“No, no, Zane,” yelled Angelique, reaching for him. “Don’t drop your power. Keep it flowing. I need a moment to get ready.”
Gunz turned away from her and joined the attack again, his heart beating desperately against his chest. He had no idea why Uri brought Angelique here or what she was planning to do, but a dreadful feeling of something terrible spread through him, making him weak and lightheaded.
He felt her hand brushing his hair as she walked past him, and her touch made his blood run cold. “Angie, what are you doing here?” he yelled, fear making his voice ring with desperate notes.
“I’m the only person who can do it, Zane,” she said simply. “Now, let me focus.”
She stopped next to Gwyn ap Nudd and closed her eyes. Her magical energy spiked around her and she went up in the air, levitating next to Zmey.
“Lord of Chaos, look at me,” she commanded, her voice strong and tender at the same time. “Look into my eyes…”
Hypnotized, Zmey turned his head and met Angelique’s eyes. His eyes widened and mouth opened, his forked tongue sliding in and out. Angelique flew closer to him and placed her right hand on Zmey’s chest over the place where his heart should have been. A soft light encapsulated her hand. She put her left hand on Zmey’s forehead and started to chant.
As she was chanting, Zmey started to change. His eyes lost their yellow glow, now resembling regular human eyes, but Angelique’s eyes were shining yellow now. Angelique choked and almost blacked out for a moment but managed to keep her control over Zmey.
“Move the coffin here, Master,” ordered Angelique.
The shimmering light of her magical energy kept circulating, surrounding her and Zmey. Now a thin layer of her magic was connecting her with the monster, and it seemed like their bodies were joined by it. Mrak Delar complied, with an effort slowly moving the coffin under the place where Zmey and Angelique were levitating.
“Master, faster!” she demanded urgently. “He is fighting me… He’s too strong for me.”
She channeled more of her magic, restarting her chant. The layer of magic that connected them grew stronger, pulling them closer, fusing their bodies into one entity. Zmey started to struggle, but still couldn’t break free. He broke the original trance Angelique put him under, but he still couldn’t demolish the restraints of the strange magic she was wielding.
Finally, the coffin was in place. Angelique glanced down and smiled, a sad and wistful smile. Carefully she lowered herself down into the coffin, pulling Zmey with her.
“No, witch… you still can’t curse me…” growled Zmey, his fingers squeezing tighter around the handle of the Axe of Perun. “I have the Axe… it’s mine…”
“I don’t think so… strangely, it feels like it belongs to me. Hmm, weird, but I’m sure, it’s actually mine.”
“Tessa!” yelled Aidan, for a moment his stream of power wavering.
Tessa winked at Aidan and approached the coffin, extending her arm forward. The Axe twitched in Zmey’s hand. Zmey growled holding on for dear life, but the Axe didn’t obey his command. It burst out of his grasp, made an arch in the air and ended up in Tessa’s hand.
Tessa raised her arm with the Axe up and bright lightning forked through the sky, connecting with the Axe. She rose up, air around her crackling with electric discharges, lightning bolts flashing in the depths of her eyes.
All eyes were on her, but she didn’t care. The thunder rumbled above her, and she laughed, enjoying the feeling of her power. “This weapon definitely belongs to me,” she shouted, her voice sounding thick with power. “It chose me, and I feel it like it’s a part of my body.”
“Daughter of Perun,” whispered Chernobog in awe. “Impossible…”
“Close the coffin!” yelled Veles, his eyes still on Tessa.
Gunz jumped forward, spreading his arms over the coffin protectively. “No,” he yelled, his chest tight with anxiety. “No, Angelique is still there. You can’t!”
“Step away, Salamander,” ordered Veles. “This is our only chance to send Skiper-Zmey back into oblivion. This witch won’t be able to hold him much longer! STEP AWAY!”
“No!” shouted Gunz. “NO!”
Veles and Chernobog grabbed the lid of the coffin, ready to close it. Gunz turned around and spread his body over the coffin. He looked at Angelique, his heart breaking into thousands of pieces. Her body was fused tighter with Zmey’s, her right hand seemed to be deep in his chest. Her left hand blended with his head.
“Zane, you have to let them do it,” she said firmly. “This is the only way.”
“No, no, no,” Gunz moaned, his trembling fingers threading through her hair. “No, Angie… please… it’ll kill you… don’t make me do it…”
“Kal, control your child!” yelled Veles urgently. “We have but a few seconds to seal this coffin.”
“Gunz, my child, please don’t make me control you.” Kal stepped next to Gunz, putting his hand on his shoulder. “Step away, my boy.”
“Father, I’m begging you…” moaned Gunz, tears running down his face. “I love her… please… control me and you’ll be killing me.”
“Gunz, move,” ordered Angelique. “Now!”
“Fire Salamander, obey. Stand down,” whispered Kal, mortified. “I’m sorry, my boy…”
Gunz dropped to his knees. Kal wasn’t applying full control, but he was holding him down, his hand on his shoulder. Veles and Chernobog covered the coffin and Angel wrapped the cold iron chains around it.
“Angelique!” Gunz screamed, not recognizing his voice. His tears, clear human tears, transformed, now liquid fire escaping his lifeless eyes.
Tessa approached the coffin and turned to Veles. Tears were streaming down her ashen face and her hands were shaking. “What should I do?” she asked hardly audible.
“Three strikes of the Axe of Perun will seal this coffin for eternity,” replied Veles.
“Eternity?” asked Tessa, her fingers unlocked, and she dropped the Axe.
The word “eternity” radiated through Gunz and he doubled down unable to breathe. He fought against Kal’s control and the Great Salamander let him go. Gunz felt his freedom but he couldn’t bring himself to move. He was kneeling by the coffin, his hand brushing over the wood. “Angie…” he whispered, fire sliding down his eyes, dropping on the dead ground.
Aidan came to Tessa’s side. He picked the Axe off the floor and put it in her hand. “Tessa, I guess it’s your birthright,” he said. “Do what you must.”
Tessa raised the Axe of Perun up, gathering the electricity in its blade and plummeted it down. Mighty thunder rushed through the land and a blast wave of wind spread around, bending the trees to the ground. Gunz moaned as if the Axe just struck him in his chest.
Tessa swung the Axe again and lowered it down. The coffin lit up with a bright red light and the chains melted into it. The coffin thrashed, coming in and out of focus for a moment. Someone screamed inside it, a terrible howl of anguish. Gunz wrapped his arms around his head, rocking back and forth.
Tessa raised the Axe one last time and hit the coffin. A bright light enveloped the coffin and when the light subsided, the coffin was gone. The hole in the ground that Mrak Delar created was filled with dirt now and the stone monolith was fixed and placed back into its original place.
Gunz walked toward the monolith and wrapped his arms around the cold stone. H
e wasn’t crying. He wasn’t saying anything. He couldn’t. He slid down to his knees, resting his forehead against the stone and fire rose around him.
“Gunz,” called Kal. But Gunz raised his hand up, shaking his head. He just wanted to be left alone. He didn’t want to talk or to hear words of support.
He saw Veles talking to Aidan and Tessa, explaining something about the Axe. Chernobog approached him and bowed. He raised his flaming eyes staring at the Slavic deity without understanding.
“You lost someone who was dear to you, young Salamander,” said Chernobog. “You loved her, and she sure was worthy of your love. Keep her in your heart, child, treasure your memories, but don’t give up on your life. You owe her that much. Today, Angelique saved the world, but most of all she gave her life to save the man she loved.”
Chernobog sighed and headed to his wife, the goddess of Winter and Death. She was still sprawled unconscious on the ground. The icy sword was lying down next to her. He picked it up and gave it back to Aidan. Then he lifted Morena, carelessly throwing her over his shoulder and approached Veles.
“Brother, would you allow me to deal with my wife and her betrayal on my own?” he asked.
“Yes, but don’t be easy on her,” said Veles with a sigh. “Your man, Voron, is waiting for you in the Dark Nav. Once you fix the veil, you need to come back and hunt down all the phantoms that your wife released into the Yav.”
Chernobog bowed to Veles and vanished together with Morena.
Kal approached Gunz and squatted in front of him. “My boy, you can’t stay here forever. There is nothing here for you.” He touched the fire, commanding it to cease.
Gunz got up, slightly swaying and looked around. His eyes moved from Aidan to Mrak Delar and then stopped on Angel. Angel met his pained gaze and shook his head.
“I’m sorry, my friend, but Angelique is not dead. She fused her essence with Zmey’s and that allowed her to control him long enough, so we could put him back in his cursed grave,” he said putting his hand of Gunz’s shoulder. “I swear, if it was in my power, I would bring her back for you, but it’s not.”
