Coming closer to the battle site, the group saw Charon in all his power. An old man in black glasses masterfully wielded his cane like a saber, causing powerful explosions of the water element. He destroyed creatures that looked like nightmarish creatures from the darkest dreams. Some of them looked like snakes, but with changeable skin, like chameleons. They moved with twisting movements and splashing out poisonous jets, which Charon deftly blocked with a wall of water. There were others that resembled huge amphibians with gaping mouths full of sharp teeth. Everyone tried to take a bite out of the merchant, but he held on well.
- This is our chance to win his favor! - said Ivan.
The group also entered the battle, covering Charon. During the battle, they were able to kill one of the monsters - a giant creature with the body of a snake and the head of a wolf, which tried to attack them from behind. In general, the creatures were sculpted as if hastily, by an unknown sculptor.
Ivan, using his shield, demolished the creature to the ground, and even thrust his blade into the wolf’s muzzle with a flourish, while Sofia put her hands on the snake’s body, freezing it. At this time, Andrei created a spiritual barrier, covering the girl from blows with his tail. Alexander, despite his small form, helped, cutting the carcass from below with his icy claws. As a result, Ivan finished off the creature and received a fair amount of souls from the chimera. Others also suffered the same as Alexander. It feels like two full-fledged souls.
- It’s strange, why did the sisters endow these creatures with the power of the soul? Were they not beaters for the prisoners? Why give them energy? - flashed through Alexander’s head. But only he had such questions; the rest checked the chimera for possible gifts or artifacts.
After a fierce battle there was a lull. Ivan stepped forward, addressing Charon:
- Dear Charon, we would like to buy the Violet of Life from you. May I?
Charon laughed and replied:
- Even in the midst of the Hellish Wasteland, there are those who are ready to trade, not fight! Showers won't hurt now, my dears! Two hundred thousand souls and this... - he pulled out from somewhere behind his back and showed a crystal vessel in which a golden liquid shone - will be yours.
- Agreed, only the souls are distributed between us, we will transfer them to you in parts, okay? - Ivan asked, assessing the capabilities of his group and the terms of the deal. - I was already informed that with you, dear sir, you need to designate everything in advance, otherwise you can end up in a bad situation.
Charon nodded and agreed:
- They told you right, tough guy. Certainly. Do as you see fit. But remember, time is not in your favor. Also hurry up! - as if confirming this, he removed Violet, ala a real magician, and hit the creature that jumped out of the ground with his cane. With one blow, he reduced her to ashes.
After the unexpected attack, Sofia was the first to approach him. She carefully extended her hand to the old man, who also extended his. A luminous silver stream formed between their hands, like an energy bridge through which the transfer of souls began. Meanwhile, Andrei, concerned about the current situation, asked Charon:
-Where do so many monsters come from? We climbed out of the portals! This has never happened before...
Charon grinned and replied:
- My boy, something terrible happened. The Lady of Fate is dead. The destinies of each of us are now in our hands. But since we are all unique, why do we need an overseer? Right?
Ivan, replacing Sofia in the transfer of energy, clarified:
- But what do monsters have to do with it?
Charon explained:
- What do you think, over the infinity of centuries, how many souls have become so strong that they rejected fate? These people and creatures were kept under control by Wetsu, forcing them to fight forever with the creatures that the other sisters created in an endless labyrinth of portals. It was difficult for them to kill even for them, so they captured them so as not to waste time, and then forgot about them.
- Sounds like monsters, is this just the beginning? - Sofia asked with alarm, to which Charon nodded.
A gloomy silence enveloped the group. They realized that the death of the Lady of Fate led to disorder and chaos in the Edge, causing the appearance of many monsters and creatures that were previously under her control.
- And when the prisoners arrive, what will happen? - Andrei asked tensely.
- Most likely there will be a war, as a result of which the Edge will be divided into personal possessions by those who have the strength to hold these lands. And the rest will have to either join someone, or... I don’t even know, wander, perhaps, the Edge is great, maybe there will be free lands.
While Andrei completed the transfer of souls to Charon, Alexander, in his hare form, jumped up to the old man’s feet. He looked up and Charon's unusual eyes caught his attention. They looked like blue diamonds sparkling with a mysterious light. Charon, noticing the hare's gaze, smiled a wide smile, showing all his teeth, as if baring his teeth.
In silence, waiting for the end of the transfer of souls, the old man and Alexander watched each other. As soon as the last soul passed to Charon, the old man seemed to stretch with pleasure, after which he handed the crystal violet to Andrey. Andrey enveloped her in his soul and transferred her to his soul vault, ensuring the safety of the valuable cargo.
Charon then leaned down and gently picked up the hare, commenting:
- What a nice animal you have, silent, but clearly not simple. This is worth saving...
- Yes, he is part of our team. - Ivan answered, carefully observing Charon’s interaction. Next to him, Sofia tensed, worried that someone was picking up her hare without her permission. Her protective instinct towards Businka was obvious.
In Charon's arms, the hare sat waiting, his small eyes carefully looking at the old man. Alexander felt that Charon recognized him, but the old man showed no signs of recognition or desire to help. Sofia, standing nearby, was already starting to get nervous.
- Maybe we should go already, there are monsters walking around here. And give me my Bead! - her voice sounded anxious and impatient.
Charon silently continued to look at the hare, his eyes sparkling through his glasses as he peered piercingly into the small eyes opposite. Then, slowly raising his palms to the level of his face so that the eyes of the hare and the old man were at the same level, Charon finally spoke. His words were mysterious and full of meaning:
- An unspoken wish cannot be fulfilled. Live out your bunny life, you don’t have long left. It's a pity that you fell to the very bottom!
These words hung in the air, and for a moment Alexander froze, digesting what he heard. But then, flushed with anger and determination, his paws turned into energy blades filled with cold. Alexander heard Cassandra whisper: “You can’t kill him,” but there were no visions of death and he did what he was going to do. A sharp blow that cut Charon's face and knocked off his glasses.
The man winced painfully. From the wound that appeared that crossed the left side of his face, from his forehead to the corner of his lips, a gray substance began to emerge that hissed from the cold and the environment.
The hare had not yet fallen from the attack when a powerful stream of water appeared out of nowhere and hit Alexander with incredible force. His small body slammed into a nearby rock, causing pain and stunning. Alexander lost consciousness, plunging into darkness. The rest of the group, seeing this, did not know how to react. Sofia rushed to Businka, wanting to help him, the others followed, only Ivan walked half-turned, supporting the shield. Charon disappeared in a whirlpool without saying a word, leaving them alone among the destruction and chaos of the Edge.
When Alexander came to his senses, the first thing he saw was Andrei’s blow to Ivan’s face. All around them was the chaos of the Edge, but at that moment their entire world was reduced to this swearing.
- What are you allowing yourself to do, Andrey? - Ivan exclaimed indignantly, shaking his head in surprise and pain. - He is our comrade, and you are wrong!
- Enough already! Since this hare appeared, everything has gone to hell! - Andrei shouted, clearly losing his composure. - We are here to carry out missions, not to organize a circus! And if he had hit him before Violet’s transfer, then that’s it! Mission finished! He is an animal and we cannot allow him to be equal to us!
- What are you doing, Andrey? Businka is part of our team. He helped us more than once. - Sofia intervened, standing in Alexander’s defense.
- Did you help? You're kidding? With his arrival, everything only became more complicated! How many times have we been on the verge of death because of his antics? - Andrei said dissatisfiedly. - With his appearance, you didn’t feel like yourself at all!
- You're wrong, Andrey. Businka saved us many times with his actions. - Ivan objected, trying to calm the tense situation. - And the fact that Sofia has changed is her business and I don’t advise you to get involved!
Stolen story; please report.
- I didn’t ask for your advice! You do not understand. Our actions are normal situations. Yes, sometimes they got out of control, but we always got away with it. Thanks to teamwork, not the help of a hare! - Andrei shouted. His cry was heard well by many of the participants of the Edge, but so far no one had come to them and this could not but rejoice.
Alexander, listening to them, realized that his presence really made a difference in the dynamics of the group. Meanwhile, Andrei continued to insist on his own:
- I'm really sick of this! These bestial tricks of yours, they put us in danger at every turn!
- Andrey, you are going too far. Bead is an important member of the team! - Ivan tried to calm the situation. - I will always repeat this! He saved me, covered my back. Yes, I’m ready to go on reconnaissance missions with him, because I trust him!
- You don’t understand, Ivan! This is madness! We can't rely on the beast! - Andrey exclaimed, his voice was full of indignation.
At this time, everyone's attention was attracted by a strange sound, reminiscent of breaking glass, followed by a roar. They turned to the source of the sound and saw that the portal through which the chimeras were climbing began to change. The size of a man, it began to expand, becoming covered in cracks. The sound of breaking glass only intensified, and the very edges of the spatial tunnel stretched and curved, like a living creature that was struggling in agony.
A creature resembling a huge mantis slowly emerged from the expanding portal. Its gigantic body was covered with green chitin, and its claw-like hands resembled steel blades. But the most striking feature of the creature were its eyes - they sparkled like blue diamonds, emitting a cold and piercing light. Many who see these eyes will have greedy desires to obtain them by force, but no one will achieve success. This was a prisoner of the Border who had finally achieved freedom.
The creature slowly bowed its head, as if warming up, and then suddenly and lightning-fast attacked. It released powerful water beams that easily struck down the three chimeras that tried to attack it. The water rays that the creature shot spread out in different directions like blades, piercing the bodies of the chimeras. Just a couple of seconds and the monsters were cut into pieces.
The group was left standing in shock as they watched the power and strength of this new being that seemed to have incredible power. Sofia was still sitting on her knees, holding Bead with her hands. Ivan and Andrey stood half-turned on either side of the girl.
At that moment of calm, Ivan decided to turn around to meet a possible attack from the creature with a shield, which attracted unwanted attention to himself. The creature instantly turned to the people and launched a small drop of water with incredible speed, turning it into a deadly projectile aimed directly at Ivan's head. The man did not have time to create a shield; there was not enough momentum. He almost didn't see the shell.
At this moment, Alexander reacted instantly. Time began to slow down and he jumped forward. As he jumped, he activated his ice claws and simultaneously created an ice shield above his head. Time slowed down even more for the hare when he finally stood in the way of the attack. It was then that Cassandra’s gift of foreseeing the future worked in him. The girl's whisper touched his ears: "He shouldn't be here!" - these words sounded in his head as he began to see many possible variations of the future. He spun around himself, looking for something where death would not await him. Then he didn’t have time and a water bullet killed him, then the ricochet killed Andrei. Here he was wounded and killed by Ivan. With a quick glance, he found those paths that foreshadowed a favorable outcome. Having examined everything carefully, he repeated what he had seen.
Alexander maneuvered nimbly in the air, pushing off from Ivan’s head, the hare somersaulted in the air. He struck with his claws at the last moment, and a drop of water, hitting his claws, scattered into pieces, instantly freezing. The bouncing ice shards bounced off his shield and shot past his comrades with frightening destructive power and exploded the rocks behind them. After that, time returned to its normal course, and the hare softly landed on the ground.
- Bead! - Sofia exclaimed, frightened by these quick actions. The guys realized what had happened and immediately activated their shields, covering themselves and the hare with Sofia in two layers. The creature, as if laughing, let out a chirping sound filled with ominous irony.
Alexander, still recovering from the difficult rescue of Ivan, suddenly heard someone else's voice in his head. The voice was deep and resonant, as if coming from the depths of an echoing cave.
-You are not like others! - sounded in his head. - Let's fight. I'm so tired of these weaklings who always fight the same way. Hundreds of years, the same creatures, it gets tiring. And you are clearly different!
- What else have you come up with, overgrown Mantis! - Alexander thought in response. - Have you even seen my size? Yes, I’ll run to you for half an hour, but you want to fight with me. Everyone went completely crazy!
Alexander was not sure whether the creature heard his thoughts, but from the chirping sound that sounded like laughter, the mantis seemed to understand everything. He took a step towards the group of people as they grouped together, strengthening their shields.
“Then, I will be glad to cross our blades in battle when you can reach me in less than half an hour.” If you meet anyone of my race, say 'Galdot Zheran Gang' and you will not be harmed. They will bring you to me. Hope this happens soon! - the mantis continued, hitting himself on the chest as a sign of completing his words.
- I can't talk. - Alexander muttered in response, to which the mantis responded: - What are you doing now? Learn this way of communication, and there will be fewer problems, little warrior. See you!
With these words, the creature turned around and disappeared into the whirlpool with a loud bang. Andrey, holding his breath during the conversation, exhaled noisily and fell to the ground.
- Almost died! - he exclaimed.
- And note, it was Businka who saved us! Again! - Sofia screamed and hit the guy in the face with her palm as hard as she could. Andrei did not expect this and froze with a dumbfounded face.
- Enough! We need to get out of here. Let's go! - Ivan said, offering his hand to his comrades. They all headed together to the nearest portal, which glowed a hundred meters south of them.
The group's journey through the Fringe was full of tension. Chaos reigned all around, caused by the death of the Lady of Fate, and battles and clashes unfolded in every corner of the world. The sudden sound of breaking glass forced the guys to immediately hide. They watched as various creatures emerged from the portals. Especially notable were the people whose bodies seemed carved out of stone. Rough and overgrown, they carried an indescribable threat. In addition, praying mantises were also spotted - just a couple, but acting swiftly and deadly.
During the half hour that they dashed to a relatively free mountainous area with many portals, they saw that the population of chimeras was sharply reduced by the prisoners who were finally able to escape to freedom.
Eventually, the group managed to find a free portal. One by one, they began to pass through it to leave the Edge. Andrey came out first, followed by Ivan and last by Sofia. However, the girl did not take into account that Alexander, being also a creature of the Edge, requires a separate portal. According to the rules of the Edge, one portal was intended for one Scorned creature. He was simply thrown out when the girl returned to the real world.
When the rest of the team had already moved into the real world, Alexander was left alone. The consequences of the chaos reigning in the Edge were unfolding around him. Alexander, feeling that he had time, decided to explore the portal left by the prisoner rather than rush straight into another.
His rabbit intuition told him that something important might be connected to this portal. He cautiously jumped closer, warily listening to the sounds around him. The sound of breaking glass became more and more distinct, as if warning of impending danger.
Having reached the border of the portal, Alexander suddenly heard Cassandra's Whisper, piercing and clear: "Death!" That was all he needed to know. Immediately understanding the warning, the hare instantly turned and ran to the nearest available portal, not wanting to risk his life.
The speed of his little paws was amazing. He soon found himself in front of another portal, which was the gateway to a white tunnel leading back to the real world. He ran through the tunnel, feeling the light membrane of the passage surrounding him. Taking a deep breath and nodding to himself as a sign of determination, Alexander took a step forward and found himself in the real world.