„Ah, so boring,” mumbled Calmac, turning from one side to the other and scratching his body, which was full of blisters because, since he'd come to the Rophions’village, the only thing he did was to sleep. Of course, he also never lost a chance to sow dissension among others. Yet, his „favorite” was Mago, whom he loved to make „vanish” from the camp from time to time.
The last time this happened was at the Barrier. Then, he had the genius idea to take him to the river and make him sink into those waters forever. Nevertheless, Malon managed to ruin his plans, as always. He, following their footsteps, after Calmac and Mago walked away from next to the Barrier, caught up with them halfway toward the river, which was on the West of the village. A river they hadn’t been able to get at eventually because of the Barrier. Yet, Calmac, too focused on his plan and enjoying his success before time, didn’t think about this. He only told himself, „First, we get there. Then, I’ll think about the rest.” It wasn’t a good idea this one with „thinking later.” Why exactly? Because, if he had made a good plan, if he had thought about all the pros and contras to his genius idea, he wouldn’t have ended up grabbed by the collar by Malon, who dragged him away from Mago and, sticking Calmac with his back to the thick trunk of a tree, hissed through his teeth, „Which way?”
„I?” Calmac asked, staring with innocence at Malon. „I was just walking, taking in the sights, and listening to the birds’song. Why? I mean, why do you ask?”
„Because… I think I’ve caught you red-handed,” Malon replied, showing Calmac his fangs because, even if he never used them to bite, he was more than ready to do that for his friend. Who would have been his first victim? Calmac, for sure, to whom he told eventually, „Leave Mago alone or I swear I’ll make you pay for this!” After that, releasing the ghoul, after he pressed that one’s throat with the elbow until Calmac felt he lacked air, Malon moved away from him.
Malon stopped after a few steps when he heard Calmac saying, through coughing, „What did I do wrong this time? I was just trying to make a friend! I don’t understand why everybody is against me lately. Especially, I don’t understand what your problem is, dude. I mean, why am I your enemy now?”
„You really don’t want to know this,” Malon told Calmac, ironically.
„What exactly?”
Seeing the innocence sparkling in the ghoul’s eyes, Malon wondered, „Is he really stupid or is he only pretending?” Yet, he understood soon that Calmac wasn’t pretending at all because he saw, barely sketched on the ghoul’s face, in the right corner of his lips, a cunning smile. This made Malon sketch the same smile. Then, turning toward Calmac, whom he stared at with eagle eyes, Malon said eventually, „How a human’s fangs are felt after being stubbed into the throat of a beast like you. A beast that’s always thirsty for blood and who has killed a lot of victims in the past. Nevertheless, it’s never too late to end up like a victim for choosing not the right person to mess up with.”
„Are you talking about you?” Calmac asked in mockery. „If yes, you are stupid.”
„Why exactly?”
„Because… just think about this, mindless person you are: I’m a ghoul, remember? A ghoul that’s always thirsty for blood and who always waits for the perfect chance to stub his fangs into your throat. Something you look for right now while I’m more than eager to try.” Yet, Calmac right away pulled back, even if his eyes sparkled because of the desire when he thought that he was about to taste fresh meat and even licked his lips because of this, when he spotted, in Malon’s hand, a dagger with a silver blade. Something that made him hiss through his teeth eventually, „You won’t ever dare do that!”
„Do you think so?” Malon grinned. „Of course, I’m ready to do that and I will dare. So, werewolf, stay away from my friend or I swear I’ll try it on your skin first!” Then, sneaking the dagger into his pocket, Malon turned his back to Calmac and headed toward Mago, who was stopped not that far from them, shaking his head as if trying to clear his mind.
Calmac didn’t calm down after such a threat. He felt upset that a man threatened him with death. „A man whom I can easily leave without his head if I have this chance,” he hissed through his teeth eventually, staring at Malon, who, once next to his friend, rested his left arm on Mago’s shoulders, saying something cheerful to him. Something the ghoul didn’t hear, but he would have loved to hear it.
Because of this, being curious about what exactly the two friends were saying to each other, Calmac followed them. Yet, he didn’t follow them to be seen but sneaked behind them. In some places, Calmac was hiding behind the thick trunks, in other places, where only bushes were, the ghoul used them not to be seen or, if there wasn’t anything to serve him as a hideout, Calmac was simply lying on the ground, crawling on his elbows while trying to make the minimum possible noise. Nevertheless, even if Calmac followed them for a while, he didn’t understand too much of what the two friends were talking about. Only fragments said by Mago, like, „I really don’t understand what has happened to me lately or how I’ve gotten here today.” Malon, even if he knew the reason, just cheerfully replied, „I think this happens because of a cobra that cursed you. Or what, have you already forgotten that you pissed Zeal off while she was with us? I still remember everything. That’s why, I’m pretty sure that she’s the one who has cursed you to struggle like that. Just as you are „cursed” to always have me around you.” After that, Calmac saw Malon looking at him past his shoulder just to let him know he knew that the ghoul was there.
This made the ghoul give up on his idea to follow the two. Yet, he didn’t give up on the idea of making Mago his servant or, if he hadn’t been able to do that, then at least tasting his sweet meat. He had to leave this plan for later because, what followed next, made him take thoughts. Especially, what enraged him more, was to find out that Kalimērā and the rest of the „sweet source of meat” hid into the tunnels. „A place I will never enter,” the ghoul muttered, turning to the other side and cooking his nose. Then, feeling that just laying wouldn’t help him too much to think, he sat and, supporting his back against the trunk of the tree, under which he lay by then, crossed his legs and frowned, as though it was the only way he could find a good idea.
A thought made him wince in the end. No, it wasn’t a simple thought, but a memory from when Mai and the rest entered the tunnels. He saw at that moment how something weird and round, not too small, fell from Yellen’s sleeve and rolled after that toward the bushes that were not that far from those massive stone gates. This convinced Calmac to leave that tree behind and, supporting his elbows to his knees while staring in front, he murmured, „What exactly that weird thing was? It didn’t seem to be a simple ball. It was weirder than any other ball and it also didn’t have the same size. At the same time, it seemed not to be as special as I thought. Yet… if that weird human creature has kept it hidden in her sleeve, it means that it might be valuable. Even so, I can’t understand what that ball can serve for. Or… is it…?”
This thought made Calmac suddenly stand up, understanding that the others were too busy to protect the village to pay attention to such things as he had spotted. Thus, if he was lucky, he could find that ball in the same place. That’s why Calmac started to sneak toward the Gates of Ārakkiḷ eventually.
Once in the village, the ghoul stopped and carefully looked around. Calmac did that to make sure he wouldn’t see Malon there or, God didn’t want that, to meet Zorrota or Izkina. If this had happened, they would have ripped off his skin for sure because they would have found out quickly what he was after. Seeing nobody there, Calmac lay on his stomach at first, still looking left and right. Then, seeing no movement around, just as he didn’t feel any gust of wind there, he started to crawl on his elbows toward the gates. Halfway, he stopped and looked left and right again. Yet, not even this time he saw someone there. That’s why he decided to rush and get to the Gates.
Getting there… surprise-surprise: he saw no bush or weird ball around. „It’s the devil’s work for sure,” he growled. „It has been here, I’m sure of this. Now… is gone! Where the hell did this vanish? More than that, where are the bushes gone? Have they a soul or what?”
Not finding an effective response to his questions, he decided to give up. „It might be that I have had a vision,” he told himself eventually, turning his back to that place and intending to return under the same tree where he had been lazy before that. Yet, when he was about to leave the gates behind him, still walking on four, something caught his attention… somewhere to his left, between a Stone Vāyil and a secular tree. There, Calmac saw a strange sparkling. It looked like a huge thunderlight that pierced the black cloth of the celestial night. It didn’t cut it in zigzag like any other thunderlight, but horizontally, perfectly splitting it into two. And, as soon as he saw this, Calmac rubbed his palms, mumbling with satisfaction, „Now it’s your time, Calmac! Take it and be its only master!” After that, without being afraid to be seen by someone, Calmac rushed to get to the western Stone Vāyil.
Once there, Calmac stopped when he saw, a few meters from him, a strange piece of something black. „A sphere,” he said. „One I’ve never seen before, but which I feel that belongs to me. Why? What exactly bonds me to it?” He shook his head eventually when he seemed to hear an answer from inside of that ball that had the size of a soccer ball, which was the Palantir in fact:
„Fate!” The Palantir told Calmac. „This bonds us.”
„But… why?” The ghoul’s foolish question came after this.
„I can’t answer this question either. Yet, if Fate brought us here, it must be for something, don’t you think so?”
„Well, it seems to be so. Yet… who are you? Or… should I better ask what you are?”
„Fate! I told you this, right?”
„You’ve only said that Fate bonds us. This is what you’ve said and…”
„…this is so. I’ve said this and I repeat this: Fate bonds us and, since today, we are one.” After that, so suddenly that not even Calmac understood this, he touched the Palantir with both palms, caressing it as if it was his priceless treasure and his eyes started to sparkle madly. All around him, a dark night fell, a night that became thicker and thicker with each second that passed while Calmac continuously murmured as if controlled by fever, „It’s mine! My treasure! My only treasure.”
***
„What’s this?” Ilēcāṉa asked, extremely confused.
Looking toward the place toward which the young man pointed with his arm stretched in front, toward the Field in front of the Barrier of Rophions, Yamu, Fenrir, and the rest saw in stupor a huge black cloud approaching them. A foggy cloud was approaching them, slowly moving above the ground, increasing its body more and more as though eating everything in its way while having a single target: the Camp of the Rophions.
„Oh, Sky!” The old Uḻaikkum murmured, seeing that cloud. „The Lands of Neruppu!”
Uḻaikkum’s words made everybody wince, staring with terror at him while tears bathed the old man’s eyes. Unlike the old men, Fenrir seemed even more surprised than them because he heard that name only once, being a child, in those scary stories that Yamu used to tell the children to keep them away from the places of terror from the lap of Rophion Forest. Yet, there wasn’t a story anymore, but the reality - painted black and in smoke, the Reality of the Underworld Tenebres, that world controlled by Mōrgaṉā and the Waters of the Dead Ones, which could be found only in her kingdom. „The waters that withdrew a long time ago, making room for the Shadows to swallow the world,” Fenrir murmured, terrified.
„It seems so,” replied Arion, even if Fenrir didn’t ask anything, but just mentioned facts. „Mōrgaṉā joined the Army of Maranam.”
„Something impossible!” Mūkkutti shouted. „Virgin Mōrgaṉā is our Virgin, of the Rophions. Yes, maybe she’s taking souls from among us, the souls of those who have fallen prey to the cursed ones, but… she can’t be against us. No, never because even our Oracle, Tīrkkatarici, controlled her the day his sister Lalli died. Thus, Mōrgaṉā can’t be ever against the magic wolves. Did you hear me? Never!”
„Yes, she is against us today,” said Yamu in a low voice. Then he smiled and closed his eyes for a few moments, when that thick black smoke stopped not that far from the Barrier and they saw the huge bird Mōrgaṉā, floating on her big black wings. She was surrounded by black smoke from everywhere. „Mōrgaṉā is here, after our souls. And, at least today, she is against us.”
Looking in the same direction as Yamu, the Rophions and the rest that accompanied them saw Mōrgaṉā floating on her big wings. She was making a strange sound, similar to a calling to fight. Whom she was summoning to help her wasn’t that clear. Yet… she kept summoning that person, sending her voice deep in the distance, far above the forest in flames, from where the wolves saw the crows coming again.
„Kākkai are here again!” Zorrota shouted, preparing to shoot an arrow. „Once they have decided to come again, let’s receive them as they deserve!”
„Our arrows won’t hurt them while they are protected by that devil,” said Izkina, making Zorrota lower his bow. „Yet, we can think about other methods to impede them from crossing through the Barrier.”
„Other methods? Like?” Zorrota asked, distrustful. „The ghouls’circles of fire?”
„Yeah. I was just thinking about this because… if the Barrier falls, then… those circles will be our last chance to survive. Or at least to buy some time until we have a better idea to save our skin.”
„What about Mōrgaṉā?” Arion asked, staring at them. The same the ghouls did, not understanding what exactly Soan meant. That’s why Arion continued his thought. „I mean now that since Tomai worshiped in front of Moirae and gave them your power, you are vulnerable in front of Mōrgaṉā. Thus, if I’m right, those fire circles won’t help us too much.”
„Not if we help them to control those circles,” said Fenrir, confident. Then, staring at Yamu, he asked, „How trustworthy are the stories of Rophions?”
„Do you mean the stories that say that the Rophions have had control over the same Fire Barrier?”
„Yes, Yamu. It’s exactly what I want to know because… if it’s true… we have a chance.”
„Yet, you forget something, Prince Fenrir: the Rophions have stopped practicing the Alchemy of Fire long ago,” said Aṭikkaṭi. „Thus… because we don’t practice the magic of fire anymore, after Rawic and his wolves attacked us, we are weak in this area.”
„Nevertheless, the power is still there, Aṭikkaṭi,” Pāṇṭittiyam said. „More than that, Prince Fenrir has the power of the fire in his veins. He’s been blessed by Hestia with such power.”
„Yes, Pāṇṭittiyam, you are right. Yet, we don’t know the secrets of that Alchemy and neither how to keep the fire ignited,” Aṭikkaṭi insisted in his theory. „Thus, even if we manage to create those Circles of Fire, it’s possible not to be able to control them and set fire to the woods eventually.”
„It already burns,” said Izkina ironically. Seeing the old men frowning, he looked elsewhere, saying, „It was just a joke. Don’t take it personally!”
„Just a thought or not… it’s the truth, in fact!” Fenrir confidently replied. „So, as the ghoul Izkina is right and the Rophion Forest is already in flames, I say to do something to feed the power of the circles by taking energy from there.”
„Let’s try then!” Arion agreed too. „If something goes wrong while trying, we can summon the clouds full of rain here. Sephir, help me with this!”
„I got this!” Sephir said, following Arion a few meters away from the others.
„It would be nice if we had some icy help,” Fenrir teased Island, who kept silent while they talked, staring at that blackened horizon of smoke. Island said nothing, not even after Fenrir’s joke. He only took a few steps back, getting behind Arion and Sephir eventually. The Titan’s silence made Fenrir cook his nose. „As though keeping the tongue behind the teeth is the equivalent of wisdom.”
„You should at least try this. From time to time,” Yamu teased him.
„Why waste my time when I can simply talk?” Fenrir asked, grinning. After that, forming flames above his palms, he asked everybody to take a few steps back, joking, „I don’t want to scorch the wrong furs or skin if a flame is out of my control! That’s why, it’ll be better to prevent this.”
No magic wolf replied to that bad joke. They only moved back, to Fenrir’s great surprise. What surprised him even more than that was to see that his allies didn’t withdraw looking for shelter, but formed a semicircle right behind him, Yamu, Ilēcāṉa, and the two ghouls. Then, looking at each other, they gave the signal and, holding hands, started to murmur incomprehensible words, something that made Fenrir feel itches on the top of his tongue because he jokingly asked, „Is this a kind of spell to burn my skin?”
„If you aren’t a good boy, that’s for sure,” Ilēcāṉa teased him.
Fenrir showed his fangs to the boy, growling, „It’s good you know everything.” Then, pushing Ilēcāṉa away from him, Fenrir approached Zorrota and Izkina to whom he said, „Show me how to create those circles because… I have fire, but no brain for this.”
„At least you accept that you have defects,” Izkina said, smiling.
„You don’t lose a chance to bite, right?!” Zorrota teased his friend. After that, he looked at Fenrir, to whom he said, „Just… give us a source of fire. We’ll take care of the rest!”
Fenrir nodded, hinting that he understood. Then, suddenly turning into a wolf, he started to burn - a perfect source of fire for the two ghouls. They, not waiting for a second invitation, stood face to face, with the wolf between them. After that, stretching their wide-open palms toward the wolf, the ghouls started to absorb fire from him.
Seeing the two ghouls taking fire from Fenrir, Yamu told his son, „Go with Sephir and the rest, Ilēcāṉa! If something happens, you’ll be our salvation!”
„Salvation? How?” The boy asked, confused.
„Stealing things! Something you are good at, right?” Even more confused than before because he couldn’t understand what his father wanted from him, Ilēcāṉa frowned. Yamu smiled instead, saying, „Just… distract those two’s attention if you see that they try to submit us. We’ll take care of the rest… we, the old men. Did you understand me?”
„As though one cannot understand when you talk so clearly,” Ilēcāṉa mumbled, irritated, suddenly turning his back to his father. Before leaving the place where Yamu was, the boy looked around first, on the sly, trying to see how many eyes were on him. Why exactly was he interested in this? Because, as always, he had something to hide. Where exactly? In his pocket, where he hid a strange horseshoe with red and black stripes on it. Taking it out of the pocket, only the top of it, Ilēcāṉa grinned, mumbling, „Of course, I’m good at stealing. It’s a pleasure I won’t ever get rid of!”
The boy suddenly winced when he spotted his father’s eyes focused on him. That’s why Ilēcāṉa quickly blinked after that because… being caught red-handed wasn’t in his plans. Even so, once his father had already caught him, the boy decided to be brave and grinned. This made Yamu reproachfully shake his head. After that, approaching his boy and protecting him with his body for others not to see what he saw, he told Ilēcāṉa, „Where did you get this from?”
„From those two brave ghouls over there! And I didn’t get it from them. They have just… „lost” it when they came here. Yeah, I must accept I’ve also had something to do with this. Yet, if I did this was only to protect ourselves. So, if you don’t also want to lose something, like your sword, for example, don’t lecture me, but support me, OK?!”
His boy’s brave words made Yamu shake his head again. After that, when Ilēcāṉa turned his back to him, heading toward Sephir and Arion, who were looking at the sky at that moment, Yamu slapped his forehead. It was too much even for him to find out what his son could do when an adult didn’t control him. Yet, as it wasn’t the moment to make him obedient, Yamu headed toward the group of elders eventually, determined to help them if he couldn’t help others.
Suddenly, the moment a deafening crack was heard all around, everybody winced and looked in amazement toward the Barrier. Soon after this, the place of amazement in their eyes had been taken by terror. Why? Because they saw the same black smoke that was seen on the field coming toward them from their village at that moment. Yet, it hadn’t been the only thing that terrified them. It also happened because of the Barrier, which suddenly cracked, covering the whole wall of it, the wall that was facing the field. The Barrier cracked so fast that nobody had time to react or try to do something. Only when Mōrgaṉā’s laughter was heard piercing the horizon, they looked toward the field again, listening to what she said after this, „Did you think that’s the beginning of your victory, Rophions? Did you think that I would be your captive forever only because a certain Oracle was capable of defeating me centuries ago? If you’ve believed this, then you are fools! Nobody can’t defeat me! Never!”
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„Then… you should quietly sit on your tail, cobra, because the ghouls aren’t dead yet to allow you to win against us!” Izkina told her with hatred. After that, when the Barrier cracked once again, making an infernal noise be heard all around, it fell apart, turning to pieces only seconds after this. Yet, this didn’t scare any of those who were behind the Barrier, but it gave them some courage, especially it gave courage to Izkina, who finally released the arrow he kept in his bow. He, controlling that arrow with the power of his mind, sent it toward the place where Mōrgaṉā was. Nevertheless, he didn’t manage to hurt her because Mōrgaṉā caught it on the flight, a few millimeters only from her heart.
„Dog!” The Virgin in Black hissed through her teeth, breaking the fire arrow, which injured her palms.
„Maybe I’m a dog, but I’m a dog that doesn’t fear you,” said Zorrota. „So… you can try to pass by us if you are so brave! Yet… I’m so afraid that you will have to settle for only your desire to do that!” After that, so suddenly that everybody winced, the moment Zorrota and Izkina moved their palms away from each other, six Rings of Fire appeared all around the village. They were placed at equal intervals from each other, creating a different Barrier of Protection.
Seeing the Rings of Fire, Mōrgaṉā madly shouted, „It can’t be! Why should they be Fire Rings again?”
„Just because it was written this way!” Fenrir teased her, shaking his fur and throwing sparkles all around him. „Something you’ve seen before, right? When the Oracle Tīrkkatarici turned you into our slave!”
„Shut up, mindless wolf!” Mōrgaṉā shouted.
„Why? It’s funnier this way! And… come on, attack us at once if you are here! Or what… are you burning inside right now, seeing that you can’t defeat us?”
„I swear I’ll make you bite your paws, idiot wolf! The moment I’ll rip off your fur, you’ll beg for mercy! Attack!” She eventually demanded her crows Kākkai, which suddenly pounced on the six Rings of Fire. Feeling the Kākkai’s attack, the Rings threw a wave of energy over them, forming a wall of fire between them, replacing the Barrier of Rophions.
In contact with the Power of the ghoul’s circles, many Kākkai died that day. Others, controlled by Mōrgaṉā’s power, managed to pass through that wall of fire, attacking the elders of Rophions and forcing them to weaken the power that was feeding the Barrier, created by Zorrota, Fenrir, and Izkina. Yet, it wasn’t the end of Rophions or the triumph of Mōrgaṉā because, seeing that the power of the elders decreased, Arion, Sephir, and the rest, who were able to fight, entered the battle. It was necessary to act this way. Moreover, when they saw that by weakening that Barrier of Fire, many more Kākkai entered their territory. It was actually Mōrgaṉā’s merit because, after being defeated by Tīrkkatarici, many centuries ago, she learned some tricks to defend herself from fire or being submitted again. Nevertheless, even if she learned a lot, she had never been capable of controlling the fire. This happened because those who controlled only Black Magic could never defeat the power of the Ghouls.
Even so, she was satisfied with that because, by passing through that Barrier of Fire, the Kākkai managed to make holes in it. Through the same holes, Mōrgaṉā sent part of that black smoke later, smoke that surrounded her, which took a form on the Lands of the Dead Waters, which she controlled. At the same time, the Power of Shadows also controlled the smoke, those released by Mōrgaṉā, at Maranam’s request, whom she got to listen to and consider her master. She did that when she understood that it was her only chance to stop being submissive and submit to others. Thus, by being by Maranam’s side, she had a chance to be named Queen once and be feared by every single living creature.
The image of herself on the throne made Mōrgaṉā burst into laughter. In her dreams, she was the queen, the only master whom everybody listened to. Yes, she was happy because she got that throne after many millennia of being submissive and worshiping in front of others. That’s why, Fenrir’s suffering and the sufferance of the others was something that gave her power to continue, sending more smoke toward them, convinced that only this way and with the help of the Kākkai, which left poisoned wounds on the skin of their enemies, she would have triumphed eventually.
Nevertheless, everything ended too soon. It got to an end the moment the sky cracked, right above the village of Rophions, and the first Ring of Fate appeared. It took form by feeding its energy with the power of the Rings of Fire created by the ghouls. At the same time, it was fed from Fenrir’s power. Thus, appearing there, the Ring of Fate made Mōrgaṉā scream like a desperate soul, seeing that her effort was useless… the ravens Kākkai fell to the ground eventually, dead, touched by the energy of the Ring of Fate that was floating above the village. It was also sending red rays of light all around, rays that dispersed Mōrgaṉā’s smoke in the end, making her vanish too. This happened too fast, leaving everybody stunned because they thought that they’d definitely face death that day. Yet, Death didn’t come, but it flew away, screaming like a mad soul, cursed by Fate.
***
Chaos… fear… havoc and despair… This was what ruled over Rophion Forest at that moment. And not only that, because, all around, embracing the trees with their hungry-for-love arms, the flames were seen dancing. Thus, mad for covering everything, the flames turned that forest into a cloth of fire and smoke, a thick smoke that surrounded the forest in only seconds, without anybody being able to realize where its source was. It was the same thick smoke, which had been seen in front of the Barrier of Rophions only minutes before it fell apart… once and forever.
Nevertheless, the forest wasn’t ready to die. Not even feeling the hug of death and the betrayal of the world on its trunks, the trees didn’t want to give in to despair. They only allowed the tears to fall from above… hot tears… of the sky that was crying the pain of the world. Yes, the sky started to cry when Boor, on the back of Navarro, raised above the Forest, whipping the air with his whip Cattai.
Boor hit once, but nothing happened. He hit for the second time, but nothing happened again because the horizon was too thirsty and hot, after the lava, thrown from big Tarther’s mouth, touched its cloth. And, far in the distance, but still approaching them at full speed, big Tarther had been suddenly seen by Boor, determined to destroy them. This didn’t scare them, however. At the same time, the view of the big Tarther throwing flames and lava all around didn’t convince them to give up. That image only gave them more power to fight. And, when he felt it was time, Navarro let a neigh come out of his throat, gathering all the clouds that still listened to Boor’s command on the sky. After that, so suddenly that even Boor went deaf for a few moments, the sky cracked again. Just in time because, right after that crack, the sky shook and Boor smiled, squeezing his whip Cattai in his hand and demanding to his horse, „Now or never, Navarro!” Listening to his master’s command, the horse rose on his rear legs, still neighing, a neigh that made the sky crack for the third time when Boor whipped the air again.
The moment the top of the whip touched the zigzag of the lightning that cracked the sky again, it cracked the lightning in four equal parts at first, then those four parts cracked again and again, and they didn’t stop cracking until a net of fire chains wasn’t seen all around Boor. Thus, the moment the net was finally formed, it had the size of the entire forest.
Falling into that trap of fire chains, big Tarther screamed like hell. His scream was heard even far in the distance. Because of this, Fenrir and the rest, hearing it, suddenly turned and looked toward the West, then toward the North of the Forest. That scream was heard even on Kyllini Mounting, in front of Arkadia Grotto. There, next to the threshold, the three Moirae looked in the distance. And, listening to the scream of the demonic bird, Klotho feverishly murmured, „Ah, sisters of mine, the big war has started! The most feared and the biggest of the wars is here!”
„No, that war has not started yet,” Morta said, cunningly. „On the Mount of Fear is still quiet!”
„Not for long,” Decuma whispered. „Soon, on Mount that Accam Kuṉṟu loves so much, terror will be also felt.” When Decuma said this, a strange joy was felt in her voice as though Accam Kuṉṟu was her worst enemy and she wanted so badly to see him to his knees.
Klotho, even if her sisters seemed to wait for her reaction after what they said, kept silent. She only slowly rubbed her palms, to look at them soon after this. There, on the cupped palms, she saw the future that nobody else had seen before. The future of the world that was controlled by avarice, firebirds, and fear… a world covered by ashes…
***
„Dad, do you think you can make Shinar come here?” Samaya asked Dike, suddenly appearing behind him. Thus, she managed to make Dike, who was trying to extinguish the flames by hitting them with Lodur’s cape, which the wolf Dike broke by grabbing it with his teeth, stop his movement. Then, slowly turning toward Samaya, the wolf frowned.
„To make Shinar come here?” Samaya nodded yes. „What do you need him for?” Dike asked, confused. He really didn’t understand what his daughter was thinking about at that moment. Even so, even if he was confused, Dike still remembered what he was doing before and, without waiting for Samaya’s answer, he started to extinguish the flames with the cape again.
„It’s because of Father Chaos! I need to get to the sky and send him a thought! He’s the only one who can control that devilish bird and make her stop throwing flames over our forest.”
„Something we aren’t sure of,” Lodur said, suddenly appearing behind Dike and Samaya, whom he tried to help extinguish the flames with the Power of Bayer and Alabar. „More than that, even if he hears your request, Father Chaos can’t stop that bird because he doesn’t have power on Earth. At least not while Tarther is here.”
„He has power over Eris. I think that’s enough to stop this havoc,” insisted Samaya.
„Maybe Father Chaos has power over Eris. Yet, while she sent her command already, even if Father Chaos tries to make her react, she won’t give up,” they suddenly heard Ahi’s voice behind them. Because of this, all of them winced and looked at him with wide-open eyes. It was a real surprise to see Ahi there once they knew him far away from that forest. Nevertheless, Ahi was there. Not alone, but accompanied by Anaya and by another weird creature, whom they had never seen before, Tayakkam. Yet, not this amazed them so much, but the fact that they saw Ahi’s almost transparent body.
Staring at Tayakkam, whom they didn’t know, Samaya and Bestla started to wonder who he might be. More than that, they were surprised to see the Titan of Doubt smiling at them while kindness was sparkling in his eyes. They even thought at one moment that Tayakkam was trying to be their friend and not their enemy, even if he was accompanying Ahi. Then, when the girls finally could take their eyes off Tayakkam, they saw Anaya to Ahi’s left, whom they had also never seen before. Even so, Samaya felt that she knew that old lady from somewhere.
„And you are right,” Anaya suddenly told Samaya, as though she read her mind. „You know me from Mayar’s memories.” Then, smiling, while looking into the young she-wolf’s eyes, Anaya continued her thought, „I’m Anaya by the way, the ghost-fox that lives among Inmar’s foxes.”
Samaya winced again. „Fox? Ghost? Memories? Wait a minute! I’ve never read Mayar’s thoughts or memories.”
„It’s what you think,” Ahi replied in Anaya’s place. „Yet, both you and Mayar can read the thoughts of the other or see the other one’s memories because you are the other’s copy.”
Dike frowned. „Maybe you've been able to do that. We… never!”
„No, Dike, you’ve done this! Even if you have never been aware of this,” said Ahi, smiling. „More than that, Master Dike: the girls, if they want this, they can complete each other.”
„Something I doubt,” Samaya growled, suddenly turning into a she-wolf. „If I was able to do that, I would have stopped the mindless fox from bringing havoc to this forest. My beloved forest that burns in flames because of her,” Samaya shouted this time.
Looking around, with sadness, Ahi said, „It’s not only because of her, Samaya. You are also to be blamed for this because you were there when Big Tarther was released. Yet, it’s not your fault, but of Fate, who has controlled you both.”
„Then… be cursed! Both of them… Fate and your daughter,” Samaya hissed through her teeth, turning her back to them to continue to extinguish the flames.
She stopped her movement when she heard Dike scolding her. „Cursing Fate or any other soul won’t help us in anything, Samaya. On the contrary, It can bring more pain here, much more than we can carry in our souls.”
„Then, what do you propose, father? Just to stay and accept what others have planned for us? To watch how my dear forest dies, scorched to the ground by hell’s flames, those the fox and Parca, the one who is supposed to control Fate, sent here to burn our home? Of course, not! I won’t ever accept Fate’s decision if this means to destroy lives. I can’t accept this when there’s so much fire and pain around me because… listen to the forest, Father! Listen to the pain heard in its voice! Feel the hot tears on their trunks! If you can't feel them, I assure you I can! I hear the soul of the forest crying! The Rophion Forest is crying, Dad! The trees are crying… the bushes… the grass that’s scorched to the ground. I hear the creatures of the woods asking for help, those who preferred death instead of leaving their houses. This makes me hate: the fox, Parca, everything that destroys my house! Even so, I don’t have the power to stop this! I don’t know how to stop the madness of turning this earth to ashes only because others want control over the world and glory! Something they will have only over my body!”
„To do this, we must bow our heads first,” Anaya said wisely.
„To bow my head? In front of whom? Of Fate?”
„No, young she-wolf: we must accept that we are powerless. Then… when we manage to calm our souls and bandage our wounds, to stand up again and move on. Not alone: by nature's side, the one that will survive this havoc for sure.” While saying this, Anaya approached the she-wolf. One-step from her, she stopped and, looking into Samaya’s eyes, which were full of tears and hatred, Anaya touched the she-wolf’s head, caressing it. „And, even if you don’t want this, you should accept our help this time.”
Samaya frowned. „Help? Whose help? Yours?”
„Yes,” replied Ahi confidently. „We can impede Maranam to conquer this world only together. At the same time, side by side, we can stop the havoc at the door of our camp. More than that, now there isn’t your side or ours: it’s only ours because there are only two camps in this war - Maranam’s army and the rest of the world that’s against him.”
„What about you, Ahi? Whose side you are now?” Gaea asked, suddenly appearing behind him. Looking at her, Ahi saw hatred sparkling in her eyes. He said nothing. He only listened to what she said next, „As far as I know, Mayar is in Maranam’s camp. Thus, by being here, you've wrongly chosen your camp, Ahi. Or… did others wrongly head your footsteps over here? I mean the Titan of Doubt, Tayakkam, who’s with you right now.”
„No. I'm here on my own. Let’s say I wanted this,” responded Ahi proudly. His answer amazed everybody, including Tayakkam. Unlike them and paying no attention to the fact that he wasn’t welcome there, except for Anaya and Tayakkam who supported him, Ahi said, „I’m a father, one that doesn’t want to see how his child suffers. It’s not what I want for Mayar.”
„Something you can’t change,” said Dike. „Mayar has chosen on her own to be by Maranam and Parca’s side.”
„Not yet,” said Anaya confidently. „Mayar hasn’t chosen yet which camp to belong to. That’s why, until she doesn’t choose her allies, we have to do something to make her fight by our side. How to do that? We’ll think about this later.”
„What about thinking first how to defeat that damn bird Tarther?” Boor shouted. „I can’t handle this alone while you have a small talk like between friends.”
„Not alone,” Bestla’s feisty voice was heard from the other side of the glade, where she was creating mirrors to try to catch Tarther in their trap eventually. Something she didn’t manage to do in the end. This happened because the flames were melting the gelatin of her mirrors right after she created them. „Yet, you are also right… We can have a small talk after that. And… to twist necks too,” she growled, staring with anger at Ahi. „Actually, I’ll start with you, Uncle Ahi. There are too many things you owe me.”
„If you say so,” replied Ahi ironically. „Yet, I think you should first deal with that one and let me for dessert!”
Looking toward the place towards which Ahi pointed with his head, Bestla saw little Tarther. This one was slowly walking through the flames, knocking down the trees that were barely standing because of their burned roots, and heading toward her. Tarther wasn’t alone but with Yĕn. She, also slowly walking, to little Tarther’s left, kept spitting venom left and right, scorching more the soil and the plants around her, something that made Bestla gnash her teeth. „Only the two of you were missing, honestly! And… hei, Baradar, what about listening to your heart if your brain is burnt? You are destroying the forest you protected for millennia, you dumb!”
„As though he understands your words!” Ahi said, grinning.
„If you don’t have a better idea than mine, keep quiet!” Bestla replied feistily, staring at Ahi from the corner of her eyes. „Or… you can fight in my place. I won’t stay in your way, I promise. Actually, I’ll be generous and can leave that beauty from over there for you. Her name is Yĕn and she’s beautiful only when she kisses your lips… a kiss that sends you directly to Death’s lap.”
„Have you tried this?” The pony Vintai teased Bestla, suddenly appearing behind Tarther and Yĕn. „If no… I really can’t understand why you lie, Princess Bestla! It’s not something nice, by the way!”
„What’s not nice in my opinion is that you still poke your nose in adults’businesses!” Bestla growled. „Yet, if you are here already, take care of your sweet friend! I heard Yĕn loves you more than she loves me!”
„Aaa!” Vintai replied, bored. Then, he passed by Yĕn, kicking her from behind and throwing her to the other side of the glade. Thus, by kicking Yĕn so unexpectedly, Vintai forced Anaya to hug the young she-wolf and vanish somewhere soon after this. If not, Yĕn would have kissed first their lips for sure.
Yĕn wasn’t the only one who suffered in that glade. The same happened to Vintai because of Tarther, who, angry that the pony attacked his friend, suddenly turned toward the pony, blowing hot air over him. Thus, smelling the stink of the burnt hair, Vintai gnashed his teeth, „Ah, you, bastard! I’ll show you where the bona robas are!”
Time to show this to Tarther Vintai didn’t have because Samaya and Anaya appeared behind him so suddenly that the poor pony winced, thinking that another devil had come there. Because of this, to calm him a little, Anaya tapped Vintai’s back, forcing him to take his human shape, and told him, „I’ll take care of him because… it’s something I’m damn good at!”
„I didn’t know ghosts love fried chicken!” Vintai hissed through his teeth. After that, still angry, he blew cold air over his face to calm the itches on his burnt skin. Air that made the few scorched hairs that he had on his forehead seem frozen in the end.
Looking at the boy and seeing how funny he looked, Anaya smiled. „More than a ghost, I’m a fox,” she cunningly replied. After that, looking at Tayakkam, who was heading toward them at that moment, she told Vintai, „Yet, even though I wouldn’t have said no to a fried chicken, I still think that another idea is better than this one. Like… the doubt in one’s soul. The best defense ever.”
„Doubt?” Samaya asked in amazement. „What do you mean?”
„You’ll see!” Anaya calmly replied. „Meanwhile, let’s join the others!”
„What about this crazy bird?” Vintai asked, frowning. „If you leave that strange creature over there with this bird, he’ll turn him into ashes for sure.”
„No,” replied Anaya, confidently. „I’m sure nothing will happen to Tayakkam because, before this little Tarther turns others to ashes, he has to extinguish the fire from his soul first.” After that, holding Samaya and Vintai’s hands, she made them vanish, for the three of them appeared next to Dike and the others seconds later only.
While Anaya, Samaya, and Vintai had that small talk about little Tarther, Dike and the others stopped their conversation and started to extinguish the flames, which were spreading at lightning speed. Not even the drops of water that were falling from the sky didn’t help the burning forest. Hungry flames that needed radical measures to extinguish the fire, as Ahi said. Which measures? Well, seeing that smoke and fog around them, black smoke that was due to the Ghosts of the Underworld, Ahi mentioned the idea of using them to extinguish the flames. A solution the others disliked because it wasn’t trustable. Yet, as it was the only good idea for the moment as the water seemed to be fuel for the fire and not fighting against them, they decided to try to use the smoke against the flames.
To control the smoke and the fog, Ahi asked Samaya and Bestla to help Anaya. How exactly? Simple: Bestla had to create mirrors… as many as possible. They would have been necessary for reflecting the smoke and multiplying it. Samaya instead was told to use her cube for reflections and reflect lands of wonders in Bestla’s mirrors. What would it have served for? None of them understood this because… using the green forest to multiply the smoke and the fog was a crazy idea in their opinion.
Not the same thought Dike had. He, understanding Ahi’s plan, whispered, „Deception is the greatest of the weapons against Shadows.”
„That’s right, Titan. Actually… what do you think? What the shadow hates the most in this world and always tries to subdue?”
„The Light!” Murmured Bestla. „Just like the shadow and evil always try to destroy everything that’s green and alive.”
„Exactly. Thus… if we try to deceive the Shadows and make them think that this Forest is still alive and powerful, they will get more power and speed while trying to conquer this place. And, because of their power, the flames will be extinguished in the end. Meanwhile, Dike, Lodur, Gaea, and you, Boor: make those drops of water fall faster! This will help the fog to increase because of the wet air.”
„I only hope we won’t drown the forest to extinguish the flames,” said Gaea, upset. Yet, having no better idea than Ahi’s, she did eventually what the Mago suggested.
Thus, taking the miniature jug from her waist, she started to pour water into her left cupped palm, water that seemed to spring and spring, even if it wasn’t clear where its source was. Her decision made Dike and Lodur smile. Dike even whispered at one moment, „Water from the Fountain of the Truth! How we didn’t think to use this before? Lodur, use Bayer’s power to amplify the pouring of the water because the sound of the falling water will work as a spell for the Sky, opening the sack of rain!”
„Got it!” Murmured Lodur. After that, three times hitting the ground with Alabar, he turned Bayer on, which suddenly reflected its light over Gaea’s jug. Thus, by using Bayer’s power, Lodur intensified the pouring of water, and the sound of it was heard all around, like a pleasant melody. That music was so pleasantly heard around that the trees, even if they were still burning, stopped moving or moaning and looked around, amazed and scared at the same time because it wasn’t clear to them what the source of that pleasure was.
Seeing the trees so amazed, Lodur took the whistle from Gaea’s waist and started to blow it. His melody also intensified the pouring of the water from the sky. It was heavily raining at one point when Boor, who finally understood his uncle Ahi’s trick, used the whip Cattai to hit left and right as if spurring the horses of the sky and bringing them right above the burning forest.
While they did that, Anaya, by using the power of the water and of the Titans, started to whisper unknown words. The same words Vintai whispered too. This amazed Bestla and Samaya a lot. They even exchanged glances at one point because they couldn’t understand how it was possible for the boy to know the spells of the Magos. What the girls didn’t know was that the spell Anaya used at that moment wasn’t a spell invented by the Magos or by those with Dark Powers but by the old winds. That spell she learned from Kkāṟṟu, a long time ago when she visited his kingdom for the first time. That day she heard him whispering something unknown to her. And, not understanding a word from what he said, she asked him about this and Kkāṟṟu told her, „This is the Spell of the Shadows!”
„The Spell of the Shadows? What exactly is this?”
„Nothing harmful for the world. On the contrary, by using it, I manage to increase the fog and make it denser when I need this. It works better if I’m next to the water.”
„Obviously! The problem is that I can’t understand what you need this for.”
„To protect the ground because the heat of my clothes scorches it, old fox. That’s why I use the Spell of the Shadows. I protect not only the soil but also the herbs and the small creatures above which I and my monsters pass when we walk around.” A spell that seemed perfect to Anaya at that moment and which she remembered after Ahi’s words. By using it, intensified by Bestla and Samaya’s power, who created the mirrors and the reflections in them, Anaya made the Shadows, the smoke, and the fog surround the forest very quickly. The process was so fast that it was dizzyingly to watch it for a long time. Yet, it perfectly worked for them because the flames vanished in the end, and the forest slowly moaned, thanking everybody for the help even if ashes and Shadows covered it in the end…