UKKO

Keeping a secret was never easy for him. Especially when it had to be kept by Lucifer. She could smell the secrecy from miles away and look him in the eyes until he could burst out the truth.

What if Ma’at was immortal? Then what? What could they do?

Ukko decided to ignore the rush of his thoughts. It wouldn’t help anything more than bring panic. He instead kept his calm, even if he kept his distance.

So did she as she was the only one who seemed to have a conversation with Leviathan. Or at least she was the only one who did not try to make her pissed or scared.

After two days without any rest, they managed to walk on the other side of the wall. Even with both Mara and Hephaestus whining about the height of the cliff once more Lucifer’s dress freezing from the river and Mordred groaning at how slow they were climbing from the rope of the hook, they all managed to get to the other side, facing Akhet as if centuries past they had seen the kingdom being reflected by the beam of the sunrise. Reflecting on the palace which was far away, reflecting on the area of machines and stopping to the areas of darkness Beautiful as it was to see the view from apart, the soldier knew that in this place, many mortal soldiers that he might know or met once on school tried to get to that side. And they never returned. If it was someone that he once knew, he hoped that he could remember the name.

Then, Ukko realized what he had done. He made four people. One was the closest friend he had ever made, two people who would want to live in peace, and someone who would do anything to fulfill someone else’s dream to fight. To fight for something that was an uncaught dream.

Did I make a mistake? Did I make a mistake?

Hephaestus had made a cane from a wooden stick and twisted two pieces of steel from their leg around it. Now they were walking slowly with Lucifer I wrapped around their arm with her feet being dragged around the ground.

‘’I am starving,’’ Hephaestus complained. Lucifer agreed with a nod as her stomach started growling out loud.

Mordred grunted telling them ten minutes of rest.

In those ten minutes, they all took out the containers filled with pies and bread and one more metallic container filled with water for every one of them to drink. Ukko was surprised at how cold it was, nearly choking from the shock. Mara was sitting next to him and laughing as she was separating her red raisins from her bread.

There was a long sigh from Leviathan, drawing everyone’s attention to them.

Hephaestus’ lips draw a nasty grin. ‘’If you help us, I might give you a piece of a potato’’

Laugh all you want but when I get out.

Mordred lifted his head and suggested to them‘’You know, we can bury you to the ground and none will find you’’

Lucifer moved her head to his side, trying to disagree.

We both know, priest, that you don’t dare to hurt me.

‘’What if you don’t get healed when you get out?’’ Mara asked them.

There was a confusing sound coming out of the jar.

Ukko grinned. ‘’Yes, it seems that you haven’t even tried to get out or heal.’’He tried to tease them. ‘’It’s a normal jar after all.’’

Leviathan gasped.

‘’But we might find a way to make you back to normal if you help us.’’ He suggested after.

You think that your pitiful bargain is going to make me-

Hephaestus stood up and grabbed the jar. ‘’Alright’’They sighed, facing Mara with a terrifying grin. ‘’Let’s bury them.’’

She replied with a laugh stood up and started digging the ground with a knife. Hephaestus let the jar to the ground and walked near the stream. When they returned, their free hand was holding two leeches.

''That's disgusting.''Lucifer frowned at the look of the dark worm.

''It can have healing purposes.''Mordred imlied, continuing his food.

''Still. ''She was determined.''Disgusting.''

''Well, what do you think?''They said, kneeling to the jar, showing the twitching leeches. Mara grabbed one fast and kept laughing.

Spirits, they could have been born by the same mother. Ukko thought.

No wait. Please I hate the dark. And leeches. They whined like a little kid.

‘’Then you will help us out?’’ Lucifer smiled gently.

The eye turned to her and then a long sigh came.

I will think about it, just do not dare bury me.

‘’So it’s a yes?’’ Ukko asked them and faced the leeches.

No response. Hephaestus and Mara sat back down once more and continued eating. But they both let the leeches rest on the glass of the jar, while they could hear Levi gowling.

‘’Do you want it?’’ Mara said to Ukko, offering the crust filled with potatoes.

‘’You don’t like potatoes?’’

‘’I don’t think so’’ She let out a shrug, causing Ukko almost to fade.

He gasped, letting his palm rest on his head like a damsel in distress.‘’You poor child you must try it.'' He said dramatically, cuffing her pie and shoving it to her mouth as she kept laughing with her eyes snapped open, shocked.

‘’It's fantastic! '' She shouted, muffled.

‘’Only fantastic?’’ Ukko laughed again and took a bite from his crust. ‘’You will taste more like this on Aztlan.’’

His gaze moved to Hephaestus who had finished their food.

‘’How is it?’’ Mara asked anxiously. ‘’Aztlan,’’ She tapped her fingers on her knees.

‘’You are going to love it’’Hephaestus answered fast, wiping the crumbles from the bread. ‘’It is filled with inventors and science, ‘’They said, counting with their fingers.

‘’Do not have hope just yet’’ Mordred popped their cloud with his upper face covered with the mask and kept eating his share slowly. ‘’You don’t know how you will find it’’

Ukko agreed with him without talking. He knew one thing about him would be different. If he stepped inside his house, he would see it empty or ruined.

''You talk like an old man,'' Mara complained and kept munching.

''You act like a child.''

''I thought I was a child.''

''The point is,'' It seemed that his rage rose. He was a surprisingly furious priest. ''Things can change...fast''He said slowly.''When we find Aztlan.

‘’If we will,'' Lucifer complained. ‘’We made it four times in the same round. Do you know how to get there?’’ She arched her brow, tired as she took one small bite to form her bread without the raisins.

‘’Of course, I do’’ He shouted with a gasp, ashamed.

'' A terrible liar’’ Mara whispered.

''Definably'' Hephaestus leaned to her side.

‘’This time we will turn right’’ Mordred groaned and stood up, exhausted.

The time was up as they kept walking while Mara was the last one getting up, fixing her tunic. The past two days she was almost silent and distant with a journal and a piece of coal doodling by herself. Even if Lucifer had now kept herself close to Mara’s side she was still shoving her face with her silver coat and her eyes to the dark veil that was now clear to see from far away.

Ukko imagined that her mind was focused on Diyu, back to the child she saw dead. Back when she tried to fight against the scientist. He saw how her face stiffened when he brought it up to her mind.

‘’You will like the pies’’ Ukko insisted with a smile, trying to cheer her up.

Her eyes moved slightly to his side.

‘’Do they have red ones?’’ She finally asked, lifting herself.

‘’Probably yes’’ He laughed again to make sure she would smile.

And she did fast and walked close to his side with her eyes kept on the veil.

Ukko tried to talk to her but she moved her finger close to him to make him stop.

‘’What matters is that I am out.’’She explained with a small pain in her voice, trying to hide it with her wide open eyes. ‘’Nothing else.’’

‘’What you see fit’’ He agreed and looked up the rest.

There was a small silence before her gaze moved to the ground and she kept nibbling the raisins of her bread, curious about what would happen if she squeezed them enough.

‘’Why do you want to fight?’’ Mara asked, intrigued by Ukko's actions.

Ukko let out a nervous laugh and stretched his neck. He could think of many reasons. Because he wanted to live something more than just a soldier. Because he wanted to feel stronger if he knew that he won a battle that meant something. Because there was a way to make everything better.

‘’I have a sister’’ He finally said and let his gaze rest on Lucifer whose posture was grumpy.

‘’She is a mortal so I had to leave her back to Akhet’’ He tried to force himself to hide his sadness. ‘’She is also really annoying and she always whines about the way I was cutting her hair but...''He laughed again. ‘’I think that if there is something that I would like to change is that people like you and me… could be with the ones they love-’’He made a long pause, realizing that Mara did not stop looking at him for any single second. As if she was interested in listening to him mumble about a family that he could not visit anymore.

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Did she have a family before that? Ukko wondered.

Her lips formed one more smile with her scar wrinkled around her face, just a bit.

‘’It will need a lot of work’’She explained in a calm tone. ‘’But it sounds like a change I would love to see’’

‘’That’s more like it’’Ukko grinned pointing at her with a gun-shaped gesture.

Ukko expected to see soldiers guarding the borders so he told Mordred to travel for the free side. But he did not expect to see a wall made of wire mesh guarding every part of Aztlan with guards of distant ten feet each. He kept studying each detail of the wall and the soldiers. The wall was tall too even of how sloppy and fast it was probably constructed a day after the incident of Naraka. Of course, it was made of iron. You didn’t have to be an inventor or a scientist to think what it would be. The soldiers were wearing thick blue uniforms too with goggles on their eyes and a type of dark blue hat. And their marks were snakes. Yet they had no stripes, seeming to be new to their posts as soldiers, even if they were far older than twelve. Their carbines seemed new too. Every part is made of iron. For a mortal to get inside they had to pray they wouldn't get shot. For warlocks, only their soul could enter the other side. Now there they were. All five of them. But why? Why were they doing this?

‘’Well, we made a good impression’’ Hephaestus whispered behind the bushes, next to Mara who was picking the red berries from them, eating them slowly.

‘’Any idea what we are going to do?’’ Lucifer panicked.

It took Hephaestus a couple of seconds before they spoke again, facing their hands.

‘’I can cut the net.’’ They said, ‘’Even if it’s iron I can cut it with steel.’’

'' Very impressive '' Mordred complimented them.’’What about the almost twenty soldiers?’’ The compliment slowly fades with one single grunt from him.

Hephaestus arched his brow and turned to him with a pout

‘’Show them your sad face, they will probably spare you.’’ They replied.

Ukko held his breath and turned to Mara who was trying to cover her eyes with a piece of blue cloth, as long as her sharp ears.

‘’We can ‘’She made a long pause as she caressed her throat with her thumb, moving her tongue out.

‘’We will not kill them’’Lucifer hissed.

‘’It will be better not to take too much attention’’ Mordred added. ‘’Not yet at least.''

If you let me out, I might kill them all… Leviathan suggested. I can make it quick.

Mara glanced at the rest of us as she was agreeing with them.

‘’No’’ Mordred rasped.

She replied with a soft whine. ‘’You ruin fun’’

‘’Then,’’ Hephaestus whispered, clenching the grass, noticing that two soldiers had caught interest in them shaking behind the bushes.

A few feet away Hephaestus faced with the corner of their eyes a shining glimpse, making them curl a grin.

‘’Three minutes.'' They whispered, standing up.’’Just give me three minutes.’’ Ukko shook his head, watching Hephaestus slowly get up with the help of their cane.

He was nervous about what their plan was. How were they capable of pulling it off? But he wasn’t expecting Mordred to catch Hephaestus’ wrist, stopping them from keeping moving. For a few seconds, they both looked at each other, shocked by each one's actions. Hephaestus let out a shaky breath and smiled.

‘’Three minutes’’

Mordred held his silence and shook his head, letting Hephaestus stand up completely and walk out of the bushes.

‘’Three minutes’’ Mara whispered with a grin, letting herself tease Mordred. Ukko did it along, touching her hand and grinning.

‘’Three minutes’’ he pouted, flattering his lashes.

Mordred took off his mask and glared at them with a rough judge.

‘’I will kill both of you’’ He threatened them.

‘’In how many minutes?’’ Mara asked, confused.

’’Three?’’ Ukko added.

When the soldiers noticed them walking to their side, they both lifted their carbines right at their bodies. Ukko heard a slightly panicked breath coming out from Lucifer.

‘’Who are you?’’ One of the soldiers shouted.

‘’I just want to go back to Aztlan’’ They said with a stutter, seeming to be a terrible lie.

We are doomed. Ukko shut his eyes as he kept a forced grin.

I expected that.

‘’I was out in the forest, and warlocks attacked me.''

Both of the soldiers shared a silent gaze and then both of them nodded. One of the soldiers grabbed Hephaestus by their arm and dragged them far from the borders and Hephaestus kept struggling, shouting to let them go as they shouted for help, eyes facing far from the berry bushes.

Lucifer gasped and tried to stand up.

‘’Three minutes’’ Mordred whispered, holding her down with just simple words.

‘’But what if…’’ Lucifer tried to speak again.

If you let me out…

‘’If they want three minutes to find a way out, they will have it in three minutes’’ Mordred reassured.

‘’How can you be so sure?’’ Lucifer asked him once more but Mordred did not answer. Maybe they did not know the reason either.

But Ukko knew what it was. Blind trust. Something that none could explain, none could tell the reason why they both lent it to each other, and something easy to break. Blind trust was a curse of its own.

‘’Alright,’’ Ukko agreed with Mordred, hoping that this would make Lucifer calm down. ‘’Three minutes.’’

But when ten minutes passed with the soldiers returning and with Hephaestus nowhere to be found, Ukko saw Mordred caressing his tattoo with his thumb, managing to take a deep breath. Ukko wiped out every possible worst-case scenario and was determined to get on the other side and find them. Alive. They were alive and well.

He waited a few seconds more before he decided to make a plan on his own.

To find Hephaestus and get inside Aztlan, both Ukko and Mara were walking towards the borders fully covering their mouths with pieces of fabric they found inside Lancelot’s bag.

‘’Let us pass’’ Ukko’s tone almost got out as if he demanded them.

‘’My sister, she needs a doctor’’Ukko showed Mara with despair, pointing out the wooden stick she was holding for a cane and her covered eyes. She let out a dry cough and then one whimper, showing how much in pain she was. One of the soldiers almost pitied her.

‘’Where are you from?’’ One of them finally asked. ‘’You sound noble'' He studied Ukko’s clothing and posture. Both of them hadn’t slept for days and did not have the energy to have the ideal one.

‘’Con artists’’ Another one judged with almost spit coming out of his mouth.

‘’Con artists?’’ Mara gasped, offended.

‘’Not now’’ Ukko tugged at her arm, causing her to stop causing a fight.

'' Get back to Diyu’’ One of the soldiers ordered both of them.

‘’We just need a doctor’’He begged again.

One of the soldiers emerged to step toward them, narrowing her eyes behind her thick goggles of hers. She kept studying them and leaned her head to their side. After that, she fixed her posture and moved her hands behind her back.

‘’Test them’’ She demanded of the soldier on her left side. ‘’If they are no con artists they could be warlocks’’

The soldier next to her let out a nasty grin as he moved out of his belt a dagger made of iron. It could be easy for Mara and Ukko to heal from that. But there was no such thing as if the wound could stay long enough.

Ukko took a deep breath and searched left and right for anything to help them get inside. And there it was. Almost a hundred feet away, there was a military car, no driver, no guard.

None to get hurt.

The soldier snatched Mara by her hand, pushing her sleeve higher, to show her skin.

Mara coughed again, this time slowly getting down.

‘’Please, my sister'' Ukko begged again and his gaze fell to her, noticing blood hitting out from her clothes, being spat down. She coughed once more, breathing harshly as she fell to her knees.

Ukko was ready to catch her and help her get up but she pushed him away with a simple wave. But the blood kept spitting as the soldiers were now starting to panic.

‘’Is this some sort of trick?’’ Someone gasped.

Focus.

Ukko agreed and faced the car. Gathering all of his energy, all of his strength in his fingers, letting out a snap. Wind expanded around his hand, letting a wave of cold sweat attack his body with a smark of thunder blowing right at the engine of the car, making a small explosion. Every guard in the area stuttered and moved closer to the explosion. Some others were now running toward the woods to find out if someone else was hiding. Thank the Spirits that Moddred and Lucifer were out of the forest with a vehicle, twice the size of the car after them.

Mara finally stood up, letting a punch at the soldier’s goggles, pushing him back to the ground.

‘’I am no con artist’’She said, swiping her wrist up and down after the punch. ‘’I am a performer,’’ She shouted at the falling soldier, moving her clothes down, exposing her now red lips.

‘’There’s a difference’’

‘’I don’t think there is ‘’ Ukko narrowed his brow, tired as more soldiers took their attention to them.

‘’What is this..’’Ukko tried to speak but Mara interrupted him quickly as she swept a pistol from the fallen soldier, thanking him with a smile.

‘’Berries’’She made a quick excuse, showing her stained soft red hand with seeds stuck to her fingers.

‘’That’s not..’’He tried to speak as she handed the pistol to him and kept fighting by kicking them fast.

When Mordred and Lucifer appeared, they tried to fight too. Mordred started shooting at their coats, close to their hearts and Lucifer shifted her hand, creating light, enough to make them fall unconscious.

Instead, nothing happened. The bullets stayed on the coats but the soldiers just took a few steps back or fell before they stood up again and kept attacking. Even the light was nothing now as they were wearing goggles.

Ukko let down the pistol and turned to Mordred whose face was still covered. But it was clear that they had to fight to get inside. And to take their lives.

The vehicle was still approaching now with a faster rhythm. Ukko kept facing, ordering, and waiting for an idea, an order, or a plan. But he was just tapping his fingers at the scandals of the pistols as his mind was far from the sort of battle.

‘’We can surrender’’ Mara whispered. ‘’Take the vehicle from inside’’ She suggested. Ukko shook his head fast and turned over to the soldiers with his hands up. Eyes fall on Lucifer insisting to do the same, hiding Leviathan underneath her cloak. And to Mordred too with his hands now up now shaking even more.

The soldiers chained them up with handcuffs connecting to the collar around their throats. One wrong move and any warlocks could die from it. But Ukko and the rest were not normal warlocks. Not anymore.

The vehicle looked like a military car just like the rest of the even though it was considerably larger. The soldiers pushed them inside the wagon, letting out a laugh as they tried to take Mordred’s mask out. And he. He struggled. Shoulders shaking, breathing panted.

‘’Are you shy?’’ They said, taking his pistol and everything else to the driver.

Ukko rolled his eyes, expecting Mordred to stand on his ground or move back. But he did not expect to listen to the brooding priest, the brooding brave soldier who was keeping all his madness in his eyes, panicking like a child. Ukko clenched his fists in anticipation as he waited for Mordred's response, hoping that the strength and courage he had demonstrated all this time would be on display once more. But he just stood there, letting the soldier touch his mask, his skin. And the eyes of the soldier ws piercing to his soul.

‘’That’s enough’’ Ukko growled with his sharp eyes threatening the soldiers. But he was chained, looking weak unlike them with pistols ready to shoot at his head.

One of them kept laughing as he closed the wagon roughly. ‘’Have an enjoyable trip to Naraka’’ He wished them.

Mordred fell and looked at the floor with his breath, keeping in panic. Ukko was not in a better condition, feeling every hope draining out.

‘’What is happening?’’ Lucifer asked worriedly, creating a light to cast the shadows out of the dark cell.

‘’I don’t know’’Ukko frowned, keeping an eye on Mordred.

He cut his breath and tried to speak‘’We need to get out’’ He muttered.

When the engine began Ukko felt his entire body move to the opposite side of the road.

Leviathan began crying I can’t go to Naraka, it’s too dark there.

‘’None of us can’t go there’’Lucifer reminded them.

When Mara was done by freezing the chains she moved to the other side of the wagon, close to the driver’s side.

As she was ready to touch the metal. The door made a cracked sound, opening slowly.

Ukko flickered his fingers, ready to fight. So did the rest with Mordred being kept in panic.

When the soldiers showed up in the daylight, Ukko tried to attack them with his fists. His action immediately stopped when they saw Hephaestus sitting next to the driver.

‘’Hello,’’ They waved gently, showing p their military coat. Ukko instantly curled a grin to his face and wrapped his hands around them tight. Mara let out a snort.

‘’You are okay’’ Lucifer cried happily.

‘’Of course, I am’’Their eyes traveled around and they stopped when they found Mordred down on the cold floor.

‘’What happened?’’ Hephaestus asked and jumped into the wagon fast moving to Mordred. Hands shaking and eyes trying to find anything that could help him. In the end, they muttered. One, two, three.

''You look pathetic'' They whispered with their hands cupping his mask, letting his darting eyes rest on their calm face freely.

Their voice slowly hit Mordred’s mind, snapping him out of his thoughts as he looked back at them. He let out a relieved breath, his eyes slowly becoming softer, more human.

Ukko rested his back on the wall, breathing from relief as he also changed a quick grin with Mara, sharing a joke with just one thought.

‘’What happened?’’ He whispered and turned their eyes to the driver.

''Oh''They pouted.''You worried about me.''

‘’Who is that?’’ He asked.

‘’Sorry,’’ The driver turned back and showed his face, letting his goggles out. He seemed to be Hepahestus’ age the same height as Mara’s, hair curly golden with few red threads. His face was dirty and rough with freckles all over and his plump cheeks turned red from the embarrassment. His eyes were dark brown, sparkling from all the excitement.

‘’I did not want to ruin the moment’’ He said after, punching Hephaestus to their elbow softly, making them chuckle.

''I know that you would do it'' Hephaestus kept teasing him as they knew each other from the start. The man laughed again and turned over to the rest with a wide grin.

‘’My name is Talus’’