21 Days Ago.

Riding a dragon was so fucking cool.

I’ve been on planes before, actually, I’ve been in a hot air balloon when I was a child. Being up so high, soaring through the clouds. It was a lot easier than I thought, especially since it felt like he was going as fast as a regular airplane.

The air felt fresh, and the moonlight was full. I spread my arms out for a moment as I laughed, getting a face full of cloud as I smiled.

Charlie gripped my stomach like a vice grip as she stared at the ground as we passed through the clouds. “How are we not falling off?!”

“A dragon does not fly because they flap their wings. They fly because they desire to, and you stay on me, because I desire you to stay as well.”

I blinked in absolute confusion and decided to just go with it. Yeah, sure, why not! This place is Magickal Magick, super Magick… There was a term for it, but I forgot.

“Is it rude to ask if you could go faster?”

“I could, but focusing on keeping you from not becoming red mist is quite hard while I’m also speeding up.”

I nodded along to that. “Cool, cool. Go with the flow.” I stared below, finding endless forests that stretched for miles, sometimes interrupted by the occasional mountain, river, or lake. However, I did notice that there seems to be a growing number of movements below.

Ones of giant shadows that lurked and lumbered, rising out of the ground like…

“Monsters.” I said aloud as I sighed.

Charlie looked down with me and nodded along. “Looks like we might be facing the horde soon.”

“Hehe~ you ever want to know what monster meat tastes like?” I then opened up my palm as I faced it towards the monsters. My flames erupt from my fingertips, dancing ever so softly.”

“Let’s not go and be so hasty now, Jane. Let’s wait until we’re in-“ Her eyes looked over to where we were heading.

I followed her gaze, finding that for some reason, a massive hole in the ground was seen. It was a valley, yes, with ridges and mountains all around it, but nonetheless, it was a giant hole that seemingly had no bottom in sight.

“Is that where the Skiper Serpent is?” I asked while leaning over to get a better view. For a moment, I thought there were figures walking around the ridges of the strange valley, heading downwards.

“The corpse of it, yes. It lies within the very center in a darkness that is beyond darkness.”

“Good thing we’re bringing in the light.” I grinned to myself at the little joke before Azhdaya suddenly nose dived towards a lake. Right before he did so, I noticed that the trees themselves seemed to be moving away from him, almost as if giving him space for him to park the car.

He landed on the ground, right in front of the running river, growling like a bear as we saw several of the river monsters rush out of the water as fast as they could so that they would not incur the dragon’s wrath.

“Thanks Azhy? Can I call you Azhy?” I jumped down while helping Charlie off. Koschei was already down, marvelling at his surroundings and especially at the fleeing monsters.

“If that be your desire. Then I will not stop you.”

“Awesome. Well, see you, Azhy. Have a good time out there. Hope we can see you soon.”

“And I bid you farewell, and hope that on your journey, that you will find many blessings, enough that you will be able to accomplish what you set out to seek. Until then, may you walk amongst the honored dead.”

Azhdaya then flew up into the sky, and nature morphed back to normal, leaving only a forest behind us, a river in front of us, and a valley beyond us.

I then awkwardly leaned in to Koschei. “So, do we like swim? Or just wade through? Cause it looks like Azhy scared the shit out of those guys.” I pointed at the monsters, who were still quite wary.

“We shall wade through the much less densely packed side.” Koschei gestured towards the shallow part of the stream down. He walked towards it as Charlie and I stayed behind, her watching our six while I held her hand.

The water was cold, but for some reason that felt reassuring, it felt real- And also that reminds me we probably need to get new clothes soon, I do not want to get any form of foot fungus.

“So this Baba Kira, are you on good terms with her?” I asked as I looked around the looming trees of the forest, noticing the thick mist that permeated just above us. Every so often I felt like we were being watched, that eyes were in the darkness beyond, waiting for us.

“Well, I hope so. I used to speak and play with her. She was the second most active witch I knew, especially since she decided to stay in Vasiliy. I used to see her fight the worshippers of the Skiper.”

Charlie was focused on watching our sides. She gripped my hand hard, but asked while we were walking. “Did she wipe them out?”

“She didn’t fight them like that. She only did so when they bothered her, which wasn’t much, as they kept to themselves.”

“Let’s hope they keep to themselves here as well.”

The more we trekked into the forest, the darker it got. The trees seem to become thinner, almost curling up like frozen serpents.

After several more hours, so much so that it became morning, we noticed that the ground itself went from vibrant to ghastly, with dead grass all over the place, each one dried out like prunes. They crackled with each and every step.

Koschei frowned at this, which was worrying because making that guy frown meant something had gone so completely wrong that even he was worried. “The defenses here are non-existent. It’s not even like with Baba Yaga… The air feels so dead…” Quickly, he reaches down, grabbing something that slithered across the ground: A snake.

“This does not bode well. We must hurry.” He switched to running, now moving as fast as possible. For such a lean guy, I didn’t expect him to be so agile as he raced across the strange forest. I had to boost myself with the flames by my hands and feet while bringing forth Charlie.

The more we travelled, the more we saw. The earth was slashed as if a mountainous blade had stabbed the ground. Entire trees were uprooted, and I could even see bits and pieces of glass scattered all around the area mixed in with debris of cadavers, paintings, ceramics, and more.

Up ahead, we saw the center of this chaos: A ramshackled house, half destroyed, covered in large serpents with scales as white as bone. They coiled around the remaining bits and pieces of the abode, devouring anything that appeared to remotely look like pieces of meat and or bones.

Koschei’s eyes narrowed as he unsheathed his blackened daggers.

Charlie brought out her gun again, which was well. I mean, maybe it can do something here, but overall, it hasn’t really worked on any monsters at all, and even if it did, the damage was so ineffective.

Maybe I could find a way to enchant it or something like that. Yeah, that would be nice, and my first order of business when I get new powers, so that I wouldn’t have to worry about her.

“Do you know what those things are?” I turned to Koschei, who, to my horror, shook his head.

“I’ve never seen them before. Their form differs from that of regular giant serpents, especially if it appears that they defeated someone like Baba Kira. We might need to run away.”

My eyes widened. “What?! Are you serious?” I lowered my voice but heightened its intensity.

“If it can defeat someone with Magick on the level of a Witch, unless your Flames returned to the level they were at when we fought Zmey, then we cannot hope to defeat such forces.

I looked at the flames on my hands. I don’t really remember the difference between my own flames and the ones I used on Zmey. So I don’t know at all if it could be as powerful as it needs, but what else was there to do?

Charlie crouched down. “We could lure them away, then we go in and try to investigate. I’m sure I can make some noise-“

I smacked her upside the head. “No! Are you crazy? I’m not putting you in danger. I’ll be the bait; you two go on ahead. Koschei, please keep her safe, or I swear to all the gods who want to kill me that I will put you back in the Nawia if you don’t.”

Charlie was about to protest before I already ran straight ahead. I could already hear her groan and curse me. She’s so fragile like this, and I can’t stand to lose or see her hurt again. I kinda wondered what she was doing when the fight broke out in Nawia. But she’s safe now, so I guess there’s no point in worrying.

I made it in front of the serpents, keeping a good distance away as I waved my hands around. “Hey, hey! Over here! I’m a… Snack? Yeah, that sounds right. I’m a snack!”

The serpents all slithered to face me, tilting their head like a dog before sticking their tongues out.

“Flamessss? The ancient flames that forged this world?” They all chanted like some weird hivemind as I stepped back, ready to fend them off or run.

“I would rather look at it as cleansing the world, but sure, another title wouldn’t really hurt.”

“You wisssssssh to tear down the order, to revert the mandate of the heavens and to bring about a new age… You will do well with our master; he wishes the same. To tear down this system and writhe in what comes next.” The serpents begin to slither towards her as she starts to backstep even more.

“Uh, what? I don’t really care if you’re talking about your world. I’m just here to fix mine, so if that’s all you want, you can go right off.” I gave a cheeky little grin and found my rhythm, slowly moving quicker and further away.

They began to pursue even more; now I could count that there were at least three of them, all of whom were trying to surround me. “Yooooou do not understand the scope of what you have been given… Of what has been offered to you. Such incompetence, your powers are to bring about a new world for all. Come with us, and we shall shooow you what you can truly become.”

I grinned and snapped my fingers, producing a fire as I saw that the others were sneaking into the broken house.

“Cool offer overall, but I think I’m gonna take a hard pass. Don’t hold it against any of you, just serpents aren’t really my style.”

Their scales flared up like feathers as they hissed maddeningly. “How shockingly futile. No matter, your fate has been spun from the moment we have sensed your presences.”

Wait a minute. I wasn’t really good with grammar, but the fact that it was plural meant…

My eyes widened as I saw in the distance, another one of the serpents rising from the broken household to confront Koschei and Charlie.

My heart blazed as I stared up at the three serpents. “You wouldn’t touch them if you knew what’s good for you.”

“And you shall come with us and offer your power to our dearest master.“

I scoffed at such a stupid idea. “No. I decide what I want to do with it, and you’re really pissing me off. No one gets to tell me what to do with this but me!”

I raised my arms up to my side and, without any further warning, fired a sweeping wave of flames.