Of Ice, Death & Monsters

Chapter 51 : For Those Who Keep Peace

Katya couldn’t really hear the flames in the background, the incessant yelling and or screaming. Her head was already pounding with pure unending rage at Koschei, mixed in with the voices of the Smorodina.

It was like he was just playing around, dancing and weaving through each of our attacks, not even using his daggers for anything aside from locking our blades or redirecting our strikes. Each time he did so, there was just another laugh, another chuckle.

"Ah~ How delightful~ I haven't had this much fun in ages~ It's been so long since I've been in a proper fight~ Thank you for this opportunity!" The Keepers all scowled at him, throwing their Teni all at once to pin him down, only for him to conjure flames in his palms to set them ablaze and burn them away.

‘Was this really so easy for him? Was this really all for the sake of saving the world? The man right in front of me is absolutely insane; he speaks with so much conviction and love, but it’s madness. All of her friends, her family, was this what they amounted to? Another man’s game? Was it really all worth it?’ Katya’s thoughts were in an uproar, hatred and nostalgia washed over her like waves upon a beach, over and over her mind went back to that damned day when everything in her life caught in flames.

“Do you think this is funny?!” Leonid asked as he full-on tackled Koschei to the ground, punching him repeatedly in the face, yet with each blow the Descendant cackled like Baba Yaga.

‘Why? Why did they have to die? What purpose did they serve? Does it even matter? I want to know… If it was all worth it in the end.” Leonid wanted answers, but perhaps this man wasn’t the best for it with his ramblings.

“It’s glorious! Oh, the pattern, the symmetry! Haha, oh, it can’t get any better than this!”

Koschei literally grabbed Leonid by the throat, lifting him into the air before Rodion grappled the Descendant from behind to help Leonid get away from his grip.

“The Chosen of the Caretaker fighting Harbinger’s Chosen. The Fallen Keepers battling the Undying Flame Bearer! Ah, it’s so wonderful that on this day, we shall finally observe what is to be done! Ahha, we shall finally put to rest the Caretaker’s meddling and thus bring about the new age! The new world where all shall be “

“Be quiet!” Rodion then suplexed Koschei, slamming him into the ground as the Descendant felt overwhelming pain course through his body. Not from the impact, but from the sheer hatred and the extreme desire that exuded from the blow.

‘For Andrei, for Gustav, for Mila, For Daria… For everyone he has ever killed, and has killed through his people, he needs to die!’ There was no doubt about it, death was the only end fitting for Koschei. The only end he deserved for everything he has ever done.

He rubbed his head a bit, rolling towards the river, staring at it for a bit. A smile grew on his face as he noticed that it was bubbling and broiling. Not only that, a storm was brewing all around Nawia. The raindrops began to swirl as flames started to dance in the air.

'Save us...'

'Reunite the world!'

'Help make it a better place.'

'For us..."

A myriad of voices danced around Koschei. He took a look at the sky and even began to twirl, grinning ear to ear as he felt the pure ecstasy of the world. The time was almost here. He needed to stall, just a little bit more so than usual. He needed to wait until Jane drew in more power, until she could snap.

But there was also the case for his brother. Ivan was here too, and he didn’t really account for that, but he was sure that he could survive the crossfire, especially since he seemed to be guarded by the other survivors.

He turned to the Keepers, twirling his knife. “Why do you all fight such a losing battle? Time and time again, we offer you a chance to join us, to ensure that you will become one who heralds the Great Unifire instead of those who had to die needlessly in the chaos.” While it was made to stall, those were real questions. He was often amused by their attempts to fight back. Was it because of their conviction to their cause? Their devotion to the Caretaker? Why? Did they simply want to see him dead?

He caught a flying wooden dagger in the air with his bare hands as he sighed and tossed it aside with a smirk on his face before the Teni on it could explode again.

“Honestly… It is not because of your insane and psychotic desire for everything to burn.” Rodion grabbed his sword and slashed at Koschei’s side, only for it to be parried away.

“It’s because you fucking murdered our friends! Our family!”

Leonid tossed back Katya’s spear into her hand before sliding underneath Koschei to slash away at his legs, but the Descendant easily jumped over his blows before kicking him away. “You took everything from us! And for what? What did we ever do to you?!”

Koschei frowned at such a question. Was it not obvious? Was it not plain for them all to see? He parried away another one of Katya’s thrusts to his neck. “What a silly question. Your order and kindness were standing in the way of mine. There was no other reason needed. Do not think it is personal, in fact, I am saddened by the loss of life as well, alas, it was needed to-”

Before he could continue, Kariya had literally lunged towards him, makeshift rope in her hands as she quite literally tried to choke him out. “Stay quiet, I liked it better when you weren’t monologuing!”

"You know I could still speak, vocal cords-" Kariya's desire to make him quiet, coupled with her pulling on the rope, silenced the Descendant.

She dragged him close to the River Smorodina, realizing that they couldn’t kill him properly with what they had. But, if Baba Roga was right, this river would be able to completely disintegrate him, turning him into one of the souls swirling around the Nawia, hopefully for the next few thousand years, or better yet, never resurfacing at all!

Koschei wasn’t a fool. He realized what was going on and dug his heels into the ground, grabbing onto Kariya as he lifted her off the ground, removing the rope from his mouth, only to have both Rodion and Leonid grab his left and right arms, respectively, pulling him towards the broiling river.

“My my, is that your plan?" Koschei managed to resist their wills to speak. "Do you really think something like that would kill a Flame Bearer of Freedom? The River Smorodina works by dismantling your memories and soul, adding it into its ranks, but our Fire does the exact same thing! Do you really think you could do anything at all?” Both Leonid and Rodion stopped in place, looking at each other before facing Koschei.

He gave them a crooked smile, as deep down he knew that it was complete and utter poppycock. If he were to be thrown into the river right now, then he would be completely dismantled, but they don’t know that, and it’s best to use their uncertainty against them.

“In fact, there’s a chance that it would more than likely empower my own flames!” When he spoke, the River Smorodina began to gurgle, bubbling over as waves began to slam against the river banks. It was wailing, muttering, murmuring… It was speaking, and he could hear them.

‘Bastard…’

‘Die…’

‘I should have killed you when I had the chance…’

A grin grew on his face as he cackled once more. It was beautiful; they were awakening. They needed a little bit more of a push now for the ball to get rolling.

This was perfect timing; he could feel Jane’s power grow in the distance. The frustration, the desire, the hope for more, to unbind others from the cruelty of fate and destiny, he needed to hold out a little bit more.

“Perhaps, or maybe it will finally be the end of you.” Katya’s voice called out as she slowly approached him. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the river behind him boil over as if the souls of the dead were calling out to her.

‘Captain…’

‘Katya…’

‘Ms Faina…’

She stopped in her tracks, and voices started to actually speak to her, echoing through her mind. She almost froze up completely as tears welled in her eyes. They were the voices of all the fallen Keepers, whispering and muttering in an endless cacophony of voices.

Katya gripped her head, breathing heavily in and out as she stumbled backwards. Kariya noticed first, reaching out to her.

“Captain, what’s-” The voices took hold of Kariya as well, flashing into her mind as they bombarded her with thoughts and whispers like a drum.

‘Sister…’

‘Save yourselves…’

‘Run far… Don’t look back.’

Her family and friends spoke to her once more. They whispered into her ear the very last thing they said before she watched them perish. Tears welled up in her eyes as she was filled with the desire to run as far away as possible.

Rodion and Leonid were not spared either, taking a knee as their minds were invaded with the dying thoughts of those they failed to protect.

‘H-help!’

‘S-Save us!’

‘Take my sister, r-run far away please!’

‘The fire… It’s everywhere.’

‘Call the captains!”

‘We need to hurry, the Descendants are here!’

Koschei was the only one left standing, laughing to himself as he cackled like a hag. The time was near, the River Somorodina had begun to become a storm, swirling around the island as it began to create what could only be described as a hurricane.

Then, a voice spoke in the distance. To Koschei, it was like an opera singer hitting a high note, like a story hitting a climax. In every other sense of the word, it was beautiful.

“I am the Chosen of the Harbinger of Freedom! And that is what I shall grant all of you!” 

The tempest of the Smorodina began to grow, wrapping around the island now as the rain became ever thicker, splattering against the bodies of everyone, even against those on the Kalimov Bridge, and especially against Zmey, who watched on in curiosity.

It’s been quite a while since anything caught his eyes; a thousand years or so was the last interesting event, and that was because of the Balthalanians and their wars on this world, but other than that, there has been only a steady influx of souls moving in and out. Now it was finally getting interesting; maybe now he could find some entertainment.

Koschei, meanwhile, was all giddy with excitement. It was finally time; now he could put the world back together again. He looked towards Matthias in the distance, smiling solemnly. 

“This is for you brother.”

He raised both of his blades before causing his hands to burst into flames, coating his blackened daggers with mystical embers that crackle orange and yellow. “The first to be subsumed shall be those that once held life close to their hearts, those whose embers have lost fire and hath become ashes. They shall be the first sacrifice.”

Katya rubbed her head, staring straight at Koschei, who approached her slowly, humming ever so softly. His voice snapped her out of the stupor she was in as she gripped her spear and thrusted it straight into Koschei’s chest. “Be quiet and still forever more!”

Yet, he caught it in his blades, snapping her spear in half as the flames disintegrated the weapon into a raindrop that fell into the river, adding to the typhoon.

“I shall say the same for you.” He gave Katya a wide smile and thrust, dashing towards her body and thrusting his blade into her chest. 

Yet, it never found its proper mark; instead, Rodion managed to push Katya aside, taking the ritual daggers to the chest as they impaled him.

Katya’s eyes widened in fear, reaching up to her comrade, but it was already too late. His whole body began to disintegrate, falling apart as cracks formed across his skin, with embers falling out. He tried to speak, but only a gurgle of pain was formed before Koschei threw him into the river itself, completely dismantling his body as his soul fused with the Smorodina.