Читать книгу Anna Alexander: Master of the void. Part II - - Страница 7

– Cowardly jackals, where have you gone when it’s time to fight! – Sanavar growled.

Indignation boiled within Sanavar like poison, corrupting him from the inside because of their long absence.

Ruvars spread his wings, feeling the wind play through his feathers. He noticed how those who had followed Sanavar disappeared into the shadows, realizing that the root of the war was not in him, but in their leader, perhaps as cowardly as his minions.

The demon swooped toward the “warrior” with lightning speed, giving him no time to grasp the essence of the forthcoming exchange.

– Where is your pack of cowardly, bloodthirsty dogs?! – the younger demon demanded, his voice forceful.

Ruvars’ question caught Sanavar off guard. It seemed as though he had been caught at the scene of a crime he hadn’t committed, as if all the sins of the underworld were being forced onto his shoulders… Rage began to boil within him even more.

– They’ll be here soon! – the “woeful – warrior” snapped.

Ruvars gave him a sly, fox – like smile, letting the leader of the Likki knows that victory would remain with the “guardians” of the underworld.

– I am waiting for battle, and you hide like cowards, without even starting the fight! – Ruvars retorted with a smirk.

– My warriors were not afraid! They fight for truth, for justice that you stole from me, stole from us! – Sanavar blurted out.

Ruvars raised his eyebrows in surprise. He couldn’t remember when he had caused any harm to Sanavar and his pack. His thoughts swirled, finding no way out, as at that moment, he had been thinking about something completely different.

– They will return, and very soon! And then your kingdom will come to an end! This battle will be the last thing you see in your worthless existence! – Sanavar shouted, inflamed with anger.

The booming laughter of the demon made everyone present, including the Dark Minister, turn toward him.

– Something is clearly happening with them… – Azazel whispered.

The Dark Minister and Sardo exchanged anxious glances. In their eyes, a mutual danger could be seen, coming from both sides of the conflict. After all, Sanavar also partially possessed a power capable of destroying an opponent in an instant or seriously interfering with their plans.

– When did your brother manage to get close to the leader of the Likki? – Azazel asked Sardo, who was quickly moving away from her.

– What’s he thinking? What is he so happy about? – Sardo wondered to himself.

Joe watched the lively conversation of Ruvars with worry, noticing his strange joy, as if victory was already in his hands.

Ruvars came so close to Sanavar that he held his breath, afraid to meet his gaze. The desire to disappear became unbearable. He did not understand why his target had suddenly changed direction and almost suffered defeat.

At that moment, the leader of the Likki saw the demon’s eyes up close and stopped breathing for a moment. The demon immediately grabbed his hairy hand and silently began squeezing it harder and harder, hoping to extract at least some clear answer from him.

– If you don’t disappear right now, then… – Ruvars interrupted the silence and abruptly fell silent.

A terrifying hum sounded. The roar of the impending disaster could be heard far beyond the realm where demons and humans lived.

– I told you, my warriors would return! – Sanavar said with a crooked smile.

A massive avalanche of Likki surged toward the group, wanting to teach them one last lesson. The countless army, like a reborn tribe, burst out of the mirror world. Azazel and Sardo looked at them as if they were ghosts. Joe sighed sadly, and Ruvars spread his wings, ready for battle, but when he looked around, he didn’t see Mark.

– Another coward has disappeared, just like Likki! Do you think he will show up before I send him to my brothers?! – Ruvars asked Sanavar.

Azazel also looked around. Mark was nowhere to be seen. She tried to hear his thoughts, to feel his presence anywhere, but it was futile.

– The only place he could be in this case is in the abyss… – Azazel said and gasped.

– What happened? – Sardo asked, worried.

Azazel began to cry quietly. She understood why Mark was so eager to help. His plan was obvious, but only to the two of them.

– He’s with your brothers! He’s there! – Azazel said through tears.

– How? How do you know? – Sardo asked.

Azazel remained silent, knowing that Babkar Seney was the very sage.

– I know, I’m sure that he went down to them for help for us! – she said.

Sardo was stunned. Joe’s expression also changed, realizing that this news could not be shared with Ruvars.

– Are you sure Mark went to get help? – Joe hadn’t finished his question when a bright, blinding glow appeared above their heads.

In the blink of an eye, the entire space was filled with light. The dark tones of the area where the battle was supposed to take place shimmered with sparkling colors. Ruvars grimaced, unable to understand where such a bright light could have come from.

Moments later, before them appeared the brothers who had remained in service in the underworld: Nestor, Alan, Khacher, and Alber with talismans burning on their chests in the color of their eyes. A little further away, an old man moved slowly, and although his figure could not be clearly seen, Azazel recognized Babkar Seney in him.

Ruvars looked at Joe in surprise, then at Sardo. He wanted to read their minds, to understand why his brothers had come to a world where there was no place for them in the daylight.

The question hung in the air, unspoken, yet no less palpable. Why were they here? Fear slid down his spine like a whip. He knew what these four were capable of. Each of them was the embodiment of sin, a weapon in the hands of darkness. A storm was approaching, where darkness thickened, ready to consume everything around.

Nestor stepped forward first, casting a disdainful glance over those gathered and offering them an unusual, deliberate bow. This gesture was alien to his nature. How could a powerful demon of the underworld compromise his pride before a younger brother he considered a traitor to the family? And yet, his behavior hinted at a promise of good intentions, as if the second eldest brother had arrived with peace.

His amulet, shaped like a swarm of bees above his head, symbolized his power and supremacy over creatures of the dark. And it was not merely an ornament, but a symbol forged from stardust and the whispers of forgotten gods. Each bee in the swarm pulsed with light, reflecting the glimmers of ancient knowledge contained within his mind.

– I wish to help you and return to my duties, to my home, as soon as possible… So let us proceed to fulfill the promise made to a friend, without unnecessary words or reproaches! – Nestor said firmly.

The three remaining brothers bowed silently in response. They immersed the brothers who had strayed from family service into a state close to catatonia.

Ruvars descended on his black wings, joining the brothers. Now there were seven and a half of them – embodiments of the seven centers of the dark and light worlds, standing before each other for the first time in millennia! The moment was both majestic and dangerous, especially for a creature like Likki.

Ruvars noticed in the hands of the old man walking behind Nestor the Chalice of Bafo. Rage surged within him, but Nestor stopped him with a gesture.

– That’s Babkar Seney, my teacher and mentor! He means no harm, believe me… I entrust my very existence to him, and the Chalice of Bafo as well! – the second oldest brother said with conviction.

But Ruvars was blinded by rage at the sage. He had never seen him before, and the touch of a mortal on the Chalice of Bafo seemed to him an unthinkable act.

– How could our ancestors give you the Chalice of Bafo, and into the hands of this feeble old man, barely standing on his feet?! – Ruvars angrily asked.

The brothers remained silent. They knew that arguing with Nestor was useless; otherwise, none of them would have come to help their younger brother.

Alber could barely contain himself at the sight of furious Ruvars and the enormous number of Likki above his head. His talisman, shaped like a rectangle with a horizontal line inside and arrows, symbolized his straightforwardness and lazy way of life. Nevertheless, at that moment, laziness was a luxury he could not afford, since the task of saving his family was of paramount importance.

Alan also understood that if Nestor perceived the words of the younger brother as a sign of disrespect, he would immediately vanish into the abyss of existence, and he hurried to resolve the impending conflict. His talisman, shaped like a gray Sun, though not a source of warmth, easily harmonized with nature and all the elements in his universe, signaling his calmness and composure.

Meanwhile, Khacher was already preparing to step forward to deliver a parting word to his brothers and the creatures with wolf – like faces, but he inexplicably took a step back. His talisman, black, shaped like a double eye within a triangle with a circle inside, reflected his secrecy and distrust of those around him, and it also glimmered in the tone of his eyes. A barely noticeable grimace flickered across his face, hinting at inner turmoil. His black clothes, absorbing the light, made him resemble a shadow gliding through the space where he stood as if rooted to the spot.

– I have decided, and that’s why we are here! But if your will is different, we can return to the depths of our home! – Nestor cut in.

Ruvars wanted to punish the traitor in the form of his brother, but the rising roar of Likki drowned out the demon’s fury.

As if sensing impending danger, the brothers formed an unusual formation, symbolizing the seven parts of the world. Standing back to back, they did not notice how brightly their talismans shone, drawing in more and more energy and power.

The Likki advanced like a rushing stream of water, carrying destruction in its wake.

– Move, lazy inhuman creatures! Hurry to erase these beings from the face of the earth and her too! – commanded Sanavar, pointing at Azazel.

Sardo noticed that Azazel was staring into the distance, as if seeing something inaccessible to others. She did not move and did not hear the words addressed to her.

Sardo’s amulet, in the shape of a circle, Triskell, a triangle with twisted ends, radiated a brown or dark tan color, matching the tone of his eyes, and glowed every time its essence fed on someone’s negative energies, reflecting his selfishness and arrogance.

But this time, the energy devourer did not become the entity it was half meant to be. It simply turned away from the girl and began… to contemplate. Contrary to its usual instincts, it did not absorb the surrounding world like a sponge. It plunged inward, into the abyss of its own sensations, lost in the chaos of insatiable hunger.

As if by agreement, the brothers simultaneously turned clockwise, uttering unknown words, as if repeating an ancient ritual. One by one, they passed the Chalice of Bafo, starting with Joe and moving down the hierarchy to the youngest. But Likki did not diminish! When the Chalice of Bafo ended up in Ruvars’ hands, everything froze!

His amulet, shaped like a thirteen – pointed star, was the most powerful energy tool in his hands, representing the names of each of the fallen and surviving ancestors in his war with Anna. It did not shine as brightly as it should have, for no new ancestors had appeared to replace the ones who had vanished… Therefore, the glow of his amulet was not the deep green sprinkled with diamond-like sparkles that it was meant to be. Ruvars thought about this, and it made him uneasy that he could not even protect himself…

All those present, except for Ruvars, stood frozen in silence, as if immersed in a strange dream, completing the ritual through stillness.

– Ruvars! – he heard a familiar voice.

The youngest of the brothers turned sharply. His heart pounded wildly at the sight of Anna before him.

– Anna?! How… how are you here? – Ruvars murmured, stammering.

– I am not here, I am there! – Anna replied, and as if parting a veil with her hands, she pointed to the grains of sand.

– But I see you, hear your voice, and feel your presence! – Ruvars insisted.

Anna lowered her gaze and picked up a flower from the ground with seven petals, each corresponding to the eye color of one of the brothers. In her hands, they flared into a bright flame, demonstrating her power, even while being outside of real space-time.

– I’m not in the same ‘form’ as before, and I could hurt you! – she said quietly.

– You can’t hurt a demon, it’s impossible! – he replied, feeling irritation boiling inside him.

Anna reached out her hand. She knew the demon would suffer, but she wanted him to see for himself the truth of her words, spoken for his own good.

Ruvars reached out his hand in response, unafraid of the consequences. He wanted, no matter what, to feel the warmth of the familiar being, even if it was unreal at that moment.