Rise of the Firebird (57 page)

They moved easily through the shadows, but Søren still made the effort to glamour himself to look like he was dressed in the plain black swat gear that the Illumination favoured.

“What the…”Mychal stopped dead still. The forest that stood between the Illumination and the Darkness camp was completely gone. They could see the bonfires of the other camp in the distance.

“They’ve cleared the field with magic. There’s nothing left,” muttered Mychal in disgust.

“Anya is going to be so angry when she sees this,” Søren replied.

Mychal didn’t answer as a look of pure fury had passed over his face.

“What is it?” Søren looked about for the threat.

“It’s nothing,” Mychal shook himself. “I thought I felt something, but it doesn’t matter. Let’s go.” Søren followed him but kept looking over his shoulder as they moved.

Back at the camp, Aramis’s voice was talking in a quick Álfr. It took Søren a few seconds to identify it being out of place. “Sounds like Aramis found someone he can talk to.”

“Two someones. They are Álfr,” Mychal said and pointed. Søren saw the unmistakable bulk of Esbjörn and the slender willow of Lif.

“What are you doing here?” Søren demanded angrily as he closed in on them. “I ordered you to go back to Ruthann.”

“And he ordered us to come here tonight, Commander,” Lif said, bowing.

“Are you not pleased to see us
Dauđi Dómr
?” Esbjörn asked, his face serious.

“There’s no need to get cheeky with me.” Søren grinned and held out his hand. Esbjörn put his war hammer down and took it.

“You didn’t think we were going to let you have all the fun did you? The rest of the
Sjau
would be here, but they knew you’d be furious if we left the Álfr completely unprotected.”

“They are out numbering us at least three to one,” Søren told them.

“It wouldn’t be very sporting if they didn’t.” Lif grinned and clicked his fingers, sending sparks in the air. “Songs are going to be written about this battle and my magnificent battle prowess will be known through all the worlds.”

“You can do battle magic?” Anya asked as she pushed her way through the group.

“The best you have ever seen.”

“Good, I have a plan and we are going to need you.”

“I only follow the orders of the
Dauđi Dómr
,” Lif claimed. Anya smiled.

“Even better because he follows mine.”

Lif looked incredulous until Søren placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Sorry, Lif, she is right, but I’ll be fighting beside you, because I don’t trust Anya with any plan that doesn’t involve me.”

“I was going to tell you what I need and was going to let you figure out the logistics
bróđr
.”

“Then you are smarter than you look,” Søren teased to the confusion of Lif and Esbjörn. “Mychal and I have some news that you are going to want to hear.”

Anya was awake before the dawn. She felt an eerie sense of Deja vu but this time when the gates started to scream she could control it. She wished Trajan was there and all the others that were in New Orleans. She watched Yvan sleeping and if nothing else, she was happy that he was there beside her. He’d been with her from the beginning and if today was going to be her end, there was no one in the world that she’d rather have by her side. She leaned down and woke him with a kiss.

“Wake up, Vanya, it’s time,” she whispered. He opened his eyes and gave her a look of such love that she thought her heart would burst.

“Did you sleep?”

“A little. The gates woke me. It’s starting.”

The words were barely out of her mouth when battle horns began to sound off in the distance. Instantly the camp was alive and rallying. Food was hastily shoved into mouths as weapons and armour were strapped on. Katya had on so many weapons Anya was surprised she could stand upright and Aleksandra had a pair of handguns sitting in holsters on her hips. Mychal stood shirtless with the Sword of Heaven strapped to his back and his spear in hand. He had guns and knives strapped in holsters to his legs but kept the upper half of his body free. Søren, Aramis, Lif and Esbjörn wore the leather Álfr armour.

“I’m going to enjoy this, I haven’t had a good fight in years,” Kullervo said as he stretched. He was wearing his leather pants and boots, his long hair tied back in tight braids. He’d managed to produce a sword and shield from thin air but with Kullervo, it was best not to ask. His scars were standing out on his skin making him look like a vicious Viking warrior of old.

“I thought you’d stick to battle magic,” Anya said.

Kullervo laughed, “Of course, I’ll use battle magic but I really feel like hacking at something to see how well I remember my lessons.”

“Just don’t kill me in your enthusiasm,” Eldon said dryly. He was carrying a sword and was shirtless, in his feet bare and covered in earth.

“Don’t Celts fight naked?” teased Anya.

Eldon gave her a loaded look; “After narrowly escaping getting my manhood sliced off in a battle against the Romans, I decided that pants were a better option.” He held up a small clay bowl that held bright blue paint. “I have prepared some woad for the occasion. I’d like to place a few protections on you.”

Anya took off her coat so she was standing in her jeans and a singlet. Magic tingled through her as Eldon spoke words in Ancient Welsh over her and drew spirals and symbols on her arms, face and chest. She felt herself stand a little taller, strength filling her.

“You look amazing, cousin. Do me!” Kullervo said excitedly.

“For all we know you can’t die, so you hardly need them,” Eldon pointed out.

“Maybe today could be the day. Do you really want to take that risk?” Kullervo asked. Eldon hesitated long enough for Kullervo’s exuberance to dampen.

“Fine, but you better put some good protections on me in return,” he said caving in to Kullervo’s blue puppy eyes.

“Hey, maybe today we both die. Wouldn’t that be a riot? It seems like a good day for immortals to die. Who were the Romans that almost robbed you of your pride? Were they good fighters?”

Anya left them drawing and spelling each other. Just when she thought she was growing used to immortals, they would surprise her.

Søren and Aramis smiled identically when they saw her covered in woad. They had both dropped their glamours and had their hair back in the same braids. Never before had they looked as identical. Even their
Dauđi Dómr
tattoos were etched in the same curving lines.

“We have a present for you,” Aramis said and passed her a long knife. In Anya’s hand, it passed as a decent size sword, its hilt a swirl of black and a silvery pearl wood. Where the hilt met the blade, there were fine runes traced into it, but she couldn’t read them. The rest of the blade was unadorned; it was beautiful, but it was made for battle.

“It’s perfect,” she said.

“It’s mine actually,” Aramis admitted. “It was gift from Søren when we were first made
Dauđi Dómr
. It has both of us in it so we wanted you to have it.”

“Besides, if you’re going to be taking some of my abilities today, you are going to need a blade that can keep up with them.”

“You are the best Álfr
bróđr
’s anyone could ask for,” Anya said and hugged them, an arm around each of the brother’s necks.

“Take what you need,
Elenya
,” Søren said as she let them go. She took his hands and held them tightly. Focussing on the day she’d watched him train, so fierce and deadly. His magic wrapped about hers in a dark green web in her mind. She drew her power back in and Søren’s face hovered above hers.

“Did you get it?” he asked softly.

“I think so.”

“Good, stay close to us so if it fails, then you’ll be protected.” Anya kissed his cheek as Mychal’s voice rose behind her.

“You’re going to stay by Katya’s side. She’s going to protect you while I do what I need to. There will be no arguing about this, Aleksandra.”

“But I could-”

“No, you are too important.”

“Listen to him, Aleki. You won’t be able to keep up and he cannot be worried for you,” Katya said with a hand on her sister’s shoulder.

Mychal took her hands. “I can’t help Anya, if I am scared for your safety. Katya is the only one I trust to protect you. Izrayl will be there to ensure that you’re both safe. Please promise me you will stay with them, that you’ll stay safe.”

Aleksandra nodded. “I promise.”

Mychal rested his forehead against hers, “My love, I’d burn the worlds if anything happened to you. You are keeping the world safe by keeping my heart safe.”

“Just focus on keeping yourself safe, my Mychal. Or as much as you can be in the middle of a battle.” He kissed her once more before let her go and walked away to Søren without looking back.

“Misha is going to start moving everyone. We need to go, Anya.” Yvan joined her, “I like your war paint.”

“Kiss me, Yvan Tsaravech, and let’s go and finish this.” Anya’s arms went around his neck and he did as she asked. As they kissed, the firebird’s magic rose and flames consumed them as Yvan changed into the great hybrid.

If things turn for the worst, override his body and get him out. Don’t let him be taken.

As you command, so it shall be.

“What are you two talking about?” Yvan asked suspiciously in his half-and-half voice.

“Nothing, Kokko is wishing me luck in the battle.”

They moved through the forest with a steady purpose and Anya’s chest grew tight with adrenaline. The roar of death, guns and blades grew louder with every step.

“It’s started already,” Mychal said as they started to jog toward the sound. They were a small group compared to the two armies but they weren’t there to compete, they were there primarily to guard Anya so that she could get to the game and stop Baba Yaga and Yanka.

Anya gasped when they cleared the tree lines. The battle was a churning sea of soldiers, supernatural creatures and elementals. Bodies were mashed under the feet of giants and thousands of blood splatted boots.

“Stay close, Anya, we are going to make for that large tent in the Illumination camp,” Mychal pointed across the heaving carnage.

Aramis and Yvan flanked her, Søren and Mychal in front of her. She gave the signal to Misha and they charged in. Kullervo let out a wild war cry about how he was going to sodomise the mothers of his enemies before cutting his way into the Illumination soldiers. Twisted soldiers of the Darkness lunged at him from behind but were sliced to ribbons by Eldon’s sword.

Anya tried to focus on keeping her feet steady on the slippery ground. Aramis went ahead to help Søren and they moved together with a brutal oneness as they slew anything that got in their way. Mychal was leading; his spear a shaft of lighting that rose and fell. Anya didn’t look behind her as she gripped her sword and tried to keep up with the others.

A roar erupted from the back of the Darkness ranks and they scattered to clear the path for a leviathan made of rock, earth, and rotting wood. Thorns as long as a man’s arm stuck out from its thick vine tentacles. It rolled across the field like an octopus on the ocean floor, heaving and twisting its way forward. A shadow poured from it like ink and whatever it touched fell to ash before the leviathan rolled over the top of it. Darkness and Illumination were picked up and thrown with great swipes of its tentacles.

Anya watched it moving and felt something left behind by the
Groenn Skaer
flare to life inside of her. This creature had belonged in the earth, where it had lain since the flood covered the world, and Yanka had raised and enslaved it.

“Anya! We need to move!” Yvan shouted as the creature closed in on her.

“Wait, I can stop it.”

“No, move!”

A tentacle wrapped about her waist and plucked her off the ground. Anya tried not to panic, but searched for the spell binding it. Above its enraged yellow eyes, she spotted a red glow wrapped about its thorns like snarled wool. Her fingers twitched as if she was unravelling a knot and her power rushed towards it. She saw the lines of the spell snap and then she was falling backwards. Yvan caught her before she hit the ground, the firebird’s wings on his shoulders flapping strongly to the ground.

“Did it work?” she shouted. The leviathan roared again but this time it was in panic and fear. It curled in on itself and hauled itself backwards into the forest, breaking the trees into splinters and digging its way back into the earth.

“Well done, cousin!” Kullervo whooped enthusiastically, heedless of the gash in his chest. The battle closed in once more like a rushing tide. Yvan kept a hand on Anya’s arm to hold her up and keep her from being squashed under trampling feet. Anya felt the edge of Vasilli’s spiky power and spotted him not far in front of them. He was covered in gore and was retrieving his sword from the head of an Illumination officer.

“Søren!” Anya called and pointed. Søren’s cold face flashed red with anger.

“Lif! Protect Anya,” Søren command and the Álfr appeared next to Mychal. Søren sliced his way through two Darkness soldiers trying to block his way through. Anya lost him as a grootslang jumped in front of her. Its hybrid body of man and snake, white milky venom dripping from its fangs.

Søren’s training over took her and she met its attack with an icy calm. With a grace that wasn’t her own, she weaved out of the way of its rampaging fangs and claws before taking off its hissing head in one easy swipe. She didn’t stop as she leapt over the writhing body and ran to catch up to Yvan.

Søren’s vision blurred as his rage rolled out of him. All he could see was Vasilli in front of him and what got in his way was cut down. Vasilli swung a huge broad sword, hacking an Illumination soldier in half with one blow. As the chunks of meat fell away, Søren was waiting. Vasilli saw him and started to laugh. “Another Álfr in Anya’s service. You should have stayed with her and out of my way.”

“You will not find me so easy to kill as Baba Yaga’s men.”

“The last Álfr I encountered presented me with no such challenge. All they did was try to hide behind their books like crying children.”