The Beginning of The End
Lilli whimpered as Ivan hovered over her, a knife in one hand. He lowered the blade, cutting off a lock of her silky blonde hair while chanting softly.
"Black fires forever kindled within, let the second rite begin."
A mage approached, holding a bowl filled with a mysterious red liquid. Ivan delicately dropped the lock of hair into the bowl, watching it hiss and dissolve into the fluid. The mage poured the bowl's contents into a larger vat of the same ungodly stuff. Unspeakable things had be done to get the ingredients for this, the catalyst that would connect the living with the netherworld.
Arthur sighed as the last pig was finally herded into the tent. He assumed it had to be Matthias seeing as none of the other pigs had been him. Lukas nodded to him in thanks and began chanting. Exhausted from transforming Lukas into a human again and finding all the pigs, he lay down on a pile of furs. He tried to stay awake, he really did, but he couldn't stop his fatigue and he drifted off.
Lukas' spell was much gentler than Ivan's had been, and the first thing Matthias felt was relief at being in his true form again. He shuddered as a robe was flung over his shoulders, the thick weight seemingly titanic to his shocked limbs.
"Idiot, figures you'd be the last one. Arthur had to stop you from leaving the camp, you know," a voice in front of him said. He vaguely recognized it as the talking goat the peck had brought along.
Blinking rapidly, Matthias looked up and tried to clear his watering eyes. Instead of seeing a goat he saw-
He gasped and scooted back, afraid of this phantom.
Lukas had cast aside the blanket Arthur gave him and put on simple white robes when there had been a pause between transformations. He grinned slightly at Matthias' extreme reaction. "Stupid brother."
"L-Lukas…?"
The wizard tilted his head, the lamplight falling on his strange curl.
"Lukas!"
With the force of a bear Matthias launched himself at the younger man, glomping and tackling him at the same time while speaking as rapidly as possible. "Ican'tbelieveit'sreallyyoulittlebro! Whathappened? Wethoughtyou'dbeenkilledorrunofforbeentakenbygiants-"
"Shut up!" Lukas shoved him away, if only to get some breathing room. "I was turned into a squirrel by Ivan."
Matthias blinked again and wiped at the tears running down his cheeks. "A squirrel?"
"That won't reach the wall," Alfred argued, putting the kibosh on another wild plan. It had been several hours since the pig incident and no one had thought up a plan to storm the castle.
Ivan had given orders that the wall sentries be given the night off in celebration of his victory (much to the General's displeasure) so no one from Nockmaar noticed the small, lighted tent amid the "deserted" camp where the leaders had gathered to strategize.
"We can't get inside," Matthias sighed, scooting closer to his long lost brother. Lukas in turn scooted away and pursed his lips.
Natalia nearly shouted, "Lilli will die unless we save her!" Alfred placed a hand on her shoulder and felt the knotted muscles there. He empathized with her frustration at not being able to find a solution.
"Ivan's too powerful," a captain grunted. Several other men murmured in agreement.
The wizard shook his head and explained (for the third frickin' time), "He cannot transform you again, my spell is protecting this camp."
Alfred's eyes lit up suddenly. "Can your magic get us inside the fortress?"
Lukas slumped slightly. While he knew he could overpower Ivan with Elizaveta's wand, he could not break the spells that guarded the castle itself. Over the generations the best mages of Nockmaar had added their power to protect the capital, and it went so far back that Lukas could sense some Old Majyk in the shields. He shook his head.
"We can't do it then," Matthias said.
"Wait!"
Arthur gulped as everyone in the tent turned to look at him. He was tempted to back down, but something inside wouldn't let him. "What if we got them to open the gates for us?" he asked.
Natalia immediately countered, "Ivan would never do such a thing."
"I know, but back home in my village we have a lot of gophers-"
"Arthur," Alfred sighed. "This is war, not agriculture."
Arthur glared at him. " I know, I'll explain if you stop interrupting!"
"Ocht veth bordak stira, ocht veth bordak stira, ocht veth bordak stira!"
Ivan dipped his hands into the red liquid and held them up to the hole in the roof. Thunder rumbled all around the tower. The liquid rolled down down his palms and onto his black cloak.
As lightning hit the grate that covered the roof opening, Ivan began to chuckle. They were halfway through.
Matthias scoffed. "Alfred, you and I are soldiers. You know the peck's plan will never work."
Lukas flicked him. "I told you not to call him that." He looked at Alfred, who was studying the plan Arthur had drawn in the dirt. "If the baby dies, all hope for the future is lost. I'm going to fight."
Arthur stood. "Me too." Natalia and the brownies stood as well, nodding. The captains whispered among themselves. They didn't trust the Nelwyn, the wizard, or the former Nockmaar captain. Their own leader had said it the plan wouldn't work.
Alfred had said nothing the whole time Arthur had laid out the scheme. It was crazy, to be honest. And yet it was also brilliant. "Well, it's time to decide who's gonna go and who's gonna stay then," he said, grabbing Natalia's hand and silently siding with Arthur in the process.
Everyone looked to Matthias, knowing his word would be the deciding one. Matthias looked down at the hastily drawn plan, then at the pe- Nelwyn, Alfred, and finally Lukas in turn.
Taking a deep breath, he decided.
A red dawn bathed the early morning sky with warpaint, foreshadowing an important day. The sentries for the day took up positions, all the better for their rest. They grinned and chuckled among themselves as they looked down at the desolate camp. The tents had all been flattened and trampled on the ground, the pigs had all fled, and burnt out campfires littered the area. Here and there lay barrels and bits of clothing. Amid the wreckage only two people remained.
Lukas and Arthur looked up at the giant black gate. Elizaveta's wand was hidden in the folds of Lukas' cloak while Alfred held a long pole in one hand. Neither spoke for a moment, but Lukas broke the silence by saying, almost conversationally, "I have waited many years to face Ivan again. You made this possible. Whatever happens today, I will always admire your courage."
Arthur blushed and looked down at the ground. To be honest, he'd survived the whole journey by the skin of his teeth, and now this sorcerer was saying he was someone to be admired? He rubbed his hand along the braid of hair Francine have given him. It felt like an age had passed since he'd seen her and the children.
There was some sort of bustle on the battlements among the sentries. They parted ways to make room for the General, who was hooded as usual by his mask, as he looked down at the lone figures.
"We call upon you to surrender! Give us the baby or we will destroy you." Lukas shouted.
The General just laughed, a manic light shining from his green eyes. "Kill them," he ordered.
Not two minutes later the drawbridge began to lower. Arthur glanced nervously at Lukas, who looked ahead with calm determination. A group of five soldiers rode out, yelling and laughing.
Lukas grabbed Arthur's elbow when he saw him start to raise the staff. "Wait, patience,"
Arthur nodded nervously and waited. As soon as the last horse had ridden past the first row of flattened tents he made his move. Spinning around, he began banging on a small drum hidden behind him.
That was the signal.
The tents sprang to life as Matthias' army seemingly popped out of the very ground. Under the cover of night they had dug holes big enough for ten horses to fit and covered them with the tents, concealing themselves from sight (the brownies had opted to hide in an empty helmet and they now presented themselves with a dramatic flourish). The Nockmaar soldiers slowed and began to turn as hundreds of men suddenly popped out of nowhere. It was too late, half the men were already behind them, entering the castle and blocking off their exit with Alfred in the lead.
The General yelled in frustration and pounded the wall when he saw the enemy enter the courtyard. "Sound the alarm, attack!" he snapped out, drawing his own sword.
Oblivious to anything outside the room, Ivan continued the ritual. The storm had blown itself over by daybreak, but even now he was brewing another one to complete the spell.
"Ocht veth nockthirth bordak! Exile the child to the thirteenth night"
A light rain began, sprinkling on Ivan and the altar. Lilli began to cry again as the rain hit her unprotected face.
Natalia quickly dismounted once she was inside. All around her the two armies were fighting. Thanks to their surprise the Nockmaar troops seemed to be having the worse time of it. She found Lukas and Arthur and pointed to the tallest tower. "This way!" The small team started up the stairs that would lead into the tower where Lilli was.
Matthias yelled up to his brother, "Be careful! I don't want to lose you again, little brother."
"Don't get killed, idiot," Lukas ordered.
Alfred was an unstoppable force.
As two men charged him he kicked one away and swung his sword at the other's gut, feeling it cut through the man's armor. He finished off the other man with a stab to the throat. He had just enough time to wipe rainwater from his eyes before he was attacked again.
Two of Matthias' men rushed the General, but the first died at the end of his sword. His ironclad fist collided with the second and sent him reeling. Another man on horseback charged him but he sidestepped the horse and pulled the rider off, smashing him against the stone wall.
The General was an unstoppable force.
The Nockmaar soldiers were starting to regroup. Teams of archers littered the walls, taking down the attacking men with precision. Matthias ran up the wall steps to take them out when he saw a man getting ready to pour a vat of boiling oil on some of his horsemen riding by. Sneaking up behind him he slashed the man's throat with his knife and grabbed the rope.
He waited until his men had passed and a group of black-armored soldiers men were directly underneath before he pulled on the rope with a war whoop.
Now inside the tower, the three rescuers quietly crept up the spiral staircase. Natalia led the way and Lukas guarded the back, leaving Arthur in the middle. He hugged the center pillar and tried not to look down, they seemed to be almost at the top. He shivered when a booming voice reached him from just above.
"Nockthirth plankton firth foreth forewar!"
Now they could all see a wooden door ahead of them. The doorposts were lined with human skulls. Natalia felt sick to her stomach. She'd never actually been inside the tower, staying away as per Ivan's instructions, and the smell of something vile hit her nose. Arthur for his part felt his heart break at the sound of Lilli's wails over the crash of thunder.
"Ocht veth nock! Light the thirteenth candle!"
Wordlessly, Natalia and Luksa took the lead, approaching the door while Arthur hung back. His part in the quest was over, right? Lukas slammed the door open, creating a gust of wind that blew out half of the candles in the room.
Ivan looked up in annoyance, only to smile wryly. "Bondevik."
Natalia pushed past the wizard and yelled, "Brother!" The siblings faced each other, a mess of words and deeds and emotions blocking anything else she might have said.
"Traitor," Ivan spat. "I must despise you now."
"Despise me?!" she snapped back, suddenly finding her voice. "Kat is dead because of you! She starved because of you! And our people-! How could you do this?!"
Ivan nodded to his mages. The men pulled out curved swords and rushed towards Natalia. She wasn't a captain for nothing though; she parried one man's attacks and used her knife to stab another. A high kick sent the first tumbling back, unconscious. The third snuck up on her left and swung only to be stabbed in the chest. Natalia paced back towards Ivan.
"I won't let you kill that girl," she swore.
Ivan waved his hand at her dismissively. "Avaggdu strokt."
Natalia screamed as she was lifted up into the air, helpless. She was turned around by invisible hands until she faced the far wall… the one embedded with metal spikes. She whimpered as the force pushed her towards the wall faster and faster. Holding out her hands, she tried to stop herself from being impaled but-
Lukas held out the wand and she came to a halt inches from the spikes. Ivan looked at his foe for a moment, confused, before shrugging and slamming his hand down on the table. Likewise, Natalia crashed to the floor with enough strength to knock her out.
"It would seem you've gotten stronger, yes?" Ivan asked pleasantly, securing his favorite scarf about his neck better.
Smirking just the tiniest bit, Lukas said, "I have Elizaveta's wand, Ivan."
The faerie queen's wand! Well, that would explain it. Ivan's eyes narrowed as he tried to think of a way to get it from his rival.
Grunting, Gilbert and Roderich slowly pushed down the lever of the strange contraption they'd found inside the courtyard. It clicked into place suddenly and ten spears were flung into the air, hitting a group of Nockmaar men. They whooped and went to find more war machines to set off.
The General kept cutting down all those in his path as he made for the snake's head, AKA Matthias. Matthias saw him coming and quickly raised his shield to block the first blow. The two generals sized each other up for a moment before attacking again.
"Furrochk flarem!" Ivan shouted.
Arthur screamed from his place by the door as Lukas was suddenly engulfed in flames. His terror was short lived, a blue glow smothered the flames, revealing and unharmed Lukas. He pointed the wand at Ivan and a bolt of snow and ice cocooned the giant king until he seemed to be just a statue. There was a moment of calm before the ice exploded from him, sending deadly bits of shrapnel everywhere.
Lukas fell to the ground and the wand fell out of his hand. Dislodged by the ice, a stone column fell on top of his legs, making him yell out as the bones in his left leg broke. He heard Ivan's footsteps and reached out for the wand desperately, chanting, "Claideb cla- clai main!" The wand shot into his hand and he pointed it at the witch king. "Lunano ockht!"
Ivan grunted as he was the one lifted up this time. He crashed into the roof with a sickening crack.
"Bachktu inno!"
WHAM! He crashed into the ceiling. Lukas enjoyed himself for a half a minute, waving the wand around and making him spin, crash, and smash into objects.
"Wanu!"
With a groan Ivan was finally dropped onto the floor. He lay there, dead or unconscious.
Gritting his teeth, Lukas slid out from under the rubble and poked the wand against his broken leg. There was a flash of light as the bones knitted together instantaneously. He laughed and stood up, wiping his now sopping hair out of his face and looking up at the ceiling. Ivan stirred a bit, drawing Lukas' attention again. He approached the man cautiously, but it seemed that he was still out cold.
Just as Lukas was about to poke him to see if he was awake, Ivan struck. As quick as a snake he grabbed at Lukas' wrist. Lukas yelled and dropped the wand.
What came next could best be described as… a catfight. Both sorcerers were hitting, scratching, and grabbing as the wand, yelling indistinct phrases. Bolts of energy escaped the wand and destroyed chunks of the wall. Neither noticed the small figure slip in and head towards the altar.
Matthias groaned as he was thrown against a wall by the General. He was being beaten, badly. The General backhanded him, making him fall and roll for a few feet.
He got to his feet and pulled out his boot knife, hoping to catch him by surprise. But then, as if he knew Matthias' thoughts, the General grabbed his hand and knife in his own hand, practically crushing them.
"Predictable," the man snorted. "You always did rely too much on that stupid thing."
Matthias' eyes widen in shock. He recognised that voice. But no, it was impossible, he-
Taking advantage of his distraction, the General plunged Mathias' own dagger into his chest, cutting through the links in his chainmail. Matthias let out a wheezing gasp. "H-how could you…?" He spat into the man's face even though it only hit his helmet, and all he got for it was the knife being thrust ever deeper into his chest to prick his heart.
With a final contemptuous glance the General kicked Matthias away and left him lying in the mud.
He lay there for a few seconds, feeling the blood leave his body, when a pair of arms lifted him up.
"Matthias!"
He cracked open an eye. Alfred's worried faced was blurred and distorted. "Matthias!"
"Win this war for me…" he mumbled, trying to grin. A numbness overcame him, starting at his chest and spreading fast. With literally no more strength left, his head flopped back. The last thing he saw with his mortal eyes was a break in the clouds and the sun shining through. Sorry… Lukas...
"Hey, c'mon, don't talk like that, Matt. ...Matthias? MATTHIAS!"
*retreats back to the pillow fort* Before you kill me, let me just say that this was as hard for me to write as it was for you to read.
Also, I will allow you to guess who the General is in the comments for this one chapter since y'all have been so courteous and thoughtful about the particular point. Go ahead, I won't get mad. Honestly, I want to know who you think he is.
Themusicalcat here, present and dying! Denny… Rest in peace. As usual, barely any editing to do on my part. Really, what do I get paid for, Viva? Hypothetically speaking, of course, since I don't. Since she's an awesome writer, give her all of your love!... I mean, review. And guess who the General is.
Who do you think it is?
Who, me?
Of course.
I don't know! I feel like it would be really feelsy if it was Sweden, though. I mean, they kind of hate each other, but they're still like family. But it's not Svi, is it?
Mmm, nope. (Is it okay for me to give away hints like this?)
I think this'll just make the readers more antsy about finding out who it is. That's the effect it's having on me, anyway!
XD Stop dawdling! Who do you think it is?
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess Prussia. Because he is awesome. 'Nuff said.
Gilbert is already a brownie…
I know. XD *trolling* In all seriousness this time, I think it might be Germany. Unless he already had a minor role that I forgot.
...Welp, okay then. XD What are your guesses, awesome readers?