“What happened?!” The Huntress was wondering…

An earthquake happened and everything turned upside down. The Rogue woke up to find that the terrain became pieces of small pillars within a gaping bottomless pit. It looked like the ground was sucked by something sinister.

She stared around and saw that every member of the group was on one hill. They were looking skyward.

The Horizon was collapsing too and the two worlds were seemingly colliding, revealing rains and a dark stormy night.

“Are we returning to reality?!” Wondered the Huntress.

Boran shielded Lazlo who was holding Acina protectively with his peculiar sun fire. However, he said to him:

“Knight of Horis, you have to retreat. That’s not a battle you can fight especially when you have someone to protect.”

“Expect that I can’t do anything while I’m trapped within a small tower of sand that might collapse at any time soon into Tartarus. Perhaps, that’s it for us.” Said Lazlo.

Melvim came at their side using his undead armoured horse.

“My steed will help you get out of here but it will only get you to the nearby village. So you’ll warn the peple to get them out of here before this raging storm consumes them.” Said Melvim.

“Ehh…I guess I can do that. But are you sure that this thing won’t eat us? It’s terrifying and sending chills upon my already dead spine.” Said Lazlo.

“Don’t worry. It won’t harm anyone that doesn’t deserve to be harmed.” Answered the Immortal Prince.

“So, what are you going to do, sir Immortal?” Said Boran.

“Our only hope is in that woman and the book of the dead.”

The wrathful clouds started blasting bolts at the woods causing the forest to burn and not even the rain could stop the blaze of flames.

“Something… something is coming from this massive void.” Realized the Huntress.

From the darkness came the sound of flying wings and eagle-like screams. Whatever it was, it was massive. And soon it appeared: Three horned falcon-like heads, the body of a lion, the front legs of a bird, the rear legs of a land beast and most importantly three couples of angelic white wings. Atop the monster was the Thunderer riding what seemed to be his pet, his state was not however that pleasant. His heavenly aspect was crumbling revealing a terrifying accursed form of pure void and decay.

Perhaps the beast shared the rage of his master and is willing to eat the world together.

The platform where the Huntress was destroyed due to the shockwave caused by the coming of the beast from the Underworld. She fell and could not grasp anything to prevent falling into that bottomless pit. If it weren’t for the Immortal Prince who saved her by dashing through the falling rocks and taking her to safety in the last second.

“You did that because you still need the book.” Said the Huntress as they were watching the Thunderer and his beast flying further and further into the sky to touch the clouds.

“Yes.” Answered the Knight.

“This mad guy is going to destroy everything in his way including the innocents. You have the key to defeat him.” Stated the Sun Knight.

Perun did not let them be and began to blast them with bolts from the high sky. Melvim used his magic and blocked the first, the second, the third… but eventually, they were all knocked out due to the massive impact of the thunder.

“I have no choice but to leave it to you.” Said Melvim.

“What do you mean?!” Asked the Huntress obnoxiously.

“I’ll buy you some time until you take the choice: Do you want to help? Or don’t you?” Said Melvim.

The Coward Prince beheaded himself using his accursed sword much to the surprise of the Huntress and the Sun Knight. Then he took it with his left hand. In fact, the feeble emerald radiation that was coming from his form started to even glow and shine further especially from the helm.

“I will be strong enough to hold him for a moment but it will not be that long. It’s up to you now, woman. The World is at your hands. Do you hold it dear or abandon it?” Said Melvim before mounting his steed who returned after completing its task. The Horseman was galloping across the air to reach the Thunderer and his-three-headed griffin.

The Huntress kneeled to the ground. She really felt he burden of these seemingly short and simple words. It was up to her now.

“But I’m nothing… I was abandoned by this world, never to be remembered again. How can it be possible that I’m the one needed by it? I’m a walking monster and a living nightmare… It can’t be…” Murmured the Huntress.

“Undead Slayer! It’s now or never! Summon the book now! The Immortal Knight will not be able to keep it up with the Thunderer anymore!” Shouted Boran as he was observing the fight between the two legendary beings.

The Huntress watched the enormous battle between the Coward Prince and the Storm Warrior : The Griffin was breathing waves of lightning at its enemy while the Rider was throwing his “head” in a way to how a slinger threw stones at foes.

The Huntress manifested the bag that was carrying the book through her magic and talked to Boran who had the last page:

“Give me that page.”

“Oh, finally, you agreed!” Said Boran happily.

The Huntress used her blood to ‘fuse’ the last page with the rest of the book. But she did not know what to do later.

“Let me handle it from here now. I have a good idea about what must be done.” Said Boran.

“Can you manipulate the necromantic spells?” She asked.

“Not necessarily. Necromancy are one interpretation of the whole thing. I know another one that can be used in our case.”Answered the Sun Knight confidently.

He was invoking strange incantations the Huntress did not understand even though she was an excellent user of Necromancy and Hemomancy.

Suddenly, from the swirling pages emerged a mysterious and sinister serpent.

“Ssss… I never imagined that there will be someone capable of deciphering the true meaning of one of my books.” Spoke the malevolent crawler.

“You are the Serpent Veles, aren’t you?” Said Boran.

“Not precisely, the real Veles is stuck in the Underworld, waiting for a true heir to resurrect him. Could it be that you’re one? But no, you don’t seem to be the case. You’re an heir of Sunlight.” Said the Serpent.

“I want to ask you a question.” Said the Huntress.

“Oh, you’re the one. You’re the one.” Said the Serpent after trying to jump at the Huntress but Boran prevented it from harming her.

“How dare you touch me, a legendary artefact of Master Veles…Sssss…!” Said the Serpent menacingly.

“She wanted a question to be answered, not her brain to be eaten.” Said Boran.

“Sssss… Fine. Go on, chosen one.” Said the Serpent.

“Can I die?” She asked.

“SSSsss… Let’s see. I have no answer for this question. Perhaps, my master has the answer. I can tell you about all sorts of spells, incantations and secrets of necromancy but not this question.” Answered the Serpent.

“Then if I summon your master, the one who created you, will he be able to help me?” Said the Huntress.

“Ssss… Of course! Of course!… He knows way more than me. He knows everything.” Said the Serpent.

“Then how can we summon him?” Asked the Huntress.

“Like what my brother did. Find suitable sacrifices.” Said Boran.

“ Then… one of us… give theirselves… Ssss.” Said the Serpent.

“It will be me.” Said the Huntress.

“But you’re not going to die… your mind will literally be trapped within the summoned forever! You’re prolonging your suffering by doing that!” Said the Sun Knight.

“I don’t care anymore. If that does mean that I will stop existing as myself, then so be it.” Said the Huntress.

The Serpent started crawling around the neck and the head of the Huntress prepared to consume the threads that lurk within her skull. However, …

“I cannot accept that.” The Sun Knight snatched the Serpent with a blinding speed using his flames and started manifesting a ritual.

“What did you do?!” Screamed the Huntress.

“I have to settle the score myself with that arrogant Immortal of Thunder. You cannot do it. You’re too afraid and weak, that’s not something someone like you can do. You’ll be consumed easily by the Serpent himself.”

“I did not care about that. I just wanted it to happen. Can’t you see?” Said the Huntress with regret.

“But I do care, young one. I do care.” Said Boran as he was engulfed with golden flames that started to take an emerald jade color reminiscent to that of Prince Melvim.

“Now, take your distance. He’s resurfacing!!! Go away!” Shouted Boran to warn the Huntress. Indeed, she felt an incredible power similar to that when the Thunderer was summoned.

All the flames that were burning around disappeared suddenly to reveal a handsome young man wearing an outdated scholar uniform. He only had the scepter in the form of a caduceus. Despite his elegance, the Huntress noticed the serpentine aspect of his eyes and was intimidated by them.

“So it was not you after all who resurrected me. What a loss, you would be pretty much the perfect host for me. In fact, the one who summoned me knows his lessons but he’s not compatible with me at all. Well, it’s ok. I will be searching for someone better. Or could it be that you still want to be my pawn?” Said Veles as he suddenly teleported behind her. She could not say a word.

He started touching her neck with both his hands which transformed into little snakes. She was frozen and unable to move even though she tried to do.

“Now, young soul, do you wish to shed this curse that afflicted you for so long? Half-grown Immortal, have you what it takes truly to be a decider?” Said Veles as he spoke tenderly in her ear.

Naturally, she could not answer. She was under a very powerful hallucination.

“Perhaps before you choose, you must have the ability to choose and because of that Humanity sucks. Almost none of them is capable of taking a choice. They’re instinctively content to play the role of pawns and because of that our monopoly, the monopoly of the Immortals exists. We’ll be the ones to beat Fate itself.” Said Veles as his serpentine fingers started crawling to rip off her head.

Only a lingering ember was present at the scepter in the left hand of the Serpent Scholar. It suddenly emitted out a big blaze of golden fire that harmed Veles and not the huntress.

“Oh, man. That man from Dazbog is quite the tenacious one.” Said Veles.

A hectic and low voice came from the scepter:

“No…not only that. I literally possessed your phantom steed.”

Indeed the scepter started melting like it was lava much to the anger of the Serpent Scholar.

“I… I underestimated him. This dead one… how come he’s so strong?” Thought Veles as he was weakening slowly and flames started appearing from everywhere in his outfit.

Not so far from them, Melvim took a powerful strike and fell to the ground like a meteor. At this point, Perun noticed the scent of Veles, his nemesis.

“Damn it… that mad beast of thunder had noticed me… I’m in no way able to fight him for now.” Said Veles as he panicked.

“Veles, you accursed bastard!!” The Thunderer and the Griffin charged at them from above.

From that liquefied matter that was once a scepter, a beam of yellow light appeared that blinded everyone including the Immortals themselves.

When Melvim was regenerating his manifestation after getting defeated again, he saw that light and said:

“That dead one, he really is something special.”

A strange force coming from that light knocked everyone around and from it emerged a giant dragon with fierce wings and scales, only… only his three heads were not well. Two of them were not there to begin with as if they were cut or something and the only central head was mutilated and mutated and did not resemble that of a mighty serpentine being. It was colossal but weak.

“Hahaahahaha! Are you failing again, Veles?” Mocked the Thunderer.

“That’s none of my business, Perun.” Said Veles.

“You damn serpent! Do you think you will be able to run away as always! I will consume your soul now for true!” Shouted Perun as he was trying to pursue his nemesis. However, the malformed dragon stood between him and Veles who disappeared into the forest. The Thunderer threw a bolt at the only remaining head that could still stand.

“Ahh… that’s far from being a challenge.” Said Perun as he witnessed the poor beast collapse because of one strike.

The Huntress was observing the situation while hiding in a nearby bush and Melvim was approaching the Thunderer.

“I have no interest in you for now. You can wait, little loser.” Said Perun as he wanted to keep hunting Veles.

“No, you’re going to die now.” Said Melvim as he charged toward the Thunderer and his griffin.

“Are you that stupid?” Said Perun as his beast unleashed a devastating thunder breath.

Melvim could not stand up again after his attack. It seemed that he reached his limit.

“Hehehe…You’re vulnerable now and I shall consume your soul now.” Said Perun as he choked the knight. Void and dark tendrils came from his hand and started mutilating the chest of the knight in search for his heart.

“I knew it… It was futile. I cannot do anything now. It’s a lost cause. I should have been consumed. I should have been…” Thought the Huntress desperately as she watched Perun absorbing Melvim.

“Why are you saying that? You still can go.” She heard a strange but familiar voice. But she did not seem to see its source.

“Trust yourself. You can beat that monstrous being.” Suddenly she saw someone standing nearby observing the struggle between the Prince and the Thunderer. It was a man in his thirteenth, wearing a leather uniform and equipped with a bow and arrows.

The Huntress could not believe what she saw. It was someone that she knew long ago.

“You have the power of the Witch. You can do it! You’re an Immortal too, you just did not know it before! Go! Save the one who saved you many times before and show the whole world that you can make the choice!” Said the mysterious man.

“But, Scirvir, I cannot do it. I’m terribly weak. I… And how come you’re here, in front of me? Aren’t you-” Stated the Huntress.

“Don’t say any word. Go now!” Said the Hunter.

The Huntress stepped outside wielding her glaive. But she was trembling under fear and despair.

“Oh, I knew you were here. Just wait there I will be done with this idiot in no time.” Said the Thunderer.

The Undead Slayer did not say a word and charged at him much to the shock of the Thunderer.

“Are you mad?! You think you can do anything to harm me?! Futile!!” Said Perun and attempted to strike the Huntress with his Black Axe. But… it was cut. The Huntress stood already behind him. She attacked him without him realizing it already.

Perun released Melvim out of great pain and witnessed his severed arm bleeding out void energy…

“Unexplainable! How come this weakling is able to damage me!? Or is it… the Witch?!” Wondered Perun painfully.

The Huntress came at him with another shadow charge but Perun blocked it using his axe. They exchanged blows for a while before the Undead Slayer proceeded to use the hit and run tactics. Her eyes were glowing with the color of the crimson blood while her weaponry was radiating with the emerald of decay.

“What an annoying brat! Take this!” Perun smashed the ground with his axe summoning a great explosion of electricity. Only it could not do a remarkable thing to the Huntress who casted a shield of dark blood that could protect her.

“You’re not as strong as you was. Your power fell drastically in the real world.” Said the Huntress.

“Hehehe… well, that’s true. I’m still affected by that Demon Brand attack and I have to eat human souls to heal my injury. There’s a nearby village… and battling you won’t perhaps lead me to a decisive victory. Perhaps, Veles is watching us from afar and after he found me weakened, he would then decide to consume me. So I’m going to have a feast before I finish you all.” Perun said and then whistled for his griffin to take him to the sky toward the village.

“What a coward!” Said the Huntress.

“That’s my duty now.”

The defeated malformed dragon reignited with flames. His two missing heads regenerated into that of a flame bird. It suddenly was able to stand and fly to pursue the Thunderer.

“What?! That Dragon is still moving?! And what’s with these flames coming from it?” Perun was shocked seeing the three headed dragon coming at him. He ordered his griffin to return and blast him with lightning. However, the dragon did just aim to make the Thunderer fall and prevent him from going to the village and so it struck the griffin in the heart using all of its heads.

The two colossal beings fell to the ground and caused the earth to tremble slightly. The Huntress followed to see what did happen to Perun.

Perun was finishing off his foe with the axe but at the same time, it seemed that his beast was a goner too. It was melting and becoming dust.

“Damn you… Damn you. I will kill you all… I will kill you all!” Perun was shouting in madness as his body continued to decay and lose the last bit of “divinity” it had. He looked now no different than a zombie or even worse.

The Huntress sneaked at him and used that unique spell of hers: she summoned the Death Key and struck the heart of the Immortal from behind his back.

“You became so weak that you could not sense me. Die.” Said the Huntress.

“You mongrel… Do you think you can finish the Great Perun so easily?! Aaaaghh…” Screamed the Thunderer in agony.

However, he summoned the last bit of lightning he had and knocked her away.

“I… I have- I want souls. I want more souls, otherwise I will return to being a mortal. Oh… It can’t be… why would this happen to me? After all the great things I did… why would you abandon me, Great One?” Said Perun barely.

“It’s settled then, I will consume you, mongrel. You’re the pawn of the Witch and so you must have a lot of threads.” Said Perun desperately.

“Try me.” Said the Huntress confidently.

The one handed giant warrior charged at her using his axe but he was even slower than before. The Huntress attempted to cut his head but he could evade her and strike her his weapon’s hilt. Perhaps, a warrior’s brilliance comes at its best when he is close to death.

“That was clever. I shall not underestimate him for my Death Key could not finish him like any other Undead.” Said the Huntress.

“I can’t be beaten… I’m Perun the Great Warrior; the Hero of Thunder and the Slayer of Dragons… I can’t be possibly done for. We have our fates in our hands. There’s no return to such state of mortality… This can’t be…” Uttered Perun as he was recollecting all of his remaining strength.

The two charged at each other. It was perhaps the decisive moment of the whole battle.

The Huntress lost her right hand and with her weapon. They both flew into the air and with this she started bleeding intensively. The Dragon Slayer took a large sweep to his side that made him bleed more void energy but it was not enough to stop him from moving.

“And that’s the difference between the mortals and the Immortals. You’re the slaves of fate while we’re its rulers.” Said Perun as he was approaching the Huntress who was lamenting her lost arm. She could regenerate it though but surely the Thunderer would not allow her to do.

“Maybe, I’m still nothing after all. I’m sorry, Scirvir.” Thought the Huntress sadly.

The neighing of a horse was heard so close from them. It was the Coward Prince. Perun was in great panic and attempted to stop this surprise attack. Alas, Melvim impaled him with Death Brand and dragged him into the dirt before throwing him away.

“You lost, Perun.” Said Melvim.

Like the many undead and the many accursed creatures before, the body of the Thunderer started melting.

“This… this can’t be… I’m an Immortal! I’m an-“ Melvim cut the head of Perun and ended it once and for all. The Thunderer was no more.

To be continued…