Anna Alexander: Master of the void. Part II

– Greetings to you, Ruvars, green – eyed demon of the underworld or a former demon?!

It was unpleasant for Ruvars to hear words that touched his essence, possibly still dark, not yet fully turned to the side of light.

– You and your pack have no chance for honors. You need to leave this abode immediately, forever! – Ruvars cut him off.

Sanavar paled at the demon’s words. He found it strange that, despite the demon’s power, many times greater than his own, Ruvars did not want to converse with either him or his pack. His fear of being destroyed instantly grew with every word the demon spoke.

Suddenly, the sky seemed to burst into light from a sunbeam reflected off Likki’s mirror high above. A vast number of wolf – faced creatures, standing one behind another as if in an unbroken chain, began to dissolve. Their multiplication threatened Sanavar with heavy losses. The fog, spreading over the height at incredible speed, instantly transformed the area into an invisible battlefield. The Likki merged into a single massive blot, an army ready to wipe the proud five and all living things around from the face of the earth.

Ruvars, watching the events in amazement, was annoyed that he would once again have to fight the creatures that had appeared out of nowhere. Joe, on the other hand, was waiting for his moment to prove himself as the eldest son of the chief of the underworld – after all, such an opportunity was rare. Mark, sensing the seriousness of the situation, could not take his eyes off Ruvars, who was also thinking about the inevitable battle! Sardo and Azazel hoped that everything would be resolved without them and with minimal losses, but as the story would later show, someone would still not survive.

– Ungues expande et in proelium vade!1 – suddenly, Sanavar shouted.

Wolf faces, like a mirage, crumbled to dust, following the grotesque bodies, dissolving into the air in an instant. Sanavar, mesmerized, watched this strange transformation, where his former notions of the Likki shattered like broken glass.

He bent down, scooped up a handful of ash left from their burned bodies, and held an unwarranted hope from their disappearance. Half – human, half – beast, Sanavar could not understand: would they rise again for battle, or was their defeat final?

The Likki warrior looked around in bewilderment, like a predator that had lost the trail of its prey. His eyes searched in vain for signs of life from those who had so recently sat on the mirrored surface. The wolf – faced ones were nowhere to be seen.

At that very moment, a dreadful melody of a trumpet pierced the air from afar, so alien, so otherworldly, that the fearless five involuntarily shuddered. Each asked themselves: where does this ominous call come from, unlike any they had heard before?

Then the chief of the Likki realized that this was not the end. Soon, not a single creature would be allowed to walk on this patch of land if it tried to obstruct his army. He knew that something great, something terrible, was about to happen…

Climbing the high mountain, blinded by the first rays of dawn, Sanavar felt an incredible weight, a nervous tremor, or perhaps a fatal premonition. The appearance of Ruvars had begun earlier than he had expected. The Likki warrior did not want to ruin the carefully laid plan. His servants were already forming an army capable of destroying the youngest of the brothers, his companions, and the Dark Minister. The head of the wolf tribe rejoiced – the forces gathered by the Likki would be enough to make the green-eyed demon perish forever. No one knew what drove Sanavar and his team in their hatred toward Ruvars, but the desire to erase him from the memory of beings was even stronger than the fear of his brothers.

Chapter 6.

The futile uprising

– 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.

Chapter 7.

Babkar Seney through the eyes of Mark

The sparks that erupted from the contact between the human and the half – demon were of unimaginable scale, beyond anything conceivable in either world! Ruvars felt her power – a mighty and inexhaustible energy that stirred his entire being! Thrown several dozen meters back by the surge of contact with Anna, the demon landed on his feet, and his gaze, directed at Anna, radiated warmth and tenderness.

– Anna, explains how you ended up here, right now, when my world is once again plunging into darkness? And most importantly, how did you manage to do it? – Ruvars asked.

Anna didn’t want to mention another of Mark’s entities, but she didn’t want to lie either. Gathering her strength for an honest answer, she calmly said:

– Your brothers and Babkar Seney. They performed the ritual with the Chalice of Bafo, and now I’m here! They came to restore their strength thanks to you and your other brothers!

– So, Nestor knew about you and decided to help? – Ruvars asked in surprise.

– Exactly, because Babkar Seney knows his business! – the girl smiled.

– But how is that possible? What power does he have over my brothers, demons of the underworld? Who is he? – Ruvars insisted.

Anna hesitated, the words of truth stuck in her throat, but before her stood a being woven from semi-human flesh and unyielding will, ready to sacrifice itself and many lives for her return…

– It’s Mark, in his latest incarnation. He helped me back then to snatch you from the grasping claws of your ancestors, and he’s helping us now, freeing me from the icy prison of my vacuum, even if only briefly! Mark realized his mistake, and I believe he deserves forgiveness! – Anna said.

The demon was stunned by her words. Could it be that Mark changes his forms so easily, like a living instrument – but in whose hands?

– The main thing, I beg you, do not destroy him! Promise me this! – the girl pleaded.

At that very moment, the world around shimmered with new, troubling colors. Likki, Sanavar, Azazel, the brothers, even the sage – all were changing, revealing their true essences. The veil of illusions fell, and the place that had seemed ordinary before turned into a battlefield between worlds, between humans and the spawn of darkness.

Azazel, seeing Anna, rushed toward her as if she were the last hope, the only ray of light in the darkness. In her tearful eyes was reflected boundless love for the human who had become like family.

But just as Azazel was only a few steps from Anna, Ruvars blocked her path. He did not know what drove him, but his intuition told him that Anna would have done the same.

Azazel froze, gazing at the face of the younger brother with a mute question.

– How could you do this? This is unacceptable! – she burst out, and hurt resonated in her voice.

Ruvars wanted to respond, but Anna beat him to it, knowing that Azazel would hear her voice.

– Everything was done correctly, my Azazel, otherwise you would have suffered, and very much so! – Anna replied with a slight smile.

Azazel shifted her gaze from Ruvars to her friend and realized that this story was far from over.

– I trust you, Anna, but please, don’t do that again! – Azazel said, casting a fleeting glance at the younger of the brothers.

Ruvars and Anna exchanged looks. Sadness and foreboding were written in their eyes. Two souls, possibly connected by more than just one life, understood that trials were merely steps on the path to something greater. They accepted their flaws, fought with the shadow of the past inherited from their ancestors. Despite everything, the girl and the demon were one, and this bond was inscribed in the book of their shared destiny.

Only now, when the Likki and their leader had approached a dangerous distance, did anyone think of them. Their numbers instilled fear in the hearts of the inhabitants of the land and the underworld, an endless army, eager to imprison the brothers forever in a spatial prison, growing with every passing second. But Anna, it seemed, did not notice this. Her confidence was unwavering, and she knew that the Likki were just another trial, some kind of manifestation of power, but whose?

– I advise you to leave this world and the space of those you have come for! – Anna warned calmly.

Ruvars smirked. He knew that there would be no battle. The demon believed that Anna alone was enough to cast them back into their unknown, alien lair.

Sanavar stepped forward, but Anna, noticing the movement, abruptly stopped him. Her gaze was filled with such force that anyone who dared to disobey would vanish forever.

– Oh, you’d better listen to her! I’ve heard a warning like that before! – Ruvars remarked cheerfully.

Anna smiled, while the others were bewildered, not understanding what he was talking about.

– We won’t move from here until we get what we came for! – Sanavar said sharply.

In response to their leader’s words, the Likki let out a deafening howl. They adored him, hanging on every word.

At that moment, a small group of wolf-faced beings stepped forward. It seemed they were ready to surrender to Anna and her allies, understanding that their end was near. The leader of them, Zumo, was certain that the girl would show him mercy and accept him as a friend, but their friendship was still a long way off.

– We want to be useful to you because Sanavar is cruel to the Likki and shows us no respect! We are like pawns in his game, and no one cares! We are warriors and unaccustomed to defeat, but not in this case! – Zumo declared.

Sanavar was stunned and enraged. He couldn’t understand what had driven Zumo and three other half – humans to betrayal. It was unpleasant for him to hear such a statement from the commander of his strongest army.

– So you’ve shown your true nature, wolf-faced! – Sanavar growled and moved toward him.

Ruvars anticipated an interesting outcome and began rubbing his hands in anticipation of something exciting. Everyone froze, waiting for the climax of the tense conversation between Sanavar and his commander.

Both moved toward each other at such speed that it seemed they would annihilate each other in an instant. But the moment Sanavar raised his hand to strike, Anna stood between them.

– Anna, you ruined the whole show, it could have told us so much! – Ruvars exclaimed with frustration.

– I am not a coward, and I fear none of you! Even if a rain of fire falls upon my head, I will fight to the end, but not for him and not under his command! – Zumo declared, pointing at his opponent.

– I suggest you retreat, or no one will even notice your disappearance! I will grind you to dust, and you will become slaves to these masters! – Anna replied, pointing at the brothers.

– Retreat?! How dare you tell me where to retreat and where to advance?! – Sanavar muttered, rising into the air, surrounded by dust and sand.

– That would be better for all of you, otherwise… – Anna didn’t have time to finish.

– Another soul is ready to journey into your world! – Ruvars laughed, staring Nestor in the eyes.

Sanavar blazed in the sky like a shard of a star, tracing a fiery streak. His silhouette only briefly touched the gloom before vanishing into a chorus of astonished cries and Likki’s death rattles. He disappeared like a drop in a sea of flames, into the furnace of the underworld.

But the silence that fell after the deafening roar was deceptive. It only emphasized the scale of the tragedy, namely the gaping void left by his departure. Ears were ringing, reflections of the dying flames danced before the eyes, but the most terrifying thing was the realization of the irrevocability of what had happened. And Likki understood that.