"Druk and Bada. Yes, you both can hear me. You are in the spirit world. I have been asked by Idhar to convey this message. You will find yourselves in strange places with unusual things happening. Remember your powers. Now that you both know your powers can be used against demons from the spirit world, and for any purpose in both worlds, you are ready! The demons who appear in our world are not the main characters. They are minions of evil. The true threat is the devils taking guise in folklore form. Find Leshy, the spirit of the woods, and hunting! He has kidnapped many children from their dreams and is giving them to the devil, Chort. For what reason, we do not know. Find the children if they are still alive, and return them to the real world to be reunited with their families." Said Liba, from the Order of Honor.
All was dark around us. We saw nothing at first, but slowly, the light of day crept on, and we could eventually see the dense wood of pines and some spruce all around with a gray sky. The floor was covered with fallen pine needles and there was no breeze and yet, the air was cool and humid, with a light dusting of fog all around. The air smelled of pine which was charming!
"I feel honored. Liba spoke to me, to us, directly. What do we look for now?" Bada said. I didn't want to mention Liba's speaking to me nearly every day.
"I don't think we have to search much. Look there…" I pointed ahead to see the tops of the trees swaying and parting. "Whatever we're looking for has just found us. Be ready!"
There was no need to morph because we were already in our dragon form. Scales, colors, fangs, and eyes; both standing ready for whatever was coming towards us.
Out of the brush suddenly sprang a pack of wolves. Surrounding us. Growling and snaring.
Behind them appeared bears, huge strong brown bears standing on their hind legs, towering over us, and roaring viciously.
Slowly circling around, my hands were aflame, and Bada's hands were swirling.
Suddenly, a great giant, some twelve meters in height appeared, standing up straight with this hand on his hips looking at us, confused, with his eyes bulging and black, grey skin, a bushy grey beard, and grey staw-like hair that hung down in strands to his bony shoulders.
Wearing just a filthy loincloth around his waist, he said to us with a rumbling deep voice,
"Who are you colorful lizard-people? How could you come here? Are you children? Do you wish to disturb my peace? Why do you want to make me angry? Are you fearful for your lives? Do you want these creatures here to tear your limbs off and sink their fangs into your necks?"
Questions. Asked one after another. This sounded familiar as well.
"Where are the children you viciously kidnapped? We're here to take them home!" Bada yelled at Leshy.
"Why do you wish to rescue those children? Are they kin to you? Who do you work for? Will Chort be disturbed by this? Why wouldn't he be? Do you wish to perish?"
I had enough. There was no talking to this being. Hands flaming and searing, I sent small blasts all around us, as if I were holding two machine guns, burning the ground just in front of the wild beasts ready to pounce on us. They backed up, frightened, some running away, the others no longer showing off so fiercely.
Leshy turned, shrinking in size to about four meters in height, and began to run off, turning and looking at us with his giant eyes, almost trying to lure us forward.
Bada began to run after him while blasting torrents of water to the remaining animals, knocking them back and frighten them, so they would not follow us, and I was right beside her. We worked well as a team. And I was much more confident with a partner.
We ran forever. Or what seemed to be forever. Letting small blasts of water or fire off trying to slow Leshy down; was of no use, however. He was too quick and clever. Ducking behind clusters of thick pines, or vanishing and reappearing steps ahead or the side. Something had to give.
"We can't keep this up. I think he luring us into a trap!" I said.
"Or just having us get lost. If he disappeared, we have no idea where we are right now!" Bada replied.
"Wait! Can you shoot of enough water to make a lake, or river that surrounds him? Just enough of a distance so he can't transport over it?" I asked.
Bada smiled and nodded.
We stopped, she breathed in deep, then let loose! Water flowed from her hands like the Bosochhu Waterfall back home, and the dense forest a few metes ahead became flooded with a deep and wide stream surrounding Leshy. He stopped abruptly, mesmerized by the flood. Scratching his head, then turned to us standing just in the ground in the middle of a river that flowed mightily in a circle!
Bada was spent. She fell to her knees from fatigue. I crouched over, comforting her with my left arm while keeping my eyes on Leshy.
"Is this the first time such a thing has happened to me? Who are you, really? Why do you wish to save the children? Is Chort actually hurting them? How is this likely?" Leshy asked.
"Whether Chort is hurting them or not, they must be brought back to their families. Now, where is this devil? Tell us, and we will let you go. Refuse, and the flames I hold inside of me will burn you to hell!"
"Druk! Look!" Bada said while pulling my slacks. Someone is coming!"
Walking towards us, with a smile that resembled morning sunshine with a cool breeze, was a well-built woodsman waving his hands in our direction. When I turned back to see Leshy, he had vanished.
"Ho-hum, young man and young lady! Such power you both hold! Come, with me, yes, I will show you the children you are looking for. They are quite safe!" he said.
He then turned around, and behind him appeared an opening in the forest where no trees stood. About twelve children ran about, playing, laughing, and having the time of their lives!
Bada was on her feet now, having recovered somewhat, and said,
"They look so happy? What is happening here? And how did this strange man know what we were looking for?"
When I took a close glance at the good-nature woodsmen, I noticed something disturbing. Horns were peeking from the top of his head. And one of his legs seemed too thin under his slacks, and a hoof appeared as a foot!
"Chort I assume? How do you have these children so pleased? What do you intend to do?" I asked him.
"Suddenly you sound like my friend Leshy! Ho-ho! Well then, yes, I am Chort, son of Chernobog and Mara, god and goddess of this region! I grow bored. And I love children! I made a deal with these fine youngsters so I could enjoy their energy each day. They can eat anything they wish, which is mostly candy, and play all day long with no chores! As long as they don't mention their mother or father! Well, so far, so good! Look how pleased they are!"
"And what happened if they DO ask for their parents?" Bada asked.
"Well then, ho-hum, it's part of our deal! If they mention their home or parents, they will be sent, let's just say, to a terribly horrible place where my cousins will torment them forever!"
Just then, I saw Leshy in the distance, listening to us, and so I decided to play the two characters against one another. There was no use fighting here. This mission took more than brute force. I now understood that these missions were meant to train us and well save innocent people. Placing my hand on Bada's shoulder before she exploded, I said,
"Chort, what about Leshy? Does he know of this? Does he know what will happen to kids once they ask for home?"
"Ho-ho-ho-ho-hum! Absolutely, totally, and completely not at all! He doesn't need to know what does not concern him! A fine chap he is of course! Therefore I tell him these kids are tortured by their parents and have fooled him to believe I am the finest of the 'forest people', ho-ho-hum!" Chort replied.
And before we could react, Chort was mauled!
A giant brown bear appeared from nowhere and rammed Chort, who flew through the air, and landed in the middle of a pack of snarling wolves. The beasts grabbed him by the arms and ran off dragging him away!
"Dinner?" Bada asked.
"Somehow I doubt it. It should, however, take him away for a good amount of time so we can bring these kids home." I replied.
"Why would that despicable Chort not tell me everything?" Leshy asked as he approached, back to standing as tall as the trees, and then calling out, "Children, are you ready to go home?"
The response of 'yes' was overwhelming.
"Why don't you all come and stand next to these two strange-looking folks? You don't think they are too scary, do you? Are you lizards prepared to leave and take these children back to their homes?"
"Yes, sir!" Bada replied.
And when the children had all gathered around, with a wave of the gray giant's hand, we left, going from day to night, and appeared in Gorky Park near the Ferris Wheel. It must have been well after midnight I felt. No one was around.
Except for Shiver.
"Did you fools really think just leaving me knocked out in a cellar was going to stop me?" she said, then froze each of the twelve children into sculptures of ice!
"No!" yelled Bada.
Before I could blast her with a fireball, however, I was hit from behind with such a force, I flew forward and ended up in one of the seats of the Ferris Wheel. Near the top! Looking back down after turning around, I saw the iced children with Shiver grinning madly, and a short yet extremely wide-based man who liked like a walking, budging muscle dressed in awful neon pink tights throw Bada across the park, so far, in fact, she left my vision.
The brute then turned and looked up at me with his squinty eyes while wringing his hands together. Shiver shot an iced clever at my head, I ducked in time, but it severed the connection cable of the Ferris Wheel seat. It dumped over and I fell out!
Here we go again!