The next day, Varaha and Vtorak went to the ruins of the old stronghold to find out what kind of monster lives behind the fortress walls. The second man was dragging a keg with oil on his hands, and behind him hung a bundle of pre-cooked torches. The mercenary planned to track down the monster's lair and fill it with burning oil, and use torches to burn everything in the castle that could burn. Vtorak did not think of anything better, although this idea seemed far from ideal. No one in the village knew what the monster looked like, but a genuine fear of it was visible in the eyes of every peasant. The creature was clearly not one of those that could be handled unceremoniously with the help of a pitchfork.
- Why did you agree to do this job? - The boy asked. - You never fought monsters. This is dangerous. We could just leave.
- No one else will undertake to help them in this matter, - the mercenary replied, - I would have refused, if Uttama had not lived there. She has done a lot for me. And then... if I want to defeat the Akshayah, I need to learn how to defeat monsters. Otherwise, I will not see victory over him at my appointed time.
- I see. By the way, Uttama said that we are both marked by light. How is this manifested? What is it?
- I don't know, - Varaha answered honestly. - Her explanations are foggy... I only remember that they once hired me to protect this village from the raids of bandits. I was younger and less experienced then... I was wounded in the very first hassle and lost consciousness from pain. Other mercenaries repulsed the attack, and I woke up in the house of Uttama. She said that the light protected me from death, but I did not see anything, and the others too... I remember that I was paid the least then. Quite crumbs, a few coins, to by some bandages.
- So you had to die from that wound?
- I don't think so. The wound was painful, but not too serious. Maybe she called a miracle that they didn't finish me in battle? This is truly amazing. Look! There is it!
Ahead, surrounded by a desiccated black forest, in the middle of an ashy field, an old fortress cut its hills with its stone bones. The ridge of dolomite rocks bent here, like a dead snake's spine covered with wind. Between several impregnable rocky spurs stood an ancient castle. Tall towers, once pierced through with shells, towered like unfinished guards. The wind howled in crevices and breaks, in spacious halls and corridors. Rocks rose much higher than the fortress wall, which closed the few passages between the natural fortification. A long winding staircase, carved into the rock itself, led to the main gate. When Varaha and Vtorak reached the steps, they came across a lump of worn green rags. The fabrics were gray with dust, but the once saturated green color in them was still guessed.
- What is it? - asked Vtorak.
- I don't know, check it.
The young man came closer and was about to poke his feet in rags, when suddenly a gilded metal mask appeared among their folds and stared at the newcomer. The second boy jumped away from surprise, and the tissues stirred and, rising, took the form of a man, wrapped from head to toe in dusty green robes. In place of the face was a mysterious mask, schematically depicting a human face. Behind her it was impossible to discern even a fraction of the real face.
- The monster! - exclaimed Vtorak, throwing the keg to the ground, and drew his sword.
- Many people really think so, - came the male voice from behind the mask, - however, I'm not the monster you obviously came for.
- Who are you?! - exclaimed Varaha, laying his hand on the shoulder of a frightened young man.
- I'm Chetaka, a warrior from the leper fraternity. I came here to kill a monster, - a man raised a shield covered with emerald cloth from the ground and showed the hilt of a sword hidden in the folds of clothes.
- I heard about you, - Varaha nodded approvingly. - Leper warriors scare the enemy with their appearance and do not know the pain, the only trouble is that sooner or later the disease takes its toll.
- True. We are doomed to death. So why not take her into battle?
- What kind of monster lives in the castle? - asked the mercenary.
- The prodigal soul moved into the horse. Now rage is tearing it apart ...
- So this is a horse?! - surprised Vtorak.
- No more, - Chetaka replied. - Now this is a much more dangerous creature. You will see it soon. Good thing you got oil and torches. This can help.
- Come with us, doomed warrior, - Varaha moved forward, - show the way to his lair.
Vtorak picked up the keg, and the trinity began to slowly climb the steps carved into the rock to meet their fate. The wind blew the floors of the green robes coming in front of Chetaka, and Vtorak saw the bandages tightly bandaging his arms and legs. Obviously, the ailment greatly weighed the warrior.
The fortress and dolomite spurs of rocks hung more and more over uninvited guests as if they wanted to look into their faces, covered with hoods of cloaks. Brown spots were visible on the steps in some places. It was not difficult for Vtorak to understand that it was dried blood. Climbing the stairs, the aliens reached the solid oak gates of the fortress. The two heaviest shutters still did not tear off the hinges, but remained standing half asleep with ash, slightly opening the passage.
- These gates and the fortress were built during the Kingdom of the Sages, - Varaha remarked. - Then there was nothing special in oak wood. Trees grew everywhere! And look at what survived before us... only the brushwood remained.
- It is strange that the peasants did not use this gate when building their houses, - the young man said thoughtfully, looking around at the imposing structure.
- They could not have cut them, - Chetaka said. - The oak wood of those times has become stronger than stone and iron over the years. In recent decades, peasants, as I heard, did not approach the fortress at all.
- Why? - asked Vtorak.
- The old witch created her witchcraft here.
- Yes, they once told me about this, - Varaha nodded. - But that was a long time ago.
- The traces of her witchcraft still remained in these walls. – Come on! The monster is close ... - said Chetaka and fearlessly moved to the fortress. Varaha followed him, and after, the gate passed and Vtorak, not having time to really catch his breath from the long climb with a barrel in his hands. In the courtyard of the castle was a real dump. The ashes caused by the wind covered the piles of crumbling stones. Warriors crossed the courtyard and entered the main hall of the fortress. There was extremely little light inside and Varaha began to set fire to the torches brought with him. Having fixed several pieces in metal holders located on stone columns, he lit up the hall. At the far end, a strange construction blackened: it was a huge nest, twisted from brushwood. Inside lay human bones and the remains of various animals. Torn, bloody stains, pieces of cloth insulated the deepest part of the nest. A monster lived here.
- Who could have built such a thing? - The boy turned white with horror and nearly dropped a barrel of oil from fear from his hands.
- Where is this thing? - said Varaha. He could not take his eyes off the terribly huge nest.
- It is hunting, - replied Chetaka, - I waited for it to leave the castle to arrange a trap for it. If you hadn't arrived, I would have gone alone. Of course, together we have a much greater chance of defeating this creature.
- What kind of creature is this?
- An old lady lived in the village. Her name was Angelina... Everyone knew that here she was engaged in black sorcery, but no one imagined how powerful she was! When her time came, and Akshayah came for her, she somehow managed to overcome him...
- Can he be defeated ?! - exclaimed Varaha.
- She could... I don't know how, but the peasants were stunned by this news. And old Angelina became immortal, but her triumph did not last long. Akshayah left her soul, but the body continued to slowly decrepit and fall apart. When the skin began to fall away in pieces from meat and bones, this sight was not an easy test for residents. Peasants locked her in an old barn and burned her alive, freeing her soul from the shackles of her body.
- Unthinkable... - muttered Vtorak.
- Yes. Her soul turned into a clot of hatred, seeking revenge. She wandered through the surrounding forests until she found a horse. As far as I heard, the rider died in battle, and the animal wandered around the neighborhood on its own. The old woman's soul tormented the animal for a long time, until, finally, it make it crazy. Then they became one and a monster was born. She became a demon.
- Looks like you did the whole investigation.
- Yes.
- What shall we do with it now? - the young man asked.
- Spray oil on her nest. We will hide behind the branches and wait. When she gets inside, we'll set it on fire.
- Can it smell us? - asked Varaha.
- No. In its den already smells of humans.
Having done as the leper warrior said, all three hid in the shadow of the nest. Almost in complete silence, they spent several hours. When the torches began to burn out little by little, the outline of a huge creature appeared in their dancing reflections. His appearance was accompanied by a quiet howl. Secondly, the creature seemed to suffer mercilessly. Being about thirty cubits wide and fifteen in height, the monster resembled a huge spider. The second man could hardly determine the basis of the horse's body. Several pairs of large, multi-jointed, elongated human arms now grew from the carcass of an animal. Horse legs with hooves dragged lifelessly on the floor. The horse's head dangled limply, but another head looked from the neck, resembling an ugly human. Another pair of arms grew from her lower jaw, but of a smaller size. They constantly felt the air, looking for something to cram into the toothy mouth that opened from ear to ear. Due to such a wide open mouth, it seemed from the outside that the devil creature was smiling, however, this was far from the case. Over a more or less human nose, a dozen black eyes gleamed. Some were larger than others and all rotated independently of each other, like a chameleon. They became interested in torchlight and carefully examined the room. The creature crawled to its nest, frantically clapping its hands on the stone floor, and noisily sucked in air near the nest. It smelled of oil, but decided to crawl deeper to find out if the smell had permeated the very bowels of the shelter. Then Varaha struck a flint and set fire to the nest for his part. Vtorak rushed to the nearest column, tore off the burning torch from it and launched it exactly in the middle of the nest. Oil flared up, and the warriors heard a heartbreaking screech. The creature, blazing, jumped out of its hiding place, and rushed away. Her plaintive howl suddenly turned into a violent bubbling.
Chetaka was already waiting for her in the very center of the hall. He waved his sword and with one blow cut off one arm and wrist of the other. The demon screeched and threw the warrior away. Then Varaha arrived in time and thrust his sword between the ribs of a horse. Hands frantically waved, trying to capture the enemy blindly, but he managed to bounce. A leper warrior rose from the ground, as if without feeling a blow. He was now dragging his right leg, but he was still fearlessly going into battle. This spectacle inspired Vtorak and he, issuing a battle cry, ran to the side of the demon and, that is, forces, chopped off his hands. The monster panicked, the fire continued to burn his skin, and it waved its hands even faster. Knotted fingers squeezed the left foot and the hand of Vtorok and dragged to him. The guy dropped his sword and screamed. Looking around, he saw that the monster had also captured Varaha, who, however, continued to chop fast limbs around him. Cleverly dodging several attacks, Chetaka approached the head of the beast and with one precise movement cut it off.
Black blood sprinkled on the stone slabs of the floor, and the carcass of the monster, jerking several times in disgusting convulsions, froze forever in an unnatural pose. Varaha and Vtorak got out of tenacious paws and retreated.
- You lost your sword! - exclaimed Varaha, - What did I say?!
- No! I... it's grabbed me!
- It's grabbed me too, but I did not leave a weapon!
- Enough, - Chetaka intervened. - It's done. We need to leave now.
- I can't believe that we killed this demon, - Varaha sighed. - Take our reward in the village, you deserve it more than we do.
- If you had not brought the oil, we would not have been able to take the monster by surprise, - the leper objected. He wiped the mask from the blood of the monster with the hem of his cloak and touched his leg with his fingers.
- Are you hurt?
- No, everything is fine.
- You need to be shown to Uttama, - the mercenary suggested.
- I will not go to the village, - Chetaka shook his head, - and I do not need a reward. The money will still be useful to you, but I don't need it at all. I just want to do as much as possible before the illness finally finished me.
- I see, - Varaha lowered his head.
- Good luck on the way. It was a happiness to share this battle with you. - Chetaka bowed and, limping slowly, wandered away from the ruins of the old fortress. Vtorak picked up the sword, and Varaha put the monster's head on his shoulders. Soon they also left far behind a cold, swollen hall and old stone steps.