Morning clothed with bloody mourning, shining from behind the scarlet clouds, turning them into dark crimson scabs. The wind did not dare to break the silence that fell on the valley. The calm that hung over Novgrad and the villages of the northern peoples with intense expectation bounded people and the beast. But as soon as the piercing cry ripped, like a rusty blade, a canvas of silence, the world was transformed. The heavy silence, like a quiet dominant, was resolved by an explosive chord of bird crying, which echoed the dying woman's scream. Vtorak jumped out of bed. Forehead pierced a cold sweat. He held out his hand, but Mara was not near. Grabbing a club, he jumped out of the room and rushed down the corridor to the room where Varaha was closed. Even from around the corner of Vtorak, a pool of blood spreading across the floor became noticeable, and after a moment the whole terrifying picture of what had happened appeared before him. He saw Mara lying in the blood, still alive, over whom hung, unnaturally trembling and shaking Varaha. Foam come from his mouth, and his eyes spun in his sockets, as if embers. Without hesitation for a second, Vtorak jumped to Varaha and interrupted his next swing with a sharp strike to the head of the madman. The club pierced the skull and scattered brainwashes around the room. The body of the old mercenary, shaking, collapsed to the floor. Vtorak pushed him with his foot and fell on his knees next to his wife, carefully lifting her by the shoulders. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Udaya appeared from the corner.
- It's all right, honey, - Mara said in a weak voice. Vtorak struggled to squeeze her bleeding wound on her stomach.
- How... why you...
- He asked for water, and then completely lost control of himself. Do not grieve for me. You need strength for another, - Mara turned her eyes to her son. - A difficult road awaits you, son... be strong on it. Do not show your tears.
- Mara...
- He's coming... - Mara scaredly stared somewhere ahead, - I hear a whisper... he is following me.
- No, no! - exclaimed Vtorak and, lowering Mara to his lap, he picked up a club from the floor, - Where are you, you bastard?! Where?! Show me yourself, coward! I wish to fight for her life! Come on!
Filled with rage, he looked around, but did not see anything. He felt Udaya pass by and weeping hugged his mother. Vtorak turned his eyes to his wife: she was already dead. The man got up from his knees and shouted from all his might. He looked by his blazing gaze to the Varaha's body. With all his strength, he punch a club at him. From the impact of a heavy mace, the ribs of a dead man snapped. The collarbone suffered from the next punch. The third blow pressed the second collarbone into the internal organs, turning them into a bloody mess. Vtorak beat a corpse with a club, until the forces left him. The splashed anger could not alleviate the pain of loss, but it cleared the mind a little. Only now he remembered his son, who was still sitting near the body of his mother. The boy's face was stained with blood knocked out of Varaha, and horror settled in his eyes. For the first time he saw in the place of his father a huge bear, who knows no mercy.
The warrior released the club from his hands and hugged the numbed son tightly. "Forgive me, Ouda, forgive ..." the man repeated in fear, "I didn't want to scare you ... I'm sorry ..." Vtorak sobbed for the first time in his life. For the first time in his life, part of him died for real.
A few days later, the body of Mara was burned on a high windy cliff that towered above the city. All council members, at the request of Uttama, came to honor this woman and show sympathy to her family.
- ...She rose from the ashes and ashes will turn again, connecting with the eternal features of this world. May the Eternal be merciful to her, may he free her from fetters and let her go beyond the darkness of this world. Goy!
- Goy! - people answered the priest of the Light. And the priest brought the torch to the ritual fire and lit a high flame. It didn't take much time for the fire to incinerate a body in the cold wind, the ashes of which were immediately blown and spreaded over the valley. The townspeople and councilors, bowing to Wtorak and Uttama, began to disperse. Soon, only Uttama with her young maid and Vtorak with Udaya remained on the rock.
- Take the boy home, Rina, - Uttama said. - It's cold here, he can catch a cold.
- Of course, Uttama. Come along, Udaya, - said the maid, and together they left the rock. Silence continued for several minutes. The mercenary and the witch looked at the burning coals for a long time, but Vtorak broke the silence first.
- You knew, didn't you? - he asked.
- Did I knew what?
- Don't play with me, old witch! - exclaimed Vtorak in despair and for the first time rudely grabbed the sorceress by the collar. - Where were you that night?! Why did you let him go crazy?! You knew everything! Everytime! So why?!
- The bear rules you, Vtorak, and not you, - the old woman said firmly, but calmly, - I know and see a lot, but not all! You have to come to terms with what happened. Just imagine what Mara could say if she were here now! - Vtorak let Uttama go and retreated for few steps. The words of the sorceress struck him to the core. He himself did not understand what he was doing. Mara would not want him to fall under the control of his own rage again. One way or another, the Dwarf Gods were right talking about Vtorak's main enemy. It seems that the duel with the bear did not end then in the arena, but continued his whole life and to this day has not ended.
- I'm sorry, Uttama... forgive me... - He covered his face and sat on a stone.
- It's all right, Vtorak, - she came closer to him. - You're lost. You do not see the way, but you are not alone. You need to stay strong. You should think of others more than yourself. After all, her death hurt not only you...
- You're right! - Vtorak rose to his feet again.
- Take care of your son... He needs you like never before. And then...
- And then I will find Varaha, - Vtorak firmly declared.
- The bear speaks in you again...
- No. I'm not looking for revenge. But now, crazy, he can become even more dangerous. The fighting skills of Varaha exceeded the skills of all the warriors that I have ever met. If his soul regains flesh, no one can defeat this monster... except me. I feel it now Uttama... my destiny is not to become Pure on my own, but to save people and the new Pure from Varaha. Protect the world from its anger.
- So be it.
For several months, Vtorak hatched the idea of catching Varaha, until, finally, he decided to go looking. He persuaded Uttama to take Udaya in his care. The sorceress said that her time would soon come and she would leave this world, but Vtorak still managed to persuade her to help. The boy with amazing understanding and unchildish wisdom reacted to his father's decision to follow the killer's trail in order to save other inhabitants of the valley from him. He hugged Vtorak for the last time and then climbed the guard tower for a long time, followed his eyes and waved his hand. When the city and the boy disappeared behind the hill, Vtorak felt the youthful reflexes returning to him. He was again left alone with danger. He again felt like a skilled mercenary.
For several weeks, Wtorak wandered through the valley, hiding from the northerners and wild ashy people, until one day he met city scouts carrying a heavy fragment of a glacier on a special cart. The bottom and walls of the cart were tarred so that the water flowing from a piece of ice did not pour out.
- Wow, brother! You, for sure, from ours? - one of them was surprised.
- I am not an ice-maker, - answered Vtorak.
- It's clear! But you are from the city! What are you looking for in these lands? Maybe you need some help?
- Okay, we have to went further! Otherwise, we will only have time to bring water to the city, and even then not all that is in this ice! - the second scout snorted and led the cart further, while the first remained to talk with Vtorak.
- Hmm... you are unlikely to help me, friend... I'm looking for... I don't even know... a monster that is vaguely reminiscent of some kind of animal or person... I don't know what I'm saying.
- Well, you know, brother... Some scouts said that near a month ago a bear settled near a forest of hanged, with his hands growing on his back and three heads. The creature is dangerous... such that even the northerners do not go there now. Maybe this is your monster?
- Bear, you say... - thought Vtorak.
- Do you really think, dear friend, that you will defeated it without armor? - asked the scout, - Without armor even fight with an ordinary bear is death is certain. And this one... - he shook his head, - Come with us to the city! There I know such a good blacksmith...
- I know a good blacksmith in the city too, - answered Vtorak, and thought about it, scratching his regrowing beard, - Well, be your way. Let's go to the city.
After a couple of days, Vtorak was in the city. First, he went to the Uttama's home to visit his son, but did not find an old woman there. The city embraced the mourning for the departed woman. Through a servant who was left to look after Udaya, Uttama gave Vtorak only a small letter:
"My time has come, and I am leaving these lands. Do not despair, Vtorak, even from that side I will continue to believe in you. You have come a long way, but now you know why you moved so hard on it. You must overcome Varaha, for he is waiting for a new Pure to appear in the valley, for all that his distraught soul has still retained in himself is a passionate desire to kill the Pure. Besides this greedy impulse there is nothing left in her. Varaha suffers and you need to finished him. Rina will take care of Udaye, do not worry about him. Uttama." Vtorak bowed his head in a respectful bow to the girl who transmitted the message.
- Take care of my son, girl. Save it until my return.
- I will, - Rina nodded.
Vtorak spent only one night in Uttama's house. All this time no one was sleeping, for the wandering warrior have been told Rina and Udaya about his travels. The boy listened with open mouth, admiring the amazing adventures. With a look he begged his father to stay with him longer, but he could not hesitate, because the monster could leave the forest of the hanged at any time. The next morning he took his old sword from the house, which was forged in hidden forges, and went straight to Azarius, the blacksmith whom he had once saved from the thicket of Khali.
- Azarius! - Vtorak knocked loudly on the door of his forge.
- Oh, the devil! Why is so loud?..
- Hello, my friend! Unfortunately, I can't wait. No time. Will you help me out in difficult time, blacksmith? Soon I have to go to the bear. I needs armor to protect body from it's claws. Will you be able to forged this until the evening?
- Oh, a difficult task, - the man scratched his head, - There are ulready some preparations, of course... There are usually people who go to bear in studded armor... So be it. I'll make you an armor for the day. My assistants will come pretty soon and we will begin this work.
- I have no money, but...
- No need for money! - the blacksmith dismissed, - I will help you for free! By the way... I am sorry for your loss, Vtorak... Helping with armor is the least I can do.
- Thank you... - the warrior bowed. - However, good work requires a reward. You can take my old blade! I can't handle it with my left hand... and if I die in the forest, no one will find this weapon. But it has its price... this sword was forged in the mountains by the Dwarf Gods. Have you heard about them?
- Only in legends... - Azarius took from Vtorak's hands a gleaming lilac blade and examined it carefully, - I have never seen such blades...
- Perhaps you will never see again.
- Well, be your way! - the blacksmith hit his chest with his fist, - Will you have a hedgehog armor in the evening, or I'm not Azarius!
- Thank you! - said Vtorak and walked away from the forge.
He spent all day with Udaya. He felt that he could not get drunk in communication with his son. He felt that he was obliged to use every moment of his stay with the boy, for the sake of the irreplaceably lost time of Mara. He wanted to give him as much parental love and care as he could, because he himself did not know whether he would return from the last battle with Varaha. This battle definitely could not have reminded of the previous one in the city. Here, no one will spare the other. The distraught demon does not know mercy, and Vtorak has no right to leave his restless soul in this world. He was preparing inside for the last, most important fight in his life.
In the evening, a warm south wind blew and the rustle of dry herbs filled the area. Only the ringing of blacksmith hammers flew from the craft quarter, and the smell of burnt firewood reminded of the presence of people in the valley. Vtorak knelt before his son, to once again look into his pure, sincere eyes. Sadness still lurked in them. "I have to leave, son..." said the father, "you will stay with Rina for a few days. But then... when I return, we will live together. And then I will never leave you. Believe me." The boy nodded and hugged his father. He pressed him to himself and, rising to his feet, walked away from Uttama's old house.
Once again, Vtorak knocked hard on the forge's door, to which he heard the owner's enthusiastic cry: "Open up! Come in!" The guest was overwhelmed with oven heat as soon as he entered the room. The smell of smoldering coals and hot metal crept into the lungs and filled them with warmth. Azarius smiled so broadly that his teeth could be counted without much difficulty. He turned glance of the warrior to his work and Vtorak saw his new armor. It was an excellent heavy armor with thick plates from which thin long spikes grew. It was noticeable that the blacksmith gathered his armor in a hurry, using blanks tucked under his arm, but, nevertheless, the appearance of hedgehog armor was impressive. His needles slightly exceeded the length of the palm, they "grew" from the shoulders, back and elbows of the armor, and the steel vizard depicted a fox face.
- And why didn't vizard look like a hedgehog? - asked Vtorak.
- Yes, because only that remains... I compiled from what was available. But what, you are didn't like foxes?
- No, I like, just...
- What, with needles is not combined? - smiled the blacksmith.
- Forget it, that's not the point, if only it were durable. Thank you again for your work. I have to go on a journey. Can you help me to put on?
- Will you go right into the night? - surprised Azarius, giving parts of the armor and tightening the straps under it.
- Yes, I'll go. Every hour now counts.
- Do you have a horse?
- Yeah. Arable horce.
- Well, no, that won't do. I'll give you my horse better. It is a smart one, - Azari grinned. - When you get to the monster's lair, let your horse go. It will get home itself.
- Okay. Thank you for everything.
- Good luck in battle.
- Thanks, it will come in handy.
Vtorak confidently took on the weight of the new armor. Ringing by the iron-clad boots, he went out into the street, where Azarius had already let his horse down. Vtorak attached his shield and mace to the saddle and mounted astride the animal. Warm farewell to Azarius, he left the city. He rode for many hours until the lights on the fortress wall disappeared into darkness and he was left alone with the darkness. The night was cold, and by midnight the warrior stopped for the overnight stay. He tied the horse to a dry branch, he ate and lay on his side next to the fire. The path was not a short one, but the Vtorak was used to wandering. Nine days passed on the road.
The north winds made their way to the rocks. With them came spring snow. Recently gone winter again reminded of itself. Vtorak covered his head with the hood of his cloak to protect himself from the wind, when he suddenly noticed a spot that was bright red, like fire, in front of him. It flashed with fiery flames by the road and disappeared again. Vtorak spurred his horse and drove around the corner. Ahead, a beautiful fox gracefully stood. It seemed that in the depths of her black bead-eyes shone something unimaginably native. She made sure that the rider noticed her, and, gracefully wagging her tail, ran further along the road. Vtorak steered the horse forward, trying not to miss the fox, which stoped at times. She waited for him either humbly sitting on the side of the road, or looking for something with her long nose in the snow and dry grass, but as soon as the horseman unhurriedly have been reaching her, she disappeared far ahead, leaving a string of neat tracks in the fresh snow. The fox led him away from the planned route, but the warrior felt in his soul that he was obliged to go after her. The feeling that he was doing everything right appeared incide him. Finally, having reached the forest of the hanged, Vtorak realized that he no longer noticed the red fur flickering behind the trees. The fox left him, leading to the forest north of the place where Vtorak originally wanted to arrive. The man dismounted and led the horse further with the bridle. The decaying bodies of the dead greeted the guest with the tapping of bones as the wind rocked them on ropes. Just getting to one of the oaks that grew in the forest, Vtorak sat down to rest. As soon as he made a fire, the fog thickened and soon the master of the forest appeared in front of him.
- Why are you here? - asked the warrior.
- I meet all the guests in my possessions, - Koschey hissed, - in the flesh or in the form of a fog... otherwise, what kind of negligent master would I be?
- And that is true.
- I know why you came to my small kingdom again, Vtorak! You crave to destroy the monster, but his soul is rejected by Akshayah. Kill him now and he will move into another animal over time. You won't be able to get rid of him forever, you yourself know that.
- Believe me, I'll think of something, - Varaha answered tiredly.
- Akshayah will not reach out for his soul...
- Better tell me where he is hiding? I don't want to roam these forests day and night, in his search.
- The monster lurks in caves east of here. They are not far, you will not miss. It's amazing how you chose the right path...
- A fox brought me here, - said Vtorak, - I feel something... native in her. Something that I have not felt since the time when my Mara died.
- Your beloved wife... Perished at the hands of Varaha... - whispered Koschey. Sometimes love opens such paths for a human...
- About which he did not even suspect, - suddenly remembering the words of Uttama, finished Vtorak for Koschei.
- Yes...
- So it was she? - in the soul of Vtorak, the hope of meeting again fluttered.
- If your heart tells you so... - hissed Koschey. Vtorak was genuinely happy for a moment, but soon the gloom returned again.
- Will you help me defeat him? - asked Vtorak.
- No, - said Koschey, smiling gloatingly, - I will only look...
- If it were a fight in the tavern, which of us would you bet on? - the warrior asked in the end.
- I would be bet on the winner, - Koschey laughed hoarsely and disappeared into the fog. Vtorak had supper and went to bed. Before the fight, he wanted a good rest.
The next morning he did not take food. A hungry warrior is more dangerous than a well-fed one, and a thirsty one is more dangerous than a hungry one, that's why Vtorak chose not to drink. Letting go of the horse, he put a shield on his back and went on foot to the caves. It seemed that the dead watched his every move, wondering who today to join their cold host. The path to the caves was blocked by a dry shrub, through which he had to make his way, going ahead. Thorny branches could not touch the skin through the cracks in the armor, and therefore the warrior overcame this barrier by passing through it like a hot knife through oil. Coming out of the thicket, he looked around. In front of him stood a rocky mountain, dotted with black wormholes of caves. Vtorak could not have thought that there were so many of them in the forest. He was about to came to on one of them to look inside, when suddenly a dull growl was heard from a dark hole in front. The fog, softly spreading before on the earth, was dispelled. Vtorak raised his mace and shield. A bear disfigured by the agony of transformations appeared from the darkness of the cave and stand before the warrior at full height, rising to his hind legs. He had three heads, combining human and bearish features. One head looked bearish, but with a human lower jaw. The other head was creepy, hairless, but resembled an animal, and the third, turned back, seemed smaller than the others and had a human bald skull, but elongated bear jaws and nose. Three human arms grew from the back and left side of the monster. Huge bear paws, spreading long claws, hung over the Wtorak. The warrior realized that the monster would not wait for a sign from above to start the battle. With a deafening roar, the bear lowered its paws on the warrior, but he put his spiked shoulders under attack. The weight of the paws knocked human over, but he managed to stand to his one knee. The bear, having pierced itself limbs with thorns of the armor, became even more furious. On a grand swing, he threw back Vtorak and, uprooted a heavy tree, threw it into a man. The tree collapsed with a roar and crushed the warrior's leg. As soon as Vtorak came to his senses after the fall, huge bear jaws hung over him. As soon as it opened up, spreading a saliva, Vtorak immediately pushed his shield between them with force. The jaws backed by the shield could not close, and in a panic, the monster reached for his mouth with his human hands, but Vtorak immediately brought down a hail of strikes on them. The club broke many bones, disabling the human limbs of the creature. The bear tore the shield from the teeth with its paw and greatly teared its own muzzle with its claws. Vtorak did not have enough time to extract a leg from under the tree, and he prepared to fight off lying down, when suddenly a fox jumped out of nowhere. She fiercely scratched the beast's eyes with her claws and gnawed deeply its throats, trying to gnaw his veins or rip the bloodstream. She sparkled with a bright flame around the heads of the monster, she fought selflessly and fearlessly. This gave the warrior the right moment. He released his leg and stood before the monster in full growth.
Then the fox twisted, cleverly wagging its tail, and bit through the throat of the smallest head. Blood poured to the ground with a stream, but the monster managed to grab the fox with its paws. Tearing the unfortunate animal in halfs, the bear threw the halves into the thicket and swung at Vtorak. At that moment, an unimaginable rage boiled inside the warrior. He roared and, with all his strength, thrust a mace into the elbow of a bear's paw. The joint cracked and twisted unnaturally. Before the beast recovered, one more of its three skulls was broked through a heavy weapon. The little head was already bloodless and dangled limply behind the other two. Unable to stand on his feet anymore, the beast fell to the ground and panted heavily. Vtorak came closer and examined him.
"You... you..." he cooled his anger and tried to calm the blood that was boiling in his veins. He was about to finish off the beast, but the beast waved his paw and nailed Vtorak with his claws to the ground. Claws pierced through the armor. Vtorak felt the hot blood begin to leave his rapidly cooling body. Gathering all his strength, he grabbed a dagger from the scabbard and put it to the throat of the last surviving head. "Udaya," he thought, "I won't return to you... Forgive the old man". At the same moment, with a fierce battle cry on his lips, he thrust a dagger into the throat of the beast at the very hilt, at the same time pressing its clawed paw to himself. A terrible pain pierced his whole body, he only heard the dying scream of the beast before he saw it... Eternal.
A black, tarry face that did not express any emotion looked coldly at the way the powerful spirit of Vtorak held the raging soul of Varaha. From the womb of a many-faced creature, black hands stretched for the mercenary's soul. They grabbed him and dragged him to the dark womb, carrying souls from dead bodies into the unknown depths of the eternal. The crazy soul tried to slip out or fight back, but Vtorak held it tightly. The intense struggle did not last long, and, swallowing both souls, Akshayah disappeared. Fog softly descended on the battlefield, enveloping the blooded bodies of the dead. The forest did not hope to receive two new bodies at once, but with joy and cordiality embraced both of them.