I brought Vasilisa under my protection just in time. Moments before we departed, I sensed a series of spatial distortions that differed markedly from the signature of Velimir and his archons. It was clear that the local magi had come in search of the fire I had ignited in the night, but they were unable to detect me or inflict any harm. As they say, "God protects those who take care", and since I am my own deity, I must exercise double caution in safeguarding myself. I have no one else to depend on.. My clones, when they were frying, must have certainly felt a strong energy emission. It is somewhat ambiguous, but essentially, when delivering a prolonged blow, they did not even use the mana of light. Instead, they employed the pure quintessence of the concept, for the energy of the plane of light encompasses all spectra and types of energy that can be attributed to the concept of light itself.
To this deadly cocktail, they added the aggressive bane of the One in the form of His Holiness, which they infused into the energy of the light plane in equal proportions at the time of the blow against the dark essence of Divine Vasilisa. There was no need for me to create spells or magical weaves, nor program the energy for aggression against Vasilisa — the energy I employed was intolerable to my opponent.
For that brief moment, I savored the aroma of fried snake flesh. I will clarify, in case anyone is unaware, that snakes are still those creatures who, with great delight, can consume their own kind.. A vast ocean of luminous energy descended upon Vasilisa, comparable to a thousand or more reservoirs of archimages! Yet, for some reason, none desired to investigate the identity of the being standing near the entrance to their dwelling, which is quite peculiar to me! Nonetheless, let us proceed.
Within my realm, even during the process of reconstruction and transformation of the local surroundings into a more aesthetically pleasing environment, I have prepared dungeons for entities of a divine caliber. One of these proved particularly advantageous today!
"What are we waiting for?" I exclaimed, urging my illusions forward, though there was no need; they had already begun their work on our prey. My words were spoken aloud, for it was unbearable to remain silent in the midst of such activity, with hundreds of my illusions busily engaged in their tasks. Some were drawing out Vasilisa's blood, others were sawing through her ribs, extracting her fangs, and gathering her venom.
It is easy to feel like a part of a well-oiled machine when one is surrounded by such efficient and silent operations, with not even the slightest whisper of air movement or the faintest echo of sound. I felt as if I had become one of the many ants in this colony, a cog in a finely-tuned machine, and the tension was palpable. My mind was racing with a myriad of thoughts, each more bizarre than the next.
In order to prevent my captive from regaining consciousness, a dozen of my duplicates directly, through contact with the essence of the deity, injected her with a surge of light energy, causing her spiritual agony and preventing her from awakening. This painful shock maintained her in a state of perpetual unconsciousness. However, there was just enough power in her to resist complete suppression of her innate regenerative abilities. Thus, before me now lies an inexhaustible reservoir of flesh, blood and other precious substances.
My intention is not to maintain this state indefinitely. I intend to harvest dozens to hundreds of tons of high-energy and valuable material, after which we can resume our negotiations regarding payment of my debt. By then, she will be more amenable and cooperative.
Having become a full-fledged domain lord, I now had the ability to manipulate the temporal flow of my realm at will, provided I understood the underlying mechanism. This allowed me to both accelerate and decelerate time within my domain relative to my original world, where I had been born as a basilisk.
Why did I not choose to decelerate the flow of time within my realm when I had the opportunity while still in Hog's realm? I needed to immerse myself in the world itself. My intention was to merge the temporal streams of my domain with those of the world, but this required acquiring administrative control over the altar and source of power within the domain.
Now, I possess the ability to accelerate time within my realm five times faster than in Hog's world, while simultaneously having the option to decelerate it by the same factor.
Having set the time dilation at a factor of five, I resolved to sift through the newly acquired knowledge in my library over the course of the next two days, during which only eight hours would elapse in the world of Hogwarts, bringing about the arrival of the following morning. To accomplish this task, I commissioned five thousand copies of myself to allocate the necessary time to assimilate and process all the newly acquired information.
Thus, two days passed by, during which I had the opportunity to peruse and comprehend all the additions to my library. I left the task of deciphering the incantations, weavings, exercises, rituals, concoctions, and elixirs of interest to my clones. Subsequently, once they have completed their work, I will simply need to fully integrate what they have learned into my mental sphere, assimilating their experiences as my own.
A portion of my consciousness remains present within them, albeit in a diminished capacity. To fully activate one of my alternate streams of consciousness in place of the mental framework that governs the illusion, my intention is required. There exists a fusion or overlap between a portion of my mental body where my consciousness resides and the mental construct that houses my streamlined mental imprint. Once this connection is severed, I will possess all the knowledge and memories of my primary avatar.
But little by little, I gained a dose of novel and fascinating knowledge, and it is now time to put it into practice! We must resolve the matter with Vasilisa.
As much as I would like to avoid harming her, it is best not to take any chances.
First and foremost, she is Koschei's sister-in-law, and regardless of who says so, I have no desire to experience the ire of his wife firsthand if it should transpire that the death of this woman still grieves her sibling's heart!
Moreover, I desired my reward and the full extent of her memories. And if the resolution of the issue lies in her demise and entombment within the staff, which I am loath to do due to her kinship with the most dreaded figure in the Slavic pantheon, then it is imperative that she not possess the serpent's apples, which she currently holds in her possession.
Lastly, I am uncertain if my staff possesses sufficient capacity to accommodate another such potent soul. It may be prudent to allow it to mature and expand its inner chamber over the course of five centuries.
"Greetings once more, Vasilisa," I said, my words carrying a hint of mockery as she had just barely recovered her physical form after my clones had disassembled her into components. She had regained consciousness through an extreme method, receiving a mental shock capable of eradicating the identity even of a master of psychic magic.
"I trust that after your brief respite in my captivity, you have recalled our agreement and the compensation you promised?" I inquired.
She regained her strength and regained the appearance of a young woman, but her face betrayed terror and fear. I detected her attempt to employ her abilities to survey the surroundings, but as the domain belonged to me and was imbued with my essence, her efforts were futile. Her power dissipated and merged with mine as soon as it neared the boundary of the domain.
"Do not even think of trying to escape from here. You are now in my realm, and believe me, the consequences of attempting to flee will not be pleasant! Now, let us return to the matter of the debt you owe me."
My heart was filled with a sense of moral satisfaction as I gazed upon the humbled creature who had dared to exert control over me, sending me to my death without giving me any choice.
"Who are you?" She whispered, her teeth still unformed, her throat still raw.
I responded, "Someone who does not appreciate being abandoned. I am now contemplating what to do with you. I will first claim my due, but what will happen to you after that is yet to be determined."
Having already formulated a plan for our future interaction, I needed to proceed with caution, ensuring that my intentions remained concealed from her, both in word, deed, and thought.
"I…I…I'll give you everything!!!" I implored. "Please…don't torture me! Please don't kill me!"
If I hadn't known the breed of such vermin from my past, I might have been deceived by her tears and sincerity. But the thoughts of this scum, her remorse, and her desire to keep away from me would last as long as I had power over her. If I were to set her free and allow her to recover, she would begin plotting revenge.
"Of course, you shall. But more is required than the payment we have already agreed upon. I shall charge you for attempting to deceive me. You shall provide me with all the information you possess, not merely your knowledge, but also your memories, without delay."
Without hesitation, she responded, expressing her willingness to assist me in fulfilling my request. Her actions left me with the impression that she was eager to cooperate fully. After her response, I became even more convinced that this matter should be resolved as soon as possible, as it seemed to be relentless in its pursuit of retribution.
Summoning my clone, who stood a few meters away, with a mental command, I then turned my attention back to Vasilisa. Having compelled her to swear that she would provide me with her complete knowledge and memories, I gestured towards my clone.
"You can give it to him."
No matter how frail she appeared, no matter how confident I felt in my own strength and superiority over the defeated form of Vasilisa, I never stopped for a moment to consider the true age of the "helpless" girl lying before me in tears, or her true nature.
I was unwilling to allow her direct access to my mental body, or even indirect access to my consciousness, but I would not allow it. Therefore, let him disregard all his memories and knowledge of my deception. His mental capacity and capabilities would be sufficient to receive and retain such a volume of data, and I would deal with it later.
Then I would sort through it and discover any hidden agendas, mental viruses, self-extracting bookmarks, and other malicious code that this "snake" would undoubtedly leave behind as a "gift". And no oath not to harm me would be of any use.. She could easily convince herself that it was part of her self-education, a form of practice, so to speak, to counteract a clear example, for my benefit, so I would not do anything foolish. Such oaths are very slippery and impossible to fully guard against. After all, anything can be twisted if there is desire and imagination.
Once she had unloaded her burden onto me, the wretch spoke.
"Please, Quetzalcoatl," she implored, "let me go. I shall bring you three fruits from the serpent tree that my father possessed, and I shall give them to you. But do not kill me!" Her plea began softly and with sobs, but by the time she finished, she was in a state of hysteria.
"You are mistaken, maiden. I am not Quetzalcoatl, nor do I share any affinities with the feathered serpent save for a distaste for human sacrifice and a reptilian nature."
In order to disregard her assurances, vows, and laments, I struck her down once more with a mental assault. It was now effortless; she had not yet recovered from her previous beating and remained focused on my strength, a realm that acknowledged my power. With each passing moment, she became increasingly attuned to my presence, as if the very fabric of the world were adjusting to my own energy spectrum and gradually aligning itself with it.
Entrusting a dozen duplicates to safeguard her and maintain her unconscious state, I promptly delved into the memories of an ancient deity and heroine from Russian folklore. Yet, her true essence diverged from the literary depiction.
Initially, I was preoccupied with the detection of hidden deceptions and snares within her memory. Employing the intellectual prowess of an entire cohort of my illusory duplicates, numbering over forty-five thousand within my realm, we meticulously scrutinized and re-examined the mental repository of data obtained from Vasilisa in real-time. Not even a single hour elapsed during this process. Nonetheless, considering the vast number of clones involved in the verification endeavor, it amounted to at least a million labor hours dedicated to uncovering concealed perils within the acquired memory, as I and my duplicates operated under the accelerated state of consciousness, amplifying our efforts tenfold.
Vasilisa did not hold back in her efforts to thoroughly examine my mental processes, uncovering and eradicating more than ten thousand hidden abnormalities! As soon as I regained some composure, although I still harbored doubts about the reliability of my previously tested knowledge, I remained vigilant, aware that we might have overlooked something important.
The process of memory retrieval was meticulous. Multiple clones duplicated a small fragment of information from a storage clone, then integrated it. Subsequently, another cohort of clones commenced a comprehensive analysis of their mental matrices, meticulously scrutinizing for any potential discrepancies or deviations from the original mindset of the source clone. The information assimilated by these clones was subsequently transmitted to the subsequent group, undergoing a rigorous three-step verification process before reaching my attention. Such is the extent of my paranoia!
In light of the urgent need to address the remnants of the Slavic pantheon, prioritizing its resolution before dawn on the following day, following Vasilisa's capture, my focus was entirely devoted to delving into the creature's memory, exploring the historical narratives of these deities, effectively confined within the confines of the Kapishche.
Mda... Having perused Vasilisa's memoirs, I have come to the realization that my initial desire to eliminate certain individuals has now transformed into a dire necessity.
In these memoirs, she eloquently described how they chose to remain in the realm they were born in, almost sacrificing themselves for the greater good of the Slavic people. These individuals, whom I now regard as vermin, were once outcasts from both the true Slavic deities and their own kin.
The majority of those residing in the Kapishche are now confined, having been deemed traitors, consumed by a thirst for bloodshed, and abandoned by their families after their actions in the past. Some even faced the prospect of capital punishment, yet they managed to evade their just deserts on Earth, emerging only when they sensed that the Slavic deities had departed from this world.
Once they realised that they no longer needed to conceal themselves, having discovered that the Kapishche had become unclaimed, they were able to enter a sort of vestibule that had survived after the deities' departure and from which it had been possible to access their domains — egregors. They succeeded in stabilising this small space within the inter-realm and, through concerted efforts, anchored themselves within it, thus integrating themselves into its fabric.
Let it be known that while the true gods of the Slavs had already departed from the world, they continued to be venerated, and the faithful did not cease offering offerings in their honour. As a result, the Kapishche overflowed with the energy of devotion. The deities' withdrawal occurred well before Vladimir baptized Rus', but even after that, the Slavs did not convert to Christianity overnight.
Even in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, kapisches and idols still stood on Russian soil, receiving sacrifices and offerings.. However, as no divine response or blessing accompanied their actions, the flock dwindled, with fewer and fewer individuals continuing to uphold the faith of their forebears. Even the most steadfast families eventually acknowledged the futility of their efforts and abandoned their beliefs, embracing Christianity.
In this realm, only Christianity's egregore, albeit infrequently, continues to manifest miracles for its followers and answer the fervent prayers of devout believers in the span of the past two millennia.
When the vitality of devotion, derived from the acts of veneration and offerings of the faithful, ceased to infuse the sanctuary, it began to rely on the sole sources of energy available to it: those very individuals who, in their pursuit of unfettered power, hastened to bind themselves more firmly to the domain and integrate themselves into its fabric. Had it not been for the fact that, during the period when demi-gods and outcasts of the Slavic pantheon dwelt within its confines, they failed to attain full deific status, the domain would likely have succumbed long ago. However, these individuals, driven by their ambition to ascend to godhood as swiftly as possible, forged an unbreakable connection with the Hagia Sophia, and now the domain itself draws sustenance from their very essence, preventing their "generators" from escaping its clutches.
During this period of constant energy expenditure aimed at maintaining the Chapter, which has now become their own prison, the demigods and weaker deities within this domain have matured significantly. The constant outflow of energy has beneficially impacted their development, augmenting their strength, so to speak, as they were nourished by this process.
However, these beings cannot endure their imprisoned status indefinitely. They seek a means of escape from their confinement. While they have not yet found a solution, the possibility exists, and if they manage to break free, it would bring sorrow to all on Earth.
Within this realm, the most repugnant representatives of Slavic heritage congregate. They lack both love for their neighbors and tolerance. Only through the combined efforts of the Kapishcha, which refuse to relinquish the source of their existence, squeezing them out of our world and preventing them from finding comfort in our reality, do they continue to remain within their domain.
It would seem that my intention to exact retribution upon them for my own humiliation and wounded pride, through a ritual that was to have been conducted using illusions I had left near the lake, proved to be not only fitting but also for the greater good! How ironic that the knowledge necessary for such an act was imparted to me thanks to Vasilisa's «request» for assistance and my subsequent journey to Stlloshh.
What ritual and reciprocal «gratitude» am I referring to? From the memories of Dordsh, I was given a ritual that can sever and seal any spatial connection, including the interworld bridge. The Archmage Drow acquired this knowledge from a human Archmage who was captured a millennium prior to becoming a Dryder, specialising in spatial magic.
My clones should have been positioned in the required locations and prepared for magical action already. The ritual itself is highly intricate, energy-intensive, and demanding in terms of controlling the magic of the practitioner. It necessitates a ritual circle measuring almost a kilometre in diameter, constructed using a high-grade conductor of magical energy, preferably mithril, which surpasses the properties of silver.
I will circumvent the necessity of constructing the physical form of the prospective ritual circle through the employment of my phantasmal duplicates. At the opportune moment, each of them will manifest a distinct aspect of the ritual sequence through sheer volition and the embodiment of mana through focused concentration. Considering that all my illusions reside within the same mental realm and are capable of operating in unison, possessing an identical range of magical capabilities and an inexhaustible supply of mana, any potential issues with the ritual should be non-existent.
As soon as I have received the snake apples from Vasilisa's hands, and she returns to the Kapishche to execute her plan of vengeance against me, I shall sever the connection between our realm and their domain. I shall send it adrift in the interrealm on its own, leaving it bereft of the support provided by the world of Hog, and the imprisoned gods within.
For the power to sustain the link and chains that bind our realm to the domain, and partially for its own protection against chaos, is drawn from our realm every moment. The gods who reside there, no matter how powerful, will find it difficult to provide the necessary energy for the domain to maintain the shield that protects it from dissolution into chaos.
That is my plan for these outcasts. It is fortunate that I am now aware of their threat and have the opportunity to eliminate them before they become a danger to the world in which I intend to establish my family and raise my children.
Of course, I have my own realm, but I did not wish to discover how the destruction of this world might affect it. Nor do I seek to evade problems and conceal myself!
Through Vasilisa's recollections, I delved into the nature of these serpent apples. Their origin in this world was reminiscent of Yggdrasil, the sacred tree from Norse mythology. Considering that our pantheons, both Slavic and Norse, share a common origin, I am convinced that the snake tree of the Slavic underworld and Yggdrasil represent one and the same entity.
This tree, a gift from the elder brother Svarog, head of the Slavic pantheon, to his younger sibling Jasher, was entrusted with the task of ruling the underworld. In Norse mythology, this tree serves as an interdimensional bridge, yet no account exists detailing how this connection is established. The answer lies in its simplicity. As the tree grows, it absorbs an immense amount of energy from either the worlds it is already linked to or the sole world in which it originated, transforming it into a conceptual force of cosmic magnitude that is concentrated within its fruit. The maturation process of a single serpent apple spans an astonishing forty thousand years. Through the mechanism of the serpent tree, the Slavic pantheon traverses between different clusters of worlds. All things are finite, including the duration of existence for the Pleiades of these worlds.. And from the fragments of information that Vasilisa had about her relatives and the Slavic pantheon, one can infer that these very ancient deities have traversed hundreds of realms and witnessed both their rise and fall.
As I now know with absolute certainty, the journey from one realm to another is a process that demands immense energy. To bridge the gap between one intelligent being and another cluster of realms, the combined forces of the entire pantheon of Slavic deities were required.
In this manner, they dispatched one of their deities, most often the warlike Perun, as their emissary and scouting agent. It was Perun who first arrived in the world where I was born as a basilisk. To establish the connection between the realms, he descended into the depths of the dark plane mirroring the world he sought to reach, planting the seed of the serpent-tree. Once the seed took root, Perun was followed by Lizard, whose blood was the only substance capable of nurturing the tree's rapid and favourable growth.. The tree was capable of growing unaided, but the essence of the lizard served as the catalyst for its development. Once the tree achieved a canopy, it seamlessly integrated into the larger ecosystem, drawing sustenance from its own fruits. Upon this transformation, the remaining Slavic deities embarked upon a journey to the newly established realm, traversing a spatial bridge forged by the tree itself.
In the ancient Slavic pantheon, a catastrophe occurred, the root cause of which lay in a single snake tree. One of its foolish descendants, the Lizard, consumed an apple, but the influx of energy from the fruit proved too much for him to handle. The Lizard lost his rudimentary sense of self, transforming into a deranged serpent known later as Yormungandr.
The immense power of the ancestral Lizard, embodied in the apple, imbued the snake with extraordinary abilities. Yormungandr gained the capacity to consume any substance and, through digestion, harness and assimilate the energy of space. This alarmed Svarog and his kin, who swiftly set out in search of new realms, far from the creature that had devoured several and showed no signs of stopping.
Yormungandr, undetected in the chaotic inter-dimensional expanse, quietly expanded to an unimaginable size, leaving Svarog's family no choice but to flee.
Vasilisa was not privy to the full truth, only that the serpent's apple could imbue an ordinary serpent with extraordinary power and might, feared by the entirety of the Slavic pantheon, with Svarog as its head. Armed with this knowledge, she sought to acquire the power that would compel the world to take notice of her, and it was her great fortune that after stealing the apples from her father, she obtained full information on the consequences should she choose to consume one of the stolen fruits.
She needed to approach her father with fortitude, knowing that the consequences of her actions could be dire for her. However, he had been a deity for over a hundred million years, and his power was immense.
Naturally, after the discovery of the theft, she was placed on the list of those wanted by the gods. But Vasilisa had already fled to Earth, cursing herself for her hasty decision. What she had done was irreversible, and she knew that if she returned to the Slavic pantheon, she risked being caught by her divine kin and facing immediate execution.
Valisa, Valisa's half-sister, lingered in this realm solely due to Koschei, her beloved, who remained in this world by his own volition. They are among the sole representatives of the Slavic pantheon who remained on Earth of their own accord.
Now, with the awareness of the power contained within the apples and the potential threat they pose to our universe, I am more certain than ever of the necessity to acquire them!
I cannot allow them to be in the possession of that fool, for I am certain that once I execute the ritual and sever the connection between the Temple and the Earth, and she becomes aware of her impending submersion into chaos, she will seize upon the sole means of survival at her disposal — consuming the apple. Why would I want a creature that devours reality in proximity to my world? This is my thought; I care not for an Ermengand in our branch of reality.
And yet I do not peer so far into the future. I have no desire to depart this life, and if I am able to live long enough and accumulate sufficient power to assimilate without detrimental effects on my own being, I shall do so. In the interim, I can nurture my own tree.
As I recall from Vasilisa's memories, after the departure of the Slavic deities from this realm, the tree bearing the fruit she now possesses, which once flourished in the shadowy realm of the Lizard's domain, withered. This act was intentionally carried out by the Slavic pantheon to prevent the local inhabitants from following their path.
Now Vasilisa possesses three fruits that are unrelated to any trees and essentially belong to no one. They are perfect for my purposes. As the god of snakes, I have the ability to cultivate them; I possess my own realm with a controlled source of energy, from which I channel the power of darkness to foster the growth of my Yggdrasil, for only this energy is conducive to its nourishment.
Once it takes root and extends beyond the protective shield of my realm without causing any damage, it will feed on chaos, transforming it into the essence of space, thereby accelerating the expansion of my domain and beginning to produce its own fruits.
If I were to plant all three apples within my realm and allow them to take root, what would transpire? Alas, in the current state of affairs, where I am constrained by financial limitations, such an experiment is not feasible. Were these fruits a renewable resource, and had I access to another realm, I might undertake such an endeavor.
Alright, enough of this dreaming. It's time to bring Vasilisa back to her senses. After I ceased infusing light into her through my clones, I allowed her a moment to regain her clarity of mind. As soon as her verdant eyes with their vertical irises fixed upon me, I proceeded to articulate my proposal.
"I shall set you free, but only upon your solemn oath that upon your liberation, you shall provide me with three snake apples that are within your possession, within the span of ten minutes on Earth. In return, I shall give you a corollary oath, and should you fulfil your obligation, I shall release you back into the sanctuary. Do you accept these terms, or would you prefer to remain with me?" I spoke with a gleam in my eyes, not driven by carnal desire, but by a desire to inflict as much anguish and suffering upon her as I could.
"AGREE!!! I consent!" my captive exclaimed, promptly swearing me an oath by her very essence regarding what I had previously imparted to her. In turn, I pledged mine.
Seizing her by the scythe, I proceeded directly to the island where a gateway to the last bastion of the Slavic pantheon existed, inhabited by parasites and malevolent forces in our contemporary world.
Upon my own entry, accompanied by the weary Vasilisa, she plummeted into the portal without making contact with the ground. Through the portal, I glimpsed a verdant hill devoid of foliage and the familiar sight of Vasilisa's abode, which I had previously visited.
What happened in those ten minutes? It seemed like no more than half a second, when a small window appeared before me, and from it flew three dark green fruits, resembling small watermelons, but in fact being snake apples. As soon as I caught them with my telekinetic abilities, I felt like I had broken a vow given to me by Vasilisa, indicating that her conditions had been fulfilled. In my hands, I held the real fruits that grew in the underworld of lizards.
Marvelous!
Now we can give a decisive blow to all those who disparage Slavic heritage and send them into chaos. By the way, today the entire lake was filled with magicians from churches and princely families and noble houses of Eastern Europe and Russia. Yes, the magical part of the Russian Empire still goes by the name of Russia, and its rulers are true descendants of the Rurik dynasty, not those degenerate descendants from German lands who are now called Romanovs and sit on the imperial throne.
With so many onlookers present, it is imperative that I put on a grand spectacle! Am I an illusionist, indeed?
Standing a short distance from the lake, I soared into the sky to a height of a kilometer, commanding the commencement of the ritual to sever and obliterate the connection between Earth and my clones, the Chapter. Simultaneously, I initiated the creation of an illusion that would be visible to all rational beings in the vicinity. I had not previously executed such extensive illusions, but I was capable of doing so even before becoming a deity; I simply had no need. Now, however, I accomplished this task with ease.
As the mages attempted to decipher the events that had transpired at the lake the previous night, they became aware of a subtle shift in the ethereal realm surrounding them. The once tranquil sky was swiftly enveloped by a menacing canopy of dense, foreboding clouds. Within the span of mere moments, not a single sliver of azure morning sky remained visible from horizon to horizon; all was obscured by an inky shroud.
With the onset of thunderous rumblings, the local fauna, such as it was, began to succumb to a state of frenzied terror, as the fury of the elements reverberated with such intensity that leaves began to detach from their branches, despite the absence of any discernible wind. However, this state of chaos did not persist for long, for no sooner had the thunder subsided than the first bolt of lightning pierced the skies, striking directly at the heart of the lake — the very site where the small island, serving as an anchor for the Slavic pantheon, lay.
In the wake of this event, a tempestuous gale emerged, its force capable of uprooting trees, while the once placid surface of the lake was transformed into towering waves, seemingly transported from the depths of an oceanic realm.
The mages hastened to the shore with alacrity, appearing unscathed, and upon reaching solid ground they distanced themselves from the lake. However, to observe the scene, they erected magical shields around themselves and commenced their vigil. There was much to behold.
My confrontation with Vasilisa resumed, albeit in the form of an illusion. The spectators witnessed the colossal serpent attempting to engulf a diminutive warrior clad in gleaming armor. The warrior inflicted damage upon the immense creature and successfully evaded its retaliation.
I assumed the roles of scriptwriter, director, and special effects expert for a span of ten minutes. Judging by the pallid countenances of certain members of the Orthodox leadership and their accompanying magicians, the spectacle proved to be a remarkable sight.
However, we require greater grandeur and awe, while simultaneously establishing the identity of the serpent slayer to leave no room for doubt as to who it is. All of them are so heroic!
"I shall devour you, Svyatosar!" The roar and hiss of the snake's illusion cut through the thunderclaps, echoing for miles around. I had spared no expense on special effects or voice-acting, and mentally, I projected an animalistic terror, half of which came from Dagon's spawn. I did not want to go any further, for if anyone in the audience were weak of heart, they might perish.
In the instant the serpent spoke, my beloved illusion darted towards the open maw of the monster, vanishing into it with great speed. A collective gasp rippled through the audience, but no one had time to mourn, for the back of the serpent's skull exploded in a smoking, dark mass. My illusion emerged from the gaping wound.
The wind died, the lightning ceased, and the thunder ceased. The clouds began to dissipate, until they vanished entirely.
Now that I have come to a resolution regarding the identity of the hero, I must make my way to Alfonso's and make contact with Maria and Koneca, apprising them of my safe return.