The Last Hunter
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Legacy of Evil: Family Troubles
🕑 Added 2024-04-11 01:57:53 +0000 UTC"Ah, bollocks." I said aloud as I rushed over to see the following.
Aurors were generally well trained to deal with most situations, whether that be dark wizards, angry werewolves or similar. Even so, there was nothing in the human brain to prepare you for a laughing mad, near naked man with a sword chopping away though more survived than I thought.
Four of the aurors had been chopped down out of a crew of eight, almost half wiped out. Louhi had vanished, but I saw a snow owl fly in circles, letting out an angry screech and for a moment, the creature paused to look up at it as he shook his fist and cried out.
"You! Hello sister, how long has it been? I've so many things I'd love to give to you now! Here's one of them!" He grabbed an auror who kept trying to blast him, the effects scattering off his body as he hoisted him and threw him towards the snowy owl, before my wand shot out and kept him from falling into the abyss below. Unfortunately, it drew his attention to me, and as it did his eyes began to gleam as it focused on my hand-no, what was in my hand.
"Mother? You have mother?! GIVE HER BACK, GIVE HER BACK!" His fist shot out as he backhanded an auror and from the sound of it, broke his jaw before he began leaping at me, hands outstretched like claws.
My wand was holding the auror up. He knew it, I knew it and he thought that was that for me. Maybe if I was any other sort of wizard perhaps. But I was Tom fucking Riddle; I wasn't gonna die to no baby and I wasn't going to die to this frozen streaker and as he came at me, I opted for a little trick of my own.
I tossed the matryoshka doll over the side and for a moment, his attention was split. His voice was a strangled snarl, his head actually turned as I saw a white blur dive down for it. Most importantly though, I had a hand free. I mentioned earlier, how magic responds to our will and desire, formed into creation by giving it voice through our focus?
I really wanted and desired, to set this guy on fire and my magic responded as power collected and as the creature came closer, exploded outward in a blast of fiendfyre. A serpent formed, hissing and striking as I directed it, setting the auror down gently and with my wand freed, began manipulating it all the more as wild screams echoed from within the flames.
And as Louhi took form, landing by my side, she spoke. "Fiendfyre?"
"No kill like overkill." I replied and she winced before speaking. "Perhaps. But there's a problem." The serpent hissed, coiling back to circle and fly around the top as the blackened, charred corpse of the creature fell upon the invisible bridge.
I sniffed and gagged. "Yeah, I think I might have created a new method of charcoal."
"He's not dead!" Louhi snapped and I raised an eyebrow before blinking as I heard a cracking noise. The corpse of the creature was twitching, limbs popping out, muscles regrowing and I immediately yeeted the thing off the side of the bridge. At Louhi's expression I spoke aloud; "What? Did you really want me to wait till he got up again?"
And then in my head, I heard the following. The old, grumpy womans voice as she spoke directly... Something that judging from Louhi's expression, she was hearing as well.
"The Deathless cannot be slain. Judgement has been suspended, till such time you find his death and return it to its place."
"What happens if we don't?" I ask and suddenly from below out of sight, there was a burst of freezing winds and the fiendfyre serpent roared out in challenge. Across on the other side, the aurors who were helping their companions would get caught in it, and a few moments later would be frozen solid to the angered horror-filled cry of Louhi. Red bursts, like clouds from when their blood vessels exploded would be suspended in the icy prisons they were in, as the wild roar of the creature echoed in mad laughter as words cried out from below.
"I AM COMING FOR YOU ALL!"
"Right then." I hissed a word and the fiendfyre serpent immediately dove off over the side, roaring as I spoke swiftly. "That'll buy us some time. Is there anything here we can use?!"
Louhi immediately looked around, back and forth before she cursed in Finnish and spoke.
"These are all ancient artifacts! Dangerous to the user as they are to whoever they are turned upon! Who knows what dark magic lies within them!"
"He's not after any of them but one." I reached out, grabbed the matryoshka as I spoke. "Evacuate the Ministry, get everyone out. I'll lead him away. So long as I have this, he'll have to follow, right?"
She nodded, slowly and I added. "Look on the bright side too. Either I kill him, or he kills me and one headache will be gone."
Her mouth opened and closed, before she finally spoke. "Alright. I'll send you help then."
"Just follow the signal." I replied as I turned, and she called out after me. "What signal?"
"Me screaming like a little girl." I said dryly as I took a deep breath and began casting protective spells, warming ones-anything I felt would help me endure before I ran across the bridge. Behind me, I heard the distinctive sound of transformation, and the snowy owl flew off and was gone. Alone in the vault, I threw one last glance at the last item connected to Baba Yaga besides the cauldron and the nesting dolls. As I looked into the glassy eyes of the child peasant doll, for some reason I reached out and took it, hiding it in my coat before I made my way across the bridge. Another cold wave burst through and even through my protections, I felt the edges of a bitter cold and couldn't but glance over the side.
Down below, steam and flames mingled and burst as the consuming nature of Fiendfyre met the... Whatever it was, that this creature had, and I heard the voice of Baba Yaga again, a grim note in her tone this time around.
"In place of a heart, the Deathless took a sliver of winter and replaced it in his chest."
"Deathless, huh?" I said as I took a deep breath and ran through the hallway. That sounded far more familiar than I would have liked, as I spoke. "Don't suppose he has a weakness at all, that someone like me can exploit?"
There was a cracking noise, I ducked automatically and watched as the door I had come out of slammed down the hallway as the old Hag's voice spoke, amusedly.
"He enjoys playing with his food."
"Oh, does he now?" I said, reaching for one of the spirit charms around my neck. As I snapped it off and turned, I sent off another Fiendfyre serpent as the mocking laughter of the creature echoed through the flames.
"Another toy? How many must I break, before you give me what I want, thief?!"
I ignored it, holding up the charm as I dropped it and spoke.
"Child of Amihan, hear my call." And in the narrow tunnel, great winds burst out and swirled-an explosive whirlwind that expanded and fueled the flames of my serpent as faint, almost transparent outlines of an eagle with a ruff around its head swirled around me briefly, before flying off and vanishing. The voice in my head spoke, intrigued despite herself.
"Oh? A contractor? I hadn't seen one of those in years."
"I've been to a few places, here and there." I replied as I turned and kept moving. As I ran, the sound of the alarm rang and people began to stick their heads out of the doors, confused and scared and I slowed down. Leaving them as they were, I could use it. I could use them, slow down the creature in order to fight more readily and prepare myself.
But if I did, these people would die.
The voice was quiet, not a sound made as she waited for me to make a choice.
Finally, I growled in disgust and pointed my wand down at my feet as I let out a blast of raw power, making myself a new exit and being as obvious as possible. If that thing couldn't follow my magical signature at this point, my opinion of it would be far lower as I jumped and descended into the underground of Moscow.
Down below, into the metro area as the sounds of the trains echoed all around as I chose a direction and ran. Thirty feet away, I glanced over my shoulder and saw a misty, scorched humanoid land lightly, a sword in hand glowing red hot as blue eyes gleamed in the shadows and he began to follow, running after me as he yelled.
"YOU'RE REALLY BEGINNING TO TRY MY PATIENCE, THIEF! RETURN TO ME WHAT IS MINE!"
There was a flood of hot emotion, not entirely my own as the savage, hateful tones of Baba Yaga echoed in my mind.
"Pathetic babe, seeking out secrets unearned and not his. Forever crying for that which is forever denied."
He froze. I realized he actually could hear her, as he began to quiver and froth with rage. I felt the ground tremble before my feet, realized what was happening and I took a cautious step back as he yelled out.
"CENTURIES LATER, YOU STILL DENY ME MY BIRTHRIGHT! YOU WOULD GIVE IT OVER, TO THE WEAKNESS THAT IS MY HALF SISTER?! BITCH, TRAITOR! I'LL POLISH YOUR SKULL AND IMPALE IT BEFORE MY-"
A bright light shone, the creature turned briefly-momentarily confused and was promptly smashed by the Krasnogorsk 12:50. I was impressed, despite myself. Even trapped in the toy, Baba Yaga had a mean streak, and I couldn't help the touch of amusement as I turned and ran before vanishing with a crack.
=====
I appeared in my safehouse, a few detours later and let out a sigh of relief. For now at least, I was free to act and ask questions. I took out the doll, conjured up a chair and a table and sat down, setting the doll before me. As I paused, waiting and considering my first question I finally spoke.
"He didn't die. No matter what we threw at him. In Russian mythology, there's only man like that with the moniker of 'Deathless'." I took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as I fell back onto the Riddle brain portion of my psyche. Calm... I needed to be calm, in control. I envisioned a serpent, slowly coiled and patient upon a stone and as I did, I found myself relaxing as I leaned on my hand and addressed the nesting doll.
"Koshchei. His unique... Method of immortality is new however. Its not a horcrux then?"
There was a ripple of deep intrigue and then Baba Yaga replied back. "You know much of the Dark Arts, to cite something as foul and as banal as that branch of magic. Murder. Pain. Control. All of these are but mere toys, byproducts of a true curse. 'Unforgivable' they called it, ha! So it is, with my wayward son. But why should I share anything, even to one such as you? What will you give poor, imprisoned Baba Yaga for the gossip she has heard?"
I tapped my fingers and finally spoke. "Nothing."
There was a silence and then a warning tone in her voice, as she spoke back. "Nothing, you say?"
"Nothing whatsoever." I said flatly as I added. "You're imprisoned and I don't know what would happen if you were to be released, but considering all the trouble taken to do so, I'm not so keen to do that. What I will offer in exchange for your information on both your brat AND a matter of interest, is NOT to give you up to him when he asks me nicely."
I paused and added. "Because I'm certain whatever else may happen, you're not one who wants Koshchei the Deathless to have you in his hands, while you're in a position of weakness."
There was a cackle and then her voice spoke, more amused than anything. "Imprisonment begins in the mind and in the mind, is where you must first break free. But so be it... Ask what you will."
I leaned back, considering before I finally ask. "How does his tether to mortality work and how do I sever it?"
She laughed in turn as she spoke. "Koshchei took out his death and replaced it with winter in his heart. So long as winter endures, so too shall my son. Till such time you find his death and return it back."
I suddenly grew tense, recalling something offhand. In what seemed like years ago to me rather than... Last year I thought it was, I'd used the Killing Curse on a Naagloshii. Instead of dropping it, I had burned out through a number of lives it had consumed until I slew it all at once, pitting it against a Basilisk stare. Now that I thought about it, why was that? What was the difference between my magic and that of a magical creature? At any rate, it sounded similar enough to my mind. Rather than the horcrux essentially anchoring a soul to the mortal realm, snapping it back whenever they died, Koschei and the Naagloshii both seemed to prefer more esoteric sources. Whether it was the life forces of consumed creatures or the metaphysical nature of winter, there was an underlying mystical tether there that made them akin to one another.
"Would a basilisk work against him?" I asked next and Baba Yaga chuckled.
"He would suffer greatly. The fallen children of Dilmun still retain their Grace, but even the serpent is incapable of slaying Winter itself. At most, you will slow him down. And a basilisk shall tire and fade away... He, will not."
"Right then." I muttered, considering my options again. Finally, I spoke aloud, curious despite myself.
"Why were you locked away?"
In all my research of Baba Yaga, I had never truly found a proper answer. Most Russian magical history was consigned to the flames for one, the surviving books had always been more focused on other things, less offensive such as the Firebird; a cousin to the Phoenix or possibly the same bird, legends were strange like that. Oh certainly, the mundane stories were rife with stories of her witchcraft and most of the locals in the know like Louhi were terrified of her getting free, but Baba Yaga was as much guide as she was storybook crone in the tales of old.
Even considering what I knew of true Hags now, I wanted to hear her story and Baba Yaga did not disappoint as she spoke.
"I am Baba Yaga. And for every question asked and every demand made of me, I gained a new wart or wrinkle. People would come, constantly for help and for magical aide, all of them nothing but lazy, pathetic wastes of flesh. A man came to me, asking to heal his leg and my payment was for him to cut his arm off. I would ask for gold, as much as they could give and throw it all into the river at the quickest opportunity. I twisted fate, burned crops to heal their herd animals, saved sons by slaying daughters and saved mothers, by devouring fathers. I did as I pleased and none could stop me, and none would! For all had need of Baba Yaga."
She laughed, bitter now as she then grew silent. That was fine, I had a lot to process as I breathed slowly out. As I sat there, a few moments later there was a scrape of scales on concrete. The looming form of my basilisk's head came closer, and my hand automatically reached out, gently scratching along the underside of her chin as I thought about my next move.
Koshchei would not be stopped so easily. If anything, he would be likely causing havoc right at this very moment. So, I needed time, I needed a period of cease fire. But how? Koshchei was arrogant, smug in his superiority and powerful enough that few could stop him.
But if he was anything like myself, there was a way to get him and I began to write a letter, parchment and quill conjured up as I scribbled it down and sealed it, with a coiled serpent wax seal. There.
Looked professional enough and I showed it to the basilisk, who seemed to have no real thought on the matter. Now it was only a question of the right messenger, and I considered before speaking aloud.
"Thatch. Your master bid you to help me."
There was a crack and suddenly a familiar, very angry house elf as he snarled.
"You broke your word! Meddling, stupid wizard!"
"I did nothing of the sort." I said, offended as I added. "I told you simply I'd go to Moscow and discover the answer to my current problem, I said nothing about time length nor when I'd return to it. At any rate, this should give you something to laugh at." I handed over the letter, he took it and was briefly confused as I added.
"Take this to Koshchei. Tell him for the span of twenty-four hours, the both of us are to cease fire. No violence, no surprises. I'd like to talk to him."
Thatch gave a violent start, and I could feel the curiosity from the doll as I continued.
"If it works, tell Louhi she has time to determine how to deal with this... And if it doesn't, then you'll get first row seats to watching the Deathless do his best to kill me. Either way, you win."
The basilisk hissed in anger and Thatch flinched before he spoke reluctantly. "Thatch... Will do his best."
And he vanished with a crack. As he did so, the basilisk coiled closer as she finally spoke.
"I do not like this, Master. I can smell the ancient power on the creature you encountered."
"Don't worry my dear." I replied, as I rose up and added. "For once, I have a plan. And we're going to use Grandmother here to exact this." I held up the doll, as I added darkly. "Because Grandmother is going to want us to be prepared, for when we meet her prodigal son. So, tell me grandmother."
I held the doll up and spoke with dark intent. "How do I get to the Island of Buyan?"
At first I thought that she would stay silent... And then, she spoke aloud in my head in a tone full of smug superiority. "Not via those mundane creations nor any spellcraft modern wizardry favors. If we are to get to Buyan?"
Her voice grew anticipatory, and I found a thrill flick through my spine at her next words.
"We're going to have to take my ride."
