Lucifers dance

Omid

The enemy is tightening a pincer around us. I feel panic in the hearts of my men, crushed between the zombie army and the reinforcements that have just arrived. Beside me, Vlahar is a statue of taut nerves.

«Have faith, my friend,» I tell him; my voice is calm and steady, like deep water. I stare straight ahead, ignoring the clash of battle. «Use the whistle.» I order.

«Are you sure?» Vlahar cannot hide his anxiety. «Aren’t our enemies too close to our comrades? We risk friendly fire.»

«Trust me; this is the right moment.» My answer admits no argument. The risk is calculated; the effectiveness outweighs the potential harm. Without hesitation, he grabs the little skull hanging at his throat and blows.

From the forest, on our flanks, a rain of arrows slams into the enemy reinforcements, thinning their rear guard. Had it been up to me, I would have used an archer strike right away, as the enemy did. But I must admit: Princess Liliane devised an excellent tactic. Keep the malylebky hidden for emergencies. Now the enemy does not know it, but with their pincer maneuver they have surrounded themselves. A beginner’s mistake that will cost them dearly. Every life is a pawn, but some pawns are worth more than others.

Suddenly a blanket of thick, dark fog spreads from the enemy commanders. Visibility vanishes. All I hear are the clashing blades and the mounting screams of our comrades. “A desperate maneuver, but dangerous.”

For a fleeting instant the fog thins. It’s only a second, but I see: the enemy advances, and our men are seared by our own arrows. Friendly fire becomes inevitable in the chaos. The mist swallows us again.

Vlahar, without waiting for an order, blows the little skull once more, stopping the archers’ volley.

“Damn — this must be Radomir’s doing. Just as we were regrouping.” I need to dispel this darkness. Not merely to save lives, but because I cannot command what I cannot see.

I close my eyes and breathe. I empty my heart and focus my mind on what is pure. «Ahura Mazda, my father, I beg you — illuminate the hearts of your children.» My right hand glows with a warm white light. As I open it, the light rises into the sky and swells into a small luminous sphere that pushes the fog away from the battlefield.

«Use the whistle again,» I order.

«Won’t the clouds come back like before?» he asks, surprised by my magic.

«No. Previously the fog was simply removed, probably by Laila, who did not know its nature. My spell holds. Look ahead,» I answer, pointing to the sky. The black smoke continues to thicken overhead, compact and menacing. «We are safe.»

Vlahar whistles, and the archers resume their attack, mowing down clearly visible enemy ranks.

The platoons thin rapidly. We manage to advance more easily than before; the zombies falter. The assault is working.

But suddenly, our allies — my men halfway down the formation — begin to burn to ashes.

«We have traitors! How could they, after all the time we’ve spent together?» Vlahar shouts, shaking his fist.

A cold sensation coils in my gut, a warning from Ahura Mazda. I narrow my eyes on the figures and see them ringed in a revolting dark aura. «They didn’t betray us…» Sweat beads at my temples, not from stress but from disgust. «Those… were our comrades.»

°°°

Kenji

I stand behind Nadia-chan, wounded. The hole in my shoulder hurts. I must put an end to Maros as quickly as possible. «I know I’m asking much of you, Nadia-chan,» I rasp. «But you must handle the loutky yourself; I don’t know whether targeting Maros renders his power useless, but if not, the vessels won’t be able to defend against the looming foes.»

She looks at me with a hard, determined gaze. «Mh!» she answers with a nod. She reaches out a hand to me; the pain vanishes and the wound is as if it were never there. “It’s the first time I feel her power on me — it’s a beautiful sensation, like a mother’s embrace.”

«Thank you.» I say, and immediately we leap from the ship, from opposite sides. I shift shape while she summons three gwiber owls five times the normal size; their flames burn a vivid azure with tongues of deep red. She heads straight for the enemy lines.

I see Maros prepare another shot; I streak toward him and strike his mount, making him miss. «Where are you aiming? I’m right here.» I call, issuing the challenge.

In the distance I already see Nadia doing well, incinerating every foe. I cannot fall behind.

I hear a thunder — I don’t see it anymore — I feel a pain that paralyzes and the stench of burning flesh. «Where are you looking? I’m right here!» he cries, pulling a blade from my chest and letting himself fall; the aitvaras snatches him in midair. “Bastard...”

I dive at the zombie beast, severing a wing; the two fall, but Maros propels himself and thrusts toward me — I dodge the strike; he spins, ready to loose another arrow. I have no time to react when the aitvaras clutches my back with its talons, pinning one wing; we tumble, it bites my neck — a flash — I snap back into human form, dodging seven arrows.

With the ōdachi I shred the creature into sashimi-sized pieces in an instant; I shift form and with a wingbeat scatter the remains.

Explosions roar behind me and in a heartbeat I find myself surrounded by the fleet slowly plunging earthward. «What the—?!»

Slashes and bolts come from every direction, preventing my flight; I sustain too many wounds. I return human and finally can block his attacks. “I admire his technique and cunning: he used the airships to shape a favorable battlefield.”

The dirigibles return intact. He adjusts his technique: strikes from above aim to hurt me, while those below try to pin me down and bring the airships to bear. “If I continue like this, I risk dying.” I drop my guard and allow myself to be struck, grabbing his arm.

«Got you!» we both shout in unison.

I cleave him nearly in two with a single stroke, but it costs me dearly; he leaves a wide hole in my stomach… We both lose our grip on our weapons and fall.

He lies just a few meters below me. He removes his helmet and looks at me with a pained smile. He grabs the ōdachi still lodged in him; the sword and his arm disappear, replaced by a huge void... I feel cold, breathless. I lower my gaze and see the same gaping hole in my chest. His was a kamikaze strike. Everything blurs to black.

“Hasami… I’m sorry. I won’t be able to have my hair cut by you anymore… It’s a pity. I would have loved to return to our country with you…”