A Daughter's Love

Chapter Thirteen.

Neptune.

Moscow, Russia.

Because of Aurella’s contract with me, I had always known where she was but her patterns were odd, almost unpredictable, having travelled from Scotland to New York, Germany, Chicago and finally coming to a stop in Moscow which was located in Russia almost ten years after Evangeline and I had been separated. There she remained for the next eight until I was to need her help. The streets were cobble stone and the cold air of winter allowed for my breath to condense into white smoke as I walked along their winding pathways, venturing further away from the grandly built structures such as the Kremlin or Saint Basil’s Cathedral where thousands of people gathered to marvel at the architecture. My destination was a small shop located down the length of an alleyway, its windows decorated in animal skulls, various shapes of red and black candles, herbs, crystals and beading. The sign that hung from the door read ‘Zadajte, ak sa opovažujete’ which was Slovak for ‘Enter, if you so dare’ and above the shop hung the name of it finely painted in black letters with a cursive hand ‘Baba Yaga’ with chicken feet dangling from a hook beside the title of the store. I breathed a laugh and shook my head, wringing my gloved hands together to gather some warmth before I stepped through the door. A bell chimed and I was met with only a room, lined with shelves that harboured various types of spell books, crystals, powders, potions and ingredients that had been preserved in clear glass jars. I studied a nearby one within which three snake eyes bobbed, appearing alive and as though they were watching me. My mind wondered to the shop name as I studied the shelves. Baba Yaga was a simple legend, a fairy tale that the Slavic people made up to frighten their children and keep them from venturing out into the woods for fear of a wicked old witch who was as hideous as she was gruesome that might want to feast on their hearts. The story told of how she lived in a cabin in the woods that could move from one place to the next, carried by giant chicken legs, hence why there were chicken feet dangling from the sign as an attempt to scare off delinquent children “Vidím, že si sa mi páčila v mojej najnovšej sérii plazov” a woman’s voice said, strong and powerful both because of her magical aura and the Slavic language that always sounded so mighty and righteous. My back was to her and because I wore a thick black jacket with the hood pulled up, rimmed in wolf skin, she had yet to recognise me but I had recognized her. I could smell her magic, not fake magic that involved reptilian eyes or bird wings but powerful elemental, black magic that required a blood sacrifice and demonic assistance “Actually, I have no interest in these eyes what so ever-.” I began, turning and pushing the hood of my coat back to reveal my striking sapphire eyes that began to glow vibrantly, pupils slitting to indicate who I was. Aurella tensed, her empty white gaze widening as her clawed hands tightly gripped one another. She looked just as she had nineteen years ago when we had last seen her but the evil that had taken over her when slaughtering the whale, the intense deadly energy was no longer there. To that day I had yet to understand what had happened but knew that after Faolan had been brought back from the abyss, something else had been brought to earth along with him, something sickening, something evil “But I do have a particular interest in you, Aurella” crow’s feet stretched outward from the corners of her eyes and she appeared tired, more tired than she had ever been despite not needing to sleep. She hadn’t had a need for sleep in centuries so what could possibly have her as drained and exhausted as she was “My lord” she greeted, going down on one knee before me, the ebony skirt of her gown splayed out on the wooden flooring around her as she bowed her head toward me in submission. Usually she would have sneered at me, have scrunched up her nose and refused to even acknowledge me for the many years of enslavement I’d put her through, for the many centuries I had stood in her way from seeing the man she loved again yet in that moment she was so sad, so defeated that she had no fight left “Why did you run and why are you here?” I demanded, eyes narrowing onto her slightly thinner form than usual. She’d lost weight and had dark circles underneath her eyes. I motioned to the shop around us, to the cheap imitations of what was supposed to be magic and the table that sat in the middle of it, covered in a purple cloth that had a crystal ball placed in the centre of it “The ruler of the gods neglected to inform you of my ordered obligations?” she questioned when she realized that I had been kept in the dark. My gaze narrowed frighteningly but not toward her, in response to what she was telling me. What else had Amun been hiding from me? First the fact that he’d murdered Evangeline and kept her imprisoned in purgatory, now my loyal witch was about to shed light upon something else he was trying to keep secret. When I did not respond, Aurella rose to her feet and began to explain why she had been absent for so long “The demoness, Dysnomia was brought forth from the Abyss along with Faolan’s soul. As a result, I was ordered by your ruler to locate and return her from whence she came” a demoness? I froze, stunned by the sudden newfound information as I gazed at her from across the store. The Abyss was a place beyond even the Asphodel fields were the darkest, most twisted souls were sent to drift aimlessly without hope of ever being freed. When a soul is sent to the Asphodel fields they suffer through horrifying images of their wrong doings, they become haunted by their fears for all of eternity, a torment that is entirely mental instead of physical as Balor preferred it, however some of those souls start to go insane, they lose their humanity at which point they are cast into the Abyss where they fester and start to become something that is far from human, a creature who desires to feast upon human souls as an attempt to restore its humanity. Otherwise known as a demon “Why am I only now learning of this?” I demanded, causing her to flinch. Aurella never flinched, she was powerful and strong not fragile and beaten down as she appeared to me on that day. What had she suffered through in order to stop the demoness? What sights had she seen that had made her question her own sanity? How drained she must’ve been to send a demoness back to the Abyss on her own and without any help from others? She shook her head “I assumed that you would be informed. After her killing spree, the souls she consumed and the great loss this world suffered, I was told that I could only bring shame to you as my contracted god and the coven-.” she lowered her head to hide her face away as I processed the true extend of what Amun had done. A demoness was to be dealt with by the entre coven, seven witches in total, however he had told her to deal with it on her own, in turn ensuring that I had no witch to aid me if I was to rebel for his actions against Evangeline. Aurella was so destroyed at I feared she would be of little use when it came to conducting powerful magic but I didn’t need her for that, all I needed was her ability to bless a necklace as she had done with Evangeline’s along with her locating skills “Riona told me to run, to go into hiding and when I would sense you searching, I was to stay away, however I fear that this time I was too weak to realize that you had found me” I nodded, glancing in the direction of the shop door then ventured deeper into the store, past a curtain of purple beads and to the very back where a small room had been prepared for her to stay in, unable to return to her tower in Scotland per Amun’s orders “I did and you’re going to assist me in bringing about the great fall of Amun” Aurella followed me into the back room, pushing aside the beaded curtain with the use of her pale, bony hand as I observed a map that had been framed and hung on the wall above her bed. It was a map of the world or at least that’s what it appeared to be but on closer inspection I could see the powerful magical lay lines that littered the earth, the markings she had made of where the demoness would travel to next along with the determined locations of every gate to the Abyss known to their magical codex “I cannot-.” she began to protest, fearful of what would happen if I were to once again accept her as the witch who served beneath me along with confusion as to why I would challenge the ruler of the gods so recklessly “Can you still read veins in your current state?” I questioned, half turning to face her with my hands stuffed into the pockets of my thick, wool coat to keep warm during Moscow’s snowy, freezing winters. She slowly nodded her head, teeth clenching when I offered her my right hand, holding it out to her with its palm facing up, the glove having pulled away from it to leave it exposed “Read them and understand what it is that we must do” she tentatively reached out and brushed her fingertips along my palm, studying the lines that could be found there before she dared clasp her hand around my wrist and a bright blue light flared out around us. Her eyes began to glow vibrantly, lips parted and mouth gaping as she observed the images of Malia, of Malik, Ryker, Evangeline and her request, of the plot we had devised against Amun. My veins began glowing the same bright blue as her eyes but before long she released my wrist and gasped to catch her breath, stumbling back against the wall beside the doorframe with her hand placed over her racing heart, looking at me with furrowed brows as I returned the glove to my hand and stuffed it back into the pocket of my coat “Now you know why I am here” I informed her, glancing down at the table beside her bed where books had been splayed open, ancient books covered in the tongue of the witches, written in cursive that I couldn’t even begin to make out “Amun must be stopped” the witch pushed off the wall and bowed her head in submission toward me, drawing my attention onto her. The way her eyes changed from fragile and innocent to furious and filled with so much rage told me that she too had a reason for wanting to watch Amun fall “I will do whatever it is that you may request me to, if only to see the look of deprivation on his face when the throne is taken from him by our combined hands” I wondered what had happened during her time of absence. Where was that Scottish soldier that she had gone to such great lengths to revive? Why did she hate Amun as much as she did? How had she managed to defeat a demoness and who had the demon been during her time as a human on earth? She had to have been a terrible, wicked woman for her soul to have been so distorted and destroyed as it had been but that would be something that only Aurella knew. I nodded and turned my back to the woman, deciding to leave her past in her past for her sanities sake “We must return to Vannes as soon as possible” I informed which she agreed with, knowing that Malik had yet to awaken and that it was the next step in our combined plan, mine, Evangeline and Pandora’s scheme to bring forth an era of trust and loyalty among the gods, free of such tyranny and injustice. Amun had reigned for over a billion years before the rest of the gods were even created and I believed that it was time for him to step down from his throne, to usher in the new dawn of a new age.

Aurella.

Demons, creatures who seek redemption through devouring the purest of human souls. Never before has a demon reached such redemption, however Dysnomia had come threateningly close to entering the Elysium fields before I managed to return her twisted soul back to the Abyss. The demoness had attached herself to the portion of Faolan’s soul that drifted through the Abyss before his revival and was brought to the land of the living along with him. Faolan did not live a life pure enough to reach the Elysium fields due to his religious beliefs and secret practices. I did not know of this until he died many centuries ago, only then discovering what cruel measures he had gone to in order to portray his devotion to the demons he was loyal to. These creatures of the darkness, these festering, hungry, desperate souls were once humans, mortal who lived lives of slaughter, torment and created utter destruction across the earth. Baron Gilles de Rais was but one of these inhumane souls that occupied the Abyss, a French nobleman who had tortured, murdered and raped more than five hundred innocent children. Another of those who deserved to rot within the darkest depths of the afterlife was Catherine Monvoisin, an alleged sorceress who took to sacrificing infants in sadistic rituals much like Faolan had done with animals or humans. She attempted to poison the king of France during her time but failed and was captured, later sentenced to death. I set aside the book I had been reading and looked to the man seated across from me in the back room of my shop in Moscow. Neptune appeared different, dressed in normal human fashion with a clean shaven jaw and the smallest, unnoticeable strands of grey hair mixed in with his usual ebony. They weren’t age but rather from stress. He flipped through his own book, ringed fingers fiddling with the old brown pages as his sapphire gaze searched the many pages. He was searching for something but he would not tell me what that something was. The lapis lazuli that sat on the desk pushed against the far wall caught my eyes and a sadness so great began to consume me. It was the stone in which Faolan’s soul had once resided, the object that I would carry with me no matter where I dared to venture with the hope that I would one day be reunited with the man whom I loved so dearly. I pushed the thoughts away and reached for the book once more, eyes scanning the words. Peter Stumpp or otherwise known as the werewolf of Bedburg lived during the sixteenth century and had confessed to murdering and eating fourteen children which included his only son. He also cannibalized two pregnant women during his time on earth but was later beheaded, his body burned. My entire body froze as I came upon a well-known name, a name I had plenty to do with during the past eighteen years. Countess Elizabeth Bathory. A cold chill was sent down my spine and I shut the book abruptly, rising to stand as I pushed the thoughts to the very back of my mind yet they still crept forward. Elizabeth also known as the blood Countess or the demoness Dysnomia had been a Hungarian noblewoman who had been taught how to worship demons or devils from a young age by her uncle. She tormented and beat young girls to death, often taking pleasure in the act of watching them suffer. She had become infatuated with the idea of immortality and noticed how her hands, stained in the blood of her young servants appeared youthful so she would have young virgin women kidnapped, tormented and drained of their blood for her to bathe in. She was never convicted of her actions in life but Balor took it upon himself to punish her, to torture her mind as she had tortured those women and when the strings of her sanity, what little remained finally snapped, she was tossed into the Abyss where she would rot away, her body becoming deformed into what could only be described as a person’s worst nightmare. She was the perfect embodiment of what humans would call the devil. It pained me to think of what other creatures had surrounded Faolan within those depths, what other cruel, sickening beings conversed with him, reached out to him but Elizabeth, no, Dysnomia had to be the most, vile and wicked of them all. She had attached herself to him, had shared her memories with his mind and manipulated it in the time that it took me to conduct my plan of revival for his soul. I crumbled in the middle of the room, falling to my knees, hands clawing at my face as the thoughts returned, the images of those torn apart, slaughtered young women, drained of blood and dignity. Some stared up at me with holes for eyes, holes left where she had managed to cut their eyes out of their sockets. I could smell it, the damp, coppery and fesses infested scent of the dungeon, the scent of rotting corpses. I clamped my hand over my mouth, trembling when I felt like I would vomit but was brought out of Dysnomia’s memories when a hand gripped my shoulder, drawing my eyes upward, to the god that towered over me “You should not have dealt with the demoness on your own, it was a job meant for the gods yet they forced you to face a being that was far more powerful than yourself-.” he informed, his jaw set and his gaze hard as if he knew that such a task was meant for the gods and that by forcing me to do it, they were deliberately attempting to have me killed. I lowered my head, the powerful, strong witch that once was gone, broken and destroyed. If Amun had taken it upon himself to banish Dysnomia, it would have been dealt with in a matter of days. Many innocent lives would’ve been spared and I would still be as powerful as I had once been so why had he refused? Why had he insisted that I take care of it? Unless it was to ensure that I would be weak, to ensure that I wouldn’t be of any use to the sea god if the time came “Because of that, Amun will pay for his wrong doings” Neptune concluded, holding the book he had found on one of my many shelves in his free hand as the other gave my shoulder a firmer squeeze. What had he been searching for among the many words that were hand scribbled in black ink over many decades? Everything made sense, why Amun had refused to help me, why he had sent Riona to tell me that I needed to run, to hide myself from my contracted god. He knew that Evangeline was growing happier, that the birth of her children would bring about the end of his punishment, he had known from the very beginning when Malik was just conceived. There in that throne room, he had known and he understood that a child was a form of great joy. He knew that many years from then he would have to punish her a second time yet he also understood what rebellious behaviour that would cause among the rest of the gods, especially Neptune so he deprived the sea god of his most powerful weapon, his witch to ensure that there would not be an uproar, a rebellion “It is time to move on from the past and break into a new era with a new ruler who will sit upon the throne of the gods” Neptune informed, letting his hand slip away from my shoulder as he headed for the front of the shop, beaded curtain cluttering when he pushed his way past their purple wall. I watched him go from my place on my knees, hands gripping the fur carpet beneath me, balling into frustrated, determined fists. Was this what Evangeline felt, knowing that I had toyed with her life as I had? The way Amun had thrown me head first into a battle that took me a decade to finish with ulterior motives for the future was enough to drive me mad. How dare he manipulate me so but then again. How dare I manipulated her so? Was this what karma felt like? And if so then perhaps I deserved the depletion of my magic, the great loss that my heart suffered? When I stood from that bear skin carpet I no longer felt weak or destroyed but fierce and furious. Amun had ensured that neither I, Neptune nor Evangeline could stand against him for his actions, however he’d forgotten about one crucial aspect. Her children. Malia as she was, awakened was a monster, a force to be reckoned with on any battlefield. She was the embodiment of war, of bloodshed and chaos. Each swing of her blade could cause about destruction, each war cry would mean a new death and every breath that she took for as long as she was allowed to breathe would mean one step closer to watching Amun tumble from his throne and into the very pits of the Abyss where I would send him even if it meant dragging myself with him. I turned to leave, to follow Neptune out the door but reached for my black wolf skin coat to keep warm during the Russian winters. Malik had yet to awaken but if he proved himself to be even nearly as strong as his sister was then the war would be won, the new era would be ushered in and the tyranny would come to an end but then who would sit upon the throne of the gods? Who would rule over the remaining five and what conflict would this cause among them even after Amun had fallen? I could only hope that Neptune had somehow managed to think everything through before rushing into things so blindly, so foolishly. He made his way down the cobblestone streets that were covered in a dense layer of snow, the book tucked beneath his arm and the bell to what used to be my shop chiming in the distance. I caught up to him, my pace slower, my body weaker from not having eaten in so long, unable to keep anything down after having seen and experienced Dysnomia’s memories but even though I struggled, I still remained at his side where I would stay for the rest of my immortal existence. He was my contracted god, the only god that mattered to me, the only man who did not judge or belittle me. He took me in even after having learned of my mistakes yet he did not look at me as if I was any different than I had been before and because of this I would serve him to the best of my capabilities, I would ensure Amun’s Fall and I would release Evangeline from purgatory even if it meant condemning myself. Amun would pay for the torment he had put me through, for the broken heart that ached in my chest, for the many tears I had cried since Faolan’s revival all those years ago. Revenge was a powerful force, a motivation that was almost as strong and unwavering as love itself.              

We ventured along the various cobblestone roads until day turned to night and the people began to disappear into the comfort of their own homes. My feet began to ache dully from the boots that I wore, their heels high enough for any normal woman to easily fall and break her neck in if she wasn’t as accustomed to them as I had grown over the centuries. It had begun snowing lightly when Neptune reached for the book again, flipping through the pages until he came to a stop at his designated page “Tell me about this ring” the sea god insisted, shoving the book in my direction. I quickly took it, my thickly gloved hands eager to know what it had been he was so interested in just hours prior. The pages were written in the ancient tongue, a language he couldn’t begin to understand but that I could read simply because I was a witch. In the centre of one of the pages was a very familiar sketch of a ring, an emerald ring made of pure silver and gold, incrusted with peridot and amazonite. It was the colour of life, the colour or rebirth and fertility. I did not need to read the pages to know what the ring was and why it had been mentioned in one of the old grimoire of my kind “The ring of Exousia” I began, naming it as it deserved to be addressed, by its proper title. The ring was a powerful witch’s artefact, a godly instrument that had been forged long ago following the creation of the Leandros sword. My hand shut the book and passed it back to Neptune who took it only to toss it into the snow with little regard for its worth “It is one of the blessings the gods bestowed upon humanity along with the sacred sword and heavenly light-.” meaning fire. The sea god continued walking along the roads and pathways, his face almost as white as the snow around us in the faint light of the moon that hung overhead, peaking through the thick grey clouds that brought with them snow from the North “It is said to bestow great power upon its wearer, having brought great victory in battles, assisting rulers in conquering lands and bringing good fortune to the person who owns it” I explained as we reached a bridge overlooking a large river yet the structure was empty, void apart from us. Neptune paused, turning to gaze down at the frozen river water below with his hands gripping the railing of the bridge “Such a trinket could restore enough of your strength for you to assist us in this war, it could tip the scales in our favour” I felt the muscles in my back tightening, stiffening as I processed his words. He truly meant to seek out the ring of Exousia and use it against Amun in the first war among the gods. He was right, I could draw enough power from the ring to ensure that I accomplish what he had sought me out to do yet it would be of no further use once I had used up all of its strength. Attempting something so reckless would surely destroy the object within a short amount of time “That may be so, however we are unaware of where this ring may reside and time, my lord, is something that we do not have as Amun grows weary with each passing day” my words drew Neptune’s piercing gaze back onto my empty, ivory one. He had changed so much since the last time I had laid eyes on him at the Butterfly Ball, he was aged mentally and not physically, he radiated a sense of compassion, understanding and longing for others that he had yet to exhibit before his encounter with Evangeline. He was more human than god but he was still someone to be feared, he was still a god “The ring is as green as the grass of the Elysium fields and who do we know that possesses a rumoured ring similar to this description?” he questioned, an all-knowing gleam in his eyes as he waited for my response. I was about to argue and say that no such thing had ever been heard of yet the words fell short when my mind took me back to a few years prior. I had been reading a woman’s fortune, studying the lines of her veins when she began to tell me a tale of how the empress of Russia had required a ring that was the colour of the first budding leaves of Spring in the South. Her unusually successful acts during the Austrian Succession war and her powerful role in the current war that involved all of Europe made it all seem like common sense. She was the barer of the ring “Empress Yelisaveta of Russia” Neptune’s lips turned upward in a small smirk before he pushed off the wall and continued on across the bridge. I kept at pace with him and wrung my hands to keep them warm against the freezing lash of the biting frost “Do we steal it then?” I asked, eyes searching the various buildings and structures around us. Neptune remained silent, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his thick coat as he contemplated his next move. He needed my power, a power that wouldn’t reach the potential that he was dependent upon, therefore the ring was his only hope of granting me enough strength to be able to place a blessing upon an object for Malik once he was to awaken or to determine where the Grail was located. The Grail. I pushed the thought of such a thing to the back of my mind “No. Yelisaveta Petrovna and those who share her bloodline are aware of the gods just as the Campbell’s were-.” he explained and it made sense. Caleb did not know of the sword because he was a bastard born, not raised in the ways of the nobility like his father and Claudia had been. It would’ve been Claudia’s duty to protect the sword had her father died before her as his only true heir but because of their deaths that responsibility fell upon Caleb who had lost the sword to Amun during the separation. Similarly, the empress of Russia needed to be informed of the gods and their existence in order to protect the ring they had bestowed upon her family many centuries ago “She will most likely hand it over to us of her own free will” I fell in step behind him, watching as the fur of his coat danced in the biting winds yet he seemed unaffected by the chill, his skin a similar temperature to that of the snow. He was cold blooded much like the rest of his Hearts so that they could grow accustomed to various water temperatures therefor winter did not bother them but it was the hot intensity of the summer sun that often left them dehydrated and feeling ill. Hours passed until we stumbled upon a stable where Neptune saddled two stallions for us to mount and ride. The black Vladimir Heavy Draft stallion that had patches of white on its face and tuffs of ivory hair that concealed its hooves was calm in the god’s presence, almost sensing that Neptune was in deed the ruler of horses, them being the animal that represented the god in legends, myths and was even depicted alongside him in ancient literature, paintings or carved statues “Dobrý chlapec” he whispered the words of praise to the stallion once he had finished saddling the mighty creature then moved onto the next. I blew warm breath into my hands, shivering in response to spending so much time out in the cold. Normally it wouldn’t have bothered me but with my magical energy as depleted as it was, there was nothing I could do to combat the frost. The second horse was an Orlov Trotter that was a mixture between grey, silver and white, its hair braided down one side of its neck as its glossy eyes, appearing black wearily watched me from across the stables. I hadn’t ridden a horse in nearly a hundred years, never having had the need to do so with the aid of my magic. Drawing a simple circle or muttering a few enchanted words were easier in comparison to riding since it would get me to where I wanted to go within minutes whereas riding always left your stomach churning and your rear aching, calves chafing and hands hurting. Not even the gods were able to jump from place to place so freely, however they could manipulate the elements which they controlled to be able to move more freely such as how Neptune is able to move at the speed of light through water but must make use of human transportation means on land. Though the Winter Palace where the Empress resided was located beside the Neva River, Neptune could not use the water for transport because of my weakened state and the obvious fact that I couldn’t breathe under water. Being a witch and being immortal meant that we could still die from normal means, able to heal faster but still being capable of drowning or burning to death. We simply did not age or fall ill “There” Neptune muttered then moved to the Vladimir steed to mount it effortlessly, swinging one leg over the back of the beast with expertise and grace, gripping the reigns like a king would. Once the stallion adjusted to his weight, shifting from one leg to the next and breathing out hard, its single gust of air turning white in the frigged Russian air, Neptune turned his questioning gaze onto my form “I don’t particularly like horses” I admitted, looking at the Trotter with a sceptical gaze, arms wrapped tightly around myself to savour what little heat I could. The god breathed a laugh and looked to the lighter of the two steeds with glowing blue eyes. The horse’s eyes began to glow the same vibrant aqua and it lowered its head as if to bow in the presence of its master “Behave” Neptune instructed to which the stallion began to bob its head up and down, eyes no longer glowing when the god looked back to me expectantly. I huffed, my own breath turning white as I approached the horse, tracing its neck before hoisting myself into the saddle, exclaiming when it shifted beneath me. Neptune chuckled then snapped his reigns, the Vladimir stallion taking off at a gallop out of the stables and down the cobblestone streets, its hooves clicking against the stone in a fast paced and powerful beat. I couldn’t help but stare as the hood of his coat fell back from the winds that slid through his hair, the image so perfect from his ebony hair, his blackened clothing and the steed that he rode, so powerful and onyx like the shadows of the night. The way Neptune’s blue eyes appeared to glow, the snow gently trickling down around them as the horse’s hooves kicked more of the flakes upward in its haste, the black hair or the stallion dancing in the act of its gallop. I kicked at my horse’s sides and snapped the reigns, preparing myself for when the stallion darted forward in pursuit of its god, my own hair dancing behind me, the fur of my black coat rustling with the up and down, forward and backward motions of the horse’s large body. To my surprise both steeds travelled faster than any horse I had ever seen before, their strength unmatched and their stamina almost double that of regular horses due to the fact that Neptune was present, forcing his power to course through their bodies like ripples in the sea, like waves beating down onto the shore. We reached the Palace by early morning, a feat that should have been unheard of yet was made possible through the actions of one of the seven gods. The Palace Square was vacant, it having been too early for people to be moving about when we reached the gates of the Palace where guards stood, preventing us from passing through their iron structures “Kakoye delo u tebya zdes'?” the Slovak quickly turned to Russian as one of the guards spoke, demanding what our business was with their Empress. Neptune glanced toward the extravagant building of white and turquoise with gold embellishments then spoke in their tongue “YA odin iz semi, kto pravit etoy zemley” the guards exchanged a questionable look then one of them nodded, shouting an order to his comrades to alert the Empress and seek her permission to let us through. I scanned the area, empty eyes moving from the guards who stared at me in horror and fear to the Square all around us where snow still littered the floor and grey clouds loomed overhead yet there was no thunder, I was too drained to produce thunder. A guard came rushing up to the gates, his green and red uniform matching the rest as he spoke to his fellow guards, telling them that the Empress has granted her permission for us to be let through. Shouting commenced and the gates were opened with a loud screech, allowing us to trot through the three gates and into the Courtyard of the Palace which sat at the heart of it, the Russian flag dancing above us on the roof of the structure, flanked by statues of men and women on either side, a Pegasus accompanied them, raised up on its hind legs with its wings spread outward. There was a garden in the centre of the Courtyard but its trees were bare and their branches were covered in snow much like everything else was. Neptune dismounted his horse and I did the same, my trembling limbs grateful to be back on solid land again. A few men then took the horses to the stables where they would be fed and well looked after as others lead us into the Palace where we were met with a grand foyer, one of white marble and gold. Guards lined the room on either sides, each baring their own sword and stone face as they clasped their hands behind their backs “Vashe vysochestvo!” a man exclaimed from the upper level as both Neptune and I removed out gloves, stuffing them into the pockets of our coats before we removed them, handing them to the butlers that graciously took them. Empress Yelisaveta came rushing down the staircase, her body clad in a cream coloured dress that was just as glorious as her title. Her face was rounded, skin pale and hair a very light almost white blond that was half done up and perfectly curled. On the top of her head she wore a silver crown that was smaller than the original and made for everyday use. Her cheeks were pinkly powdered and her eyebrows were darker than her hair, a brownish colour. Her lips were small and puckered while her body shape was more rounded yet still slim. She clutched a fan in hand and her dangling earrings matched her crown but what caught my eye was the emerald ring that sat on the middle finger of her right hand “Vy bog, kotoryy khochet vstretit'sya so mnoy?” she bluntly questioned Neptune when she came to a stand before us, asking whether he truly was the god who had asked permission to enter her home. He stood tall, his back straight, his torso covered in a black button shirt and his chin held high when he spoke “YA Neptun, bog morey i pravitel' vsekh veshchey v moyey oblasti-.” he introduced himself, receiving an odd look from the man who had originally chased after the Empress as he descended the staircase, moving slower now, no longer in such a haste especially after having seen my eyes “Dlya menya bol'shaya chest' poznakomit'sya s vami, moya ledi” he added, expressing his pleasure of finally meeting her while placing his fist over his heart and bowing slightly toward her. I followed his actions, lowering my head and bending my knees in a curtsey but why would he dare bow to a human even a human of status. The Empress motioned to one of her servants with her hand and she quickly placed a pillow on the ground before the Empress for her to kneel before the god of the seas, bowing her head, dress spread out around her. The guards and servants gasped, breaking out into whispers and gossip as they watched their ruler kneel to a man who appeared no more than just a foreign commoner. Neptune quickly protested, insisting that she stand and that there was no need for her to do such a thing yet she ignored him “Chest' moya, gospodin” she greeted, referring to him as ‘lord’ which shocked those around us. Silently, she rose back to her feet and lead us further into the Palace, up the stairs and to a study that was larger than any room I had ever stood in. She instructed her servants to prepare us some tea with lemon and sugar as the Russians traditionally drank it. We sat by a fireplace, the flames flickering brightly and providing me with some worth against the start of winter. I held my cup in one hand and my saucer in the other, blankly staring ahead as the two who sat across from each other, on either side of me conversed “YA proshu proshcheniya za to, chto tak vnezapno razrushil vas v vashem dome, odnako bogi nakhodyatsya na grani voyny-.” Neptune explained as I took another sip of my tea, savouring the taste when I glanced down to find that there were cookies and cakes sat out for us to nibble on “Iz-za nedavney vspyshki tiranii Amona protiv chelovechestva my reshili svergnut' yego, i imenno poetomu ya zdes'” I wanted to laugh at how he made it sound like all six of the other gods were against Amun when really it was only three. The majority of the gods remained unaware of the impending war and have yet to decide on which end of the podium they chose to stand “Prosit' vashe kol'tso ispol'zovat' v predstoyashchikh bitvakh protiv nego” there it was, the question I had been waiting for him to ask, whether he could gain possession of her family ring. He motioned toward her right hand and she glanced down at the peridot ring with confusion written clear across her features “Eto kol'tso ostalos' v moyey sem'ye na protyazhenii pokoleniy. Eto ob"yekt, kotoryy sklonit chashu vesov nyneshney voyny v nashu pol'zu.” I understood why she was so protective of it. The ring was what was bringing her victory during her wars, it was what made her and her family’s reign so powerful and memorable. Without it she would surely lose the war and her people’s favour in the process. It was not a risk she was willing to take therefor her next words confirmed her reluctance to just hand it over to him so willingly “YA boyus', chto iz-za etoy politicheskoy situatsii ya ne mogu dat' vam eto kol'tso” I leaned forward in pursuit of a cookie and found one that I brought to my lips, nibbling on it as I listened. What was the purpose of my being there? If only to scare the servants and guards into fearing us with my eyes? I had grown hungry over the course of our journey and rather enjoyed the tea along with the snacks she had laid out for us “YA ponimayu vashe bespokoystvo, ot lyubogo monarkha ozhidayetsya, chto on postavit blagopoluchiye svoyey strany i yeye naroda prevyshe vsego-.” my eyes darted toward the god, watching him with narrowed eyes. His flattery toward her by calling her a ‘Monarch’ and the way he spoke so gently was a clear attempt to seduce her into doing what he wanted. He ignored me and continued on his chosen path “Poetomu ya khotel by predlozhit' torgovlyu, kol'tso dlya moyego blagosloveniya, kotoroye prineset vam udachu i obespechit protsvetaniye vashey strany vo vremya etoy voyny.” it wasn’t too bad of a trade. The ring for his blessing was more than fair, however I doubted she would see it that way regardless of whether it would bring her Country victory during the war or not. She was raised to protect the ring, now she was being asked to give it up like it was nothing “A chto s moimi det'mi i ikh det'mi? Kakovo ikh pravleniye?” she questioned, wanting to know whether her children will be ensured the same prosperity that Neptune promised her in times of hardship and war yet at that time she didn’t even have children, no children would ever be recorded. It wasn’t because of her lack of beauty that she wouldn’t have children, no, she was beautiful in her own enticing way however she had many prior affairs that ended in heartbreak and agony. Her first lover was caught by her sister who had his tongue cut out so that he may never speak of his love for the princess, currently she had purchased a serf from a local choir and found pleasure in him, a common slave with a beautiful singing voice. Any children he could possibly give her would be deemed unfit, however Yelisaveta herself had been the daughter of a slave, a maid who had worked for her father and became his second wife “YA dayu vam slovo peredat' svoye blagosloveniye ot Emperora Emperoru i obespechit' protsvetaniye Rossii na protyazhenii vekov” the god promised, giving his word that he would bestow his blessing upon every single Emperor that is to sit upon the throne of Russia after Yelisaveta’s reign whether they are to be her children or not. The Empress took a moment to assess his offer, glancing to me for the first time since we had arrived then nodded, removing the ring from her finger and placing it on the table before her “Bog ne mozhet vernut'sya k svoyemu slovu” she reminded Neptune, eyes hard and challenging when they met his as if to dare him not to uphold his end of the bargain. The Russian’s were powerful people with an even more powerful Empress to rule them and he, even as a god, knew not to push her past her limits ‘A god cannot go back on his words’ she had said and he nodded, rising from his seat to approach her. This trial was kindness and as customary he was supposed to test the extent of her kindness however she had already proven it by removing her ring and giving it up for the sake of her people, for humanity and that in itself was an act of kindness. He knelt before her and whispered the words, placing a kiss to the back of her hand where a black marking would start to appear. It was exactly the same as the symbol of air that Evangeline had obtained however it was upside down, a triangle with a single line running horizontally across the wider end of it “YA nikogda ne zabudu tvoyu korolevu” Neptune promised, rising to stand as the Empress tried to hide her blush, staring at the mark on her hand then at the god with a mixture of lust and astonishment. He turned to me and motioned to the ring “Take it and form a transportation spell that will take us to Vannes. We have been gone for too long” he instructed and I did as he said, right there in the study after having placed the ring on my right hand. I cut my palm and drew the symbol on the floor to the Empress’s horror as she looked on in fear and confusion. I began to chant the words that were as familiar to me as my own name and felt the pull of magic at my fingertips. Neptune asked for our coats and they were brought to us as I worked. He shrugged his on and offered to help me with mine but I refused, too busy with my work to bother with a simple article of clothing. The spell would be weaker than usual since I did not have the correct herbs or oils on hand to help with the accuracy of the location but it was enough to get us as close to Vannes as possible within a few minute’s time.