Thebloody haze RAGES in my eyes.

  The veins of HATRED throughout my Soul.

  THE ENEMY taunts with THEIR EXISTENCE.

  The HUNT calls.

  The HUNT begins.

  I dash through the PUTRID air, tainted by the ENEMY.

  I run on the CRIMSON soil, bloodied by the ENEMY.

  I rush to the ACCURSED pce, to cleanse it from the ENEMY.

  To RIP, to TEAR, to HACK, to SMASH, to CRUSH, to BITE, to GUT, to CRACK, to BURN!

  And now, I smell THEM.

  And now, I hear THEM.

  And now, I FINALLY see THEM!

  AND I RIP, AND TEAR, AND HACK, AND SMASH, AND CRUSH, AND BITE, AND GUT, AND CRACK, AND BURN THEIR SOULS TO BREAK THEM FREE!

  (Nugund POV)

  “The Red Mist caused what?!” Nugund of cn Lesin shouts at Yuras, his Tribe’s Chieftain, after he returned to the camp alone, agitated and in a hurry, spinning an unnerving tale.

  “I don’t really understand it myself!” The Krolsun is clearly unnerved by what he witnessed… what he caused. “Nobody has ever reacted to the Red Mist like that! It shouldn’t happen! We need to get Baba Yaga, has she left her tent yet?”

  “I don’t think so” says the Wolfman, steeling his resolve and then catching the rger man to look him straight in the bloodshot eye. “What can I do to save her!”

  “You? Who…? Why…?” The Rabbitman is disoriented, but then he leans closer to sniff and assess the shorter man. “Oh, right! Yes, yes… hmm…”

  “I insist!” Nugund urges Yuras to make a decision the Chieftain hesitates to make; his next words making it clear why.

  “She ran off to your cn’s st camp…”

  “I see” the Volkhlun nods; that’s what he was afraid of. But he has already made the decision – and that he won’t allow the spectres of his past to cloud over his future. “I will go. I need to go” he stressed his desire more to steel his own resolve rather than to convince the old Kin. “She needs me!”

  “Hmm… you might indeed be useful… and you should be strong enough… Very well – come!” Yuras the Boulder mutters, then snaps back to action, grabbing Nugund without giving him even a moment to respond and rushing to where the Eldest Witch is currently recuperating. They arrive very soon, undisturbed by anyone else, the urgency of their actions clear to everybody.

  “Oh, Great Baba – we need your help!” Announces the Krolsun as he unceremoniously invades Baba Yaga’s tent while still carrying the Volkhsun under his arm. Their entrance spooks the short Beaverwoman attending the old Wylderkin – and she herself doesn’t look pleased by it.

  “What have you two idiots done this time?” She sounds really exasperated and tired – and Nugund can’t bme her. He would definitely long for some peace and quiet if he was injured.

  “I fucked up. Bigly” admits Yuras immediately and proceeds to tell what happened to Kora. Interestingly, the Bobura – Bulra, as Nugund remembers – gets even more distressed. He then takes a whiff of her scent and quickly realises why: there’s a lingering smell of his Ember on her. Interesting, he thinks to himself; it seems his love has a tendency to gather the weirder lovers, as she chose him – a staunch monogamist – and some rumours about the young woman before him surface to his mind. However, there are more pressing matters, as Baba Yaga sighs deeply while massaging her temples – and then she suddenly gets up!

  “We must make haste” says the Eldest Witch with a resignation in her voice as she proceeds to take her travelling bag and put some stuff inside. “Give me the Rod of Cleansing, girl!”

  “B-but…!”

  “No buts!” The older Witch cuts her student off before quickly throwing a murderous gre at the towering Rabbitkin. Nugun shivers; if she used an evil eye on him he would have dropped dead – but the Chieftain just sweats! “We do not have the time – give me that!” Baba Yaga tears her staff off the reluctant Beaverkin’s hands. “And you stay here!” She orders her disciple, firm in the face of her protests as she walks past Yuras the Boulder before looking back. “What are you waiting for, you big oaf?! We don’t have the entire day!”

  The Krolsun rushes after the Witch and grabs her, then smoothly jumps on his axe, catapulting them far away. Nugund has always hated that power; Kin – no, mortals – aren’t supposed to move so high in the air or with such speed! Luckily, he was not subjected to it often as he and the Chieftain belonged to different cns. Unfortunately, the current situation is only the first – no, second – one in what is going to be a terrifying sequence. But now is not the time to back down or protest: the Tribe, the Cn and his Ember all need him! And after too many nauseating jumps, the trio finally arrives to where cn Lesin used to stay – and an unbelievable sight greets them.

  While they could feel the heat from far away, nothing could prepare them for the truly frightening and otherworldly view: a ravenous, raging vortex of smokeless fmes enveloping everything. Nugund could still remember where all the tents were – and he could watch as the st of them turn to ashes. He could remember where his friends died, frozen in the eternal ice of the Ice Dragon – and he sees it melted, the bodies turned to dust. As and most importantly: he could still remember the moment his beloved-of-the-past and their family became the Shambling Ones; and they arrived just in time to allow him to witness the same abominations that used to be them get incinerated, putting his loved ones to their long deserved rest – and it fills his heart with a strange feeling of calmness, even gratitude. Gratitude towards the lonely figure in the eye of the fiery storm: his new lover – Kora of the Wilds.

  His Ember truly deserved the name he gave her on a whim. Her eyes are like miniature Suns, burning so brightly he has to cover his eyes. Her hair and fur glimmer as well, albeit not as brightly – just enough for him to recognise familiar orange hue. She is also naked – but her fmes caress her and cling to her body like some sort of viscous liquid, making her appear to be clothed in something akin to a dress or an attire of a dancer. She also moves like one as she engages the st enemy – a Demon, no doubt summoned from the depths of Cyvsiet, disgusting, grotesque and appalling – in a destructive recreation of the even more devastating duel between their parents: Zorya and Zhemay.

  Nugund has never been particurly religious or interested in those matters. He has never met a God himself and the stories of their exploits has always seemed exaggerated to him. He has also been slightly sceptical of Kora’s story regarding her birth. But now, as he is looking at her, he cannot help but see the Wrathful Defender of Mortals in her; he’s sure that while the Goddess herself might not have been there when Kora was born – or rather created – a part of Zorya’s spirit, at least, has been used or bestowed upon his beloved.

  There is a strange tranquillity radiating from his heart; he was agonizing over the suffering his loved ones must have been subjected to – now he knows they’ve finally found their salvation; he was worried about the fate of his Ember – now he is certain of her triumph; he was afraid to come back – now his past has been cleansed and a new life awaits him. He cannot help but smile.

  But with a sudden roar, everything shatters.

  There is a commotion and swearing besides him. But Nugund doesn’t pay any attention to it. He doesn’t need to look up to know what it happening, as this very specific sound has etched itself deep, deep into his very Soul; there is no doubt – it is the roar of an Ice Dragon.

  That means they’ve failed. They were supposed to get his beloved to the safety of the camp and its enchantments – but they were too te.

  However… something’s different. When he raises his head, Nugund notices the beast hesitating; hesitating! The massive monster hovers above the sea of fming fury, in visible discomfort, even… fear? The Volkhlun thought he could barely contain his own rage when he saw it, but this sight makes him strangely calm and smug; he does not understand it himself, but he cannot envision Kora as she is now losing a fight – even a solo fight, no less – against the Camity.

  And the beast finally strikes… but not really; it tries, but to shock of everyone – especially its own – Kora ignores it! Focused on the enemy in front of her, she just punches up, blindly and half-heartedly… and it is enough for the fire to hit the dragon, straight in its face, melting its eye and cheek, singing its scales and skin – and an ungodly, agonizing screech echoes through the mountains as the humongous monster writhes in pain! There’s a quieter but vicious and mocking ughter accompanying it… it takes Nugund a moment to realise he is the source!

  And to the shock of everyone – the Dragon retreats!

  Nugund watches, eted and calm, as the wounded monster flies away. He has to admit that he used to worry that the Hunt would go wrongly, that something bad might happen – but he is now certain of their success. With the power his Ember demonstrated, nothing is impossible – even felling such a legendary quarry.

  But… they still need to get Kora back. And she still has a lot to learn. As, it is not his task to calm her down. So he sits down and rexes, leaving his beloved in the capable hands of Baba Yaga.

  (Kora POV)

  The FLY swatted away, the st ENEMY cowers in fear.

  A SMART ONE, THIS ONE.

  A tough fight IT gave – but even its intelligence is nothing in face of my FURY!

  I BURNED its legs!

  I TORE its arms!

  I CRUSHED its spine!

  I SMASHED its eyes!

  So I REND its MIND with my BANEFIRE and CLEANSE its SOUL!

  I gaze upon as it dissolves, my REVENGE calmed, a bit, for now – MUCH more is needed to satiate it (that’s good; you can now calm down and come with us… to your loved ones).

  A voice… a VOICE has called me in my MIND – I HATE IT! HATE IT! HATE IT! HATE IT!

  (...I am your ally wanting to help you – and you do know it; look into your heart…!) NO! I will not be CONTROLLED!

  I HOWL at the audacious one – and turn to TEAR her… but…

  I hesitate.

  I am confused.

  I see THE TRESPASSER.

  But I see THE FRIEND.

  And I see THE LOVER!

  I don’t want to HURT THEM! (Then control this rage, instead of letting it control you!)

  I try – but can’t! I AM RAGE! (…then let me in to lend you a hand.)

  I hesitate; my MIND is my SOUL is my BODY. (…do it for him!)

  I look at my love – and my heart breaks; he does not look into my eyes; he does not look at ME! (He wishes to, but he cannot; his eyes would burn from your sheer brilliance. But let me in, so I can help. I will return you to him. I promise.)

  I hesitate – but I agree; I can no longer live without him… or her… or her… or… there are so many people I cannot live without, I realise, as memories – happy memories – stem the RAGE a little.

  So I open my MIND reluctantly (very good! And… thank you; just stand still and aim at that mountain behind.)

  I try to rex as much as I can, but the alien Soul in my head drives me nuts. Thankfully, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome and it is clear to me it moves with clear purpose, but I cannot stop being at least a bit wary and ready to sever it at any moment. I don’t really understand what is happening or what is going to happen… but I go with th flow.

  (Thank you for your patience, Kora; and remember – aim at the mountain!) With this final message, the presence finally withdraws. There is a confusing moment where nothing happens – but then I feel as if an invisible hand squeezed my RAGE to my stomach and throat; it’s a truly bizarre feeling – and not a pleasant one. It’s as if I am about to puke… so I turn away from the Beastkin and towards the mountain – and I do that just in time, as I can no longer contain all of that pent-up emotion – and I release it, creating a lengthy beam of fire, crashing into and obliterating the peak. It continues as all the vestiges of RAGE leave me, beginning from my limbs, to my core, to my head and throat; it’s extremely exhausting and my arms and legs feel like lead. And when it finally ends – I colpse, completely spent, apathetic and ravenous.

  HoraceH.Horney