Alexandria and the Slavic Myths: The Wheel of Rod (Volume One)

Chapter Four - The Underworld

The water was searing hot. In fact, it wasn't water anymore. It was lava.

Alexandria waded through the sea of lava, surprisingly not burning in flames. She looked down at her wheel charm, examining the charm's fire that was now glowing brighter than ever. Fire must be one of my father's powers. Above her, a dark circle spiraled shut - the sea portal closed, meaning Alexandria was officially in the underworld. No more help from Karna, Bereginia, or even Tsar. Only from her father's charm, and herself. The fiery tavern was adorned with sharp rocks that hung from the ceiling, and jutted out from the pool of lava. Everything in Nav looked vicious and painful, abrasive and deadly. She looked down at her fingers, full of the lava that her powers embraced rather than hid from. However, she noticed that her skin no longer glowed golden. The sunlight must not reach me down here.

Alexandria swam out of the lava, pulling herself up on a sharp bank. It reminded her of the beach she had visited only twenty minutes ago, but this one was teeming with evil. She must not forget that her enemy lived, and unrightfully ruled, here. She brushed herself off, and started wandering Nav. She felt something tickling her foot. It was a little hamster...in the middle of the underworld. She picked the cute rodent up, and pet it in her hand. It was adorable. Then, magically, it multiplied into two identical hamsters. From there, it divided again. And again. And again, and kept multiplying until the bundle of hamsters could no longer fit in her hands. She plopped them on the ground, but that didn't stop them from multiplying. Their number grew exponentially, and suddenly she was faced by an entire army of hamsters. Not wanting to step on them, but understanding that she couldn't get distracted by these bizarre rodents, she tried to go around. But they got in her way again, still multiplying. She tried to go the other way. They blocked her once more.

Alexandria realized that this was yet another obstacle. But this was one she would be able to face with her powers.

The hamsters crawled on top one another, forming a wall. They bared their sharp yellow teeth, flashing threats at her. They would not let her cross. They must be Nemiza's minions. Karna and Bereginia were right - Nemiza expects me to come challenge him.

"So!" A woman's voice booms throughout the cavern. Alexandria looks overtop the growing pile of hamsters, and sees a tall, bony woman with ghostly pale scales standing on a balcony above her. She wears a sheer black dress, glittering with...what is that? "You're the puny little girl that's going to try and stop Nemiza? You, of all people?" She starts laughing. Little does she know that Alexandria is a demigod, more powerful than this witch could ever imagine being. "My name is Veliona. I am the goddess of death." Oh, Nav. "Do you like my dress? Nemiza fashioned it himself. Look at these embellishments!" She runs her finger along the fabric, which turns to smoke and wails like a human. "These are human souls. Look," she finds one soul in particular, close to the top of her dress. "Here's your pathetic mother!" Veliona grabs the wispy soul, and it extends a desperate hand out to Alexandria. She reaches out to touch her mother's hand, but Veliona whips it away. "You will never see your mother again. She belongs to me."

"You're wrong. I will stop you, and Nemiza," Alexandria demands. She is once again reminded of her quest, her father's powers, and Nemiza's unjust ruling of Nav. "Nemiza deserves no right of Nav. He has stolen innocent souls from every corner of the world, cutting their strings long before they're ready. I will put an end to his power-hungry evil." Alexandria stands strong against the army of hamsters and this ghostly goddess.

"Ha! With what power?" Veliona laughs. "Nemiza steals souls for me, genius. Because I look great wearing them!" She admires her dress. "Sure, he enjoys the power that comes with death, but his biggest motivator - he loves me." Veliona smirks at Alexandria, knowing that she is about to break her heart. "Oh, little girl...haven't you ever learned what love is? And all the things you'll do for it?" Alexandria stares at the death goddess with wide eyes, clouding with the memory of her dead mother. She collapses to the ground, sobbing for her mother's lost love. The goddess speaks again, this time commanding the army of hamsters. "Spor," she orders, "attack!"

Alexandria looked up. The cavern seemed to be pulsing in slow motion, the evil guard of hamsters slowly caving in on her with their sharp teeth. She is still crying, but the slow motion attack gives her time to reflect. The heat of the lava dries her tears as she comes to a realization - love. That is what will win this battle. Veliona, as wicked as she is, had a point - one will do anything for love. And that one person includes Alexandria.

The room came back to speed, and the army of hamsters, or Spor, fell on her. For a second, the rodents gnawed on her, even drawing a little blood. In a flash, she saw a few going for her necklace. No! Then, with all the powers her father had gifted her, Alexandria threw out her arms, and felt ice travelling to her fingertips. Ice flew from her fingers, sending an undefeatable freeze throughout the underworld. All of the lava froze to ice, and the hamsters stopped dead in their tracks, encased in thick ice. Feeling accomplished and powerful, Alexandria let herself up, cracking the frozen rodents off of her as she stood. Veliona screamed, "No! Impossible!" She looked at her now immobile army of hamsters. "My poor Spor!" She unleashed her fury. "You will regret this! Your powers will never defeat mine!"

Veliona laughed maniacally as she expanded in size, growing and growing until she exploded into a cloud of smoke that strangled Alexandria. Unlike the sea water, this was an atmosphere that wouldn't let her breathe. Alexandria wandered through the smoke, coughing and trying not to breathe in the smog. She is surrounded by hazy figures - souls of the dead. Men and women roaming through the smoke, crying and screaming. The smoky cavern rattled with ear-piercing sounds as the dead searched for their lives, and their loved ones. Alexandria covered her mouth and nose and tried to muffle the mixed noise of Velonia's laughter and the souls' helpless screaming. She was running out of oxygen. In the distance, a woman stood in plain sight, her arms extended. She was the only one at peace. The closer Alexandria got to the woman, she realized that it was her mother.

She ran, and slipped. Her hands met cold ground; it was her own frozen pool of lava. Her legs became petrified with the idea of hugging her mother. Unable to stand, she quickly crawled to her mother, determined to save her soul and rescue her from Nav. She crawled closer and closer, finally reaching her with her final pounding ounce of air. She embraced her mother's legs, and looked up with a teary-eyed smile...and the face looking down at her was Veliona's.

Alexandria lost consciousness.