The Old Gods

Mad King

"Father, he is insane! He is not fit to lead us!" Zorya yelled.

"He is my only son, it is his destiny to rule Zorya. I believe that he can help us win this war." Vadim calmly answered to his daughter.

"Do you really believe that? Or I am the only one that sees how different he is since this war started? It is only a beginning and he is losing his mind!" Zorya said.

"Maybe little insanity is what we needed for this war to be won." Vadim said.

"No, you don't understand, this will destroy him!"

As soon as she said those words the silence fallen upon the two of them.

It has been only one day since Boris became a new king, and started preparing for the surprise attack on Darius and his camp, even though they had a deal to stop fighting for a five days so the both sides had time to recollect their forces and mourn the dead. Her brother became so cold and distant toward her, and she was afraid of what he will make her do to prove her loyalty.

"Zorya, I am an old man, and I have seen many kings raise and fall, what destroys them, also gives them power you cannot even imagine. Your brother will rule, and he will lead us through this battle with your help. Together, I know that you can do this." Vadim calmly said to his daughter, but this was not the response she was seeking.

"Alright father, I will try my best not to disappoint you." Zorya said.

"I know, I believe in both of you." Vadim said with a slight smile on her face.

On that cold night, every warrior that could stand was called by Boris, to come and fight.

"I call upon Perun and Svarog to protect us in this battle! We are going to destroy the Christians tonight and please our gods!" Boris yelled as he raised his axe. He did looked like mighty king, but his eyes, in his eyes something evil and twisted could be seen that didn't suited a king.

After saying goodbye to her parents, Zorya, together with the army of the fellow pagan warriors marched into something that would turn out to be the encounter with the death itself.

They knew the forest, and they knew to use a path where the trees will hide them for everyone, so nobody will see that they are coming.

"Mokosh, please, don't let me die tonight." Zorya whispered looking at the sky for a moment, she could see the starts so clearly, the evening aurora was there, and it made her feel safe, like the star watched over her.

As the army of the pagans was approaching the enemy's camp, everything seemed calm, and quiet, pagans believed the Christians were sleeping, and that they will manage to kill all of them before they wake up and realize what is happening.

But they were in delusion, rushing to win the war, but this was only the beginning.

As they were walking closer to the camp, the arrows suddenly started to fly form every possible side, before they could even realize what was going on, the screams of the wounded, and the screams of those who were dying echoed through the air.

"Shield wall!" Zorya screamed raising her shield in the air to protect herself from the arrows that were coming, she looked at her brother, Boris was unharmed.

"Now! Raise the shield wall!" Boris yelled raising his shield as well, and soon, the other followed.

It seemed that the Christians knew that they were coming and that they prepared themselves for that.

But as soon as the pagans raised their shields, the arrows stopped. Darius was playing with their heads.

"What now?" One of the warriors asked.

"Now we split in the different directions and attack, we can't pull back now!" Boris answered.

"No! We can't do that!" Zorya said, she simply decided to trust her instincts and not the mad king who was trying to lead them in their death.

"Fight as I say!" Boris said.

As soon as the warriors heard his words, they started running towards the woods with their axes in the air.

"Boris, stop them!!!" Zorya yelled and pulled Boris as she tried to stop him from going further.

The horrifying screams filled the air, it seemed like the pagans were just disappearing in the void for some reason. Like the evil goddess of death, Baba Yaga herself, was pulling them and contributing them with the agonizing deaths.

"Stop!!! Pull back!!!" Boris yelled trying to be louder than the pagans that were screaming.

Zorya run between then ordering them to pull back, and she was curious to see what was happening to them. Never before, the forest made her so anxious and afraid.

It was hard to see clearly in the darkness, but somehow she managed to do it, and what she saw out there made her body freeze with fear. On the each side of the forest, there were pits with the spears inside so the pagans run inside and were stabbed to death and simply could not get out.

Some of them weren't dead, they were simply wounded and they were just lying there among the corpses, screaming in fear and agony, as they didn't even realize what was going on.

"We need to help them!" Zorya yelled, refusing to believe that this is how these people were going to end their life, in the pit, like a dogs, this was no death suitable for a human being. Then Zorya realized that dying like this was one of her worst fears, this dark, and cold night, filled with the smell of fresh blood, remained in her mind for a long time.

How could someone be cruel to do something like this?

How could the ground of her forest become the grave for those who suffer such a cruel death?

"They don't call me Darius the Dark because of my eyes, but because the darkness is my biggest weapon."