Read Aetheric Elements: The Rise of a Steampunk Reality Page 16

  “This one was not like any other. For he was not made, but rather had a mother,” Baba Yaga said, as she stroked the roses Zachary had brought like a bride at her wedding. “He was neither beast nor man. Five generations of dog, wolf and man, and in a few minutes you destroyed God’s plan.” She cackled. “He worked long for what he had gained, all according to plan. The moon waxed full and his power was at its peak, but your weapons made his blood leak. Be wary of the effects his blood has on your own body, for you are in danger. Not just from it, but from a much more dangerous stranger. Oh yes, there is another that covets these lands and herd. Now my pact with that dark being neither has to be seen nor heard!”

  Suykimo and Zachary stood in the clearing where the hut had been, dazed and blinking. The woman and her chicken-legged cottage had disappeared. They had nothing left to do except to return to the village with the news of the Lord’s demise. The villagers were free of his reign.

  The men mounted their walking carriage. Suykimo took the controls so Zachary could check and clean his wounds again, resetting the field dress he had done in haste after the fight. They rode in silence.

  They reached the village just before dawn, relieved to see that the watch fires were still burning. They were greeted by Oleksander and Fedir, who welcomed them with smiles and hearty cheers. When they saw Zachary, they called to the women to help the warrior, and Elizabeth took charge of the activity. The men demanded to hear the tale and listened, spellbound, to the encounter with the witch and the werewolf.

  A dark shadow roosted on the peak of the hall, watching as the villagers rejoiced. The heroes would leave as soon as they had rested, and then the village would be ready to feed upon. In a swirl of mist the creature flew into the remaining night, returning to its nest before the sun rose. Tomorrow, a new era would begin.

  The Case of Dark Disappearances: A Croaker Norge Case File