Astrid's Wings: Varangian Descendants Book II

by K. Panikian

  IN the morning, Alyosha waited for them in the hotel lobby, looking tense and unhappy. Owen and Very carried their backpacks and another duffel bag with their weapons concealed. Very’s mom, Zoe, had shipped them a few days ago when the group first divvied up the paranormal destinations.

  Alyosha led the way to the cab, which was going to take them to the helicopter pad. When Very tried to talk to Alyosha in the enclosed place though, he wiggled his eyebrows at the driver significantly and pretended not to understand them.

  An hour later, as the helicopter noise faded and Very, Owen, and Alyosha stood in the clearing in the Sikhote Alin where it dropped them, Very pointed her finger at the slim man. “Spill,” she demanded. “What’s going on? You’re acting squirrelly.”

  Owen rolled his eyes next to her and said in a quieter voice, “What she means is, are you okay? You seem uncomfortable this morning.”

  Alyosha waved his hands in the air agitatedly. “I had to talk to some of the others. They are upset. A few of them are going to meet us up there, I think.”

  “That’s fine,” Owen soothed. “We can talk to your friends. We don’t want to disturb anything that you have going on here. We only need to go through the portal. We may be gone for a while on the other side. If you keep it shut, you should be fine.”

  Alyosha nodded absently. “Yes, I know this. There are ceremonies though, and—” he shouldered his own pack. “We will just have to see.” He turned away and headed up the path.

  Very dug through the weapons bag and strapped on her calvary saber, dropped a crossbow and quiverful of bolts into her backpack, and then she followed Alyosha. Owen grabbed his own longsword and a couple of folding knives, and then he, too, started up the mountainside.

  Tropical birds trilled in the trees as they hiked up the ridge. Very kept her eyes peeled for any signs of people or animals, but saw nothing. Alyosha hiked by her side, absentmindedly checking the sky and their path from time to time, so Very assumed there were no tigers nearby.

  When they reached the site of the crater though, four people lounged on the ground, waiting for their arrival.

  Alyosha sighed and then pointed to them in turn. “Yuri, Konstantin, Irina, and Taz.” He introduced Very and Owen and then threw up his hands. “I don’t think this is necessary. For the record, I am opposed.”

  The three men and one woman stood, and Very fingered the hilt of her sword unconsciously. The men were wiry and shaggy, with long hair and beards and thin builds. The woman, Irina, was also slender, but had shortly cropped black hair and a pixie face. All four of them radiated menace and carried thin, white scars on their forearms, exactly like Alyosha.

  Owen, by her side, shifted slightly in front of Very. She rolled her eyes, but let him.

  The oldest man, Yuri, walked forward. He had some salt and pepper in his beard and the skin around his eyes crinkled in the sunlight. He nodded at Alyosha and then said to Owen, “We have heard the story of why you’re here and where you’re going. We also know what you are. Before we agree to follow you, you must prove you are in control. You must prove you are not amok.”

  Owen blinked. “Follow us? I think there’s been a misunderstanding. We’re not asking anyone to go with us.”

  Yuri spat on the ground to the side. “You bring a tale of demons on our doorstep and do not expect us to act? If you are who you say you are, we four will go with you to the other world. We will help. Alyosha has responsibilities here, but if we call him, he will come.”

  Very asked tentatively, “How do we prove we are not amok?”

  Yuri glanced disdainfully at her. “Not you.”

  Then he pointed his thick finger at Owen. “You will fight me.”

  Owen started to shake his head.

  Yuri continued. “You will transform to your wolf spirit. I will call my tiger. We will fight to first blood only. In this way, we show the mountain spirits that we are not amok. We do not rage. We are not murderers.”

  Very clasped Owen’s hand and drew him down. “I don’t like this,” she said worriedly. “How do we know he’ll stop at first blood?

  Alyosha spoke. “The trust is also a sign that you’re not amok. You don’t judge like an animal, assessing threats and weaknesses without rationality. You’re a reasoning person. You must use your judgment. Look at him,” he pointed to Yuri. “Look at his eyes. Do you see a threat or do you see a man? You must see the man first. He is not a killer intent on harming you. You will fight. No one will lose control. So it goes.”

  Alyosha stepped back and sat on the ground. The other three strangers sat beside him.

  Very helped Owen drop his pack and then kissed his cheek. “This is fine,” she said to him nervously. “Your control is excellent.” Then she retreated to sit beside the others.

  Owen swung his arms around, loosening his muscles, and then stripped. He watched Yuri do the same. Then Yuri closed his eyes. He made a fist with each hand, then extended his fingers into an arc, making a kung fu tiger claw.

  Very’s eyes widened and she watched actual claws extend from his fists. Yuri’s eyes began to glow with a bright green spark and his body bent and flexed sinuously. He didn’t transform into a tiger, but she could see the spirit surrounding him. There was a hint of fur in his aura, and sharp teeth gleamed in his mouth.

  Owen watched Yuri and then grasped the pommel of his longsword, triggering his change into a wolf berserker. He grew taller and his muscles expanded. His skin turned gray and a wolf head sat atop his broad shoulders, his own teeth sharp. Shuddering, he bent his head back, letting out a short howl.

  Very shivered.

  The two men paced around each other at the edge of the crater. Owen had the height advantage, plus his longsword, but Yuri looked lethally fast and unpredictable.

  Without warning, the two men launched themselves at each other. Very saw a sword swing, claws slash, and then they broke apart again, panting. On Yuri’s left arm, a thin line of blood trailed. He glanced down at it, grimaced, then then waved at Owen.

  “I concede,” he said.

  Alyosha stood and intoned, “First blood has been spilled. The spirits are controlled. The fight is over.”

  Owen sheathed his sword and let go of the pommel, staggering. Very ran to his side and helped him sit, offering her water bottle. He leaned forward, gray-faced, for a long moment, and then slowly sat up straighter, before he got to his feet again.

  When he transformed back from berserker to man, it often knocked him unconscious. They were lucky this fight had been brief.

  Alyosha spoke to Owen and Very, waving at his four companions. “They will go with you to find the dragon. They will do whatever it takes to stop this Abaddon. We need none of his demons here. When the time comes, they will call me.”

  Very raised her eyebrows but before she could ask, Alyosha continued. “They are strong fighters and good trackers. They know that you lead this expedition.”

  Alyosha sent significant look to Yuri, who only shrugged in reply.

  Very pulled her cell phone from her pocket, sent a quick text to Astrid, and then handed it to Alyosha. “Keep this for me. If it rings in the next couple of days and says, ‘Uncle Alex,’ you can answer it and tell him everything.”

  Alyosha agreed and put the cell in his pocket, along with Owen’s.

  After pulling on her backpack, Very looked at Owen and he nodded at her, gripping her hand. She pulled the green meteorite from her pocket and stepped down into the crater. Their four new companions picked up their packs and followed. The crater pulsed blue for a moment and the door appeared. The six of them moved forward through the gate, vanishing.

  The door disappeared. All was silent. The crater stood empty.

  “Go with the gods,” Alyosha said, his eyes briefly glowing bright blue, before he turned away to head down the mountain again. In his shadow, a white tiger paced.

  Glossary of Gods and Monsters

  Most of these are drawn from Slavic folklore and Slavic mythology, al
tered by the author to fit into Astrid’s world.

  Azhdaya: two-headed dragons that spit fire. If an azhdaya lives a long time in the wild, it may grow large enough to gain a third head and the ability to fly.

  Balachko: three-headed giants. One head can spit fire and the other can breathe cold wind.

  Bauks: ogres.

  Belobog: the White God, a deity of light and goodness.

  Bes, besy: demons, monsters, and other creatures of the Black God, Chernobog.

  Bukavac: water demon with screaming powers.

  Chernobog: the Black God, a deity of darkness and evil.

  Mesyats: the Moon God.

  Ozwiena: Goddess of the Echo and Communication.

  Perun: God of the Sky, Thunder, and War.

  Psoglav: chimera demon comprised of horse hind legs, a human torso, and a dog’s head. It has one eye and iron teeth.

  Rusalka: a female vengeance spirit residing in or near water.

  Todorat: a cloaked half-human, half-horse demon with the power to stomp the ground into an earthquake. Not a centaur.

  Veles: God of the Waters and the Underworld, also Cattle.

  Vodyanoy: a male water demon, prone to eating people and keeping slaves.

  About The Author

  K. Panikian

  K. Panikian lives in Massachusetts with her partner and three children. Aside from reading and writing, she enjoys golf and snowboarding.

  Check out her website at www.kpanikian.com for information on upcoming books! Next up will be the conclusion of the trilogy, Bard’s story.

  Books In This Series

  Varangian Descendants

  The Varangian Descendants is a contemporary fantasy series.

  A thousand years ago, a Varangian cohort deployed to the steppe disappeared without a trace, banished to a parallel world. On that parallel world, the lost people fought monsters and learned magic. Now, in the present day, the realms are colliding once more and the Varangian descendants must work together to stop a demonic horde from invading the modern world.

  Verena's Whistle

  The meteor brought more than space dust.

  Verena is a grad student living in Alaska when she receives a phone call that changes her life. Her family has been keeping secrets about their origins and their purpose. Soon, she’s on a mission to save the world from Chernobog’s demonic beasts. Will she master her new magic in time? Will Owen, a man with his own demons, help her in her quest, or will he break her heart?

  As she crosses the world to the snowy Ural Mountains, Verena must decide if she’s ready to lead or if the price is too high.

  Verena’s Whistle is a stay-up-all-night fantastical adventure, an entertaining story of finding yourself and following your destiny.

  Astrid's Wings

  And the Moon God said, “Find the dragon.”

  Astrid is adapting to her new life in Alaska when her magical past calls her back to duty – the enemy is marching. She must find the portal; find the dragon. Will Julian, the man she loved and lost, help her or will he leave her behind again?

  Astrid and Julian must solve the mystery of the haunted lake and then cross the steppe to the dragon mountain. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking for the Varangians in the citadel.

  As she passes between the worlds, following her destiny, Astrid must find her strength, or the demon lord will conquer all.

  Astrid’s Wings is a story of trust – trusting love, trusting your partner, and trusting your power.

  The Alkonost's Egg

  On a parallel world, war rages. The demon horde marches on the citadel with a secret weapon that will finally eradicate the humans.

  Working together, Callie, a sailboat captain, and Bard, a soldier with a mysterious past, must find the source of the Bermuda Triangle’s mystical surges. Without harnessing that power, they won’t have the ability to build a portal back to Bard’s home world; the citadel will fall and demons will walk the Earth again.

  In a race against time, Callie and Bard travel across the ocean in search of the power they need to save the Earth. Will Bard yield to the fate he doesn’t want? Will Callie transform her own dreams to see if she and Bard can forge a destiny together?

  The Alkonost’s Egg is the final book of the Varangian Descendants trilogy.

  Books By This Author

  Wild Rising: A Yellowstone Shifters Novel

  “My name is Sienna Wilder and up until about age 12, I thought I was human.”

  From a young age, Sienna learned to control the savage creature that raged in her heart. Swearing never to unleash the puma again, she kept her head down, her emotions level, and she survived.

  Inside though, she yearned to find a place where she could roam free. Landing her dream job as a park ranger at Yellowstone, Sienna thinks she’s finally found it, only to discover that she’s not the only one with a secret beast. Now, women are disappearing and no one is paying attention. Sienna must discover the truth or she may be next. Can she learn to trust her wild side in time to save herself and the others?