The taxi driver who had come to pick us up in the middle of the open field looked at us as if we were little green men from some distant galaxy.
If only we had fishing rods, pretending we were out fishing, our presence here might have made a bit more sense, but we had nothing of the sort. We should've at least grabbed some torn nets from the shed.
Alexey looked gloomier than a brewing storm cloud. If he had the power to shoot lightning, he'd be cracking it in every direction. Luckily, he didn't.
"Tell the driver to take us to Boar's Ravine," Claudia whispered softly to me. "Don't worry, it's not far."
We threw our bags into the trunk, climbed into the car, and I gave the driver the directions.
Now both Alexey and the taxi driver stared at me with surprise. The latter opened his mouth as if to say something but then changed his mind and started the car in silence.
"What the hell is Boar's Ravine?" Alexey muttered after a few minutes, once he was sure the driver couldn't hear us, just as the radio crackled to life with some old rock band.
"I thought you'd know," I said, glancing at Claudia, who sat beside me, looking quite pleased. "She said we needed to go there."
"This is the first I've heard of it," Alexey whined. "Do I look like a local tourist guide to you? Just because I have an apartment in Belozersk doesn't mean I know every inch of the place."
"If you're that curious, we could always ask the driver."
"Nah, he's already giving us that look. He probably thinks we escaped from a mental hospital."
"Why's that?"
"Use your brain," he said. "We should at least know where we're heading, don't you think?"
I keep telling you to be extra cautious around ghosts. Why did we even stick with her? Dorian said, throwing in his two cents. It was obvious from the start that that hag had a hidden agenda. I've known people like her. She says one thing but means another.
"Thanks, but I think I can handle it," I replied, keeping my tone as even as I could.
Honestly, I wasn't feeling particularly cheerful myself, so his witty comments were more unwelcome than usual.
We traveled in complete silence for the entire journey. Only Claudia kept murmuring cheerfully, even breaking into song at one point. I was quick to shut her up. We didn't need any singing on this trip, especially since hers more resembled howling than music.
We passed Belozersk and, after a few more miles, turned onto a narrow road that wound its way through the forest. I quite enjoyed the thick greenery on both sides of the road and the hush of silence.
Before long, the trees thinned out, giving way to a clearing. Off to the right, a cluster of modest houses came into view, with another gleaming patch of White Lake just beyond.
"Where to, gentlemen? To the hunting grounds or straight to Boar's Ravine?" the taxi driver suddenly asked, leaving us momentarily at a loss.
"To the Ravine," Claudia commanded. "We're not here to hunt."
I relayed her instructions to the driver, who nodded silently and cast a quick glance at me through the rearview mirror.
Yep. He definitely thought we were insane.
He circled the line of houses and let us out at the edge of the forest.
On the left, a vast ravine stretched away into the distance, its depths seemingly endless.
"What a peculiar place," Alexey mused, glancing around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
By now, we had both shed our anger and settled into a state of relative calm. Why waste energy fussing over some crazy old woman?
"Boar's Ravine!" Claudia announced proudly, spreading her arms wide as if unveiling a grand panorama. "Just look at these endless vistas!
My late husband and I used to come here all the time to pick mushrooms.
This place is famous for its rich flora and fauna."
"I always thought mushrooms were gathered in the forest," I said, studying the ravine that stretched before us.
"You don't know much about mushrooms, do you? Still, it's a real hassle to gather them there. You have to climb up and down like a mountain goat."
"Why are we talking about mushrooms?" Alexey asked.
"She says she used to come here with her late husband to forage."
"Yep. She's completely unhinged," Alexey declared with conviction.
"I'm willing to bet that there's no artifact here. I bet she dragged us over here just to have a nostalgic moment."
"Don't be so pessimistic," I said, the cross shifting in my pocket. "If she tries to deceive us, she'll never see her family heirloom again."
"You offend me, children," Claudia said with a hurt look. "Do I look like a liar?"
"We have our suspicions," I admitted, "but we'll see how things unfold."
"Kids these days..." she grumbled. "Back in my day..."
She's telling the truth, Dorian cut in. I can feel a shift in the energy. There's a beast nearby. You'd better get information out of her before she forgets stuff again.
"Let's cut to the chase already," I said before Claudia could slip into another nostalgic reverie. "You might not care, but time's pressing on us."
"It's getting dark," Alexey agreed. "At this rate, we won't be back before dawn."
Sensing that we were serious about getting this done, Claudia suddenly relaxed, a broad smile spreading across her face.
"Stick close behind me. And watch your step," she instructed.
"There are more holes and ditches in the ravine than fleas on a stray dog."
With the agility of a mountain goat, Claudia skipped down the slope, deftly hopping from one spot to the next. Unlike her, Alexey and I had to be careful — we paused for a moment, weighing our options, then slowly made our way after her.
The slopes were quite steep and treacherous, forcing us to strain ourselves to avoid slipping and breaking something. Even after we reached the bottom, we had to keep a wary eye on our footing. Navigating through the dense, tangled bushes was no trivial task.
We trailed Claudia deeper into the wilderness, her path leading us along the bottom of the ravine, roughly in the direction of White Lake.
Alexey kept cursing under his breath, unleashing a string of colorful words.
I made a mental note of the most interesting ones, figuring I'd find the right moment to use them someday too.
With each step, we moved closer to White Lake. I could feel Dorian's growing impatience, his restless energy thrummed through me.
The Distortion beast had to be near, lying in wait. The tension was almost unbearable.
Soon, I caught the faint murmur of flowing water and was hit by a sharp, unpleasant stench of decay, which grew stronger with every breath.
This place was a somber, foreboding spot, cloaked in darkness and gloom.
At last, Claudia halted beside a cluster of towering bushes, her hands waving excitedly.
"Here it is!" she exclaimed, a broad smile lighting up her face. "This is where it lives."
Without a word, Alexey and I froze, drawing our swords with practiced ease. Moments later, the deepening twilight was pierced by two luminous beams — one a fiery orange, the other a vivid green.
The silence pressed in, thick and oppressive.
Nothing moved. Nothing emerged from the darkness. Nothing attacked. For now, it seemed, we were safe.
Cautiously, we stepped closer to Claudia and followed her gaze.
There, at the bottom of the ravine, hidden behind a wall of dense thickets, loomed a colossal black hole. Not the space kind, but more like a burrow, probably leading into a network of underground tunnels.
"It's right there," she said.
"That's a big hole," I muttered, glancing at Alexey, who was eyeing the burrow with a rather grim expression. "I wonder what might be living in there..."
"I have no idea. And, honestly, I don't want to find out," the prince replied, shivering slightly. "How did she even find this place?"
"I come here every year on the day of our anniversary," Claudia said softly. "Vitya and I used to come here every summer. I found this burrow while walking to the lake through the ravine. Vitya always brought a basket as big as a bucket..."
"That's enough," I cut her off, waving a hand dismissively. "She says she used to come here often with her husband when she was alive, and kept coming even after she died. Always on their anniversary. She found the hole on one of her ghostly walks."
"Did she not smell the stench of rotting flesh coming from there?!
What kind of creature even lives in a place like this?!"
At that moment, I felt my breathing grow lighter, as if some unseen hand had swept through the air, clearing away the foul odors. Within seconds, a dazzling display of multicolored sparks shimmered into existence around us.
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Alexey groaned. "Just what we needed! A magical storm! Oh, this just keeps getting better and better!"
"I'll check it out!" Claudia announced suddenly, then vanished into the depths of the burrow.
"Where are you going?!" I shouted after her, but she was already gone, as if the earth had swallowed her whole. "Don't wake it up! What if it can sense ghosts?"
"Did she run off?" Alexey asked, a trace of panic creeping into his voice. "Listen, Max, we should get out of here while we still can. I have a bad feeling she led us straight into a trap. Don't you? Just look at the size of that burrow. Whatever's in there must be colossal. And if that's not bad enough, there's a storm brewing. We need to move. Now."
"I don't think it's a trap," I said, pulling the Night Vision Ring from my pocket and sliding it onto my finger. "Why would she lie?"
"I don't know!" he cried out. "Artifact or no, she's totally nuts!
Come on, let's move!"
Just then, the cheerful Claudia stepped out of the burrow.
"It's there," she said with a bright smile.
"No can do, Alex," I said, shaking my head. "If you're worried, I'll go in alone. You stay here and keep watch. If anything happens — run.
Better safe than sorry."
"You are insane," Alexey stated, twirling his finger around his temple. "You can't see a damn thing!"
"Don't worry. I can see in the dark. I'm special, remember?" I added with a smirk.
"You're not special. You're completely off your rocker!"
"Stay here and cover my back. Don't follow me, alright?"
Alexey was still calling out something after me, but I stopped listening. Slowly, I moved forward, my eyes carefully scanning the surroundings.
Walking was uncomfortable and unpleasant. The ground beneath my feet was soaked through; my boots stuck and clung to the wet earth.
Breathing outside was manageable, but inside this hole, it was a living hell.
The stench was so foul it felt like my guts were turning inside out.
Brace yourself for a serious fight, Max, Dorian warned, just as I was about to turn. It's big, but from what I can tell, not that strong.
I nodded and took a few cautious steps forward, then peeked around the bend. A sickening, sweetish smell hit me full in the face, and tears sprang to my eyes. I blinked a few times, steadied myself, and tightened my grip on the sword.
What a sight.
About ten feet beyond the turn, the hole came to an end. There, a heap of bones lay scattered, and right in the middle, some grotesque caterpillar was crawling around. It looked like a snake or a long, fat worm, only it had legs.
The worm paused as it sensed me rounding the bend. Then its head, serpentine and unnervingly broad, emerged from the heap of bones. Its skull was as flat as a saucer, as if someone had stepped on it.
When it spotted me, the worm opened its maw and let out a low, menacing hiss. Its teeth were long, needle-thin, and arranged in multiple rows like a shark's. I couldn't help but wonder how nature had managed to cram so many oversized teeth into such a flat skull. Did they somehow fold to fit better, or...?
Shaking off the untimely thought, I raised my sword, ready to strike if the beast made a sudden move.
But instead of attacking, the creature stirred. Bones continued to tumble from its massive body as it rose higher and higher, coiling more of its body beneath itself. I had underestimated its size. It was as long as a giant anaconda and twice as thick.
At last, it towered above the remains of its meal. It hovered for a moment, then began creeping toward me on its tiny legs.
The only thing more revolting than a stinky, slimy worm with legs was the same disgusting thing charging straight at you.
The hissing grew louder as it suddenly shot up the burrow wall, scurried across the surface, and latched onto the ceiling. Then, folding in half, it launched at me with lightning speed.
I reacted just in time, jumping aside as I swung my sword. I only managed to catch its tail, slicing off a hefty chunk. A wave of revulsion hit me as I stared at the writhing mass of gray-pink flesh on the ground.
Apparently, the creature had never encountered an energy sword before. It didn't try to finish what it had started. Instead, it curled into a ball, staring at me with beady eyes, hesitant to strike again.
I, on the other hand, was already poised for the next round.
With quick, determined strides, I closed the gap and swung at its head, but the worm was unexpectedly nimble. Like a streak of lightning, it darted toward the exit, and I only managed to lop off another chunk of flesh.
As I chased after the creature, I heard Alexey's furious scream.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! What the hell?!"
Followed by a series of incoherent shouts, I charged forward like a deer fleeing a wildfire. The muddy ground splashed loudly beneath my feet.
One of my boots became firmly stuck, so I left it behind.
I could only hope the worm wouldn't gobble up Alexey. After all, I was the one who dragged him into this mess.
As I burst out of the burrow, I realized I had worried in vain. The worm, hacked into pieces, lay in a shapeless heap before Alexey, who stared at it in stunned disbelief.
Moments later, the carcass suddenly burst into a flurry of blue and turquoise sparks, which split into multiple streams and began flowing into me, one after another. This time, the sensation was profoundly different from before, more intense and electrifying.
Until that moment, I had felt almost nothing, just a gentle tingling.
But this time, the sensation was like plunging down the steepest drop of a roller coaster, adrenaline surging through every nerve. Even my hair was standing on end from the sheer intensity.
"Wow, that was incredible!" I gasped.
It sure was, Dorian said joyfully. There was way more energy in this worm than in that six-legged wolf and stupid rat combined.
"Incredible?" Alexey's eyes widened in disbelief. "That thing nearly ate us, and you're calling it incredible?"
"Well, it didn't actually eat us, did it? All's well that ends well." I shrugged, glancing at the spot where the worm had been just seconds ago.
"Did you see how fast it was sprinting?"
"It burst out of the hole and pounced right on me! Of course I saw!"
he shot back.
At that moment, I caught sight of something glinting in the grass. I bent down and picked up a magical crystal, about the size of a cherry. It wasn't the same color as my previous finds and looked a little different in its shimmer and hue.
"Alex, look," I said, holding out the object we had just uncovered.
"Pink."
Alexey stared at it for a few seconds, then shook his head with a smile and carefully took the crystal from me.
"Okay, fine. That's pretty cool," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "I wonder what it's worth..."
"I thought you said you didn't need money?" I couldn't hide my smile.
"It's a matter of principle," he replied, returning the crystal to me.
"I've gone through a lot today because of your ghostly friend. I deserve compensation."
"I told you you'd cut this little worm into pieces in no time with your little swords!" Claudia exclaimed behind us.
"Where's our artifact?"
"It's right over there." She motioned toward the hole. "In the bones.
Where else would it be?"
"What's she saying?" Alexey asked. "If she's been lying to us..."
"The artifact is inside, lying among the bones," I answered.
"Please don't tell me they're human bones."
"I won't," I said, heading into the hole. "I'll be right back."
"Just hurry up!" Alexey called after me. "The magical storm's practically breathing down our necks. And we're already late for school!"
He was right. I'd probably end up using one of those new curse words if we didn't make it back in time, because otherwise the whole weekend would be ruined. No trip to Belozersk, no double portions of dessert... And we'd almost certainly get summoned to the headmaster's office.
"Well, Claudia, if this whole artifact thing turns out to be fake, I'm putting that cross back on Ignat's skeleton myself!"