Dateline: Gondwana, Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Coalition

Aquilifon stepped inside Krovin’s dark, depressing lair. “Arkadius Krovin. How long has it been since you have waited for this day?” he said.
“Long enough, Destroyer. And my name is no longer ‘Arkadius’. I have modernized myself through these hundreds of years, and I am now called by the name ‘Arkady Chernenko’ although my enemies still call me by the name of Krovin. You must be wondering why I have brought you here.”
“Of course not. You are insinuating that I am not an analyst myself, Al’Iblis?”
“Don’t call me by that name!” Krovin shouted.
“I know that you have remembered your defeat by that upstart Charnaiz, and I know that you seek vengeance on him.” Aquilifon continued. “And in your fury, you sought to ally with me to bring him down together, as common enemies. Am I correct?”
“To a certain point, yes. But that’s only half the reason. The other reason, that you might not be aware of, Destroyer, is that I seek to materialize your true form and to rid you of that sad, golem body.”
“Why do you do this?”
“The destruction of Vladivostok and the prevalence of unchecked, uncontrolled anarchy is my purpose here.”
Aquilifon remained silent and relaxed on the cement floor.
“The power plant would not have brought about your true form, Destroyer.” Krovin continued. “It would have only irradiated you and made you quite ill. However, I know for a fact that this dimension, also, has a prophecy that will bring about the revelation of your true form; and it is simpler to achieve than the one of Gondwana, I assure you. It only requires the merger of two beings – the white snake and the black snake, and that is all.”
“How do you know of this?” asked Aquilifon, casually.
“I have the black snake in my possession. It is he who has told me.”
“Congratulations, dark knight. And what about the second instrument of prophecy? Where is it?”
“It is on its way – from Kaliningrad.”

Valeri awoke from her bed, in a cold sweat. She threw off her blanket and rushed to the room of Charnaiz, who lay there with his wife. “Your majesty! I have seen a vision of great distress!” She said.
Charnaiz sat up and stared at her, saying, “What is it, woman? Why do you disturb me?”
“We are not safe from the Destroyer’s true form even in this world! His allies bring forth the twin shade snakes, which, in this world, will cause his true form to appear!”
“How long do we have?”
“Not long, sire, the white snake, the further of the two, is coming soon. The black snake is already here.”
“We must inform Major Kazansky and the others. This is their world, after all, that we are trying to save.”