Moomins vs Chaos

- 1 -

Tragedy.

The day in Moominvalley began as usual. The beautiful sun peeked over the horizon a little slowly, but it shone brightly, promising good weather. The great oak tree by the Moominhouse was shortening its shadow and beginning to drop its fruit. On the veranda at this hour, as always, at all times of day, Moominpappa was sitting, puffing on his favorite pipe with the prescribed two-gram charge. As the sun approached its zenith, Moominpappa noticed he was finishing his last dose of pipe herb. He called to Moomin:

"Moomineeeeek!

" "That's my name," Moomin replied, running down the stairs. "What's wrong, my dear father?

" "I've run out of pipe herb; go to the kiosk. You can buy yourself some orange soda with the change," he replied dispassionately.

"I'm on my way, Papa."

Running to the kiosk, Moomintroll met a tramp—which later saved his ears.

"Are you coming with me to the store to get that lousy weed for my dad? " "

I'll gladly tag along. "

And so they reached the kiosk.

"Ten servings of pipe weed," Moomintroll said.

"You have ID, you brat," the woman at the counter said triumphantly.

"Yeah! Without one, even though I don't look like it, I'm 23!" he stated, then turned to the tramp.

"Give me the ID we stole from the drunk yesterday.

" "Won't he know it's not you in the picture?

" "What, all Moomins, like Smurfs, goblins, and Pokémon characters, are identical." He snatched the ID out of the tramp's hand and held it up to the counter. "Now give me the damn thing!

" "It doesn't," the kiosk girl replied.

"What?!" Moomintroll's heart suddenly sank.

"There isn't any," came the confirmation.

"What?!" Moomintroll was already starting to worry about his life after his clash with his father, who wasn't just anyone, as he was the most powerful Wizard in Moominvalley.

"There isn't any, and go away, Mr. 'adult' with the stolen ID!"

Moomintroll lowered his ears and turned to Snufkin with hopeless eyes.

"That's it," he stated almost silently.

"If you want, we'll go to Snufkin's, maybe he'll come up with something; he's finally taken an indefinite break from his project.

" "Good," Moomintroll agreed with a hint of hope in his voice. He knew Snufkin was hiding "ganda" in the hangar, so maybe he also had some pipe weed.

Unfortunately, Snufkin didn't have enough refills, so he had to settle for four grams. So they returned home, fearing for their fate. Moominpappa had been watching them on the veranda for a while.

"Got it?" – Father asked quickly.

– Only four grams, Daddy.

– What, so little? Have they already finished yesterday's supply? – Father was surprised.

– It looks like it – Snufkin agreed.

"And you, you wanderer, don't talk!" Father exclaimed, clearly irritated. "You could have at least found some cheap local hay!

" "Those four grams are just that hay," Moomintroll said in a low voice.

"What kind of idiot are you? You mean there's not a gram of my brown gold left in the whole of Moominvalley?!" Moominpappa shouted at the top of his voice, his eyebrows twitching.

"It seems so

," Snufkin interjected. This infuriated Father so much that he had to vent his anger as quickly as possible, otherwise he would have boiled inside, and since Snufkin was close at hand... A quick burst of fireballs turned the professional tourist's hat and everything else into a pile of excellent soil improver. Thanks to this, Moomintroll escaped unscathed. But the interrogation didn't end:

"Why didn't you take that thief, MM, with you? She would know who to steal his supplies from? For example, Snout always keeps a supply of my treasure in his fortress. Run for it immediately..." He paused as his wife entered the veranda.

"What's going on here, Father, that you're shouting so loud?" Mother calmed the situation.

"Because, because, because..." Father tried to explain.

"Because he didn't get his share of pipe herb today," Moomintroll finished.

"That's no reason at all," Mother concluded, then turned to Father. "March to the kitchen to peel potatoes, but on one leg!

 - 2 -

Conference.

The next day began as before, but Moominpappa was missing from the veranda, smoking his pipe. Father had been pondering since morning what to do to resolve the current crisis. He decided to gather representatives of the Moomin family and MM's most faithful spy in the dining room of his house. Moomintroll was the first to arrive, then his mother arrived. Snooty, Snooty, and, of course, MM also showed up. Dad began:

"Comrades! Citizens!" Faithful to the tradition of pipe herb! "Brothers and sisters! I address you, friends!" "He never began official speeches like that! And none of the listeners realized the threat his words carried."

A great tragedy occurred. Thanks to Moomintroll's interview yesterday, I learned that the shipment of pipe refills had not arrived at the kiosk. Today's review of the situation by MM proved that neither Snooty nor the witch from the forest had any stock of my stimulant. This can only mean that the exporter screwed up, for which he should be severely punished, of course by me. "I've decided," he continued, "to check out what's going on in the capital myself, taking a few helpers with me, as I've heard of bandits prowling the outskirts of Moominvalley. Now, the vote on this project will take place. Who's against it," he asked with a slight note of menace in his voice, "nobody? In that case, everyone's in favor. Excellent."

"Papa," Moomintroll interjected, "can I find out who these helpers will be?

" "That's exactly what I was getting at," Moominpappa replied quickly. "I'll join the expedition. As leader, I'll need an expert in plants grown in the privacy of my own cellar and attic, so I chose Snork because the hemulen's been having some trouble lately. I also need a bodyduard, and since there's no such thing in the valley, unfortunately, I'm left with only my son.

" "Well, that's screwed," Moomintroll whispered to each other.

"I've already set the departure date for tomorrow morning.

The whole day was spent packing and stocking up. Moomintroll was clearly in a hurry. Moominmamma and Miss Snork were busy preparing sandwiches for the journey. Snorkitroll was rummaging through his dusty shelves, searching for old Hobbit books about pipe herb." Moomin was grooming the horses, including his father's beautiful steed, Red Bull. No one really knows why Moominpappa named the horse that way. The locals believe it was because of Adam Małysz, but the Kashubians have a different explanation. Moominpappa was lying calmly on a seat, or perhaps sitting on a deckchair? And he waited for news from MM, who was supposed to be collecting funds for the expedition from passersby. She returned around 6 p.m., when everything was ready. The decision on the departure time was made "unanimously." They were to set off at 4 a.m.

- 3 -

An unexpected travel companion.

During the night, a powerful storm passed over Moominvalley, turning the roads into streams of mud. The river, by which the late Snufkin liked to sit, burst its banks, flooding the neighboring meadows. When Moominpappa woke up, he cursed himself for not setting off the day before yesterday, immediately after receiving the bad news. He had no intention of giving up on the expedition today either. So they set off, but with a slight delay. The horses were wading through mud almost knee-deep, and to make matters worse, a light drizzle had begun, which particularly bothered Snufkin because of the water pouring into his eyes from his forelock. They reached the river after half an hour, although Moominpappa could cover this distance on foot in favorable conditions in twenty minutes. Here, a major problem arose: how to cross such a large swamp? Moominpappa sent Moominpappa to search for a ford that would allow them to cross to the other side relatively safely. Moomintroll completed his mission quickly, and an hour later they were crossing the river. Moominpappa noticed a log approaching Snork from behind. When it struck his horse's left hind leg, he staggered in his saddle and fell into the water. Moomintroll wasn't long in coming, jumping after Snorkintroll. Moomintroll watched the situation with bated breath. A few times, both disappeared underwater for a moment, until finally, Snorkintroll was caught, but at that moment, an invisible current pulled them under. It seemed to Moomintroll that this was the end, he grabbed his companions' mounts, and crossed to the other bank alone. There, he dismounted and laughed through his tears:

"An hour's journey from home, and already we're out of chips. We've only just set off, and two of our team are dead, including my father.

" "What business have you of me?" he heard a voice right in front of him.

"Papa!" Moomintroll exclaimed joyfully.

"Yes, and who were you expecting, Lady Spring?" Dad asked sarcastically.

"Okay, but help me with Snork."

Snork was unconscious, but breathing. He woke up after a moment, so they didn't waste much time. He decided to buy everyone a beer at the nearest inn. They continued their journey. They continued slowly, though the rain had stopped and the sun broke through the puffy clouds for a second. In the evening, they crossed the border of Moominvalley and entered the forest named after Moomin Grandpa, because he was the first of the Moomins to reach it. Under the roots of a large oak tree, they set up camp and ate their first supper of the journey. Dinner was pea soup, a slice of bread, and a glass of wine. Only Moomintroll, being underage, had to settle for "Żywiec Kola." There was no guard, as the travelers still felt as if they were on vacation. Meanwhile, a strange creature was approaching the camp. He was taller than any Moomin known to the Moomins, had an elongated jaw, and his great axe's shadow fell over his shoulder. Moomintroll, perhaps having chosen him as his first, weakest victim, placed his paw over his mouth and poked him under the ribs with his thumb. Moomintroll opened his eyes and wanted to scream, but the attacker's paw effectively prevented him from doing so.

"I'll take your hand if you don't scream," the stranger said calmly.

"Mmmmm," Moomintroll murmured, nodding his head in confirmation, the paw releasing his mouth.

"Ki... who are you?" he whispered, frightened.

"It's me, Snout." The stranger turned out to be a good friend of Moomintroll.

"What are you doing here?" Moomintroll was surprised. "You know that if Father finds you in his camp without permission, he'll skin you alive.

" "Yes, I know. That's why I came to you to ask your Father for permission to travel with you," Snout replied.

"You've got to be kidding!

" "No." Tomorrow, you'll clear the groundwork for my arrival at your camp the next day," he said firmly.

"His camp, to be precise, but I'll try to do what I can," Moomintroll relented.

"Thanks, I'll be very grateful," Sniff concluded the conversation.

It was a difficult task, because Moominpappa and Sniff didn't like each other. Sniffpappa hated Sniffpappa for sometimes beating him to the kiosk and buying up the last of the Pipe Herb, while Sniffpappa didn't hide his antipathy towards Sniffpappa because he believed he was the first to organize pipe-smoking tournaments in Moominvalley and the surrounding area. The

next day, Sniffpappa was the first to wake up and wake everyone up.

"Get up, you lazybones! We have a long way to go today," Sniffpappa began.

"Now, now," Sniffpappa replied sleepily.

"We're getting up now," Sniffpappa said, falling asleep again.

"Get up!" – Dad shouted at the top of his lungs, causing all the birds within a kilometer radius to take flight.

Moomintroll jumped to his feet and ran to the stream to wash himself and water the horses. Snorkling began preparing the meal. Father, meanwhile, took the newspaper under his arm and went into the bushes to look for something to eat. At breakfast, Moomintroll began his action:

"Oh, Snouty would be useful, he's a great cook ." "

Don't tell me about that traitor and saboteur," Father stammered through his teeth.

"Moomintroll's right," Snorkling suddenly spoke up. "He would be useful to our expedition. He may not be too clever, but an extra blade is not to be scorned.

" "Well, luckily we left him in the valley," Father said triumphantly, "and we don't intend to come back for him, do we," he added emphatically.

"Of course not!" the other two members of the expedition chorused.

However, after the morning's defeat, Moomintroll wasn't about to give up his plan to get his father's permission to let another traveler join them. He attacked again around noon.

"It's a terrible thicket in this forest, no one's probably been through here for years. Actually, why didn't we take the road?

" "There might be bandits lurking there," Moomintroll clearly had a ready answer.

"We could," Moomintroll continued, "at least take a machete or an axe with us; apparently, Snout has such a weapon.

" "I agree with that, I could have sent MM for him.

" "No, I didn't mean to take that weapon, but...

" "No!" Father interrupted immediately. "I'm not going back to the valley for that—"

"My friend?

" "Yes! No! No! What? Your friend???

" "Yes, Dad.

" "Well, that's great, my own son is friends with my worst enemies!

" "What kind of enemy is he?" Moomintroll tried to salvage the situation—he was a real man.

"Son, you're starting to get on my nerves," he said, still softly, "but if you mention that monster to me again, I'll probably… or not, send you home and you'll have to wash pots, whittle potatoes, carry water, and so on.

" "No, Papa!" Moomintroll cringed. "I won't!"

Moomintroll decided to let it go for now. But he didn't suspect the decision would be made without his advice.

4 -

Night Attack.

Before nightfall, they reached Elkin'skir Hill, where they decided to set up camp. At dusk, they found an excellent spot sheltered from the wind, but which proved disastrous, offering no escape from the attacker. As usual, Moomintroll took care of the horses, Snorkling prepared the meal, and Papa devised, as he put it, strategic plans. This time, they decided to take turns on guard duty during the night. Moomintroll would be the first to watch, then Snorkling after three hours, and then Moomintroll after the same period. They ate dinner, and Moomintroll and his sword went on guard duty. All three fell asleep within five minutes of each other, first the father, and finally the son.

The attack by wild animals, drawn by the smell of food, didn't take long. Around midnight, Moomintroll was awakened by barking behind him. This was their camp. He ran as fast as he could.

There, a fight awaited him. Twinkle, pinned against a rock by a wolf pup, bravely fended off the attacks with a stick pulled from the fire. Meanwhile, Father, standing on a relatively high boulder, had cast magical protection over himself and, alternating between fireballs and psionic arrows, was laying waste to the wolves. Moomintroll, without hesitation, moved toward the food supplies to defend them.

However, there wasn't much left. The four foraging wolves, hearing the approaching enemy, turned toward Moomintroll, baring their teeth menacingly and flashing red eyes. With a quick lunge and thrust, the blade of the sword landed in the throat of the first wolf. Unfortunately, the element of surprise was wasted, and now the wolves took the initiative. They surrounded Moomintroll. One of them tried to jump on his back, but knowing the wolf technique from "Discowery Channel," he turned at the same moment as the wolf was leaping, knocking the attacker unconscious with a well-aimed blow from his small shield. Unfortunately, the third sheep-eater sank its fangs into Moomintroll's calf. The defender howled in pain and fell to the ground. At that moment, a familiar silhouette emerged from behind the bushes. With two axe cuts, both remaining wolves severed their spines. Moomintroll lost consciousness.

"He's still alive," someone laughed above the injured man's head. "Such a wound, and he's been unconscious for almost a whole day.

" "There's no point laughing," he recognized Snork's voice. "The tooth narrowly missed the artery.

" "Yes, you're right," he heard clearly now; it was his father.

"I'm alive," Moomintroll finally said.

"Yes," he rose and saw Snout. "You were lucky I was near your camp.

" "Yes." He saved us all – surprisingly, he heard his father's voice – we are grateful for that – it exceeded all expectations. Moominfather had reconciled with his greatest enemy – I am also alive thanks to him. When my protection was weakening…

- Okay, you'll tell me later, now our protector of food needs to rest.

- 5 –

The four of them set off.

They set off two days later, when Moomintroll had regained full strength. They had to heal minor wounds: Snorkling had been burned by the torch he had used to scare away the wolf, and Snout had a few minor scratches from the bushes he had to get through to get to the camp. Only Father had not been injured, thanks to his magical protection.

To Moominfather's surprise, without any murmurs from Father, Snout mounted his horse and followed the group at a distance.

The capital was still two days away. The party, now four strong, was nearing its destination, as Father had invited Snout to share a meal with them during the next dinner, which definitively ended the feud between them.

Two days passed, as Polish peasants say, like a flash in the pan. Unfortunately, they reached the city at night. The guard refused to open the gate for them, which greatly angered Father and forced the party to spend the night outside. The next morning, after six days of travel, they reached the capital of the Mummy Republic, Al'karbab. Upon entering the city, Migotek immediately dragged his friends to a tavern for the promised Pilsner. There, they learned of the riots instigated by An-dj-j Leb'ber, who claimed the state was providing insufficient protection to tobacco farmers who imported tobacco from abroad. They also learned of the picketing of the local branch of the Pipe Friends Club outside the Ministry of Foreign Trade due to the recent restrictions on the import of pipe herb from the Shire. The area surrounding the Filip Morisson Tabacum Consortium branch also became unsafe due to attacks on the company's headquarters by addicted customers. Dad realized that the two institutions he wanted to join were blocked, and thus their trip could be in vain.

Fortunately, news of the arrival of the great magician and, in his time, great warrior quickly spread throughout the city, reaching the highest authorities. The Highest Authorities didn't wait; that same day they summoned the team from Moominvalley to their home to "Discuss ways to overcome the temporary difficulties with the supply of pipe herb from the Shire." Daddy was, of course, furious with such an evasive statement, instead of bluntly saying it.

"Couldn't they," Daddy began, "simply write: 'Savior!' He was thinking of himself, 'Come and solve the great CRISIS consuming our country!'" He concluded questioningly.

- 6 -

"General Assembly of the Government to determine the size of the team departing for the Shire."

Daddy arrived at the meeting on time, and Snout, who had been invited, also went with him. Within a few minutes, the entire council gathered in the conference room at Downingschtrasse 10. Besides Dad and Snout, the members included: the Duke of the Hundred Acre Wood, Lord Jacob, also known as the "Night Owl," the Kashubian minority delegate, Adam Boczman, the Prime Minister, the Moomin Prime Minister, the president of the local "FMTC" branch, the halfling Miltor Baggins, and another hooded figure unknown and unintroduced to our heroes.

The Prime Minister began

, "The crisis we will be trying to overcome today has proven very burdensome for the Council of Ministers, which is why I have gathered you here. Mr. Miltor will explain the situation to you in more detail. Please."

"Yes. To date, our unit has received 8% of the Shire's monthly supplies. This is a new situation for us, so we've decided to send a few messengers to gather information about the reason for this state of affairs. Unfortunately, none of them have returned so far.

" "Yes," Adam interrupted, "that's why I intend to immediately clarify the matter in this 'Halflingland' of yours." Who's coming with me?

" "Wait a minute," Snout interjected, "let's hear what our Hobbit has to say.

" "Thank you. We therefore request," Miltor continued, "that you send a few brave men to deal with this matter if possible.

" "You will be escorted to the edge of the Hundred Acre Wood by my men," Jacob suggested. "Unfortunately, from there you will go alone. The only thing I can do for you is equip you with weapons and provisions.

" "Fine, that should be enough. But wait a minute. How about 'you?' Who's going?" Dad asked, surprised.

"What do you mean, you," the Prime Minister said, "if you agree, that is. A large reward awaits you upon your return.

" "Who are these 'YOU'?" Dad shouted.

"This is: you, your son, Alchemist Migotek, your friend Ryjek, Mr. Adam Boczman, and the gentleman here, as he introduced himself, Singollo.

" "Yes, so the team was chosen before we arrived," Ryjek said.

"Yes," the Prime Minister replied, though it wasn't a question.

"7" "

Before the next stage.

" "Good morning," he turned to Dad Puchacz with a honey-drenched smile, "how did you sleep?

" "Okay, not too bad," he replied.

"Yes, so since you've had a good night's sleep, I invite you and your entire team to my dacha in nearby Kruczewo."

They arrived there right after breakfast, with all their company. They greeted the host, who invited them to tour his residence.

The rooms were richly furnished. The large mirrors hanging on the walls gave an incredible impression of vast space. So, looking left and right, admiring the works of art and other things, as several well-built girls were milling about, they reached the armory.

There they saw weapons that no king could boast, but which lay in the manor of an ordinary Duke.

Moomintroll was the first to move to the tables, followed by Adam, and the last of those willing to approach the weapons was Singollo. The rest, however, continued their exploration of the dacha.

Moomintroll, excited by the flashes of light, ran to the first table he saw and grabbed the hilt of a silver sword made of oliphant bone.

"It's excellent work from a dwarf factory in Taiwan," said a voice behind Moomintroll.

"Oh, I'll say thank you," he replied, but then added, turning away.

"Excuse me, but who are you… and gee, you're beautiful."

"Thanks for the compliment, but you could have tried for a better one." The beautiful lady turned out to be a tall woman; biologically speaking, Moomintroll estimated her age at the beginning of reproductive age. Her hair was long, fiery red, and tied back with something like a golden cord. Her beautiful body was covered with scant leather armor, while her forearms and hands were covered with numerous overlapping plates and tiny blades.

"Who are you, angel?

" "It's enough that I'm with this gentleman," she pointed at Singollo.

"Leave this man and run away with me, we'll make love at the edge of the meadow..." Moomintroll's mind flashed. "Ow! For what?!

" "Stop dreaming, little one, I'm not a pedophile," she recited through gritted teeth, lowering the morning star in her hand.

"I'm sorry," Moomintroll replied contritely.

"I thought you were looking for a weapon.

" "Yes?

" "Then I can help with something." My name is Anna.

"A woman and she knows about weapons? Ha, ha... ayy. No, no, I won't!

" "Okay, so do you need help or not!

" "Thank you. I'll come in handy.

" "Then I suggest we come over to that table." Anna took Moomintroll by the arm and led him to a large oak bench where several daggers and two short swords were spread out.

"This, in this armory, is the best for a thief," she continued.

"But I'm not a thief.

" "Of course not. You know, I'm not really a thief either. But wait, what's your purse doing in my pocket?

" "I don't know, but it's probably the same as yours in my pocket.

" "Oh, come on. Give it back!" Anna suddenly blushed and quickly exchanged purses.

"So," Moomintroll began, "did you say something about pocket knives?

" "Yes. Here we have the blade of a Finn Bolshevik...

" "Don't talk politics, just give me your best."

"That's definitely not going to work for you."

A low, hoarse voice echoed behind Moomintroll. Moomintroll greeted the medallion hanging on a chain from the neck of the gray-clad man. Moomintroll looked up and saw Singollo's smiling face.

"I propose for a skilled thief like you," Singollo continued, "this blade. It's an excellent, though man-made, small sword." He held up the rune-encrusted blade. "It's light, fits perfectly in the hand, and thanks to its special grip, your hand doesn't sweat. It also has a few special properties, which, however, it would be best if you discovered them for yourself.

" "Thanks. And you," Moomintroll began, "have you found anything for yourself?"

"I don't need such junk. I have my own blade." He pulled a blue blade from behind his back. "This sword was made by Oklish Vandeal himself; it's one of the seven blades of Gothbug. You probably haven't heard of it, but I assure you, a skilled warrior can use this marvel to cut off the wing of a fruit fly in mid-flight.

" "Yes, yes. And the marmot sits there and wraps it in…

" "You'll be surprised!" Anna couldn't bear it any longer.

Moomintroll said nothing more, put away his sword, and walked away with a thoughtful expression. Meanwhile, Adam was comparing his sword to the one attached to the armor in the corner.

"This is the chamber of our court alchemists; if necessary, any potions can be made here," Mélli, the eagle owl's herald, began as they entered the next room.

"I'll be happy to use it," Snork replied quickly, "and I think you, Dad, will too.

" "Yes, of course.

" "So we're going," the inventor continued.

"Let's go."

And Dad and Snork set off towards the laboratory.

- 8 -

To the Hundred Acre Wood.

"We're leaving today," Dad began over breakfast, "and I hope everyone agrees.

" "Of course, we've waited too long anyway," Singollo confirmed.

"Yes! We're leaving," the rest replied in unison.

Everyone was ready after a few hours, but "Owl" invited them to his manor for a last supper. At 2000, everyone arrived for dinner except Singollo, who was bidding farewell to Anna more privately.

The members of the expedition took their places at the most important table: Moominpappa next to the Prime Minister of the Moomins, Moomintroll and Snout next to Miltor and the charming vice-countess. Adam sat in the corner of the table and entertained the girls sitting around with his spicy jokes.

"What do you think," the Prime Minister began to Moominpappa, "how long will this journey take you?

" "I don't know yet," Moominpappa replied, "but I think it will take two or three weeks.

" "You're probably too pessimistic," the burgrave, sitting on Moominpappa's right, interjected.

"No," Moominpappa denied, "I'm a huge optimist."

"Let's not exaggerate," the Prime Minister said, hoping for confirmation. "Could this be arranged faster?

" "I sincerely doubt it," he concluded. Moominpappa emphatically.

Meanwhile, a growing audience began to gather at Snout's place, as he had just begun to talk about the Battle of Annder, where he would become famous for saving the life of the commander of the Brlindja tank unit from a stab in the back, for which he was decorated.

The next day, while everyone was quietly nursing their hangovers, Singollo burst into the room.

"Hey, you bream!" he shouted in greeting. "How are you feeling?

" "Shhh," hissed Dad. "Can't you see the drop in blood pressure is making our heads explode?"

"Ha, ha, good," Singollo cackled, "a drop in blood pressure, that's good. "

Moomintroll clutched his ears, because, despite being underage, he eagerly helped himself to the wine from the table, which was evident this morning.

"Let people live," he said.

"What kind of people?" Singollo was surprised. "I see three Moomins here and something furry with a pointed snout topped with a black pimple and a mustache.

" "Didn't you overdo it," Singollo interjected, "with that pimple?

" "Okay, sorry," Singollo replied with feigned contrition, "but get up! You didn't have to drink so much yesterday. Get up!!!

" "Now!" Moomintroll shouted, then realized his mistake and grabbed his head.

Despite the mood of most of the travelers, they managed to set off after just two hours. A quick farewell to their loved ones, or rather, to their loved ones, as only Singollo had relatives in the capital, and to their acquaintances. Everyone here had acquaintances, so they said goodbye to the Prime Minister, Owl, Milton, and the countesses. As for the escort Owl had promised, they declined.

The journey was marked by chatting about the past of the expedition participants. Moomintroll learned that Singollo had once been an excellent knight and had participated in many campaigns, including against Sauron. This surprised Moomintroll terribly, as this had happened over a thousand years ago, and apart from a few elves and a few of the most eminent magicians, no one should remember those times. Adam was also a character with a colorful past; as a youngster, he had already won the great knights' tournament in Vikkielgaard, which brought him honors. Afterward, he traveled the Earth as a knight-errant, searching for long-forgotten ideals.

"Is it possible," Moomintroll began, "that Singollo participated in the War of the Rings?"

"I have no idea," Snout replied. "Ask your father, and as for Adam, he's honest; I fought with him in the same division.

" "I didn't question his credibility."

The next day, Moomintroll asked Singollo about his past. The answer was coherent but incomplete; the information was merely snippets of a legend Moomintroll knew. Moomintroll decided to delve deeper, but Singollo suddenly turned around and went to the edge of the road to relieve himself, grinning. Moomintroll gave up. They

still had two days of travel ahead of them, but Father decided they would cover those two days in one day. The last day, assuming they met Father's astronomical plan, was spent rushing around without time to stop and rest, even eating on horseback.

Of course, Father's plan backfired when, taking a shortcut, they got lost in the forest. They set up camp in a clearing where it seemed safe to spend the night.

In the evening, Moomintroll pitched a tent for Father, while the rest slept under the stars. This time, Snorkling stood watch. Snorkling proved to be a persistent sentry, staying awake for a full fifteen minutes!

In the morning, Father was awakened by the beautiful rays of the sun caressing his beautiful face. Father stretched and screamed

, "Where the hell is my tent?!"

Moomintroll woke up and screamed to find that the horses were gone too. The only unsurprised and terrified member of the group was Singollo, who had calmly wandered off to meet his needs. Meanwhile, the rest of the group was running around, disturbing the forest animals. Singollo returned, holding his horse's bit, pulled out a piece of bread, and began eating breakfast. Immediately everyone gathered around him.

"Did you find our horses?" Father asked.

"Well, not ours, but mine," Singollo replied, still eating.

"How did you do that?" The barrage of questions seemed to grow heavier.

"To use tricks like that, you have to learn them first, and I'm not a teacher.

" "Haven't you seen our horses?

" "I have.

" "Why didn't you bring them?" Father seemed impatient.

"What, am I a stable boy?" Singollo quickly retorted, offended.

"Okay, Father apologizes," said Moomintroll, "but at least tell them where they are.

" "Go there," and he pointed in the direction he had come from.

After a while, everyone returned with their horses. While eating a quick meal, they were finishing their round of questions for Singollo.

"Do you happen to know what happened last night?" Moomintroll asked.

"Yes, I know," came the quick reply.

"Can you share this knowledge with us?" Father asked.

"Yes, but another time," it was said as quickly as before. And no one discussed it again, and Snorklet breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately after, they mounted their horses and set off. They hadn't gone very far before it began to snow.

"What the..." whispered Moomintroll to himself.

"What's going on?" Snoopy, also concerned, said.

"Winter, my dear children," Singollo interrupted.

"What winter, autumn has only just begun?!" Father yelled. "Winter is only in the north now.

" "Yes," Singollo snorted with a smile.

"

Where to now???

" "You mean we're in the north now?" Snoopy asked.

"Yes," Singollo replied, quickly and briefly, "that's

what I mean." "I have a feeling," Snoopy whispered to Moomintroll, "that this individual still has many secrets.

" "I think so too," Moomintroll agreed.

This situation changed the group's attitude towards Singollo, from pride in their worthy companion to distrust.

"Does anyone know," Father shouted, "how we got here?!"

"Yes," Singollo said again, ignoring the suspicious glances of his colleagues, "I know, but I won't share this knowledge with you, because you're not ready for it yet.

" "Don't push it too far," Adam jumped up. "Tell me everything you know, or you'll never be able to say your proud 'yes, I know' again." "

By the way," Snout joined Adam, "what's your real name, because a gray cloak is definitely not yours?

" "I'm admirable for a man who knows the older language," Singollo choked out, choking with anger, "but my name will be of no use to you.

" "I'll—" Adam drew his sword.

"Stop, you jerk!" Dad stopped him. "He's the only person who knows where we are. So, WHERE ARE WE!!!

" "Okay," Singollo softened, pretending, "we're about a hundred kilometers north of where we stayed last night." This will get us to the Shire faster, avoiding the Hundred Acre Wood, the Mille'rik Barrows, and Mr. Owl's company.

"I think," Dad began in a whisper, his voice coming from deep within him, "that this was a bad idea, because however we got here, it won't shorten the journey, but will make a significant detour.

" "You're wrong," Graycloak denied. "Tomorrow, an uprising of "friends and family" will break out in the Hundred Acre Wood, led by Count Fang von Po Uch. "Night Owl"—guess why they named him that—will also perish in this uprising. The biggest battle will rage in the Mille'rik Barrows, while we'll be five hundred kilometers north of the uprising. Time is pressing us; we have no time for these dung wars. More interesting things will be happening in the Shire. I'll make it clear right away that I won't answer any questions; let's be on our way."

And they set off.

They continued north. The snow began to fall more heavily, and visibility became significantly reduced. They rode through a dead forest, with no sign of life anywhere. As they entered a pass through the forest, vertical walls looked as if they were made of ice, which surprised no one, as they were made of ice. Suddenly, they heard a prolonged hiss. Singollo turned, made a quick, almost imperceptible movement with his hand, and shouted.

"Someone's shooting at us with a crossbow!

" "Get down!" someone shouted.

But no more shots were fired. Everyone who valued life hid behind whatever cover they could. No shots were fired, but instead they heard a deep, male voice.

"Get up and crawl out with your paws up, or you'll never crawl out from behind those rocks again.

" "Introduce yourself, my friend," Daddy said.

"Daddy, don't tease me!"

"How, how do you know my name?

" "I know many names, but if you're really interested in mine, I call myself the King of the Mountains.

" "What?" "You made it up," Dad laughed.

"Don't underestimate me, Daddy.

" "I ask again, how do you know my name?"

"It's strange, I recognized you right away, and you didn't recognize me, how come?

" "Wait," Father wondered, "is that you, Sird? " "

Finally, now get out!

" "Sird, I'm calling you to order!" Moominpappa shouted.

"Now you can get out, I say!

" "Okay," Moomintroll stood up and raised his hands, "we're getting up."

Despite everyone's outrage, they stood up one by one: first Moomintroll, then Singollo, Snork, Adam, and finally Father.

- 10 -

A strange acquaintance.

After surrendering to the strange creature, they were led to a cave about three hundred meters away. When they entered, they were surprised and the smell was pleasant, even sweet. Although they couldn't see the attacker, they could feel him behind them. The cave was warm, for winter conditions, and bright. After a few minutes of waiting, the one Father had called Sird appeared. He was a man, quite tall, his face beaming with a smile, despite being marked by many wrinkles. He wore a red mage's robe, carried a crossbow on his back, and held a staff in his hand.

"Greetings, esteemed dog," he began.

"I do not wish," Father grumbled, "to be called that.

" "Very well, Professor. Welcome to my spacious home!

" "Modesty isn't your strong suit," Adam sniped at the host.

"Not yet, but I'm trying. In particular," he continued, "I welcome Mr. Father, his son, and of course the infamous Singollo, or, if you prefer, Mr....

" "Don't say my name," Singollo gritted his teeth.

"Easy, easy, don't get upset. But I don't know the rest, so I assume they don't know me either. My name is Sird son of Mykall." I live all alone in this frozen wasteland, practicing my fortitude and the skills I acquired under the guidance of the esteemed Professor Moominpappa. I'm glad you decided to visit me, but you could have at least warned me.

"Oh yes," Moominpappa snorted, "you think I've come all this way to visit you.

" "What, haven't you?" Sird grimaced.

"No!" shouted Father, "I'm on my way to Shiru. I encountered a few obstacles along the way, like this gentleman"—he pointed impudently at Singollo—"and I'm only passing through.

" "That's a shame, then, but since you're my guests, I want to hear all about your journey.

" Despite Father's displeased expression, Moominpappa recounted the story of the journey. Moominpappa was surprised that Sird wasn't surprised when Moominpappa reached the teleporter yesterday. He also told them about the group's immediate plans.

"You're right," Sird said after a moment's thought. "Something strange is happening in the Shire. Merlin Menson is most likely behind all this."

Everyone gasped at that name, and Snork let out a soft cry. Merlin Menson was the greatest dark magician, considered Sauron's heir by the village folk. Of course, he was only an ordinary man and couldn't have such great power, but every creature respected him.

"Where did you get that information?" Moominpappa asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"You can feel his presence nearby, so I assume he's currently in the Shire.

" "It's terrible!" Moominpappa couldn't bear it any longer.

"Not so much," Singollo replied calmly. "We don't even know if he's behind all this, and even if he is, together we have a chance of defeating him.

" "I—Adam couldn't listen passively either—wouldn't be so confident.

" "Shut up, bream," Father interrupted. "I'm in top form now, I could defeat him myself.

" "Yes, yes, and the marmot is sitting there wrapping them in those foil wrappers." Moominpappa gritted his teeth.

Despite many things to discuss with Father, Sird felt like an obstacle standing in the way of the team's glorious deed and decided to give them his blessing to continue their journey the next day after breakfast.

The next day, over breakfast, Sird told the unwitting team members about the overlapping paths of his and Father's pasts. It turned out that Sird had studied at the magic academy, where Moominpappa had lectured even before he was Father. They accomplished much together as Professor, Head of the Fire Department, and the most talented student. They discovered that fire spells work best against ice protections, and that fire protections and amulets work equally well against ice spells. They made a similar discovery, but with opposite conclusions, for fire and water. This gained them notoriety throughout most of the Known World. However, a clash occurred after Sird graduated. Father encouraged him to stay at the academy, but he, referring to the army, replied that he had other plans. For this trivial reason, Tata and Sird had a quarrel and swore never to speak to each other again.

After a fascinating tale of the past, Sird put his friends on horses, supplied them with food and water, and gave his blessing: the latest model of the SirMu amulet, which provided excellent protection against ice spells and, to some extent, against dark spells.

They set off, enriched with knowledge and with a precise plan of action.

- 11 -

Finally, they reached their destination.

They were three hundred kilometers from the Shire, crossing the frozen wastes and undeveloped stretches of the West Foredeep. According to Dad and Singollo's calculations, the journey would take about nine days. This time, thanks to Singollo's involvement in the planning, everything went smoothly and efficiently. They stuck to their plans, even exceeded them, so their guard shifts were no longer chaotic, and nothing surprised them at night. On the seventh day, they reached the Girllette River valley. Unfortunately, the lack of any significant bridges forced the travelers to seek a ford. They found one, but it was occupied.

"Where are you going?" A pockmarked-faced muscleman with an intelligent voice spoke first.

"Without payment," squeaked a larger muscleman with a surprisingly high voice, "we can't go any further."

"And who do we have the pleasure of meeting?" Dad retorted, sensitive to any hint of rudeness.

"Spox daddy," Moomintroll interjected, "these gentlemen are simply earning their living, so there's no point in yelling at them.

" "So gentlemen," Moomintroll continued, "the gentlemen will let us go, and we'll pass through without harming anyone, and we'll drink beer to your health at the nearest inn.

" "Don't mock us, you idiot," squeaked the bigger one.

"That's right," added the intelligent-looking one, "you'll pay or we'll call for reinforcements.

" "Then we'll ride on," shouted Singollo and spurred his horse on.

"Stop! Józek, Boguś, Walduś, help!"

At that moment, Singollo drew his sword, and Józek, Waldek, and Boguś jumped out from behind the bushes, surrounding the group.

"See, you've done your share. Now we'll rip the gold for the passage off your carcasses!"

Although the attackers were big, no one, except Snork, was afraid of them. Their weapons were pitchforks, sticks studded with nails, and clubs. They all charged at once, defying the basic laws of combat established in American films. The fight didn't last long. Boguś fell under the blow of a spiritual hammer, quickly conjured by Dad. Dad rested on his laurels, folded his arms, and said, "The rest is yours." No further explanation was needed. Singollo cut "Squeaker" in half with a single stroke, and Adam, with a blow from his heavy sword, split "Intellectual's" skull. Walduś aimed well and attacked Snork, who didn't even flinch. Fortunately, Moomintroll was quicker; for the first time, he used his new sword, jabbing it into Waldemar's gut. Only Józek thought better of it when he saw what remained of his companions, and there wasn't much left. He froze mid-strike, which he was about to deliver to Dad from behind, and silently fled back into the bushes.

After crossing the river, nothing separated them from Shiru. They set off with renewed enthusiasm.

Finally, after eight days of arduous travel, they reached their destination. They arrived tired, hungry, but happy.

- 12 -

What exactly was going on here?

They emerged from the forest surrounding the pipe-weed plantation. They saw a small, ruined cottage in the center of the ruins, and next to it stood an old mother with her three sons, unmatched in the world. "Minister of Health and Social Welfare" was clearly written in black spray paint on the wall. At the sight, Father hissed and cursed under his breath. They approached calmly, the hobbit mother casting them an uncertain gaze, tinged with hatred. They guessed it was the humans who had burned down their cottage.

"Hello, dear lady," Moomintroll blurted out with mock politeness. "Could you please acquaint us with the current situation in your beautiful country?

" "Pashly, dog-tassels." Mother's lips twisted in a mocking smile. "You don't need to be here.

" "But, dear lady," Singollo tried to smooth things over. "We're only coming here to offer sincere assistance. There's no need to upset you. But to continue our assistance, we need your help.

" "Good." The hobbit's tone softened. "What information do you need, my dear boy?

" "My dear boy?" Singollo smiled secretly to himself, but then turned to his mother. "Dear Madam, we need to get to the local branch of the FMTC first; I think we'll find out the rest there.

" "I'll show you," said the youngest son. "I still have to go to the city to collect compensation from our insurance company. I'll show you around.

" "Thank you in advance. We can get going.

" "Yes, let's go.

" In the city, they found the FMTC building. When they entered, it seemed completely empty at first glance. Only after a longer inspection did they find the manager's office. When they entered, they were greeted by a halfling who looked like any other halfling. He was plump, short, and had his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Hello," said the first one. "My name is Tolhir, I'm the director of this branch. How can I be of service?"

"Yes. We wanted to know," Father began, "why the pipe herb shipments aren't reaching Moominvalley? Besides, we want to know who the Minister of Health and Social Welfare is?

" "Yes, yes, I'll answer that," the halfling interrupted Father, "but first I'd like to meet you all." I've already introduced myself.

Father gritted his teeth, but Singollo was introducing the team.

"This is Moomintroll," he began, "he's something of a guide and the author of the expedition. Further on, you see his son Moomintroll and his friend Snork. Hidden behind him is Snout, a brilliant warrior, and in front of him is the equally brilliant warrior Adam Boczman. And I," he introduced himself last, "my name is Singollo; you've probably heard of me."

"Yes," Tolhir interrupted again, thinking that Singollo had finished the introductions, "I've heard of you. Now that I've met you, we can move on to the questions. Firstly, we send supplies to Moominvalley regularly. We're only surprised that none of the convoys we've sent have returned yet. I don't know what that means, but I don't think it's a good sign. As for the second matter, we don't know anything for sure. Most likely they're some kind of fanatics. Fortunately, they don't cause much damage.

" "What do you mean, this minister isn't the main reason for our lack of pipe herb?" Dad looked very surprised.

"No, as I said, we send convoys regularly, without delays, and full. There shouldn't be any shortage of supplies from the Shire.

" "So why do we only get 8% of our monthly supplies?

" "I repeat, I have no idea.

" "You're up to something, you want to drive up the price of pipe herb to make even more money.

" "No, that's not correct." We're sending convoys, and there's no way we're going to fix prices.

" "Damn, you can't negotiate with him, it's all about you. Where should I go to get to headquarters?

" Dad couldn't take it anymore and decided to continue to investigate the matter, which seemed strange, to say the least. They hadn't encountered any bandits along the way, so he ruled out convoy attacks. "Where did they disappear?" Dad wondered. He thought he'd find the answer at headquarters.

Headquarters was a day's ride away, so they decided to spend the night at a nearby inn. They entered the inn, called the owner, asked for a place to stay, dinner, and tomorrow's breakfast, and ordered the same for the horses. Dinner was thin soup and some stale meat, but they couldn't complain about the quality of the beer. It was strong and frothy. After emptying the keg, they retired to a well-deserved rest.

They got up around eight. Breakfast was the same as dinner. They didn't drink beer. They set off at nine-thirty. They arrived at headquarters at nine-thirty in the evening. They weren't accepted that day; the security guard wouldn't let them in. They spent the night at the inn again, this time more dingy, the food more sparse, and the beer seemed stale. The next day, they reached the chairman without any major incidents; they were only surprised that no one had warned them of their arrival. The chairman, William Geets, welcomed them with a smile, offered them top-quality tobacco, and then, over a pipe, they discussed the pressing issue at length. The conversation flowed nicely; William was an educated man who understood the problems of the multitude of pipe enthusiasts. They learned that shipments were indeed being sent regularly, but their returns were irregular. The situation was complicated. A larger meeting was planned for the next day. The magicians responsible for maintaining order were to be invited. If black magic was involved, they would be responsible for the oversight. Representatives of the highest police authorities were also invited. If robbers were involved, this time they would be responsible. Of course, a joint attack by black magic and thugs wasn't ruled out.

- 13 –

Something unusual.

They spent the night at headquarters; the next day, before noon, the crisis team was to meet. Dad couldn't sleep all night, pondering the current situation; it was completely new to Dad. Dad had never encountered a story like something out of a Czech comedy. The reflections yielded nothing new. The only result was that Dad was completely sleep-deprived the next day. Singollo didn't sleep with the rest of the team; he'd gone off somewhere all night. The rest slept soundly, the sleep of the righteous.

The next morning passed at breakfast, and Dad almost fell asleep over the milk soup. The rest chatted calmly about their plans for the meeting, though some Moomins had a feeling they wouldn't make it. Singollo showed up for the last two slices of bread and the last of the jam. This surprised no one. Today was going to bring many surprises.

"Hello, come in," William encouraged the team, who were missing a Moomin.

"Yes, hello," Moominpappa replied sleepily.

"It's best to speed up the formalities; everyone knows Moominpappa's crew, but the crew doesn't know our people responsible for security in the Shire. These are the wizards: Albert and the Wolf Gang, and over there are the commissioners from the metropolitan police stations: Bill and Tarny. Well, that's over.

" "Hello Albert," Moominpappa said, "what made you take on such a despicable role?

" "I have a free house and a laboratory, and besides, they pay well.

" "And you showed such promise," Moominpappa nodded.

"Okay, but let's get to the point," Singollo pushed William off the podium. "We've received a warning from reliable sources that Merlin Menson may be behind the tobacco shortage in Moominvalley, and probably in many other lands."

At that name, everyone took a deep breath, followed by vulgar whispers and the repeated words, "Why here?"

"If it's him," Singollo continued, "then we must mobilize to the limit. Judging by the scale of the cataclysm and the target he struck, he has greater strength than last time and, very likely, greater reserves. We will have to act quickly and in accordance with the well-established, previously agreed-upon plan."

At that moment, an old man entered the chamber where the council members were sitting. His hair was long, obscuring his face, and completely gray. He leaned on a gnarled staff and was dressed in rags. When he looked up, everyone flinched in fear; he had no eyes. As everyone stood staring at him, terrified and stunned, he raised a finger and began to recite,

"The situation you find yourself in will overwhelm you. It is not true that my master Merlin is the cause of all this. It is true that he is in the Shire, but he did not cause this chaos. You did it. For centuries, you have tried to block evil, so that it would never again leave its cradle, disregarding the law that governs every world: 'There must be balance in the universe, it must exist in every part of this universe.' You have broken this law for centuries, and the evil that did not leave the cradle remained beneath it. Now the entire mass of evil that has not seen the light of this world accumulates beneath this shameful land. The world is on the verge of collapse. Throughout these centuries, you have failed to ensure that good grows stronger. You have no power to stop what has already begun. The only force capable of stopping it all is neutrality, but such a thing does not exist yet." The time needed to create a being that, however, cannot exist here in this world, will take you millennia, but by then, it will be long over. I will not enlighten you further, but before I leave you, I will answer one question, just one. Who will answer it?

Silence fell upon the chamber; large beads of sweat broke out on all the magicians' foreheads. No one knew what to say. Everyone, already looking at the old man with horror, realized he was telling the truth. The question they could ask him could therefore be crucial in making further decisions.

"Perhaps you will ask it, Dad?" Albert whispered.

"Yes, Dad, you would ask it," the old man replied, turning and slowly walking out of the chamber.

"Wait, that wasn't our question yet!"

They all ran after the stranger, but there was no one left in the hall.

- 14 -

To Merlin.

No one said anything at this meeting. Slowly, everyone went their separate ways to consider the old man's words for themselves. Everyone quickly left the room, leaving only Singollo and Papa.

"The situation is probably more serious than we thought," Papa spoke first.

"It seems so."

Papa, though he hated the phrase, didn't react. After that, one could already understand that fundamental changes had taken place in the mind of the very old Moomin.

"It's time for new thinking," Singollo continued. "There are no old and new policies anymore, there is only one. We must establish contact with Merlin as soon as possible.

" "You're joking! We will never form an alliance with the forces of darkness! Never!

" "But surely it is necessary?

" "Perhaps you're right, I'm entrusting you with this task.

" "Okay, I'm getting ready for my horse. Wait, what will you do?

" "I don't know yet. First, we definitely need to investigate the matter. We know that for now we are cut off from the world; we don't know what is happening to this land. We know nothing more precisely."

Two days after this conversation, Singollo met with Merlin Menson. His base was the tower of Bora-Tora. Despite his orientation, Merlin wore white robes, but his face was somber, his black eyebrows almost completely obscuring his eyes. His power was almost palpable. It was clear he hadn't slept during this entire ordeal, and he'd been thinking a great deal. After a moment's silence, Merlin spoke up.

"What are you looking for here, little bug?

" "Help, I presume, or at least explanations.

" "And what good would that be to you?" There was a slight note of hostility in his voice.

"I think you underestimate me," Singollo replied calmly. "My understanding may not be as great as yours, but I understand a great deal.

" "Very well then. But first, answer my question. Is Dad still as strong as he was during Rogarnok?

" "No. I think he's lost a significant amount of his power since then.

" "That's very bad," Merlin turned to the window. "Can you sense power in its purest form?

" "Yes."

"Look, here," he pointed to a clearing less than a kilometer from the tower, "you see this.

" "It's incredible. It's the size of a lake, and not a small one.

" "Yes. This power warps space-time, you know that for people in the capital, this conversation has been going on for three weeks? This needs to be overcome as quickly as possible. Most of my basic spells don't even reach there.

" "Wait, can you explain something to me? Why aren't you, as the evil one, happy about this thing's arrival?"

"This is evil, but not the kind I worship. This is chaos in its purest form—every particle of it is confused, separated, scattered, nothing orderly about it. This is not what I consider evil. This is chaos. No one has ever achieved anything so chaotic, not even I during Rogarnok achieved something like this during the fury of the abyss.

" "So it follows that the only way to stop this may be balance?

" "Oh! What a brilliant mind! Yes, that is a way, but balance does not exist in this world.

" "Perhaps it will be found soon.

" "What are you saying? Have you acquired the power of neutrality?

" "We don't, but perhaps our friend is close, but we will be forced to give him time to fully reveal himself."

Singollo turned from the window, indicating that he wanted to leave the chamber, but Merlin said,

"Signal to Father that I am ready to cooperate and that I await your Hope. And one more thing: I didn't learn your name."

"Singollo should be enough for now.

" Singollo reached Dad a day later. He told him what had happened. Dad didn't hide his satisfaction, but deep down he also felt a fear of Merlin's growing power if Chaos were defeated. "Nothing," he thought, what one doesn't do to save the world :).

The operation had to begin as soon as possible, but at the same time, give Sird time to fully prepare. The decision was made the next day that the operation would begin the following day. Everyone agreed. In the evening, the eve of the final battle, everyone had a modest last supper. Despite the copious amounts of alcohol, everyone was in a somber mood; the looming fear of an encounter with Chaos could be felt in the air. Dad mumbled something quietly, and when asked what he was saying, he replied that he was repeating his most powerful spells. Singollo tested the sharpness of his sword, though he knew it might be useless. Adam offered prayers to deities unknown to the general public. Snorkling rolled under the table and decided to spend the rest of dinner there. Moomintroll was already in the valley, already mentally cuddling Snorkling, running around the lawn behind the house, losing to MM at poker, missing it, missing it terribly. Albert and the Wolf Gang disappeared right after the party began; no one cared where they went. There was no conversation.

The night was hard for everyone; few slept more than a few hours. The next day began early and very hard. Papa got up and the first thing he did was pull out his old Bloodstone Robe, exquisitely handcrafted. It reminded him of the power he once possessed; he realized he wouldn't be able to create such a magnificent robe now. He also knew that if the Golden League of Wizards were brought back to life, he wouldn't be accepted; there were no true Power Wizards left in the world. He realized this duel might be his last. The rest of the team rose slowly and began the day by cleaning, oiling, and carefully inspecting their gear. On the day they might die, they wanted to look dignified, but Papa, regarding his companions, had other plans.

"Moomin," Papa began, "you are to go to Moominvalley and report the whole matter to your mother there." My decision is, of course, irrevocable, and you can't, even if you want to, go against it.

"Oh, what a relief! I must be particularly lucky today," he thought, but then added aloud. "But, Daddy!

" "No! Hey! Wait! Snout is coming with you.

" "Poor Snout. Well, I'm going. Bye."

Moomintroll took all his packages with him and drove off. Daddy turned to the others with pride in his voice.

"You see what an obedient son I have. Okay, now on. Snook, Adam, I've prepared a special task for you. Snook, who knows all the secrets of alchemy and the basics of the art of transformation, is to go to Adam's country and begin work there to train warriors who will save the world in case of our failure. Kashubia is far away, so you shouldn't worry about time. But you, Singollo, will come with me; you might be of help. We're all leaving immediately."

The journey to Merlin wasn't far; in a few hours they arrived, where they could admire the enormous Merlin Tower, which seemed to be made of gold, diamond, and ruby. They approached the main gate and banged the doorknocker several times. The sound inside spread slowly, booming proudly. After a few moments of waiting, the door opened, and the knocking sound still echoed off the walls, transforming into a voice: "Come on up, I'll tell you how high." "This guy really is crazy, why wasn't he pulling these stunts when I came in here?" Singollo had reason to wonder. They went up to the first floor, where Merlin had met Singollo, but there were no doors there. They went up to the floor above. They didn't notice any doors there either, so they decided to skip the individual floors and continue upwards until their host stopped them. "This is it, stop!" an echo echoed on the twenty-third floor.

"Aaaah!" Finally, shouted Dad, that fallen mage took pity on us; he didn't think that after this journey I wouldn't have the strength to fight.

"It's one big circus," Singollo shook his head. "Those spellcasters don't seem to like each other very much."

They noticed the door opening. They approached it, then, realizing there was something behind it, entered the chamber. Merlin stood in a small room, his back to them and facing the window.

"Hello! You've finally arrived here," he said, not taking his eyes off the view from the twentieth floor. "I've been waiting for you. Where have you been wandering around?" He chuckled to himself, and Dad and Singollo couldn't see his crooked smile. "Time to get down to business.

" "Yes, sir, where's good morning, eh? Where's the cookies and tea? I could use a little rest after all that climbing.

" "Of course! What can I get you? I had nothing to do yesterday, so I baked some delicious biscuits—you know, those cookies for tea.

" "Gentlemen!" Singollo suddenly interjected, "We're here to save the world, not to swear at each other.

" "You keep quiet," the wizards replied in unison.

"Perhaps he's right after all," Father began, "let's get to the point. Is that where you saw it from that high tower? I know you can't see well without your glasses, but you wouldn't miss something like that," he added silently, "although it's likely."

"I assure you, I don't wear glasses anymore, and besides, unlike you, I don't use a homemade pipe.

" "Pipes like that are the best," Father blushed.

"Unless they're made by someone who knows nothing about them, like Moominpappa.

" "You're wrong, my pipe is legendary; it's perfect in its simplicity.

" "Gentlemen, allow me to interrupt, but I think we should get down to business," Singollo was getting impatient.

"Get out, you intruder!" the wizards shouted loudly.

"What?!" "Singollo was surprised

. "Now!" Dad and Merlin replied louder. "

This is no time for small talk; the fate of the world is at stake here!" The warrior tried to shout over them.

But he said nothing more, as he suddenly found himself outside the chamber. He now stood before the door, wanting to enter, but unable to find the handle. Meanwhile, alone, the future saviors of the world continued to chat. The conversation was calm, so it couldn't be called an argument. The topics of conversation were their parents, their backgrounds, their professional achievements. Meanwhile, Singollo, leaning against the wall, waited impatiently for the action to begin.

After a few hours, the conversation, already heated, subsided, likely from exhaustion. Merlin finally suggested a solution to the Chaos problem, and then to resume the conversation.

- Okay, but if it weren't for me, your flock of laboratory mice that you had when you were Moomin's age would have starved to death due to respiratory diseases - while giving this closing speech, Dad cast a teleportation spell on Merlin and himself, which transported them to the meadow in front of the tower.

15.

Fight.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Dad turned to Merlin, looking at the swirling chaos. Its black mass, absorbing all particles of light, curled and swirled, as if the deeper layers were trying to rise to the surface, pushing the outer layers deeper. Every now and then, columns of black goo shot up, taking the form of human faces, but not only that. "So how do we begin?

" "I think we should. What special thing have you prepared for today?

" "It's a secret for now. Besides, I doubt I'll have the opportunity to use that spell.

" "Oh, don't be disappointed. This thing in front of us has tremendous power. I doubt your spell will help, and as a consolation, I'll honestly admit that I also doubt the effectiveness of my spell, even though it's much stronger than any other spell you saw during our last encounter.

" "Okay, let's begin." Dad threw his robe from his shoulders. "

Yes, it's time to get into action."

Each of them began to gather energy. Dad started with the simplest ones, like psionic blades, then fireballs. When he saw no effect, he began to deal harshly with the creature. Meanwhile, Merlin continued to accumulate energy. A hail of fire descended upon the chaos with great force. The creature began to writhe and make hissing sounds, but the moment the spell wore off, everything returned to normal, except Dad sweating.

"Here's a handkerchief," he turned to Merlin. "I need to wipe my face, I'm sweating like a wild pig.

" "You're bothering me," Merlin muttered through his teeth, a beautiful vein bulging on his forehead, revealing the sorcerer's exertion. "Stop tickling and get to work, only by combining our forces can we defeat this.

" "You're right, I'm bringing out my heaviest cannon, but I could use a handkerchief soon.

" "Oh! In my left coat pocket.

" "Thanks, now I can get ready in peace."

Dad had his spell perfectly prepared. After a moment of concentration, he was ready, but he waited for Merlin, who turned bright red with the effort.

"On three, we're starting," Merlin muttered.

"I'm ready.

" "One... two... three..."

It began. Dad unleashed a fiery storm, the flames forming whirlpools and columns, destroying everything within a radius of several dozen meters. Chaos began to shrink, no longer releasing its faces, but there was no sign of its diminishing size. Suddenly, a fiery tornado appeared, completely unexpected by Dad. It passed a few steps ahead of the magicians, then turned toward the swirling evil. But the chaos wasn't just a dark mass; it spread out in front of the tornado, forming a semicircle. Inside it, the tornado stopped. Dad decided to maintain it at the expense of a downpour of fire, combined with hail, and a fiery carpet that spread across the ground. Everything weakened, the Tornado, however, accelerated and moved forward again. Chaos refused to give up. It knew that the tornado's passage through it could end badly. It formed a circle, holding the tornado inside, and began to rise, creating something like a bell jar. The tornado began to weaken within it, and Dad's strength was fading.

"Merlin, I can't take it any faster. What are you waiting for?

" "NOW!!!

" Black mist gathered around Merlin. It enveloped him, then rose upward, forming something like a dagger. Smaller tongues of black metal began to branch off from the main blade. After a dozen or so seconds, the dagger became a great two-handed ogre sword. It spun around its longitudinal axis faster and faster, until it finally surged forward with incredible speed. Merlin fell to his knees, the bell jar collapsed, crushing the tornado, and Dad fell unconscious. The dagger struck the chaos with a powerful impact. With a loud bang, it tore its surface into a dozen pieces. Singollo jumped to his feet and ran down the stairs.

A few sheets of energy remained from the chaos, scattered across the scorched earth. Seeing this, Singollo smiled broadly and leaned against the wall of Merlin's fortress. Then he approached the magicians. Dad still lay unconscious, and Merlin raised his head and whispered,

"It's not over yet.

" "Repeat that, I didn't hear you right." Singollo couldn't believe what Merlin had said.

"See for yourself, it's not over," he pointed.

Indeed. Sheets of energy began to overlap and condense, taking on various shapes: first animals, reptiles, birds, mammals, then humanoid forms like hobgoblins and gnolls, finally ending as a human and a woman. Some of the sheets served as the body, others as the mage's beautiful robe, which changed color from yellow and red to purple and navy blue, with only occasional black and even rarer white. Some served as brown curls and a dazzling face. As chaos appeared before Singollo, a sudden gust of wind threw him far back. Only out of the corner of his eye did he notice that the transformation had ended. As he rose to his feet, a sudden blow to his back knocked him off his feet again and transported him to his original position. Thus, time in the world was equalized. Singollo, upon seeing chaos's new form, was captivated by its appearance. For a long time, no one spoke. Finally, he began.

"Hello, I am Singollo. You are probably the new form of what was destroying this world until recently.

" "Hello, I am the new form of what was destroying this world." The woman spoke in a melodic, almost elven voice.

"Then you have a problem, because I stand here and I will not allow your activities to continue. I will not allow further devastation!

" "I am the new form that is destroying this world because of you. You created me, you fed me, and you continue to feed me. I am growing stronger with each passing moment. Soon there will be nothing left to collect after you. Leave and quickly bring someone who can face me, for I want to defeat him quickly and devote myself to destroying this wretched land.

" "Wait a little longer, then, and soon the Mage named Sird will appear, and he (I hope) will defeat you once and for all, without you even noticing.

" "It's kind of you to have already arranged some entertainment for me. Meanwhile, before he arrives. Shall we fight a little?"

"I'm not good enough to match you.

" "Yes, you're right, so we wait."

Singollo wanted to play for time, even though he didn't believe Sird would arrive soon. More precisely, he didn't believe at all, and wondered if the absence of the promised opponent wouldn't anger Chaos even more. Meanwhile, Chaos was growing impatient. Finally, she spoke.

"Singollo, where's my opponent?

" "He's on his way.

" "I don't sense anyone nearby. So, when will he arrive?

" "I don't know, but probably soon.

" "What? You don't know when he'll arrive? You tricked me! I can't stand it! Prepare to die!

" "Wait!" The voice came from behind the tower and slowly approached. "You're not the best at finding opponents.

" "Finally!" both shouted: Chaos and Singollo.

"Are you the new form of Chaos?

" "Yes, sir, the truth is enough for him to drink beer. It's me.

" "Can I call you Ania?

" "What?" – Singollo was very surprised.

"If you want, you can even call me Burgunda." Chaos replied with calm in his voice.

"Okay, Anne. Shall we dance?

" "Start and say goodbye.

" "I'm behind you." Singollo said with a trembling jaw.

The fight began quickly and proceeded at breakneck speed; Singollo barely noticed their movements. Sird fought with a beautiful staff, from which lightning also shot out upon impact, striking Anne. She, on the other hand, used a hastily conjured club, but despite this, she wielded it expertly. From it, too, tongues of flame occasionally erupted, and if she completely missed, it emitted a very menacing roar. The scales of victory were slowly tipping in Anne's favor. Sird was being thrown back by the shockwaves caused by the roar, losing much of his strength. He decided to change tactics.

"Let's fight with magic," Sird panted.

"What's that? Are you tired?" You don't stand a chance against me, so I'll agree to your request. We'll take our places there and there. Those hills will be just right. Just know that you'll have to work up a sweat to hurt me.

"I think you're overestimating yourself.

" "You think wrong."

Chaos turned and slowly walked towards the rise. Sird fought the urge to stab him in the back for a moment, but finally gave up. It was shameful, unacceptable. He took a deep breath and started walking.

Once they took their positions, Sird was the first to act, sending lightning bolts at Ania. However, she, shielding herself with her hand, split it in two. One reduced the only tree that had been burned so far to ashes, while the other damaged Merlin's tower, unfortunately quite severely. The counterattack wasn't long in coming. A fan of light rays shot from Ania's fingers. The mage managed to dodge the direct hit, but his right hand was slightly burned. Sird decided to build a shield against such simple spells. A protective dome was supposed to provide this, but Chaos was more cunning, releasing half a dozen ordinary physical stones. Quickly defending himself with a conjured shield, Sird managed to deflect half the projectiles, yet the rest struck, painfully wounding the defender in the burned arm and torso. The fight was taking a dangerous turn. Chaos was faster, more cunning, and stronger, and besides, her attacks were very well thought out. However, Sird had a plan. He captured Chaos by sending a swarm of malicious eights at it and began constructing four spherical lightning bolts. Ania, creating a ball of energy around herself, got rid of the annoying insects. When he dispersed it, two bolts flew towards him. For the first time, you could see fear in Chaos's eyes. A quick leap to the left saved her from the first, but she couldn't avoid the second, which struck her in the right thigh, ripping her robe and severely charring her previously smooth skin. However, Sird had been developing this plan for a long time, and the results were still unsatisfactory. The first bolt swung back and struck Ania in the back of the head. Chaos fell as if dead.

"Hurrah!" Singollo let out a cry of joy. "It's over! We won!

" "It's over!" Merlin raised himself on one hand. "The end of our torment."

Sird smiled broadly at Singollo and was about to eliminate the remaining lightning bolts when he suddenly noticed Ania's hand move. He immediately released the remaining bolts. They didn't reach their target. Chaos, springing from the ground, sent a fiery wind towards Sird's opposite hill. First, it absorbed the lightning bolts like a sea wave, then took the shape of an inverted cone, which a moment later turned its apex towards the mage. Sird quickly set up a water barrier. However, as a student of the university's fire branch, he was not proficient in water magic, so the cone broke through the obstacle, only slightly weakened. It also lost its power upon piercing the bell jar, eliminating it. The fire finally reached the mage, setting his robe and hat brim ablaze, burning his eyebrows and eyelashes, and slightly burning the skin on his neck, without causing any significant damage. Ania used the time it took Sird to gather himself to create a large ball of magical fire and hurl it at the mage. It was the finishing blow. Sird tried to flee, but he remained frozen in place. The rapidly approaching bullet left no chance of escape. Suddenly, as the bullet drew near, Singollo, with incredible precision, pushed the stunned Sird out of the bullet's range, himself bursting into magical flames. He ran around screaming horribly, then disappeared into a hollow. A moan could be heard for a moment, but then he fell silent.

Now Sird would face the problem of how to defeat his invincible foe. He had no more ideas, though he could have attacked, as Chaos was panting with exhaustion, but Sird didn't attack. He was devastated. Chaos, on the other hand, was regaining his strength and preparing for another attack. Sird casually put on a shield against energy, surprised by his failure to do so. After a moment of concentration, Ania fired a beam of energy at Sird, which, to his surprise, crashed against the Mage's defenses. Sird, encouraged by this, began planning a new attack. Chaos, on the other hand, raised his arms, and black clouds began to gather above him. It wasn't long before the entire sky turned black, and the ground darkened. Suddenly, a hail of boulders crashed down onto the hillside, thanks to the shield. The stones didn't kill Sird, but forced him to his knees under their weight. Just when it seemed all was over, a bolt of lightning pierced the shield and struck the kneeling Mage. He fell. Chaos lowered his hands, dispersing the clouds. A beautiful sun sent a ray of light toward the Magician lying on his back, as if in mourning. Chaos rubbed her hands together, perhaps that was why she had lowered them. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared behind him. She approached Chaos, silently drew her short sword, and plunged it between Chaos's neck vertebrae. The sword's blade turned of its own accord, then she drew it and struck another blow in the back, then another, and another. Chaos proved resilient, as she managed to turn around and began muttering a spell, but the figure shoved the entire sword into his mouth. Chaos fell dead. The murderer was already recognizable: it was Moomintroll. He leaned over the body, drew his sword, and to ensure that she would not rise again… he severed her head. A moment later, Anne's body turned to dust, scattered by the wind.

-16-

Ending.

Moomintroll approached the fallen Sird; he was dead. Moomintroll bowed his head and walked towards the fallen magicians.

"I didn't know your father trained you like that," Merlin groaned from afar.

"It was my initiative.

" "Then you're screwed. Father won't let you live. This 'technique' isn't popular among honorable magicians; even I wouldn't use it, even in the most critical situation.

" "Unfortunately, that was more than critical.

" "Wait for your father's reaction, if he's alive

." "Daddy!" Moomintroll ran to his parent. "Oh! Luckily, he's alive.

" "I don't know? They're not very happy about it.

" "Before Daddy wakes up, we need to build a small mound for those heroes who gave their lives for the cause. Wait, where is Singollo?"

As it turned out later, Singollo's body was never found. Sird received a grave with the inscription: "Inhabitants of the world, know that I gave my life for you."

After regaining consciousness, Father demanded the full story, complete with details, and wanted to know what Moomintroll was doing there. When Moomintroll and Merlin recounted the fight, Father was overcome with respect for his apprentice, but when Merlin reached the conclusion, Father's face darkened.

"How could you do this, son?" Father said in disbelief.

"The situation demanded it.

" "That's only half the truth, and half the truth is a whole lie.

" "No, there was no other way.

" "You're still not telling the truth, why did you betray all the rules of combat?

" "Fighting honorably was pointless. Look at Sird and Singollo, they fought with honor, and what? They're dead.

" "They died the death of a true warrior. They deserve glory, you, shame. Therefore, you are officially excluded from the Moomin family and I sentence you to exile. You have no right to return to Moominvalley." You're no longer my son, goodbye." Dad burst into tears at that moment.

"But Dad!

" "Go ahead, I don't want to see you!

" "Goodbye, I hope we'll meet again someday and that you'll understand what I've done and forgive me.

" "Unfortunately, I sincerely doubt it.

" "I'm sorry." A tear also appeared on Moomin's cheek.

"Well," Merlin began, "it was nice talking, but Moomin's already gone.

" "Shut up! I don't want to listen to a jerk like you!

" "Easy, thanks to me your son could kill Chaos." Merlin imperceptibly smiled crookedly.

"Leave me alone, you lousy wizard!

" "Okay, but this is the last time. Maybe you should come to my tower and rest. Oh, damn it, I'll kill that guy who damaged my beautiful tower, and that's it, I've got the problem solved. Are you coming, old man, or not?" I can use my reserve of West Quarter pipe weed.

- Yeah, I'm on my way.