WIEDERGEBURT Act VI: Chapter 47

Tyr sat behind his desk with his head bent over, resting against his hands, an exhausted expression on his face. Two men stood on the other side of the desk. Guthhere and Vikar were in the process of arguing with each other.

“We need to put these people in their place! Allowing them to talk like this is not only disrespectful to our authority, but it may even caused a revolt! Let us put them down with fear! Kill several dozen of them publicly and no one will dare talk behind our backs again!”

“Doing that would only insight outrage and panic. No one will follow us if we begin killing people. It might even cause more citizens to believe the ones talking are right. I believe we should make a public address announcing what happened and getting the people on our side with words instead of violence.”

Tyr said nothing at first as he listened to the pair present their arguments. He could see the merits of both arguments, but he was leaning more toward Vikar’s idea of making a public address. As the two continued arguing, he sighed and released his Spiritual Power, shutting them right up.

“We are not going to kill our own citizens,” he said at last, giving Guthhere a withering glare that caused the man to pale. “I usurped Tor’s position specifically because he cannot protect our people himself, because he no longer has the strength to do what must be done.”

“Then what do you suggest?” asked Vikar.

Pressing his hands on the table, Tyr was about to speak--when someone wrapped against the door.

“Who is interrupting us?” asked Guthhere.

“It’s… it’s Lieutenant Jovic, sir. I… uh… I have something important to report.”

While Guthhere and Vikar looked a little uncertain, Tyr felt a chill crawl down his spine. Living through what he had, his instincts were incredibly sharp, and he already knew whatever this lieutenant had to say would not be pleasant. Of course, this was all the more reason to hear him out.

“Let him in,” Tyr said.

While Guthhere frowned, Vikar went to the door and opened it, letting in a young man who barely looked old enough to stop feeding on his mother’s breast milk.

“You said you had something to report.” Tyr gestured for him to continue.

“Y-yes sir.” The young man straightened. “We discovered Lord Tor, sir. He is… he’s in the city.”

“What?!”

Tyr completely lost control over his emotions, standing to his feet and slamming his hands against the desk. Guthhere and Vikar eyed the cracks spreading across the desk warily. The young man who’d given him this unpleasant news paled.

Mastering himself, Tyr asked, “Where is Tor now?”

“He is… at the Ásgarðr Arena,” the young man answered. He swallowed once, then continued. “They, um, that is Lord Tor and the people with him… they have activated all the bildschirm in the city and are using them to speak with the people. Lord Tor is… claiming you ambushed him with your army and didn’t honor him with a duel for the position of ruler.”

Tyr felt his face burn as she rushed out of the office, strode down several halls with looping strides, and emerged from the Ásgarðr palace. Guthhere and Vikar were right on his heels. He couldn’t be bothered with them. The moment he stepped out of the palace, he took off until he reached the city proper and stared at the nearest bildschirm.

Tor was indeed on it. He stood in the center of the arena, several people on his left and right, and was talking about what happened when Tyr ambushed him.

“… Many of you have been led to believe that Tyr faced me in honorable combat and won, but the truth is he lured me out of the city with false information. He claimed the Sekbeist had attacked a city, and then he ambushed me with his army. I would have surely died if not for my wife’s quick thinking. However, even though she rescued me, the two of us were forced to flee in disgrace. We did not want to weaken Ásgarðr with infighting.”

Tyr felt like he was watching all of his carefully laid plans fall apart right before his eyes. He looked left to see a young man and woman talking, then looked right to see a group of women pointing at the screen. A few people had already noticed him and were eying him with suspicion if not outright contempt.

Tor had always been popular and beloved by his people, which was the reason Tyr had been forced to create such a roundabout plan. Not everything had worked out. His original goal had been to kill Tor and claim it was the Sekbeist. This would also act as the spark that galvanized the people onto his side in his bid to resume the war that should have ended in their victory a thousand years ago. With Tor alive, he could not possibly claim he was dead since it would no doubt come to light eventually.

Still, he thought he would have had more time to prepare for when Tor confronted him.

He was not ready.

“If Tyr is a man of honor and cherishes our past as sworn brothers, he will meet me in the arena and challenge me in a duel for the right to rule,” Tor continued, looking straight at the bildschirm. Tyr felt like the man was looking through it and at him.

“Lord Tyr, what should we do?” asked Guthhere.

“Get in contact with the Southern and Western Divisions,” said Tyr. “Have them head for the arena. I will go there right now and stall for time.”

“Yes, My Lord,” Guthhere and Vikar said simultaneously. Both of them understood the gravity of the situation, as they were present when Tyr tried to have Tor killed. They could not escape from justice even if they decided to side with Tow now. Their only option was to continue acting on his behalf.

Tyr looked back at the screen before blasting off and heading toward the Ásgarðr Arena. He had come too far now to be stopped like this.

***

I stood beside Lord Tor and waited, taking deep breaths to steady my nerves. Our plan, if it could be called such, was so reliant on the actions of others that if everyone didn’t play their roles perfectly, then it would all fall apart. This included our enemies.

While waiting, I looked at the arena floor, which was just a large pit of sand with four columns on either side. The runes that had been used to transport Skude and I to another dimension was no longer there. My understanding was that kind of battle rarely happened. The arena floor was quite large, probably two or three times bigger than the one back on Midgard, and that was saying something. How many people could fit on the seats surrounding the floor? One million? Two?

Distracted with my thoughts, I only focused when Kari nudged me with her elbow. I looked at her, and she nodded at something with her chin, causing me to shift my attention to the entrance, from which Tyr emerged with a determined gleam in his eyes and a frown on his face.

“Hello… brother,” Tor said with a vicious smile.

“Lord Tor,” Tyr said, not rising to the bait. “You have quite a bit of nerve to show up like this after I won our duel.”

So he was still trying to pretend he defeated Tor in a duel? It seemed he wasn’t quite willing to give up.

“Beat me in a duel? Ha ha ha! Ah… Tyr, you always did have a sense of humor. The only thing you beat me at is being cowardly.” The look on Tor’s face as he spoke became dark and foreboding, like a storm coming to sweep over a city. “You led me into an abandoned city, then attacked me with your army… an army that I put you in charge of in trust. Do not speak to me about nerve. Your hide is so thick I doubt you can even feel your nerves.”

Tyr’s face turned slightly pink, but he again didn’t rise to the bait. He said nothing. The man seemed to realize that was his best option right now.

Tor continued talking. “If you really were going to challenge me to a duel, you would have done so in a public setting. It would have been shown all across Ásgarðr. That way there’d be none who could dispute you.”

“I did it this way… to spare your pride,” Tyr said.

“Ha! Ha ha ha!” Tor threw his head back and laughed, hands on his hips. “Oh, Tyr, you know I care nothing for pride anymore.” The laughter abruptly stopped. “My people are everything. What use is pride if it cannot protect my citizens. Get off your pedestal and admit you’re just a coward who knew he couldn’t beat me in a duel and resorted to dirty tricks.”

Up until this point, Tyr had been maintaining his composure, but a crack appeared at those words. His face became fully red with shame and anger. Tor had him by the balls now.

“I can defeat you!” Tyr said with determination.

“Oh? Then prove it.” Tor grinned and pointed at him. “Tyr, my former sworn brother, I challenge you to a duel. If you win, I will admit that your claim to our throne is legitimate and step back. I will even hand over the Blitz, Defense, and Vanguard divisions to you.”

Tor’s offer caused Tyr to hesitate, perhaps wondering if the man was tricking him somehow, but I think he knew enough about Tor to understand this was no trick. Tor was too straightforward to lay traps like this. It was also part of our plan. To use the truth to entice Tyr into a duel. If Tyr really did defeat Tor, then Tor would happily hand over the entire army to this man knowing Ásgarðr was in good hands.

Just before Tyr could make an offer, two people I didn’t recognize came flying in through the entrance--a man with purple hair and another who looked very stern. They stopped beside Tyr and whispered in his ears. I couldn’t hear what was said, but whatever it was caused Tyr’s face to drain of blood.

He whirled on Tor. “What did you do to my army?!”

“Your army? You mean my army, which I let you lead in confidence.” Tor crossed his thick arms and glared at Tyr. “They are fine. We currently have them trapped in another dimension. They will be brought back… once you agree to duel me fair and proper in this arena.”

Tyr gnashed his teeth together. “Fine! I will fight you in this arena, and we will determine once and for all who between the two of us can lead Ásgarðr to a better future.”

Pleased by Tyr’s agreement, which even now was being shown to all the people of Ásgarðr, Tor said, “We will need a few days to get ready to prepare the venue. Our battle is sure to wreak havoc if we fight right now. I’d rather not risk damage to my city.”

While Tyr bristled at the words “my city,” he also nodded in agreement. “One week. We will have an unbiased third party prepare our battlefield.”

“Very well. However, Fray will also be there to make sure whoever we have working to prepare our battlefield does their job properly.” Tor looked at the two men beside Tyr, who stiffened. “Those two may also join her to ensure no foul play is done.”

Tyr closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then nodded. He opened his eyes again. I felt a surge of resignation from him, as if he’d just been met with the worst possible outcome for this meeting. “Very well. I will see you in the battlefield a week from now.”

As Tyr turned around and stormed off, I felt the tension ease from my shoulders. We had managed to make this a bloodless victory. The role of myself and my wives in all this was now done. We would be nothing more than spectators from here on out.

***

Immediately after the duel was set, Kari released the space-time barrier that she had created to cut off the Northern, Western, Southern, and Eastern Divisions from Ásgarðr. Once they were free, the Four Cardinal Divisions had learned of what happened. I didn’t know what was said or what their response was. According to Fray, there was a very thin divide. Quite a few people had apparently not agreed with Tyr’s decision but couldn’t do anything about it because they lacked the authority and courage to stand against him.

Fray had gone to the Warp Gates and ascertained why they had closed on us. Tyr had not destroyed the Warp Gates like we suspected, but instead merely closed them off so we could not return. I hypothesized that he was hoping to reestablish our relations with them once he settled in as the ruler of Ásgarðr.

Once she reopened the Warp Gates and allowed her Valkyries who had gone to the other reams back, she ordered her division to begin scouring the area for Sekbeist incursions. In the week following, it was not unusual to see her soldiers patrolling the street.

Several Sekbeists did turn up, but we were unable to learn what they wanted. Her Valkyries tried capturing a few. This never worked out well because the Sekbeists killed themselves before they could be interrogated. I once tried to bring one back from the dead, summoning them as a spirit so I could force them to answer our questions, but the Sekbeist had a method of guarding their souls against this kind of forced resurrection.

It didn’t work, and we were eventually left with no choice but to simply kill the Sekbeist whenever we came across them.

When the day of the duel arrived, I was woken up by Chloe who informed me that breakfast was ready, kissed Kari and Siv awake, and traveled with them to the informal dining room after getting washed and dressed. Tor, Sif, and Tora were already present. Chloe was also there, but unlike the other three, she was standing at attention. The woman took her role as a maid very seriously.

“Morning, nephew!” Tor grinned as the three of us sat down. “Are you ready for today? It’s gonna be a big day. You’ll finally get to see why I’m considered the strongest Guddomelig! Make sure you pay close attention to the duel and learn what you can.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” I said diplomatically.

Sif rolled her eyes and elbowed her husband. “Do not listen to him. He is strong, but all he’s got is raw power and natural born talent. You can’t learn from people like him.”

Tor laughed off the insult like water sliding off the roof of a shed, completely unbothered as he continued scarving down meat and bread.

Several trays were pushed into the room. Six maids and butlers set the most of the trays next to Siv and began serving her extra rare meat, which almost caused the petite woman to salivate. I think she would have if she didn’t want to make at least a modicum of effort to appear sophisticated. It was cute watching her slice into her food instead of eating with her hands.

“Do you mind if I ask a question?” asked Kari suddenly.

Fray, Tor, and Sif paused in their own eating to look at her.

“What is your question?” asked Fray.

“Do you have any idea what the Sekbeist could be after here? It seems to me like they are looking for something.”

Like me, Kari had been wondering about this for some time now. We’d discussed this many times but haven’t come to any conclusions.

While Sif and Tor continued to eat, Fray wiped her mouth with a napkin, placed her hands in her lap, and stared at us.

“We do not know for sure what they want, but… we do have an idea.” She paused as if debating whether to tell us, then sighed. “Deep beneath the palace is a Warp Gate. This particular Warp Gate is special because it leads to Miðgarðr. It is the only Warp Gate that leads there. However, it is impossible to use. After the Sekbeist Overlord was split into eight and sealed away, we destroyed the key needed to activate it.”

My hopes had risen when Fray mentioned where the Warp Gate led, but it went back down when I heard the key was destroyed. Kari and Siv also looked like someone had punched them in the stomach.

“Is there a way to activate it?” I asked.

Fray was pensive. “I… maybe. If there was, then the only people who would know how would be the ones who created it.”

“You mean the Dweorgs,” said Kari.

With a slow nod, Fray said, “Yes, the Dweorgs created all the Warp Gates and the keys needed to activate them. They could theoretically create another one. I believe they also have a master key that can activate any Warp Gate. It is shaped like a mighty war axe and can open any Warp Gate. That said, Niðavellir has been cut off from us for many years, just like Miðgarðr. It was decided by everyone that to prevent the Dweorgs from falling into the hands of the Sekbeist, we would completely isolate their world.”

I thought back to when Kari and I had traveled to Niðavellir on accident and knew they hadn’t succeeded in completely isolating that realm. There were plenty of Sekbeist there. However, I did recognize that all of them were of the slave caste and therefore weaker. I could only imagine what trouble would have befallen the Dweorg is a Sekbeist Lord had been able to travel there. Our world would have been doomed.

We finished eating and made our way out of the palace, which was ours once again. An escort of guards was waiting for us outside. They were made from a combination of the Defenders and Valkyries. The men and women of each squadron wore armor that looked vastly different from each other. Valkyries had very streamlined armor that looked like, with wings on their helmets, thin armor that had glowing runes etched onto the surface, and swords or halberds. He Defenders wore heavy armor made from linked plates. They looked sturdy but also heavy, and they wielded broadswords and kite shields, which were strapped to their backs.

Our group was escorted into the city, descending the steps of the palace to reach the bustling streets and walkways upon which thousands of people tread daily. Today was even more active than I could remember. People were lining the streets, standing on roofs, and some were even floating in the air. There must have been hundreds of thousands of them packed into this small space.

Tor raised his hand as he led the procession. The people cheered as he smiled at them. Beside Tor walked Sif, his lovely wife, who was more than capable of keeping pace with her husband despite her petite frame. She also wore a smile. Hers was delicate and charming, but I knew that was something of a facade. I had already learned this woman was every bit the powerful warrior as Fray.

I was located in the middle of this procession, as were Kari, Siv, Chloe, and Tora. No one really paid attention to us. Tor, Sif, and Fray up front were a far more attractive sight to these people. They were like celebrities in this realm. Meanwhile, the only time people had seen my face was at the party where I was introduced and my battle against Skude, which had not been shown to the people at large. No one would know me unless they had been at the arena or attended at the Hall of Heroes.

My wives were even less known.

Security was tight. There were numerous guards from every division patrolling the city in groups of six. That was the standard formation for a squadron. I didn’t know if they were patrolling to keep the peace or weed out Sekbeist intrusions, but I was unable to think about that as we continued walking.

When we reached the Ásgarðr Arena, Tor and Sif split off from us as we made our way into the balcony reserved for Ásgarðr’s elite. It was a large space with several seats. The balustrade that moved in a curve around the entire balcony was a work of art, engraved with the image of numerous powerful warriors who had made their mark in this arena long ago, or so Fray told us.

“Sit down and relax,” Fray said, putting action to words as she took a seat that was slightly elevated to allow her a better view of the arena floor. “The battle will not begin for at least an hour.”

As we sat there, I noticed Tora out of the corner of my left eye. She was incessantly bouncing her left leg up and down, biting her lower lip, and flicking her eyes toward the arena floor as if expecting Tor and Tyr to appear there at any second.

“Are you okay?” I asked her.

Tora stiffened, relaxed, then looked at me and smiled, but I could easily tell her smile was nothing but an attempt at hiding her raw nerves.

“I’m fine. Just nervous as fuck is all,” Tora admitted.

“Because your dad is the one battling?” I asked.

Tora scowled at me. “That fucker is no father of mine.” I said nothing, just stared, and she looked away. “I just… I hate my dad. He ignored me when I was a kid, unless it was to tell me about how he wished I was born a boy. I’ve always hated his guts, especially after Mom died… but he is still my dad. I can’t deny the fucking blood ties we have.”

I slowly nodded, though I also noticed the way Fray had stiffened when Tora mentioned her mom. It seemed there was a story about this. I knew better than to ask, however, since whatever story was to be told was none of my business.

Instead, I turned to look back at the arena. Many of the seats were now full. Perhaps it was because of who was fighting, but the arena was even more full than when I had my duel with Skude. The sea of heads was like a mass of multiple colors that bedazzled the senses. As the hours passed, more and more people showed up, until even the stairs were being used as seats.

It was at this point in time that Tor and Tyr walked onto the arena on opposite sides of the field. A bildschirm appeared above the arena floor, activating to reveal a close up of Tor and Tyr, both of whom wore determined expressions. Serious frowns that made them look their one thousand years. As the bildschirm activated, a barrier appeared around the arena, light and transparent, but still somewhat visible as it rippled like water caressed by a strong breeze.

A voice suddenly cut through the din.

“People of Ásgarðr,” Sif said, voice echoing across the arena. “Two warriors stand before you today, to fight for the right to rule this realm. Lord Tor and Lord Tyr are both renowned warriors who fought together in the Great War but have grown apart with time. Now their differences have caused their ideals to clash, and so they have decided to settle this matter in a winner-take-all duel.”

I looked around for Sif, but I couldn’t find her. That was when a section of the ceiling suddenly gave way and a hexagonal panel floated down. Standing atop it was Sif, still dressed in her armor, but holding a runic device that projected her voice to all corners of the arena and probably even the bildschirm located throughout the city.

“Are you all ready to witness the battle of a lifetime?!” asked Sif, and her question was met with resounding roars from the people. “Then prepare to bare witness to this duel! The duel to determine the fate of Gudeverdenen!”