WIEDERGEBURT Act VI: Chapter 44

Tyr wore a stolid frown as he sat at a table with his two commanders. One of them was a man with vibrant orange hair arrayed around his head in massive spikes, brown eyes narrowed in amusement. The other had sea green hair, purple eyes, and a scar on his left cheek. Both were in great shape and wore powerful armor covered in runes.

“Have we not heard back from Klaue?” asked Tyr.

“We haven’t,” the one with orange hair said, arms crossed. “Maybe he ran away? You know that man is a coward.”

The man with orange hair was Guthhere Orrisson, the commander of the Southern Division. He was an arrogant man. He walked about with a swagger, liked to proclaim his own greatness, and caused a lot of problems for Tyr. But he was also one of Tyr’s greatest assets, second in power only to Tyr himself. Guthhere also did not cause nearly as much trouble as Klaue did.

“I have sent several soldiers to investigate Ironwood Forest. They should return within a few days,” said the other man.

If Guthhere was a troublemaker, then Vikar Hragnelfsson was a by-the-book man who abided by the laws--most of the time. He had not agreed with Tyr’s idea of overthrowing Tor, but by the time Vikar found out what was going on, the deed was already done. To avoid spreading panic amongst the civilians, he joined Tyr’s regime under protest.

Tyr had thought about replacing Vikar with someone else, but no one knew the Western Division like he did. Replacing him would have been a hassle. And it would have weakened their forces, something he could not afford to do since Tor had escaped death.

“We cannot allow anyone to think our forces have been weakened by Tor’s absence,” Tyr began. “Several citizens have already claimed I did not properly inherit the right to rule through combat and used dirty means to oust him.”

“I mean, that is what you did, isn’t it?” Vikar said, arms crossed over his chest as he stared coldly at Tyr. “You might not have said much, but you’ve already intimated that the methods you used dirty methods and cheap tricks to run Lord Tor out of Ásgarðr.”

“Man, you sound like a goody goody,” Guthhere chuckled. “Who the fuck cares how it was done? What’s done is done. Personally, I’m glad Lord Tor is gone. Thanks to that man, we have not had a true battle with the Sekbeist in nearly a thousand of years. Who knows what those damn monsters have been doing with all that time? They’ve probably been building up their forces again and are getting ready to launch an assault on our fair cities.”

Vikar said nothing because he couldn’t quite dispute what Guthhere said, but it was clear from his glare that he also did not fully believe the other man’s rebuttal either.

Tyr folded his hands on the table and looked at them both. “I did what I did because the longer we remain idle like this, the more time we allow the Sekbeist to recover. A thousand years is a thousand years too long. It’s more than enough time for them to replenish their forces and renew hostilities.”

Tyr was honestly surprised the Sekbeist had been as quiet as they had for so long, but that also made him nervous. He couldn’t understand those creatures, didn’t know what they were after or why they hadn’t attacked when by all rights they should have. It made him feel like he was missing something.

He didn’t like that feeling.

“Okay, but now look at the position we are in. The Blitz, Defenders, and Vanguard Divisions have all abandoned Ásgarðr with Lady Sif. And the Valkyries refuse to bow down to you. Our forces have been cut in half, meaning we are weaker now than we ever have been. If the Sekbeists’ forces have indeed replenished, now would be the perfect time for them to attack,” Vikar said, trying a different approach.

“I am aware of that,” Tyr admitted with a sigh. “It isn’t like I haven’t thought about what might happen when I decided to remove Tor from power. However, I still believe this is the only way. We cannot afford to sit on our laurels while a thousand year threat continues to plague our realm.”

“And what do you suggest we do?” asked Guthhere. “You know I’m up for anything so long as it sounds interesting.”

“First, we need to replenish our forces,” Tyr began. “I’m planning to take some of the best and brightest from the Hall of Heroes and have them join our divisions to help bolster our ranks. There are over ten thousand students there, so surely at least half of them are good enough to join the military.”

“So conscription then,” Vikar muttered in a desolate tone.

“You do not approve?” asked Tyr.

Vikar shrugged. “You have already made up your mind on this, so what I say means very little. However, I do not believe forcing men and women to serve in our armies is in anyway a good idea. People who are forced to serve do not have the same motivation as those who choose to serve.”

“Perhaps you are right,” Tyr allowed with a nod. “But it isn’t like we have a choice. I’ve received a number of reports from our men on the frontier that say the Sekbeist are gathering their forces once more. We can no longer afford to remain idle. Until I can bring the Blitz, Defender, Vanguard, and Valkyries to heel, we must find other means of bolstering our ranks. You two are dismissed.”

“My Lord.”

“Lord.”

Guthhere and Vikar stood up from the table, bowed, and left. Tyr remained behind, hands still on the table, eyes closed, pondering his situation.

He might have been hasty in ousting Tor. Tyr still believed that he was doing the right thing. Tor had grown weak and complacent during his thousand year rule, and a weak ruler was the last thing Ásgarðr needed right now.

“Forgive me, old friend. This is the only way to save our realm,” Tyr muttered before he too stood up and made his way out of the meeting hall.

***

We didn’t travel in a straight line to Ásgarðr after leaving Fehltgarde. First we traveled east toward Ásgarðr, then cut upward toward the north, to a city called Shutzheim, where the Defender Division had stationed themselves. We stayed there for a few days so Tor and Sif could speak with their generals and commander. Once they had finished, we made our way south toward Ásgarðr.

The area just north of Ásgarðr was rocky, the city itself hidden behind a mountain range that served as a natural defense against incursion. Anyone who wanted to invade Ásgarðr from this direction would need to fly. However, doing so would leave them open to attack from the ballistae the city was sporting.

While not as big as the Gebrige Mountains, the Asgard Mountain Range was large enough to adequately protect the entire north side of the city. It curved around the city in the shape of a crescent. Many of the peaks were even taller than the Asgardian Palace where Fray, Sif, and Tor had been living before Tyr ousted them.

We followed the path Tor led us through. It was a small path between steep cliffs. Sometimes it required we climb up sharp precipouses, but it mostly just involved a lot of walking. One thing I noticed was that I couldn’t channel the concepts here. The elements didn’t work either. The moment I had entered this mountain range, my fake arm had crumbled away, and now I was traveling with just one arm.

“The reason for that is because this mountain has mineral deposits of a substance called void ore,” Fray told me when I asked her. “Void ore is a very rare mineral that completely negates one’s ability to Spiritual Power. The Asgardian Mountain Range is the only place in all nine realms that is rich in this ore, which is why we built our city here.”

“I see.” Kari’s eyes brightened as she understood. “This mountain serves as a natural defense because of that ore. Anyone who wants to invade will not be able to do so from the north unless they are willing to do so without being able to use Spiritual Techniques.”

“Yes, and since no one would dare attack Ásgarðr when they cannot use their most powerful assets…” Fray trailed off, shrugged, and smiled. Her meaning was clear.

“Fuck,” Tora muttered. “Why the fuck did I not know any of this?”

“Not many people do,” Tor said as he looked back at us. “It’s a well-kept secret. Even Tyr does not know the true reason the Asgardian Mountain Range doesn’t allow people to channel Spiritual Power. Now come. We must hurry to Ásgarðr.”

The closer we got to Ásgarðr, the more treacherous our path became. The cliff faces became steeper, and sometimes the cliffs even turned into horizontal ledges that forced us to use nothing but our hands to climb. If it wasn’t for our incredible strength, we would not have been able to make any headway after reaching this point.

I breathed evenly through my nose as I slammed my fingers into the rock, digging out a gouge in the rock and curling my fingers to scrap away a handhold. Out of everyone present, I was having the most trouble, but I also wasn’t about to give up. I used my physical strength to create my own handholds. Unlike the others, I was also using my feet in lieu of my missing arm.

“Are you okay?” asked Siv. She was climbing by my side. We had discovered early on that she could not fly thanks to the void stone when she tried to fly up with me. It seemed Drakvar relied on Spiritual Power to fly.

“I am fine,” I grunted.

“Mmm.”

Siv seemed to understand that even if I was not fine, there was little she could do. Her own hands were tied with climbing. This was something I had to do on my own.

I tilted my head up to look at Kari, Tora, and Tor. They were traveling ahead of me, their legs dangling as they used nothing but the strength in their arms to climb. I then focused on my own task, found another handhold, and pushed off with my toes to soar horizontally through the air until I could thrust my hand forward and dig into the crevice. A grunt escaped my mouth as my body jerked with the sudden loss of momentum. However, I swung my legs around and brought them up, digging them into the mountainside. This continued with Siv matching me every step of the way, until I reached the edge of the cliff.

A hand latched onto my wrist as I was about to haul myself up and pulled. I smiled gratefully at Kari as she used her own impressive physical strength to haul me up.

“Thanks,” I said.

“You’re welcome.” Kari grinned at me.

After that last ledge, what we found was a narrow pass between cliff ledges. Tor led us forward. This passage was just wide enough for one person to squeeze through, but it still felt claustrophobic. The path did eventually wide, but Tor suddenly raised his hand to stop us.

“What is wrong?” asked Sif.

Tor pointed at something in the distance. “Look there.”

We all looked at where Tor was pointed and discovered, to our shock, several Sekbeist up ahead. They were located several ledges higher than us and seemed to be searching for something. What shocked me was not just that they were here but the sheer numbers of them. I counted at least two dozen.

“Let’s head back a bit before they see us,” Fray suggested.

However, just as she said that, one of the Sekbeists looked back and locked eyes with us. His own eyes widened, and then he shouted to his comrades.

“There are Guddomelig here! Hurry up and kill them! Do not let them live to tell about us!”

“Too late,” I muttered.

“It seems we’ve no choice but to fight,” Tor said as he reached behind his back and pulled the warhammer he had strapped across it free of its harness. It was a unique weapon. I’d seen warhammers before, but this one was about two times larger, had runes covering the surface, and was shaped like a rhombus.

Kari, Tora, Fray, and Sif also pulled out the weapons they had brought with them, and I now understood why Tor had ordered us to have weapons on hand. I removed my ruler from my back. It had been strapped there with a harness similar to the one Tor was using. It was not the Dragon’s Tail Ruler I had grown so used to wielding, but it would do right now. I couldn’t use Spiritual Power anyway.

The only one among us who did not have a weapon was Siv. She had never been trained in the use of weapons, but she didn’t really need them. As a Drakvar, her physical strength likely exceeded everyone’s here.

Sekbeists streamed down from the ledge, and even more came out from side passages that I hadn’t noticed until now. There must have been at least fifty. That was way more than I thought there’d be.

Tor was the first one to charge into their lines. He roared a challenge and swung, his warhammer slammed into the face of a Sekbeist Elite. His enemy was lifted off his feet and slammed into several comrades. As they all went down in a heap, Tor leapt into the air, descended, and slammed his hammer into the group so hard their bodies seemed to explode as gore splattered along the ground.

Fray and Sif were right by his side, attacking anything that tried to attack him. It seemed they worked in tandem to protect his flanks. Their well-rehearsed movements spoke of how much they must have trained together. Fray was spun on the balls of her feet as she elegantly parried several attacks with lightning quick movements, then struck with slashes and thrusts. One attack caused blood to spray from a deep wound that opened in a Sekbeist Elite’s throat. Another was impaled through the chest.

“Let us move fast, Master Eryk,” Chloe said as she stepped up to my other side.

“You are right.” I nodded. “Come on, everyone! Let’s help them!”

Kari, Siv, Tora, and Chloe raced into the fray by my side and began attacking the Sekbeist. We couldn’t attack from the front since Fray, Sif, and Tor were already there. I leapt up the cliff wall and ran along it before kicking off to the other wall several meters away. I continued wall leaping until I was clear of the horde, then landed on the ground behind our enemies. My companions followed me.

Even though I only had one arm, I was strong enough to swing the two meter long ruler like it was a feather. I attacked in a wide, sweep arc. The edge of my weapon slammed into a Sekbeist Elite, breaking his ribs as I gnashed my teeth, flexed my thighs and core, and continued pushing. The Elite was lifted off his feet, crashed into four more of his brethren, and all five of them went flying.

Kari and Tora leapt forward as they crashed into the ground. Blood ran along the ground as the pair impaled or sliced through the enemies I had struck. Several Sekbeist Elites tried to attack them, but Siv and Chloe intercepted our enemies before they could reach Kari or Tora.

I waded in alongside them, attacking with thrusts instead of swings. One thrust slammed into an Elite. The black armor he wore cracked as he flew into several of his comrades. Another tried to attack me from the side, but I dropped to the ground, lifted my legs, and muled kicked him. The feeling of my feet pounding his chest plate jolted me, but the result was the Sekbeist flying up and crashing into the cliff.

The frantic battle continued as our group made its way toward Fray, Sif, and Tor, until at last all the Sekbeists lay slain at our feet.

“What the fuck are the Sekbeists doing here?” asked Tora.

“I do not know.” Fray’s frown was pensive as she looked at the corpses. “But it does not bode well for us.”

“It is possible they have been searching for a way into Ásgarðr,” Tor said with a grim gleam in his eyes. “There are many passages through these mountains that lead into Ásgarðr. The one we are taking leads into the lowest level, but there are nine others. One leads to the palace, another leads to the arena, and the rest are have entrances spread across various points of Ásgarðr. These passages were originally designed as a means of escape in the event our city was ever invaded.” He paused, shook his head, and with grim determination, began walking. “Come. We can do nothing about this right now, so let’s hurry.”

We continued on, hiking and climbing until we reached a cave that did not look much larger than myself. Tor squatted down and entered the cave. We followed him. The passage was narrow and dark, and we couldn’t even create a light because it was impossible to channel Spiritual Power. I bumped into Kari several times, and Siv smacked into my back quite a bit as well.

I didn’t know how much time passed before the passage widened out. It was still dark, but a hole above our heads allowed sunlight to filter in, granting us just enough light to see by. This room was like a misshapen circle. I couldn’t tell if it had been carved out or formed naturally.

Tor walked over to a section of the wall, pressed his hands flat against it, and pushed. Veins bulged on his forearms and biceps as the wall moved. A slow rumbling echoed around us, and then the wall swung open completely to reveal another passage, but this one actually looked like it had been made by people. The walls, floor, and ceiling were flat from what I could see.

“This passage will lead to the lowest levels of Ásgarðr,” Tor said. He looked at me, Kari, and Siv. “You three have not seen the slums. Be warned. It is not a very pleasant place, so you must stay on guard while we are there.”

“We understand,” I said for all of us.

We stepped into the passage and closed the secret entrance behind us. Tor grabbed a torch with a cloth wrapped around it, dipped it into a jar I hadn’t noticed, then grabbed some flint sitting on a shelf carved into the wall and used it to light the torch on fire. Now with some light to guide our way, we walked down the hall, which was long and narrow.

I felt my Spiritual Powers return to me after some twenty minutes or so had passed, which meant we had passed the Asgardian Mountain Range. At the end of the tunnel was a staircase leading up to a trapdoor. Tor gave the torch to Sif, reached into a satchel at his side, removed a cloak, and threw it over himself. He pulled the hood over his head and looked us over.

“Wait here for a moment while I check to make sure the coast is clear,” he said.

We all nodded as he traveled up the stairs, opened the trapdoor just enough to slip out, and closed the door behind him.

“How long do you think it will be before Tor returns?” I asked.

Sif shrugged. “Probably not long. This passage leads to the basement of an abandoned house that has been sealed off with runes. The runes should still be working, and I doubt anyone would bother to destroy them. We should be clear.”

Just as Sif said, Tor returned a few moments later and told us it was safe to climb up. The room on the other side of the trapdoor was about the size of a standard living room and looked surprisingly cozy. Wood panels covered the floor. Several couches and chairs were arrayed around a fireplace. I looked at the maps and various weapons hanging from the walls as decoration. The walls themselves were bedrock that had been smoothed out and polished.

“This building has four bedrooms,” Tor told us. “I am guessing you three will be sleeping together? Sif and I will also be sharing a room, which means Fray, Tora, and Chloe will have to decide which of you gets your own room and which shares.”

“Since Mistress Fray is our superior, I believe she should get a room to herself,” Chloe said with an elegant smile. “I do not mind sharing a room with Tora.”

“Doesn’t fucking matter who I sleep with,” Tora grunted. “It’s not like Kari is gonna let me sleep with Eryk.”

Kari nodded. “Not yet anyway.”

Everyone split it up. Tora and Chloe decided to choose which room they would be sharing. Fray, Sif, and Tor also went off together. That meant it was just myself, Kari, and Siv.

“Why don’t we explore this building a bit before getting some rest?” I suggested.

“I will follow you,” Siv said.

Kari smiled. “I wouldn’t mind exploring a bit.”

We left the basement and began exploring this building, which seemed to be mostly composed of rooms separated by stone walls. The first floor only contained three rooms. One was a kitchen, another was a living space, and the last was the bathing room. A single hallway on the first floor contained a staircase, which led to the floor with the bedrooms. We climbed the stairs and entered a hallway that possessed a grand total of four doors--two on either side of the hall.

One of the doors was opened. When I glanced in, I saw Chloe and Tora in the middle of a heated debate of who got the bed. It seemed Chloe didn’t mind sharing, but Tora wanted the bed to herself

“Listen here! I don’t fucking care if you are the Invincible Woman! I don’t wanna fucking sleep with another woman!”

“You say that now, but if you want to marry Master Eryk, you will eventually have to sleep with other women. Why not do so now to become acclimated to it?”

“I don’t fucking wanna!!”

“Sounds like they’re getting along,” Kari muttered softly with a giggle.

“Yup,” I said, grinning.

We eventually picked a room of our own. It was the one opposite Chloe’s and Tora’s. The other two rooms were already occupied. Like the one those two had chosen, this one contained a single bed, soft carpet, and stone walls. There was not much furniture. An armoire sat against the wall, a single dresser next to it. This room also didn’t have any windows.

“Hmm…” Kari walked up to the bed. “This bed is pretty small. I doubt it was made for more than one person.” She glanced up at us, a gleam in her eyes and a broad smile on her face. “Guess that means we’re going to have the snuggle really close.”

“Don’t we do that anyway?” I asked with my own rather wry smile.

“Point taken.” Kari shrugged.

“Eryk.” Siv tugged at my sleeve, which currently had no arm going through it, reminding me that I had yet to remake my arm. “Lap pillow.”

“Okay. Come over here.”

I sat down on the bed, then flinched when dust flew off. Siv took a step back and coughed as I stood back up. Kari was far enough away that she hadn’t been trapped in the dust cloud.

“Before you let Siv use your lap as a pillow, perhaps we should air out the mattress,” she suggested with some amusement. I could only sigh.