WIEDERGEBURT Act VI: Chapter 39

We made one of the trees our base. It was easier than it looked. These trees were hundreds of meters tall and maybe one hundred or so meters wide. All I needed to do was manipulate the earth and water elements to carve a hole in the middle of one, then reshape the inside to how I wanted it.

This particular tree now contained what amounted to a five story house on the inside. The first floor was the living room, which contained furniture fashioned from a combination of wood, feathers, and Demon Beast hide. Go a floor up and you had a kitchen. I created the kitchen by adding a vent on one side with a metal stove for cooking. The stove was also something I had created by reshaping metal using fire, earth, and lightning. Following the second floor were the last three rooms, which were all bedrooms. One was for me and my wives, one was for Tora, and the last was for the Valkyries.

I would have given Fray a room of her own, but she said she would rather sleep with her Valkyries. I wondered if she meant sleep, or if she intended to… but I was just getting caught up in my fantasies.

We had been at this hideout for several days now, I think. It was hard to tell time in Ironwood Forest because it was impossible to see the sun. According to one of the Valkyries, a woman named Carla, four days had passed since we came back to Gudeverdenen. Several Valkyries had been sent to Ásgarðr to ascertain the situation. Fray was certain something had happened there and didn’t want to arrive without knowing what.

They hadn’t returned yet.

At present, I was hunting with Kari, Siv, and Tora--who had been invited to join us by Kari, much to my surprise.

We trekked through the forest on swift yet soft feet, ghosting along like a whisper. Our query right now was a Demon Beast called a Greater Forest Serpent. It was a massive creature at least one fifty meters long and maybe six wide. The brown and green scales covering its body helped it blend into the forest, making it hard to spot. We were only able to track it because I had mastered the Concept of Life. It allowed me to feel the life of everything around me.

The creature was slithering slowly underneath us as we walked along the branches. It didn’t seem aware of our presence yet, but that could change at any moment. Greater Forest Serpents had powerful senses. They could use something called Tremor Detection by sending their Spiritual Power into the earth and sensing the vibrations of anything that moved. Their sense of smell was also quite sensitive.

I looked at Kari and Tora, who stood on a branch several meters away. They both looked at me as I raised a hand with three fingers extended. When they nodded, I turned to Siv, standing by my side, and looked at her. She nodded too.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly retracted my fingers until there was only two, one, and then none.

We sprang into action.

Kari and I used the Flash Step Version 3: Light Step to appear in front of the creature and, before it had time to act, Kari slammed her palms into the ground and created a time lock over the beast. This trapped it in time. The time lock didn’t last long. Greater Earth Serpents were SS-Rank Demon Beasts and Kari still didn’t have complete control over the Concept of Time, but it lasted long enough for me to create lightning chains that I used to trap its body. It tried to merge with the earth but couldn’t because I shocked it to make it lose focus.

During this time, Siv and Tora descended from above.

Tora created a spear from what looked like a swirling nebula of energy. The weapon itself was a wicked-looking thing with three prongs with the one in the center being the longest, while the other two fanned out to either side in jagged edges. I’d never seen this attack before. However, I understood that the Concept of Creation allowed Spiritualists the ability to create anything from nothing.

It was the opposite of the Concept of Negation.

Siv did not create any weapon, but she swung her hand and unleashed a severing blade of spatial energy. Her attack sliced the Greater Forest Serpent in half. The creature released a hiss that sounded like agonized wailing.

Just as it began thrashing, Tora landed on its head, crouched low, and impaled her spear through its skull. The spear sank right through its flesh as though it was made of gelatin. From my place in front of it, I could see that her weapon had penetrated through the roof of the serpent’s mouth.

Despite having been stabbed in the brain, the Greater Earth Serpent continued to thrash. Tora wore a grim expression as she hung on for dear life. One moment passed. Then two. Finally, the serpent let out a shudder and relaxed.

It was dead.

“That was a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Kari said as she wandered up to the creature. “When Siv and I were traveling on our own, it would have taken over an hour just to kill one Demon Beast with this much power.”

Siv and Tora landed on the ground beside us and surveyed their handiwork. The Greater Forest Serpent had been cut through the center, lying in two halves as blood pooled all around it. That was… unfortunate. It’s blood would make a great catalyst for alchemy or runes. What a waste.

“That is because you and Siv were on your own and didn’t know how to use a high level concept,” I said, also walking up to the massive corpse. “When I was on my own after getting sent here, I would usually run from these because they were too powerful for me to kill on my own.”

“Yes, I suppose… it would be very difficult if you were on your own.”

I heard the remorse in her voice and cursed in my mind. It wasn’t something that bothered me anymore, so I didn’t particularly care, but I knew she felt bad because I’d essentially been left alone in a strange world I knew nothing about, whereas she and Siv had each other.

“Anyway, let’s salvage this thing and head back,” I said.

“Right!” Kari nodded and clenched her fists in determination.

Salvaging this thing was easy with the help of everyone. Siv used her spatial magic to cut through its body, removing the scales and slicing the meat into segments. The meat was actually what we wanted. The rest of us put all the parts away in several ice boxes that Tora made from the Concept of Creation. It didn’t take more than maybe twenty minutes to have everything packed away.

“I’m just now realizing it, but the Concept of Creation has a lot of uses,” I said as we hauled our cargo back to base.

“Of course it fucking does.” Tora puffed out her chest as a proud smile appeared on her face. “The Concept of Creation grants anyone who masters it the ability to create organic or inorganic matter from fucking nothing. We can create energy, souls, and life no matter how complex, dimensions, alternate realities, and evenstars.”

Just as quickly as her pride apparel, it vanished as she released a frustrated sigh.

“However, it is also the most difficult as fuck concept to master. Concepts like life, death, time, dimension,and even space only deal with a single conceptual aspect. On the other hand, the Concept of Creation is like every fucking concept rolled into one. It is theoretically possible to do anything, but no one has ever mastered it to that point.” She paused. “I heard that was the reason Lord Wōtan chose to seal the Sekbeist Overlord. He didn’t have the same level of mastery over the Concept of Creation that his enemy had over the Concept of Negation. Defeating him was impossible.”

“Hmmm…”

I couldn’t think of anything to add, so I didn’t say anything. It wasn’t like I knew squat about what happened between the Sekbeist Overlord and the Nine Great Overlords.

We arrived at our base to find several women wandering around, patrolling the perimeter I guess--not that there was much need. Making our home in a tree was a perfect natural defense against Demon Beasts. The only thing we really needed to worry about was people, and I didn’t think anyone would come so far into this forests without a good reason.

“Welcome back, Master Eryk,” Chloe greeted us when we entered. She eyed the ice boxes we were carrying. “It looks like your trip was successful.”

“It was. We’re about to begin cooking. Do you want to help?” I asked.

Chloe’s smile was vibrant as she said, “I would love to.”

Cooking dinner was a fairly simple task, but it also took a long time to cook. I channeled Spiritual Power into the rune array on the stove. It was a simple array that Kari created to build heat and cook food, but it worked even better than an open fire. Once the runes were activated, I took the slices of steak that Kari, Siv, and Chloe seasoned and add them to a large pan.

There were eighty-five people present. Several had died during the battle in Drachen Hiamet, and several more had been killed during our escape from Langshwert. Eight-five people was still a love, however, and that meant we needed to cook more than half the snake meat. It was because we had so many mouths to feed that Kari, Siv, Tora, and I had to go hunting every single day.

Once we finished cooking, the four of us--Kari, Siv, Chloe, and I--traveled downstairs, where I found Tora already sitting at a table and waiting. She did not join us in the kitchen. According to her, while she could cook, she preferred not to. She’d been blushing when she told me that. I got the impression she couldn’t cook at all and often ate out.

We called all of the women inside and they sat around tables created from the tree itself. The chairs were also something I had created from the tree, which meant they were literally growing out of the tree itself.

Dinner was fairly lively as all the women talked. I let the sounds of conversation go on around me as I sat with Kari and Siv on either side. Tora, Chloe, and Fray were also sitting at our table.

I used a wooden fork to spear some meat and stick it in my mouth, chewing thoughtfully as I registered the bold flavor of the spices used in the seasoning. Snake meat tasted a lot like chicken meat. It was crunchy and crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. I wouldn’t say it was the best food I ever had, but it reminded me a lot of when I was traveling with Kari, Siv, Fay, Lin, and Raul.

And now I was thinking about the rest of my family back on Miðgarðr.

I really hoped they were okay.

“Lady Fray!!”

Someone rushed through the flap we used in place of a door and paused for a moment to catch her breath, hands on her knees, sweat pouring down her face. She looked like she had run all the way here. I didn’t recognize her at first, but then I realized she was the person Fray had sent to check out the situation in Ásgarðr.

“Hildre.” Lady Fray stood up with a concerned look. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine… but Lord Tor…”

“What about my brother?”

“Lord Tor has been… he’s been run out of Ásgarðr!”

The woman’s words caused all of us to stare at her in shock, unable to believe what we were hearing. Tor ousted? Run out of Ásgarðr? It sounded impossible to believe.

“Please explain everything,” Lady Fray said. “But first, you need rest. Get something to eat, have something to drink, and tell me when you are able to speak more concisely.”

“Y-yes, My Lady.”

The oddly bright mood we had before was now gone as we ate in silence, all of us worried by what Hildre had told us. Most of us finished eating early. Even Siv only ate half as much as she usually did. When everyone was finished, Chloe and Kari helped me take the plates into the kitchen, and then we sat down on the first floor so we could listen to what Hildre had to say.

“I did what you asked and traveled to Ásgarðr to find out what happened while we were gone. You were right to send me,” the woman began. “Ásgarðr has… changed. I learned right away that Lord Tor’s position as ruler has been usurped by Lord… no, by Tyr. A public announcement was made about half a month ago claiming Lord Tor lost a duel over the position of ruler and went into exile.”

Fray’s eyes were hard as she stared at Hildre. “And did he lose a duel?”

“No one knows. No one saw it.” Hildre shrugged. “A lot of people think Tyr is lying and did something to him, but they don’t say anything out loud for fear of being disposed of. There were more than a few dissenters near the beginning who spoke out. They and their families vanished without a trace.”

At that moment, Tora slammed her hands onto the floor. The sound echoed around and the room and caused everyone to look at her. She was gritting her teeth so hard I worried her gums might bleed.

Her reaction made the Valkyries nervous. Several women looked at her like she was an animal who might attack, and I wondered how much of it was from her current expression and how much was because of who her father was.

“Do you know where Lord Tor is now? Lady Sif?” asked Fray. I could easily see the worry on her face as she leaned forward where she sat, and I couldn’t blame her. While I didn’t see much of Tor or Sif, I could tell from how Fray often talked about them that she was very fond of her cousin and his wife.

“Most of what I have are rumors, but there is evidence that Lady Sif is probably with Lord Tor,” she said. “The Blitz, Vanguard, and Defender Divisions have not made a move, but the Valkyries have disappeared. Part of the reason is took me so long was because I was searching for our sisters. No one knows where they are. The rumor is that the Valkyries knew what was happening and left to find Lord Tor. Tyr has put a bounty on them now and has offered a reward for anyone who has information on their whereabouts.”

So Tor and Sif had been run out of Ásgarðr, the Valkyries were missing and presumably either with or looking for them, and Tyr was now in control of the city. The situation was not looking good.

Tora suddenly stood up. Her expression was a storm of emotion as she turned around and stormed out of the treehouse. We all watched her in silence, none of us quite sure about what to do.

I suddenly felt an elbow in my side and turned to see Kari staring at me.

“You should go to her,” she said simply.

“Are you sure that’s appropriate?” I asked.

Kari frowned, sighed, and then nodded. “It is fine. I think you might be the only person who can help her right now.”

I nodded and stood up. Pushing the flap aside, I made my way outside and searched for Tora, who was not in the immediate vicinity. She must have gone further out. I sighed and extended my perceptions, using the Concept of Life to sense the life of everything around me. It only took a few seconds to find her.

Tora was standing on the branch of a tree quite a distance from the base, hand pressed against the trunk as she looked into the distance. It didn’t look like she was actually seeing anything she looked at. I had the sense that her mind was very far away. The fact that she didn’t even respond when I landed beside her lent evidence to this.

“You okay?” I asked.

“Gya?!” Tora spun around to face me and nearly fell off the branch. She stared at me with wide eyes. “Eryk?! When the fuck did you get here?! And what the fuck are you doing sneaking up on me like that?!”

“I didn’t sneak up on your,” I said dryly. “You were so lost in thought you didn’t even see me.”

“Oh…” Tora’s cheeks burned as she looked away. “I guess… you are right. Sorry.”

“I’m guessing what Hildre had to say shocked you pretty bad, huh?” I said, gesturing toward the base.

“No. Not really. But that’s the problem. I’m not surprised he did this.” Tora hugged herself. “My old man has always sought to become the ruler of Ásgarðr. He challenged Lord Tor for the position before and lost, and since then he has done nothing but plot other ways of getting what he wants. He’s a right bastard, and I knew this was coming. I should have said something.”

“You feel guilty,” I said.

Tora scowled. “Of course I fucking feel guilty! All of this could have been avoided if I just said something.”

“Maybe. Maybe not,” I said so cheerfully that Tora’s scowl deepened. Chuckling, I settled down and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Listen to me. Whether saying something would have changed the outcome or not is completely irrelevant. You can’t change what happened now, so your time would be better spent thinking about what you should be doing to fix this.”

I had already been in Tora’s shoes any number of times. There were so many moments where I would wonder if I could have done things differently. Whenever that happened, one of my wives would be the one who set me straight. Now it was my turn to do this for someone else.

“You… are right. I know you’re right.” Tora nodded several times. “I guess hearing all that just left me in shock.” She paused and looked away, her cheeks red. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, grinning. “I’m happy I can--”

I stiffened when my ability to sense life picked up several lifeforms closing in on our location. Because I had mastered the Concept of Life, I was now able to tell the difference between lifeforms. I could tell when something was human, Demon Beast, Lamia, Drakvar, or Guddomelig merely by sensing. And what I sensed now was an entire group of Guddomeligs heading in our direction.

“Come on, Tora! We need to hurry back to base!”

“What? Why?”

“Because someone is coming, that’s why! Now hurry up!”

I didn’t let Tora say anything else as I grabbed her hand and pulled her away, leaping into the air and activating the Flash Step Version 3: Light Step to travel the one hundred meter distance in less than a second. The people were getting closer. I could feel their presences closing in.

“Fray!” I shouted the moment Tora and I entered. “We have a problem!”

Fray looked at me with confusion, but before I could tell her that a group of people were coming, Kari stood up and looked around.

“My detection runes just went off,” she announced. “There are multiple presences surrounding our base.”

Silence met her announcement. Most of the Valkyries were a sunned expression, but Fray merely narrowed her eyes.

I could sense what Kari’s runes had detected as well; the people who had arrived were now surrounding the tree they were hiding in. We hadn’t thought to create a rune that would hide our presence. I wanted to curse.

And, just as I was thinking about taking a page out of Tora’s book, someone from outside shouted at us.

Someone familiar.

“Come out, Lady Fray! If you don’t, then I’ll have to get rough! And while I would like that, I can’t imagine it would be as pleasant for you as it is for me!”

Fray’s eyes hardened as she came to the same conclusion I no doubt had, but she remained calm and ordered her Valkyries to follow her out. I walked beside her with Kari, Tora, Siv, and Chloe formed up on me.

What we found outside was a large group of Guddomelig soldiers dressed in the shiny new armor of the Northern Division. Most of the people surrounding us were wearing lecherous grins. The way they stared at the women like wolves looking at a herd of sheep was disgusting, but most of my attention was on the man standing at the front of his group.

Like a good many Guddomelig, Klaue was a large man with bulky muscles. A scar traveled across the right side of his face. It moved from his hairline down to his jaw. No eyepatch was used to cover his milky white eye, which I could tell from just a glance was blind. His hair was pure whie, cropped short, and spiked.

The armor he wore was impressive and looked like it cost a fortune. Made from the silver scales of a Demon Beast, the armor glistened and shone from the light of numerous monster core lamps. While I couldn’t see them, I knew this armor was lined with powerful runes that would offer him a great deal of protection.

“Klaue.” Fray scowled when she saw the man. “Why are you not dead?”

Klaue grinned. “I hate to disappoint you, but I’m not that easy to kill.”

Fray continued to stare at him, but then she smirked. “You mean you ran away from our fight like a beaten dog with its tail between its legs. Quite cowardly of you. Your father must be disappointed.”

I expected the man to get man, but all he did was shrug and say, “He was quite disappointed in me, but he’s gone now, so it’s not like it matters.”

The implications of his words struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I could not help but shiver in range. Every member of the Valkyries were of like mind. Kari, Tora, Chloe, and Siv also looked disgusted with this man. The fact that even Siv was curling her lips in disdain was just further proof that this man was reprehensible.

“You are disgusting,” Fray said, lips curling.

“Your words can’t hurt me.” Klaue just grinned. “I have been ordered to escort you back to Ásgarðr… by force if I have to. I can promise you this right now. I have only been ordered to escort you back. Lord Tyr said nothing about the people around you.”

The threat was obvious. If Fray decided to resist, then Klaue would order his men to kill everyone else, and then he would capture Fray and drag her back. He would probably rape her too. That seemed like the kind of thing he would do.

While Fray frowned at him, I used the Concept of Life to get an estimate of how many people were arrayed against us. There were at least one thousand. That meant we were outnumbered 10:1, not good odds, and to make the situation worse, everyone in Klaue’s battalion was wearing some of the best armor money could buy. I already had first hand experience regarding this armor.

While I was trying to figure out what we should do, Klaue continued talking, an ugly and lascivious grin stretching his lips from ear to ear. “Why don’t you make this easier on yourself and just submit to me. I promise to make your surrender… pleasurable… for both of us.”