“Marriage ceremonies? What’s the relation of that to him being a Champion of Thor?”
“Thor is also the god of hallowing. If one needs a marriage officiated or a place blessed or hallowed, you find a Champion or priest of Thor.”
“Huh?” Tyler never imagined Thor to be such an advocate of marriage. His legend as a womanizer was established. Or is it? Or maybe that's the popular or comic book version of the god.
As they got closer to the gate, the man Jorund called Helgi noticed them.
“Hail the wagon! Stop!”
They stopped and waited for Helgi to come to them. They were the only wagon headed for the gate house. They were bound to be noticed.
“Where to?”
“The Gap, my good friend. We intend to do some survey of the coming field of battle,” Tyler answered.
“Are you a warrior?”
“No, a mage.”
“My lord, the Champions of the Oak don’t like mages,” Jorund whispered, “Their primary deity is Thor. Mages belong to Odin.”
Oh, shit.
Helgi turned to his companions.
“Hear that, my friends? A MAGE! A great and powerful mage!”
The men stopped what they were doing and gathered in a group. Clearly intending to watch Helgi’s current source of amusement.
“How about a friendly match, mage? A simple practice match. My war hammer against your magic.”
This asshole must have a serious magical shield to consider fighting against a mage. Or he’s really just an asshole with a thing against mages.
“Do we need to? One of us may be seriously hurt. That wouldn’t do with battle upon us.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it, mage. Or is it because you’re scared? I have met some mages who were actually cowards. Or maybe you’re really just a seidr mage. We’ve got plenty of them around now.”
“My lord, he insulted you! Honor demands you accept his challenge,” again whispered Jorund, this time in an urgent and angry manner. Habrok was quiet but his eyes were livid. Tyler noticed Habrok had already gripped the hilt of his sword. Jorund also had removed his battleaxe and had lowered it to the floor of the wagon, within easy reach.
Tyler exhaled. He didn’t want or need this testosterone fight. It’s a waste of time. But it appears he'll have to accommodate the man.
“Okay. A friendly match then. Let’s go there,” he pointed to the practice area, “And let them clear out a bigger field.”
Tyler walked to the field. Helgi took his position with his back to Scarburg’s wall. Spectators began gathering around, Jorund and Habrok among them. Though Habrok watched from the wagon as he kept an eye out for its contents.
“READY, MAGE?” shouted Helgi. He made the word “mage” sound like an insult.
Tyler thought about the situation. He can’t kill the man, he was needed by Scarburg. Not to mention killing him would give rise to more complications, not only with the rest of the so-called champions but also with the deity. He decided to just batter him into submission. With that lightning empowered war hammer, he couldn’t allow the man to get close to him. Tyler raised his staff to signify he was ready.
Helgi exploded in a burst of motion. A zigzag course towards Tyler, war hammer in hand. The man didn’t even bother with a shield. Tyler observed him. As Helgi was turning into another deviation in his course, Tyler hit him with an AWAY! spell. With some degree of control over the ability, Tyler was able to mitigate the force exerted.
The armored man slammed into the wall in a cloud of dust. Helgi was stunned but was recovering fast. Tyler didn’t give him the chance to move any further. As with the Greek demigod, he raised him with the LIFT! spell. But this time, he tried to hold on to the man and released him when he had risen to twenty-five feet in the air. The man plunged back to the ground, the noisy clatter of armor overwhelming the sound of the impact on the dirt. The man’s war hammer had already fallen from his hands and his helm also was gone. Tyler repeated the process but limited the height to only fifteen feet. After that, only a gurgled moan could be heard.
“Healers! Take care of him!” shouted Tyler. Three men separated from the group of spectators and ran to Helgi. Everybody was quiet while Tyler walked back to the wagon. Jorund was already there.
“Let’s go to the gate house. We’ve wasted enough time here.”
As the wagon moved towards the gate house, the spectators’ attention was still centered on the unconscious Helgi. Though few did watch them.
The gate house commander didn’t give them any trouble. After reading the letter given by the war-mage, they were allowed to pass. A guide was sent with them to safely get them across the trapped field. Signals and passwords to be exchanged when they are returning were also given. They passed the deadly field without incident. After clearing the barricades, the guide left with a large silver coin in his pocket.
“It’s your call now, Jorund. Take us to the site. But keep to the side of the Gap,” Tyler told the man.
Jorund took the reins. The two were silent after the one-sided match. Tyler could see Habrok looking at him when he thought Tyler wasn’t watching. Jorund’s reaction was different, he noted. He clearly didn’t expect Helgi to be a good enough challenge for Tyler. Like Tyler, he saw the match as a distraction. But it was the insult that mattered. If anything, Tyler could have sworn Jorund thought the Champion as beneath Tyler’s abilities.
“My lord, you do know we will be watched. I am sure the jotnar and the dokkalfr also have scouts watching the Gap,” said Habrok who was seated at the back of the wagon.
“As my friends, Mac and Tosh would say, indubitably, Mr. Habrok. But this is but one wagon. They will come and investigate. But not in force. By that time, I expect your traps to be lethally effective. Won’t they?”
“Oh. Don’t worry about the traps, my lord.”
“But we may have to walk back when everything is over. If we get to walk back,” advised Tyler. With that statement, nobody talked anymore. Their watchful eyes checking and assessing their progress and surroundings.
Finally, they got to an old trail which entered the forested area on the left side of the Gap. Habrok got off the wagon and took the lead. Jorund continued as the driver while Tyler moved to the back of the wagon. Their speed noticeably slowed down. Brambles and small branches blocked the barely noticeable track. Birds were still around, observed Tyler, which means the surrounding area was clear for now. They continued along the path for the better part of two hours by his reckoning. The trees have gotten denser and the slope of the path had sharply gone higher. Finally, it ended at a low cliffside.
“Time for us to go up, my lord."
Habrok was already up on the top of the cliffside and had left ropes dangling down. They spent about an hour bringing their food and gear up. After that, the two followed, but they first moved the wagon some distance away and freed the two horses. While Tyler and Jorund moved their things from the top of the cliff to the beginnings of another path which wound further up the mountain, Habrok went ahead to scout the campsite. After some time, the man came back.
“Clear,” Habrok reported, “The site ends at a sheer cliff. The trail winds up. Very defensible if we can build what is needed. Nice view of the Gap but it’s also a dead end. Sorry, wrong choice of words.”
“Come on,” said Jorund, “These things won’t move themselves. And we have a few hours of daylight remaining.”
As they reached the camp with their things, Jorund asked Tyler to remain while he and Habrok do the moving. Tyler was thankful, his cardio had not improved to the level of the two warriors. Instead, he asked Habrok to start laying down some traps as soon as they have finished transferring their food and gear.
Tyler crouched and went to survey the Gap. He was about a half a mile up a sheer cliff. The bottom was full of rocks and shrubs. The spot was at the foot of a mountainside and surrounded by inaccessible stone, except for the part which led down the trail. The trail itself was mostly rocks a
t its sides, enough for a man to pass through. Tyler estimated it to be around eighty to a hundred feet starting from the bottom of the trail. It twisted its way up to the campsite. It was obvious though that part of the stone had been removed manually to open up the trail to the site. The spot itself had the remnants of the old camp, thankfully bare of human remains. A run-down and wrecked hunter’s lodge with skinning and curing shelters were all that’s left.
In the distance, he could see the town. He could also see where the barricades and field traps ended and the unblocked open terrain began. Some trees in the campsite afforded a degree of cover but he believed protection could be improved. “What I would give for some razor wire,” thought Tyler, “and a fifty cal with unlimited ammunition.”
He went to the ruined lodge. Half of the roof was gone, a wall and the door were missing but those can be fixed. It was empty except for the garbage of a looted dwelling. Their belongings were being stacked outside where the door used to be. He then went around the clearing, trying to spot possible weak points. The only ones he could see were the trail opening and the viewing ledge.
Have to prepare against ice drakes and flying creatures. More food and water. Especially water. There are enough trees at the bottom of the trail to cut for defenses. If we have enough food and water, we can stay here for some time. We can block the trail at certain points, laying down traps. Jorund and Habrok can watch my back while I attend to the jotnar and dokkalfr. But I really have to improve the cover on the ledge.
He went back to viewing the Gap, trying to imagine how the jotnar and the dokkalfr will attempt to approach the town. He assumed they’re going to bring up catapults, battering rams, and other heavy siege artillery as well as siege towers. The problem was the estimate about their numbers. “A great many” and “numerous” are not exact terms. He decided to start with an estimate of ten thousand. From what he had observed during the ambush before, the foe tends to rely on overwhelming numbers. Ten thousand, that’s a tall order. But he didn't have to wipe them all out. He just needed to inflict enough casualties to make the assault against Scarburg fail.
The sunlight was fading when the two finally finished bringing up the gear. Tyler went to them as Jorund was preparing their meal behind the lodge. Habrok was watching the trail but he beckoned him over. As he prepared to illuminate the lamp, Habrok signaled for him to wait. The ranger scrambled to the roof and laid out a tarp, same as what they used back at the jotnar encampment. He extended the tarp over the cooking area and attached it to the cliff wall. He picked up the planks from the destroyed wall and laid it on the side of the tarp facing the Gap.
He does know his job, reflected Tyler. Preliminaries over, Habrok joined them.
“I can have another tarp cover the hole in the roof, my lord. Though we have to cover the windows, at least those which will give out light towards the Gap. The door faced the rock wall so it will not be a problem for now. But tomorrow, we should have a temporary door to cover the opening.”
“Thanks, Habrok. Though I want you to focus first on laying traps below the first cliff and finding a source of water. As much as we can store. The problem may be storage. I think tonight may be peaceful for us but post watches just the same. If you run across some game, adding to the food will also help. We will be here until after the jotnar and the dokkalfr attack. Or after they’re beaten back.”
My God, I sound soooo confident! I should be pissing in my pants!
“We have some unfilled waterskins, my lord. With your task for locating a vantage point, I took the liberty of securing more. I thought we would be here for a while. The alarm runes we have planted at the top of the cliff but those are attuned to me and Habrok. You need to tell us when you want to go down so you won’t set them off.”
“Good man! We need to prepare for at least four days by ourselves. Tomorrow we need to set up more traps at the bottom of the cliff. For tonight, we have some preparations at least?"
“Yes, my lord. We have piled some brambles at the foot of the cliff and temporarily blocked portions of the trail. Habrok and I will have guard shifts. You should have your rest. I know magic is draining on a man.”
“Thank you, Jorund. For now, here’s the plan. Tomorrow, water, traps and possible additional food. Habrok, that’s you. Checking for jotnar and dokkalfr goes without saying. Jorund, defensive preparations for the site. Make it as difficult and as lethal as possible for anybody trying to come up here. I do need your advice on how to better protect the ledge out there. Flying creatures like the drakes could still get to us. Finally, an extra precaution. While in Fossegrim, I ran across some creatures made out of mist but they can solidify their claws and fangs when striking. But they’re vulnerable to light so I will provide you with lamps like what I made and some light orbs. Throw the light orbs at them and I'll try to explode the orbs. They’ll get hurt. Swords and spears don’t kill them.”
“Monsters made out of mist?” stammered Habrok.
“Oh, stop it, Habrok. Get used to things like that. This journey will be full of those things. More horrible ones, I believe,” said Jorund, “Makes the journey more interesting. Like now! Three against thousands! One worth a saga! Even two sagas!”
Habrok’s eyes were wide open and his face paled. Tyler heaved a sigh. He thought that wouldn’t be the last time he sees Habrok looking like that.
CHAPTER NOTE:
Historically, some tensions have been recorded between the followers of Odin and those of Thor.
CHAPTER LORE:
Cahokia - Term used to refer to the site of a pre-Columbian Native American civilization found near St. Louis, Missouri. The original name of the inhabitants, as well as that of the city, are unknown. It was abandoned sometime during the 13th century. It was called Cahokia after the Native American tribe which moved to the area around the 17th century. For the purpose of this story, the civilization as found on Adar is also called Cahokia. The reason for this will be revealed in a later Arc.
Anansi - An African mythological character. He oftentimes take the shape of a spider or even as a half-spider. Mythology credits him as the father of stories, agriculture as well as creating the sun, the moon, and the stars. Belief in him exists in various African tribes though it is believed his worship began in Ghana, Africa.
Ptah - The Egyptian deity of craftsmen and architects. One of the five major Egyptian gods.
Crucible steel – A special kind of steel made out of iron and other materials. Difficult to make even with modern methods. But a few swords dating back to the Viking Era have been discovered to have been made from this material.
Volundr - Norse mythology. A legendary human blacksmith. Portrayed in sagas as one of the sons of the king of the Sami people. The magical swords Gram and Durandal were believed to be of his forging.
Fifty cal - Slang for the Browning .50 caliber M2HB heavy machine gun.
CHAPTER XIII
Unwelcome Guests
He watched as the enemy host came up the Gap. They were still a mile away from the viewing ledge. Good enough for his enhanced eyesight but not close enough for him to take action.
First came numerous beasts of various kinds. In their van were armored mountain giants carrying ladders and enormous shields made of wooden planks. Next came ordered rows of dokkalfr, archers in front, with infantry in the back also carrying wooden planks. Ice giants and trolls accompanied them, either carrying fascines or wheeled mantlets in tow.
He could see mages among them, easily discernible by their lack of armor and armaments, save for staffs. Then ogres followed, again carrying fascines. Finally, another host of jotnar followed the ogres. Wagons with more fascines and wicker mantlets tailed behind. At the back, he could see around six catapults pulled by unfamiliar armored beasts the size of small elephants. Three siege towers trailed them, likewise pulled by the same kind of beasts. Above them flew ice drakes, circling above the formation. Numerous banners flew above the enemy host.
He couldn’t see any of the
ice elves or the humans he saw back at the Bildsfell encampment. But he could discern another host coming up the Gap, lingering behind the first. From what he could see, it was larger than the assaulting force. They were moving at a marching pace. He thought about the possible attack plan of the jotnar. Before him was about three to four thousand jotnar and dokkalfr. It was not enough to storm the town. But he may have underestimated the attack force as the second host can be easily estimated at ten to twelve thousand in size. Or it may be more, his enhanced sight couldn’t see more details in the mass of enemies.
The Accidental Archmage: Book One - Ragnarok Rising (MOBI EDITION) Page 27
