Fenrir rises to his feet. I run my fingers through his long black fur and take hold. I think about which direction I want to go and the wolf obeys. He moves with quickness, grace, and above all, power. He runs around the room and when he leaps through the air, it feels like I’m flying.
I made the right choice.
We come to a stop in front of the group and they all clap and cheer.
“Alright,” says the princess. “How about we get the hell out of here and celebrate? First round is on Esil.”
I can’t argue with that.
As soon as we start to leave the room, the doors fly shut and the floor quakes. Fenrir bares his teeth at whatever is about to come. The door at the top of the stairs opens.
A man steps through wearing a winged battle helm and carrying the sword I just pulled from the floor. He only has one hand. The other is wrapped in bandages.
“Who dares attempt to release Fenrir from his chains?” his voice echoes through the room.
I think I know what I have to do to make Fenrir mine.
Tyr. Norse God of War. Level 75.
I jump off Fenrir and equip my battleaxe and shield.
“I do.”
The sound of shuffling feet lets me know my companions are behind me. Fenrir’s low growl rumbles deep within my chest. I’ve come too far to die now. Bring it on, God of War!
As if hearing my thought, Tyr leaps from the steps and lands on the floor in front of us with a thud. The circular room feels more like an arena now.
“I should have known better than to trust Loki to place sentries outside of the dungeon. The God of Mischief has always had an affinity for the frost giants. I gave my hand to bind Fenrir in chains. If you aim to take him, you’ll have to get through me.”
An arrow soars past my head. It goes straight for Tyr’s face, but he slashes it away with his sword at the last second.
The battle is on.
I cast Haunted Earth, but Tyr dodges the snare. Tinker uses an ability that rains down boulders from the sky, but Tyr moves around them with ease. He is far faster than the frost giants.
Ordin runs at Tyr, his warhammer glowing bright. Their weapons connect with a flash of light and Ordin is knocked on his back. His lip drips blood when he stands up.
“Is that the best you have to offer?” goads Tyr.
I cast Mud Pits and the floor around Tyr fills with mud. Next, I use Resilience on Grayson and we move in on Tyr from opposite sides. I swing my axe and it clashes with Tyr’s sword. He deflects my blow and takes out a fifth of my health just with his block. Grayson connects with a jab to his back and Tyr loses five percent health. Tyr catches Grayson in the chin with his elbow, sending a spurt of blood streaming down his chest. Grayson’s health drops by a third.
The princess continually shoots arrows. Some hit, some miss, but they do relatively little damage to the god.
Tyr extends his arm and spins his blade in a circle, like a mage casting a spell, and wind whips around the room. He spins it with such speed that a wind tunnel forms and blasts across our group, knocking us all off our feet. In a flash, he glides from one of us to another, slashing his sword.
My vision goes red at the edges. For the next few seconds, my health trickles down.
We all lose twenty percent health from the attack.
“What in Odin’s beard was that?” yells Glordin. “He hit all seven of us in less than a second!”
Tyr still has ninety percent of his health.
Fenrir paces back and forth. He can only attack once per day and even then only for a minute. We may need his help later, so I can’t risk using him now.
Buzz steps up beside me.
“You got a plan for this?” he asks.
“Beat him till he bleeds?”
“Works for me.” Buzz takes some of his liquid fire and rubs it on his battle helm and sword. “Let’s show this freak what two arms can do!”
Buzz rushes into battle. I follow, along with Grayson, Ordin, and Glordin. With a swing of his sword, Tyr parries all of our blows in one swift motion. His attacks are so strong that even his deflections cause damage. Buzz is down to half health. My vision goes red again and I notice I’ve lost almost half my HP as well.
A screaming arrow soars past and connects with Tyr. Tiny bolts of electricity spark along his body. He’s stunned.
“Attack!” I yell and we all move in. For half a second, we hack and slash and pound, until the stun wears off and Tyr swings his sword, knocking us all back twenty feet.
We took down twenty percent of his health in such a short time, but he took more from us. All of his attacks must be Area of Effect abilities, damaging anyone nearby.
Buzz leans on his shield, blood running from his nose. His health bar shows fifteen percent.
“Stand back, buddy. We’ll take it from here,” I say.
If we keep fighting like we have been, Tyr will destroy us. The only option I have right now is to unleash Fenrir.
I call him and he rushes to my side.
“We need your help, boy.” I rub my fingers through the soft hair around his neck.
The giant wolf nods at me and then jumps into the fray. He moves as quick as Tyr, biting and clawing. Whatever history they share, it’s clear the wolf has not forgotten. Tyr swings and Fenrir dodges the blow, countering by sinking his teeth into Tyr’s leg. The wolf’s muzzle is covered in blood.
For the next minute, the two godly beings battle. We attack when we can, but Fenrir and Tyr move with such speed that we can barely keep up. It is a beautiful chaos as they dance together, attacking and defending as they fight for their lives.
When the minute is up, Tyr only has a third of his health. Fenrir limps over to Buzz and lays down on the floor. Gashes and matted blood cover his body.
Now is our chance.
“Grayson, Ordin, and Glordin, I need you to rush in. Aleesia, I need you to get another stun. If you can, I have a plan. If not…”
The three brawlers are off running before I finish the sentence. I cast Resilience on Grayson and his hands move faster. Tyr barely blocks the punch. Ordin and Glordin follow up with attacks. The princess’s arrow sails through the air and connects.
I switch to Staff of the Ancients and cast Haunted Earth. It catches Tyr in its grasp and I immediately follow up with Waterfall at the same time Tinker drops his boulders from the sky. It rains down water and rock, all the while Grayson and the two dwarves attack as fast as they can.
Tyr has ten percent health after our latest efforts. He comes unstunned and slashes madly at the three closest to him. Ordin and Glordin fall to the ground and move no more.
Grayson must know he’s about to die because he tries for another punch. Tyr blocks it with his sword. The deflection is enough to take the last of Grayson’s HP.
Me, Tinker, and the princess are all that’s left and none of us have much HP. I cast Haunted Earth again and it misses. Without the melee distractions, Tyr swats away Aleesia’s arrows like flies. Tinker’s abilities have no better luck.
“I have an idea.” Buzz stumbles up beside me. “We’ve only got one shot at this. Just be ready.” Buzz puts his sword in his inventory and all he carries is his shield. Three gravestones have sprouted from the ground around Tyr’s feet.
“You don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, I do.”
Buzz stumbles toward the God of War. Tyr looks amused as Buzz slowly approaches. One hit is all it will take to kill Buzz.
Tyr slashes down hard with his sword.
“Now,” Buzz yells. The sword connects with Buzz’s shield and Tyr freezes in place. Buzz slumps over, his health depleted.
I cast Waterfall.
Aleesia shoots another stunning arrow.
Tinker casts his canyon ability. The earth opens and rocks shoot Tyr into the air.
Fiery arrows explode across his chest.
Haunted Earth snares him when he lands.
Waterfall and Tinker’s boulder attack smash him in
to the ground.
I switch to my spear and throw it at his chest as he stands from the rubble with a sliver of health.
My spear connects and Tyr hunches over before falling to the ground.
The doors to the room fly open and I receive a notification.
Congratulations! You have defeated Tyr. Fenrir is now bonded to you for life.
A gold twenty-two flashes across my vision.
Grayson, Ordin, Glordin, and Klink rush into the room. A few moments later, I see Buzz materialize at the spawn point outside the door.
“You did it!” he yells. “You bloody did it!”
“Couldn’t have done it without you. Without all of you.”
“You know, when this tournament is over, we’d make a pretty damn good team,” says Aleesia.
Yeah, we would.
Chapter 25
Fenrir’s powerful muscles flex between my legs as he pounces across a field in the valley of the Mortican Mountains. With each jump, we hang in the air, defying gravity, before plummeting back to the earth. I’ve outfitted him with a saddle that allows me better stability when Fenrir changes direction.
The developers will be announcing the next quest this evening and I have decided to take the day and really learn how to ride my mount. The more we practice, the quicker he responds to my thoughts. Merlin flies high above, keeping watch. Over the past few days, I’ve made myself quite the little family.
Beside me, Aleesia rides her unicorn, its charcoal coat contrasting against the golden field. The princess wanted some time with just the two of us, so the dwarves are off by themselves today.
I put my most recent stat point into Vitality again, boosting my health and regeneration a little more. As I look at my stats, I think they are finally beginning to even out somewhat.
Level 22:
Strength -14
Agility -2
Vitality -5
Intellect -6
Dexterity -5
Stamina -0
We stop at a weeping willow. Its long, droopy branches whip back and forth in the breeze. Aleesia and I take a seat in its shade while our mounts frolic nearby.
“Do you think it’s strange that most of the dwarves who quested with you that first day aren’t around anymore?” I ask.
She looks deep in thought before answering.
“Not really. Several of the dwarves who go questing with me were only around because of my father. They think I’m a gateway into a relationship with him or something. I didn’t want to be the one to break the bad news that it was never going to happen. And having a few more helping hands with a raid never hurt either. I know a few of them, the ones who went with us to Asgard, are actually here because they like me and want to be my friends. If I ever lose favor, they’ll be the ones to stay around.”
I hang on every word she says. Maybe the life of the rich and famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
She changes the subject. “I’m sorry about yesterday. For doubting your integrity and everything. You’ve been nothing but a stand-up guy since I’ve known you. Not many people would have left that sword and taken the mount.” She twirls her hair around the tip of her finger. Her pointed ears cut through the silky strands. Wow, she is beautiful.
“You don’t owe me an apology. It’s weird, the thing with Grayson, Buzz and I. It doesn’t make sense to any of us. We’re all just miners who never had a shot at anything. And as for the sword, I feel like something bad would have happened if I’d taken it. I doubt I would have been able to leave with it.”
“Wait…” Her face is scrunched. “Grayson is a miner, too? He was the best fighter of any of us. I never would have suspected.”
We sit in silence under the tree, watching our mounts run through the field. Did I say too much? Has she fit the pieces together? There’s no way she would think that miners have a hidden stat based on that information, is there?
“You think you’re ready for the race?” she asks, breaking the silence.
“Not at all, but I’ve got a great mount. He’s fast, powerful, and if I get in a bind, he can help me out. You never did tell me what yours’ special ability is.”
“And I’m not going to either,” she laughs. “I’ve got a few secrets as well, Esil.”
“Oh, come on. It’s gonna be like that?”
“Yeah.” She grabs me by the hand. Her hand feels warm, almost like the real thing. I’m thankful it’s virtual and that she can’t feel the sweat on my palms. “You live in Civic City, right?”
“I do.”
“I’m not too far from there by train. Maybe when this is all over, we can meet up in real life?” She squeezes my fingers.
“I’d like that a lot.”
She tosses my hand aside and jumps to her feet. “Race you back to the town square!”
***
I log out of Pangea long enough to shower and eat. When I log back in, I have a message from the developers. My heart races as I read.
Congratulations on making it to the second round of the Developer’s Tournament! Hopefully by now, you have solved the second clue and are ready for what comes next. Be at Baja Pass in Raceworld at 2300 hours.
-Pangea Online Developers
Baja Pass? Not sure what that means. I do a quick search and learn that the baja is a location in what used to be California. Back before the world got blown up and everyone had to wear masks just to go outside, it was known for its varying geography consisting of the ocean, mountains, and desert. There isn’t any information on the Baja Pass in Raceworld, so it must be a new track. It will be an interesting place for a race if they incorporate all of the different elements.
The rest of the day I spend practicing with Fenrir. I train all of my abilities and attacks while riding, getting a feel for what mounted combat is like. I’m not the greatest, but Fenrir does a lot to compensate for my lack of skill. My stream is off, because I don’t want anyone knowing what I have in store for the next quest. No one knows I have Fenrir except those who were there with me and I’d like to keep it that way.
With an hour until I’m supposed to be at Raceworld, I go back to my home portal to be alone. Merlin sits on his perch and Fenrir curls up around my feet as I sit on the couch. The old timey clock I bought to hang on the wall ticks methodically, counting down the seconds until we need to leave.
At five minutes to twenty-three hundred hours, I call Merlin and Fenrir and we jump through the portal. It’s time to race.
Welcome to Raceworld. Users who are not spectating must be on a mount at all times. More than thirty seconds spent on foot will result in disqualification from any race.
A wall with dozens of video screens stands before me. On each screen, there is a separate type of race. Cars, planes, animals, hoverboards; if you can ride it, there is a race for it. In the middle, there is a slightly bigger screen that reads ‘Baja Pass: Developer’s Tournament Stage 2-Mounts only.’
I focus on the image and a notification pops up.
Congratulations, Esil! You are qualified to compete in Baja Pass. Would you like to take your position? Y/N
I accept and the world turns to pixels around me. A few moments later, I’m behind four other people on a hilltop beside the ocean. Far ahead there is a desert, and farther still are mountains. Aleesia and Ryken wait in front of me, along with another woman and man. A pole sticks up from beside each of them, with a small flag displaying their position. There are two lines, staggered diagonally so that we aren’t right beside each other. To the sides of us, there are several stands filled to capacity. I can hear the cheers of the crowd over the commotion all around me. Behind me, contestants materialize on their mounts and fill in the empty positions.
A timer appears in my vision and counts down from five minutes. I guess when it hits zero, the race will start.
My map is ablaze with a rainbow of dots that indicate all of my opponents. Along the edge of it is a diamond. It’s too far away to show up on the map. That’s where we’ll be g
oing.
I shake my head and try to focus on everything that is happening around me. Two spots up, the princess sits on her charcoal unicorn. She turns around and waves at me.
“Good luck!” she says.
“You too.”
That’s when I notice Ryken’s mount. The skeletal horse has been replaced by the nightmare from the auction. Its fiery mane and tail swish back and forth. Ryken’s presence is intimidating as he sits stoically on his horse. His black armor. Skull pauldrons. Helmet with curled horns of a ram. He doesn’t look around. His eyes are focused on what lies ahead.
“Esil!” I hear a voice shouting my name from the stands. Buzz and Grayson sit together. They both give me thumbs up and I return the gesture.
I look around once more, taking in the competition. The other two spots ahead of me are taken by a man on a rhinoceros and a woman riding a motorcycle. It’s the motorcycle from the auction with two guns mounted to the handle bars. I’d hate to have her on my tail. The man wears a leopard vest and black leather pants, his hair falling in a mane around his neck. He carries a spear with a bone tip in one hand. The woman wears a denim jacket. Her dreaded hair falls past her shoulders and she has a machete strapped to her back.
Merlin sits on my shoulder, his head turning like a sprinkler as he watches everything around us.
Behind me, there are too many to name. I see a few familiar faces. Ordin rides his pony and shoves his warhammer into the air when he sees me. Klink wrangles with her blind basilisk, which she still hasn’t tamed. Near the back, I see Jayce, our teammate from steamball, riding a mechanical horse. Steam shoots out of its ears and nostrils as it paws at the ground. Gears turn inside the massive beast’s iron legs.
The bear from the auction is midway down the line, his armor gleaming in the sun. A tiny gnome sits atop the bear, making the beast look even larger than it already is. The gnome is clad in a dull green robe and a hawk sits on his shoulder. Does he have the same enhanced hearing and sight I do?
I spot a griffin ridden by a woman in a white robe with a golden staff, a dozen or so horses, a lion, a camel, a giant eagle, several motorcycles, and many others. One man rides upon a small elephant; its trunk bellows loudly from the rear of the pack.
Pangea Online Book One: Death and Axes: A LitRPG Novel Page 18
