“Where the hell are we Robert?” A small, rat-like man was yelling at his comrade, both of them wrapped in long cloaks, shivering from the sheer cold and biting wind. The two were clearly not prepared for the pure extremities of the North. The larger man known as Robert only grunted at the rat-like man. The two spoke the common tongue, though in a dialect I was unfamiliar with. I had been tailing the two men for several hours, having run across them while searching for food in the Forest of Torgoth. The two of them were far underprepared for survival in these mountains, lacking ample supplies of food, warm clothes and weapons, each equipped with only a small sword from the looks of it.
The larger man finally collapsed onto the ground after another hour of grueling marching. “That's it, I can’t go any farther today. Greavier, we camp here for the night.” The rat-like Grieavier slumped down onto the frozen, forest floor, obviously just as tired as his comrade. Both didn't even bother lighting a fire or eating any food, merely tossing their packs off to the side and going to sleep. I waited for them to fall into a deep slumber and then snuck up to investigate the two strange men. “If I am to be chief of the Erantu, I should do my part to help defend these mountains,” I said to myself. Searching their bags, I found little save for some dried bread, salted meats and a few flasks of wine. Just as I was about to leave, thinking there was nothing of value in the bags, I found an important looking piece of paper bearing a wax seal. The emblem on the seal was unfamiliar to me; a serpent wrapped around a crown of thorns. Someone back in the village would likely have some knowledge about it.
I looked back at the two sleeping men; both were shivering in their sleep. “There is a chance that leaving them alive could come back to bite me, but…” I turned my back on the two men, not having the ruthlessness needed to kill two sleeping, defenseless humans. Chances were that if I just left them, they would die of hunger within two days, based on the small amount of food they had left. They could also just fall prey to the monsters of the woods, which was highly likely given their current, defenseless state. I skulked back off into the darkness of the woods, leaving the two men to their rest, though not before snagging a few pieces of that salted meat for the road.
***
Once I put some major distance between me and the two men, I pulled out the piece of paper I had nicked. I carefully broke open the wax seal, making sure not to damage it, and read its contents:
“By order of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Ludwig Arstian, you are to accomplish the following,
Robert Lentian and Greaver Lorkenhan, you are both to scout out the northern mountains and obtain the following information to aid in the subjugation of the North:
Strength of local tribes, food stores, basic geography and a location for us to build a base camp. The location for base camp must have a securable food source, water source and lumber source. Report your findings to High Paladin Elizabeth Duvark, Head of the Iron Legion, no later than the Summer of the 474th year. The Iron Legion is planned to arrive in the North in the Summer of the 476th year.”
Reading the orders of the two men I found, it was clear they were scouts for the Empire, who were likely doing preliminary surveillance to aid in this “Subjugation of the North.” With these orders in hand, I figured two cycles in the wild was enough. It was time to go home… home to the Erantu. Father would need to know of this revelation, as would the other tribes. The only way the tribes of the North could stand up to the might of one of the twelve legions of the Empire would likely be through a united front. How willing the chiefs of the various tribes would be to do that though… well, that was anyone's guess.
***
It had been a full two cycles since I had left home to contract with an elemental. I could have returned home sooner perhaps, but I had been enjoying my time in the wild, exploring what my magic was capable of. It was midday when I returned to the village and everyone was outside; the children playing in the snow and some of the women were busy cooking or mending clothing. Entering the village, I went straight to fathers tent, ignoring the flock of people welcoming me back. Entering into his tent, I saw he, mother and Alfhild were all having their midday meal. “Father, I need to talk with you… alone,” I said, not even bothering to greet the others. Father didn’t question me, he quickly got up and followed me to the nearly empty gathering hall in silence.
Elder Ragna was inside of the hall, staring into a fire that was burning atop the stone slab at the front. Father and I both sat around the altar, Elder Ragna looking up at both of us. “If you both are here, something has happened, has it not Calder?” The old woman was incredibly sharp, easily able to tell that something was amiss. Father looked at me, “Now speak boy, what is it you called me here in such a rush for, especially after being away for two whole cycles with no contact.” I reached into my cloak with my right arm, pulling out the paper with the orders of the two Empire scouts. “Calder, your arm, what is that,” Elder Ragna asked, her face pale at the sight of my new and strange arm. Father had a similar reaction. “We can discuss that later; for now, read this.” I unrolled the paper and handed it over for both Father and Elder.
After Elder and Father had read the orders, Father put his hand on his face and let out a heavy sigh. “Tell me boy, how did you come across this document,” he asked. I told them about my encounter with the Empire scouts out in the Forest of Torgath. After telling my tale, the two sat in thought for a few minutes. Finally, Elder spoke, “So Calder, what is your plan for dealing with this… invasion of the Empire?” I was slightly surprised that she wanted me to suddenly come up with a plan. “Why dumbstruck boy, you discovered the Empires plan, thus you have to figure out how to deal with it,” Father barked at me. I was glad that the two had confidence in me to this caliber, though they might have forgotten I was still just a child of now nine winters old. Any normal child my age would never be able to come up with a war plan, at least not a good one (Thank god for past memories).
“Father, Elder, I do have a simple plan, of sorts. We can’t hide from the Empire nor can we run away. We have to face them head on, though doing so alone is the same as suicide. We should try and join forces with the other tribes, the Ivartar, Lokvan, any other tribes that will fight together with us. If we band together, our chances of surviving will greatly increase, though that is just common sense...right?” Father and Elder both were slightly shocked at the suggestion. The tribes rarely, if ever, worked together, save for small amounts of trading and the like every now and again. Common sense of the mountains dictated that you attack another tribe when you run into them. A coalition of the majority of the tribes in the Mountains was unheard of, especially due to the many grudges held by some tribes. “Calder, this idea of yours, it just might work. If we get the Ivartar on our side first, the other tribes will likely join us without argument,” Elder said. Father nodded his head in agreement. “So we have a course of action then,” I said. “We need to go and meet with Grandpa Ivartar and try to get him onto our side. From there, the rest should be easy.”
“Calder, isn’t there something else you want to tell us; that arm, what is it,” Father asked. I had been hoping to avoid the subject but is seemed that wouldn't be possible. I drew my arm out from my cloak and summoned a few of the small, round frost elementals. “I got this arm when I came into contact with some strange creature in the frost caves; it might have been a higher ranking elemental, though I’m not sure.” Seeing the multiple small frost elementals floating around me, Father and Elder were obviously surprised. I continued my story about how I met the creature in the caves, what it looked like and the pain I felt when we came into contact. I also told them about the powers of my arm, at least those that I knew of so far. Father and Elder Ragna merely sat in silence, listening to my tale.
“I have never seen something quite like that,” said Elder. “It is not uncommon for higher ranking elementals to do things beyond human comprehension but making a whole new limb and then attaching it perfectly to your body... along with those powers…” She was dumbfounded. “Perhaps if we were to investigate the glowing runes on his arm; Elder, can you make out what they say,” father asked. I held out my arm for Elder to investigate in more detail. As she turned it over and looked at it from every angle, soon began to poke and prod it. “Hmm, Calder, do you mind if I test something,” the old woman asked. I nodded, signaling that she could. On that note, Elder started to chant. As she did, the room grew cold and the fire began to dim.
After a few minutes of chanting, I started feeling a cold surge through my arm, power entering through the Elders touch. Suddenly, the runes on my arm glowed far brighter than than ever before, humming and hissing sounds coming from them. As the glowing grew brighter, the sound my arm let off grew. And then… “Bang.” I screamed in pain, my arm making an ear deafening sound. I fell to the ground, gripping my arm, pain searing through it. Father helped me up, though he was not looking at me at all. He and Elder both had their attention fixed on the middle of the hall right behind me; I turned to look. There stood the creature from the cave, it's wispy, ethereal form looming over us. Elder and Father were frozen with fear. I, however, stood and walked towards the creature, my arm outstretched, the runes still vigorously glowing. “What are you doing Calder, stay away from that thing,” Father screamed at me.
As I approached the icy giant, I was filled with an absence of fear or terror. The creature started to cry and howl as I drew closer, my arm throbbing in resonance with the creatures cries. While it spoke no language, I partially knew what it was feeling, the creatures emotions flowing through me. “Why are you so sad… so angry,” I asked it. “Why do you cry like that, tell me, please. Why did you contract with me, what happened to make you like this?” We now stood face to face, the creature calmed slightly, slowly reaching out its arm towards me. My glowing arm touched its own wispy, ghost like appendage. I could feel the cold enter into my hand, though this time with no pain. The creature started to slowly fade back into my arm where it had been before, and then… “Poof.” Like with the smaller elementals, the large creature popped back into my arm, the runes now returning to their previous dim glow.
“Calder, what was that thing, was that… the monster you saw in the caves,” Father asked me, sweat pouring down his face. “Yes, it was. That was definitely the thing I saw,” I said. Elder rose and approached me. “That was not just some elemental Calder,” she said. “I have no idea what that is, though no elemental should be able to take such a human like shape. That may have once been an elemental, but now… well I am no longer sure.” I was glad to finally get some answers, few though they may be. “So somehow, an elemental changed into that thing? And what does that mean exactly Elder?” She shook her head. “I’m sorry Calder, I have no idea. The only person I can know of who might have some answers for you is an old friend of mine, Relith, the Elder of the Ivartar tribe. Since you are heading that way anyways, you should have him take a look at your arm. He is an expert when it comes to ancient runes and legends, though he has an awful personality.” All of us ended up leaving the gathering hall, now preparing for the imminent meeting with the Ivartar.
***
“And so Calder, elementals will use magic based on what request you ask of them. Remember though, it is give and take. Be careful of using magic until you see Relith, we still don’t know the nature of your contract.” Elder was busy lecturing me on magic from utop her horse. She, Alfhild, Mother and I were all on our way to meet with the Ivartar tribe. Mother had come along as she was the only person in our tribe who knew the constantly shifting location of the Ivartar. Seeing as the village of a tribe in these Mountains can change locations up to ten times a year, only a member of said tribe knows where they were at all times. Alfhild came along one a whim and Elder was here to keep an eye on my arm, just in case anything happened.
“Calder, I can see the Ivartar village just up ahead,” Alfhild yelled at me; she and mother were riding fifty or so meters in front of Elder Ragna and I. We joined up with mother and Alfhild, the Ivartar village now visible. What I saw amazed me. In all my years in this world, the Erantu village was the only human settlement I had ever been to. The nomadic tribes of the North rarely interacted with each other so I never had the chance to visit other settlements. The Ivartar village was many times the size of the Erantu village. Hundreds, if not thousands, of tents were scattered for as far as the eye could see. In the middle was their gathering hall, a mighty structure, built out of a singular, massive chunk of ice.
“Elder Ragna, how is their gathering hall so big,” Alfhild asked the old woman. “I think Ylva can answer that better than I can,” the old lady said. Mother, instead of answering outright, asked us a question. “Calder, Alfhild, do you two know why the Ivartar are called the strongest in the North.” Alfhild answered, “That’s easy, it’s because they have the most people compared to any other tribe. Just look at the size of their village, there must be thousands of people living there.” Mother let out a light laugh, patting the young girl on her head. “The Ivartar village is not called the strongest in the North because of its size but because of a special trait of the family of the chief, my father's family that is. Those born the the blood of the Ivartar chiefs often have aptitude to become mages. My father, for example, is a poor warrior but an incredible mage, though I did not inherit his skill with magic. It seems as though you did Calder.” I felt slightly honored knowing I inherited the skills of the one of the strongest men in the North. “As for how the hall is made, my father uses his frost magic to make the gathering hall. By using magic, you can build the hall larger, stronger and faster.”
As we neared the village gates, we were approached by five large and armed men, each wearing full sets of plate armor lined with heavy furs. “Hold there travelers, who dares approach the land of the Ivartar unannounced?” The largest of the men stepped forward, wearing a hood that covered most of his face, bearing an axe larger than he himself was. “It has been some time, Head Warrior Van. I am here to see my father, is he around,” mother said in a rather authoritative tone. “Ylva, is that you, I scarce recognized you. Who is this… company, you you have brought along,” the large man known as Van asked. I jumped off my horse and walked forward, beckoning to Alfhild to follow my lead. “I am Calder Erantu, next chief of the Erantu tribe. The young girl here is Alfhild Erantu, only child of the late Esborn Erantu, the Great Bear of the North. The old lady is the Elder of the Erantu tribe, Ragna.” The large man removed his hood, showing a long, but well kept mane of golden hair. He had tribal tattoos on his face and a light beard.
“So, you are the son of old Keldi hmm? And did you say Esborn passed. That is quite a shock, the man was a true warrior, perhaps the strongest I had ever known.” The large man seemed slightly surprised to hear of Uncle’s passing. Father likely did not want other tribes to know about it and had kept quiet. “We can talk about that later Van,” mother said. “Caler needs to see my father right away, it is of the utmost importance.” Van consider our request for a moment and then turned, beckoning us to follow. “And call that old fool Relith while your at it, we will have need of him as well,” Elder Ragna added in.
As we passed by the many rows of huts and tents, I noticed the many heads turning our way, some bowing out of respect, either for mother or Van, and others averting their gaze, as if hoping to not get involved in whatever was to come. “You mother’s coming always signals the start of something bad lad,” Van said to me. “Last time it was the Lokvan and based on how much of a rush you all seem to be in, this is something even bigger isn't it?” I walked up to Van’s side. “That’s right, Head Warrior. What happens in this meeting today could decide the fate of the entire North depending on grandfathers actions.” Hearing this, Van laughed. “What could a child like you know about life or death, just sit back and let the adults talk.” Mother smacked Van on the back of the head, though she was barely able to reach due to the immense height difference. “Do not underestimate my son Van, we are here on his request, not mine. I should also add he is a skilled mage and hunter; he even survived a fight with the Lord of the Mountain.” Hearing all that, Van was obviously shocked, his jaw agape while looking down on me. “Lets be on our way Head Warrior,” I said to him, Alfhild giggling in the background.
We eventually reached a massive tent, made of a mixture of ice and furs. “Wait here, all of you,” Van said to us. He entered into the room and, after a few minutes, emerged. “All of you may enter,” he said. Mother led the way, all of us following her lead; Alfhild was clinging onto my cloak. “My lovely, trouble bringing daughter, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit.” An elderly man, not quite as old as Elder Ragna though older than father, sat in a large, throne like chair. I assumed this man was the chief of the Ivartar, Chief Arnbiorn Ivartar, most powerful mage in the North. Mother stepped forward. “Is that anyway to great your daughter after not seeing her for the last eight winters,” she asked. Chief Arnbiorn frowned. “Can you not even take a joke girl, you always were uptight.” Having lived with mother for a long time, father and I, indeed the whole of the Erantu Tribe, knew one very important fact, never piss off mother.
She walked forward, and without hesitation, slapped the chief right on the cheek, knocking him clean off his chair onto the floor. “Dammit girl, why do you always have to be so quick to violence, keep this up and my grandson will inherit your bad habits.” I walked up to the old man and helped him to his feet. “Why thank you child, and who might you be,” he asked. “I am Calder Erantu sir, next chief of the Erantu tribe… and your grandson. We came here to see you today at my request,” I said. The old man stood there staring at me for a minuet and then looked at mother. “This boy is my grandson,” He asked her. “That's right.” The chief looked back at me again. “So boy.. No, Calder was it? Why have you come to see me, it does not seem to be for cake and snacks.” The old man’s tone then changed, now far more serious than before. “No, wait. Don’t tell me, not yet. Van, see that Ylva and the young girl are taken care of. I then want you to come to the gathering hall together with Relith and the village leaders. I want you all to hear what the boy has to say as well. I have a feeling this will be troublesome. Calder, follow me. You as well Elder Ragna.”
Elder Ragna and I both followed Chief Arnbiorn outside the tent, towards the gathering hall. “See, I knew something was going to happen,” someone among the crowd of tents said. “Everytime that women comes, something bad happens,” another added. I knew that getting angry about the insults to my mother would only hinder negotiations, so I held my tongue. “Ever since my daughter was young, she always seemed to have a knack for attracting trouble. Bandits, the Lokvan, you name it. Because of this, the common opinion of her is not very good,” the chief said. “While it is true she only comes around when something bad is happening, I have a feeling this time is a bit different, isn’t it Calder,” the old chief asked me. “That’s right. While it is true that something horrible is about to happen, it is something that involves your all the tribes of the North, not just the Erantu and Ivartar.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
***
Chief Arnbiorn, Elder Ragna and I all waited in the massive gathering hall for the others to arrive. Finally, Head Warrior Van, Elder Relith and a few other men, likely the high ranking members of the tribe, all gathered. “Why have you called us all here, Arnbiorn, I was in the middle of some important work.” A very short and elderly man was yelling at Chief Arnbiorn. The old man wore a set of dirty robes and carried a walking staff. “Now is not the time for one of your temper tantrums Relith,” Elder Ragna said to the Ivartar Elder. “Well, then this had better be important old woman; spit it out Arnbiorn, why have you called all of the central figures of the clan together like this?” Elder Relith was obviously fuming.
“I will be honest with all of you, I have no clue why this meeting is being held as well. First, however, I would like to introduce you to the one who requested to meet with all of you; Calder Erantu, son of Chief Keldi Erantu and my grandson.” I stepped before the group and spoke. “As your chief said, I am Calder, next chief of the Erantu. It was I who requested to meet with you all today concerning a matter of the utmost importance” One of the men laughed at me; he had a bow and dagger with him and was dressed in the clothes of a hunter. “So you mean to say that we all had our duties interrupted because of a child, bearly what, nine winters old or so? And brat, you think that just because you are the chief’s grandkid, you can go and waste all our time? Unlike your puny tribe, the Ivartar don’t have time to go catering to some childs fantasy.” The man was obviously angry.
“Quiet Head Hunter Pippin,” Van said. “The boy said he has something important to tell us, something that could affect the whole of the North. Do you think Lady Ylva and Elder Ragna of the Erantu would just waste their time on some childs fantasy? I say we all wait and hear what the boy has to say” Being backed up by Van was reassuring. His statement quieted all of the other members of the assembly, though Head Hunter Pippin was clearly displeased. I continued on,” While I know all of you men are very busy with your duties, I ask that you please just hear me out.” I reached under my cloak into my side pack and drew out the orders I had snatched from the Empire scouts. “While I was out exploring, I came across two men who turned out to be scouts for the Empire. I managed to take this from them.” I handed the document over to Chief Arnbiorn, the wax seal still in good condition.
He examined the seal first and then read the orders. When he finished reading, his face darkened and he rolled the orders back up and passed them over to Elder Relith. “Relith, which family does that seal belong to? If I am not mistaken…” Elder Relith examined it. “A serpent, wrapping itself around a crown of thorns, no doubt about it. Arnbiorn, this is the seal of the Duvark family.” Everyone in the room gasped and started whispering. Head Hunter Pippin started making a racket again. “What the hell do you mean the Duvark Family. Elder, are you quite sure?” Elder Relith nodded his head. I was at a loss though, unaware of who the Duvak’s were.
I leaned over to Elder Ragna and quietly asked her. “The Duvark Family is one of the three strongest families in the Empire,” She said. “The Duvark’s are the family of the Grand Marshall; he has complete control over the whole military. The other two families are the Royal Arstian Family, family of the Emperor, and the Cornix Family, head of the Church of the Seven Dragons.” This meant that the Duvark Family was dangerous and likely any orders with their seal on it meant that whatever was being planned was not just some small operation, but a full scale invasion. Grandfather then spoke, “Calder my boy. You brought us these orders, so now what is it you have come here to ask of us? Surly you do not think even we, the Ivartar, Strongest in the North, can fight against the might of the Empire alone.” It seemed as though the members of the Ivartar got the wrong impression. “You are mistaken grandfather. We did not come all this way just to seek your protection. We came here looking for allies; allies who would fight together with us against the Empire and their Legions.”
All the members of the Ivartar started laughing. “Fight together... with you. You do realize how small your tribe is right. What you are asking is the same as asking us to fight alone.” Head Hunter Pippin was howling and rolling on the ground with laughter. “You did not let me finish,” I said, starting to get angry. “I would not waste my time trying to fight the Empire with only one tribe as an allie, that would be a fool's errand. You are only the first of many.” The laughter died and grandfathers face grew rather sinister. “What do you mean we are the first of many boy? What is your real purpose here, lay out your whole damn plan forus to hear, stop hiding things.” I knew full well that I could draw out this discussion no longer. I had no choice but to bet on the intelligence of these men, if they had any.
“My plan is to unite as many tribes as I can to ward off the coming invasion. I want the Ivartar to join me first due to your status as Strongest in the North. If the ones bearing that title were to stand against the Empire, all of the smaller tribes would flock to your side, increasing our numbers exponentially, along with our chances of survival.” Hearing this, Chief Arnbiorn stood up and walked over to me. “Boy, this plan of yours, how likely do you think our chances of survival are if we unite all the tribes.” I thought for a moment. “If we just run and hid, waiting for the Empire to come, we will all die. If all of the tribes work together though, I would say we have a one in five chance.” Elder Relith sighed. “One in five, twenty percent hmm, not great odds.” The others all seemed to agree with him.
“Calder, I have decided,” Arnbiorn stated loudly, making sure everyone could hear. “I will have you go through a Grand Trial. Pass my Trial and we, the Ivartar, will be the staunch allies of the Erantu in the coming war. We will even handle gathering together all of the other tribes. Fail, however, and you are forbidden from ever coming near the Ivartar tribe again. Any protection we once offered will be retracted and you will be pray to us, like all the other tribes in these mountains.” Hearing this, I froze. The Erantu were never attacked by other tribes up until now due to the Ivartar placing us under their protection. Attacking us would be equivalent to attacking the Ivartar. Only the war-crazed Lokvan would ever risk attacking a tribe affiliated with the Ivartar. Losing that protection would be the same as asking the other tribes to attack us.
“Hurry and chose Calder, or else I will pretend this meeting never happened,” grandfather said. Once the Empire attacks, we would be powerless to stop them on our own. To unite all of the other tribes, we needed the Ivartar. This left me with little choice. “Chief Arnbiorn Ivartar, I accept your trial. Tell me, what would you have me do?” Hearing this, several Ivartar members were clearly impressed with my confidence. “I like your resolve boy,” Grandfather said. “Your trial is simple. Fight against both Head Warrior Van and Head Hunter Pippin… at the same time. Prove to them that you are worth following into battle. If my best hunter and warrior are impressed by you, I will have little choice but to accept the results.” Head Warrior Van was said to be as strong as Uncle. I could only assume Head Hunter Pippin would be equally skilled. “What are we waiting for then, lets get this over with,” Pippin said, obviously not taking any of this seriously.
***
Van, Pippin and I all stood in a large, open area a ways away from the village. Grandfather, mother, Alfhild and both Elders all attended the match. “Why did you force me to come here Ragna,” Elder Relith was complaining. “Just watch Relith, the boy will show you something that should interest you during this fight,” Elder Ragna said. Van and Pippin both drew their weapons. Van used a massive, enchanted axe, its edge glowing bright red, visibly emitting vast amounts of heat. Pippin used a bow that was made out of what looked to be the same material my old bow, Alpta Black Steel. It likely had a similar poison enchantment as well. “Calder, where are your weapons. The enchanted bow and sword I sent you, where are they,” grandfather yelled at me.
I threw off my cloak to reveal the Chimeric Leather armor under it. “Sorry grandfather, I lost both of those in the Forest of Torgath.” I took off my right leather gauntlet, revealing my glowing, blue arm. Grandfather and Elder Relith both looked at it in amazement… and fear “Ragna, what is that thing… that arm,” Relith said, having fallen to the ground, trembling and sweating. “So you can feel it as well Relith, the energy that arm gives off. I don’t know what that arm is. I was hoping you or Arnbiorn might know.” Grandfather laughed. “Well, looks like my grandson picked up my skill with magic.” The two obviously had no idea what my arm was, though that was the least of my worries. I used the arm to summon a bow and arrow of ice. Having gotten more used to my powers, I was now able to summon items right away instead of having to summon an elemental first and wait for it to transform, vastly speeding up the creation process.
“I see that you are full of tricks child,” Van said. “But… THAT WON’T BE ENOUGH TO STOP ME!!!” The large man came charging at me, his axe raised high in the air. At the same time, Pippin started firing a volley of arrows at me. “That speed of shooting, he’s as good as father,” I thought to myself. I managed to step out of the way of the arrows with little issue, however, Van was now right in front of me. He swung his axe down at full force. Bearly dodging the blow, the axe left a large, flaming indent in the ground. “I guess that thing really does have a powerful fire enchantment on it,” I said to Van. I jumped back and shot my arrow. “Where do you think you are aiming at boy,” Van yelled at me. The arrow had missed him by a long shot.
I could not help but smirk when I heard a scream in the distance. Van looked behind himself only to see Pippin had been impaled by the icy arrow. “Don’t worry Van, I did not hurt him. That arrow was enchanted to bind its target, not kill it.”. Van looked back at me impressed. “Worrying about your opponent in the middle of a fight boy, and having the strength to do so. You have wisdom and skill beyond your years child.” Van paused for a moment, letting his axe hang. “I apologize. Calling one with such skill a child is rude. Calder, you have impressed me. As such, let me honor you by facing you as an equal; FEEL THE FULL EXTENT OF MY MIGHT!!!”
Van raised his axe again with both hands and started to charge at me. I dropped my bow and summoned a sword of ice. The two weapons clashed, the flash of steel and the crackling of fire on ice could be heard by all. Van’s hits were so heavy, each one nearly lifted me off my feet, my hands numb from the force of his strikes. I ducked under the large man and managed to get behind him. Touching his back with my right arm, I began channeling magic through it. Ice formed on his back where I touched, the large man screaming out in pain. As ice continued to build up, the man's body stiffened until he was completely encased in ice. I collapsed to the ground. “That was the first time I had ever seriously fought a human to that extend; add to it that it was the first time I ever actively used magic in a fight,” I said to myself. Even though the match only lasted for two or three minutes, it was more than enough to wear me out.
“Well grandfather, was that enough to convince you,” I yelled at Arnbiorn. He smiled at me, “Not yet Calder, who said the fight was over.” I heard a cracking and popping sound. Looking for the source of the sound, I saw the encased Van steaming. The ice binding him was cracking in several places and and broke moments later, the heat of his axe both melting and breaking the ice. The large man stood over me once more. I, no longer able to move, could only close my eyes, bracing myself for the pain of his attack. I did not feel pain however, only to feel the familiar sensation of my hair being ruffled. I opened my eyes to see Van smiling down at me while patting my head. Van reminded me greatly of my Uncle in that moment, rubbing my head just like Uncle. “That was impressive Calder. It’s now even harder to see you as just a child, wouldn’t you agree Pippin,” he said while looking at his friend. Pippin was already on his feet, having long since broken from his bindings; he had opted to merely watch the rest of the fight in silence. “I suppose I have no choice but to admit it boy, you have skill, but remember this, a fight is never over until you confirm your enemy is dead. Surely your father and Esborn taught you that.” I nodded at Pippin, a slight embarrassed smile on my face.
“Chief,” Van said, turning towards Arnbiorn. “I say Calder more than passed this trial. He gave me and Pippin a run for our money. Had the arrow Calder shot at Pippin not been a binding spell, it surely would have injured, or perhaps even killed him.” Hearing this, Chief Arnbiorn stood up. “Very well; Calder, I say you have passed your Grand Trial. The Ivartar will stand with you in the coming war. We will also take care of finding allies among the other tribes.” Saying this, Grandfather headed back to the Ivartar Village, followed closely by Pippin. I then saw Elder Relith and Elder Ragna walk up to me. “Come with me boy, I want to get a closer look at that arm of yours,” Elder Relith said. “Van, carry the boy for me, he used too much magic and shouldn’t even be able to walk.” Van picked up both me and my cloak, following the two elders, mother and Alfhild tailing behind us.
***
When we arrived at Elder Reliths house, I noticed it was the only pure wooden structure in the village. “Set the boy down over there Van and then go and help Arnbiorn plan for the war,” Elder Relith said. Van put me down on the small bed in the middle of the room and left. Mother and Alfhild stood there, both obviously worried about me. “Don’t worry mother, Alfhild. I’m fine, just a little tired,” I said to them. “I am not so sure about that boy, I doubt you are just fine. That arm is anything but alright.” Elder Relith forcefully grabbed my arm and started examining it closely. He poked and prodded in several areas and then pulled out a quill and paper. “Hold your arm out, yes, just like that,” he said to me, putting my arm into a very uncomfortable position.
The old man started to write something on the paper. He finally put down his quill after making me turn my arm this way and that. “You can put your arm down now lad,” He said. He then started inspecting the place where the enchanted arm was attached to my shoulder. “Ragna, you are sure that the boy had lost his arm yes,” he asked. “I cut it off myself Reltih,” she said. “After the boy had collapsed in the cold from the fight with the Lord of the Mountain, his arm was frozen through and through. If we didn’t cut it off, the cold might have spread to the rest of his body.” The old man continued to examine the arm and then his paper, moving back and forth between the two. Finally, he spoke again. “Alright boy, remove your clothes… ahh just the top is fine.” Slightly embarrassed, I removed the top leather protector of my armor, my chain undershirt and the cloth shirt under that. The old man then started examining my back. “Hmm, hmm, yes… I see.” He kept repeating things like that for several minutes while examining both my arm and back. The old man then got up. “Wait here for a minute boy; Ylva, little girl, both of you come with me, I need help carrying some things.
All three of them returned after a while, their arms filled with a great many books. The old man started going through book after book, tossing the ones he did not need over his shoulder. “What are you looking for Relith,” Ragna asked him. Relith, having found what he was looking for, showed us a drawing in one of the books. It looked like a circle with four triangles pointing upwards and one triangle pointing down. The center circle had some rune in it. “This is what I was looking for. When a mage contracts with an elemental, the elemental brands the mages back with a mark. Looking at the mark, you can determine the power and attribute of the elemental. It also gives knowledge into the nature of the contract between the two. Your brand is similar to this one, though the rune in the middle is different. The process your brand was made in is also different from the one in this book.” Hearing this started to excite me. At last, I would know what happened to my body back in that cave, why elementals stayed in my arm and figure out what the large creature I saw was. “I will be honest with you up front. I have never seen nor heard of a case like yours Calder. I do not know fully what you contracted with, though I can enlighten you on a few things.” Hearing that I would not learn everything was sad, though I suppose it was to be expected. “Please tell me everything you can Elder Reltih,” I begged old man. He nodded and began revealing his findings.
“Firstly, I just want to confirm with you Ragna, you managed to see the creature in his arm when you interrupted Calder’s arm with your magic, yes?” Elder Ragna’s face filled with slight fear at the thought of remembering that creature. “That is right, it took on a form similar to that of a human, just lager and a bit of an ethereal appearance,” Ragna replied. “What you saw in that cave was likely an elemental, through a corrupted one. I do not know how, but the creatures magic is highly unstable. It likely bound itself to your body in the hopes of stabilizing its existence. As for the nature of your contract, it is something along the lines of the creature grants you magic and in exchange, it will live share a body with you. It may have granted you the arm in hopes of protecting its host and granting you more power, or it may just not want to stay in an incomplete body,” Elder Relith said.” He continued to ramble on for some time, Elder Ragna finally interrupting. “Relith, what of the runes on his arm, what do those mean. We get what the mark on his back is but what about the runes.” Relith seemed rather upset at being interrupted but continued on. “I am unsure about the runes. I can translate parts of them, but a partial translation would be useless to you. Your runes are similar to the ones born by a particular creature in these mountains though, one you have experience with Calder… The Lord of the Mountain.”
Hearing this, I grew curious. “What does that monster have to do with me,” I asked. The Elder chuckled a bit. “That is no monster Calder,” he said. “The proper term for it is a Daemon.” I was confused. “What is a Daemon,” I asked. Elder Ragna answered this time. “For now, just think of a Daemon as an elemental that gained a physical form. All elementals are beings of pure magic, so they have no physical bodies, unlike Daemons. Just remember, Daemons used to be elementals.” Alfhild then interviend, “So does that mean Calder contracted with a Daemon, Elder Relith?” The old man laughed again. “No my dear child, he likely contracted with an elemental that was halfway transformed into a Daemon but was unable to finish the process for reasons unknown to man. Do not worry, the boy is in no danger of dying. In fact, he might stronger than a regular mage and likely has a far closer bond with his elemental than conservative mages. Should he fully gain control of the power, he could become stronger than our own chief.”
Hearing this, mother and Alfhild both relaxed a bit, likely feeling greatly relieved. After some more rest, I rose and prepared to leave the tent. “Elder Relith, thank you so much for all your assistance,” I said. The stern looking old man smiled at me. “Calder, I will continue to research the topic of the runes on your arm and see if I can’t find any legends or stories about the large elemental in the cave you contracted with. Should I learn anything, I will send a bird to you.” Thanking him again, The four of us from the Erantu Tribe left the tent and prepared for the journey home.
Waiting for us at the village gates was Chief Arnbiron. “Father, I did not think you would see us off,” Mother jokingly said. The old man laughed. “Of course I would come to see off my own daughter and grandson.” We bid him goodbye and turned to leave. “Ahh, Calder, one moment.” I walked up to the old man. “What is it grandfather,” I asked. Making sure we were out of earshot of the others, the old man kneeled down. “Calder, I am preparing to send runners to every tribe in the North that we know the current location of. Once a date for the summit has been decided on, all of the chiefs of the North, large and small, will come together for the event. I want you to attend, both as representative of the whole North and as the next chief of the Erantu and Ivartar tribes.” I froze for a moment, trying to comprehend what I just heard. “Wait, grandfather, who is next chief of the Ivartar,” I asked, trying to make sure I had not misheard him. “I have no heirs boy, my only child is Ylva, who married into the Erantu. That means you, my grandson, will have to succeed me as chief. I will make the official announcement at the summit.” The old man then walked off, leaving me there to try and work out what I had just heard. “Calder, hurry up or we’ll leave you behind.” Alfhild was yelling at me. I looked ahead to see that Elder Ragna, Mother and her were already far ahead. “I will figure this out later,” I said to myself. “For now, let's go home.”