“What is that?” Geir asked as they all saw the glowing red crystal that rested upon a stone pillar. Twelve foxkin were holding out their hands, each about ten yards away, a line of something that looked like a trail of black smoke coming off their hands.

“It’s absorbing that smoke from them and then it spreads out into the air,” Thorodd muttered. “What do we do?”

Einar glanced at the open space, fifty yards set in a circle, no other beastkin to be seen. None of the foxkin seemed to be aware of anything beyond the red gem and the eyes of the ones that he could see looked hollow and empty.

A presence of something horrible came over them as a puff of smoke rose upward, moving above the trees and then mushrooming out over them.

“We need to destroy it but I’m not certain that we can just run up there and hit it,” Einar said. “I can try to hit it with my axe and use my wyrd but if we get close, those things might turn and fight and they use magic.”

“Can we win against all of them?”

He wanted to lie and say yes, but the truth was Einar knew twelve against six was bad odds, especially if those foxkin could lock them in place.

If we are unable to move and are attacked by a horde of beastkin, there is no way we could win then…

“Give me your shield.”

Starkard gave Skardi a confused look as his eyebrow lowered on his right eye.

“Why would I do that?”

“I owe a death. Someone has to lure them away. It is my turn.”

“Skardi–”

“No,” the giant said, louder than he had apparently intended when he cupped his hand over his mouth. “I owe you a life Einar. Multiple times over. I’ll take both shields. I can draw them off on the other side. If that gives you a chance to get near the crystal and destroy it, then we have done what we are supposed to do. I… I feel this is what Odin would have me do.”

Taking a deep breath and then letting it out, he nodded at Starkard who gave a grunt.

“I want my shield back,” the tank of the group said with a grin as he let go.

“No promises. Now, if they react and chase me, then move. If not, I will go to that thing and bash it in.”

Einar grinned and tipped his head.

“May Odin watch over you.”

With a snort Skardi gave a wink and then moved around the other edge of the building they were hiding behind, making his way around the center of town.

“Be ready. We go on his move.”

***

Loud yips and barks came when Skardi appeared on the other side of the center of town.

He had thrown his one handed axe, for once in his life not yelling like a fool, and managed to strike one of the foxkin.

As it fell, the others all jerked at the same time, looking at the viking who grabbed the shield he had on his back and was moving quickly toward the buildings.

Their cries echoed across the camp and the building they were standing next to had a noise coming from inside.

Thorodd moved near the opening, axe drawn, and when a wolfkin stepped out, swung, taking its head off before it could make a noise.

More cries and howls came and Einar cursed as he saw only five of the foxkin had chased after Skardi.

“We need to go!” he exclaimed quietly, pulling wyrd into his axe and running toward the crystal.

Everyone fell in next to him, weapons and shields ready, using their brains and remaining silent.

Twenty yards away the pack of six foxkin turned, seeing the rushing vikings and their hands glowed as they turned from the crystal and to the Vikings that were charging.

Roots began to erupt from the ground, snaking along and attempting to grab at their feet.

Einar slashed at the ones that came toward him, cutting them quickly and wishing he could glance at the others slightly behind him to see how they fared.

Three steps from the crystal, a large wooden barrier rose from the ground, beginning to encircle and close over the pulsing gem.

One foxkin reached into its tattered robes, pulled out something and threw it at them, each piece beginning to glow with a bright orange light.

“Acorns!”

It sounded stupid to yell but two of them hit his shield, one hit his leg and unsure how bad things might go, Einar used his skill.

[ Divine Protection ]

Pain came as the acorn struck, exploding upon impact.

It was as if a grenade had gone off, the force of the impact was so powerful.

Yet all it did was blow off his leather armor, taking a small chunk of flesh and burning his leg some.

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Grinning, Einar went to work on the wall, ignoring the foxkin as his axe head became engulfed in fire.

Swinging, the blade cut through three logs, each about eight inches wide before getting stuck in the fourth half way.

Another bark came and leaving his axe in the wood, Einar turned his hand toward the fox that was coming toward him, drawing more wyrd into him and letting his anger grow the flames around his hand.

One step before the foxkin would smack into him, he released the magic, watching as the bolt of fire impacted with the beast's face, earning a yelp and sending its head snapping back as flames erupted all over its skin.

There was the sound of fighting behind him and Einar glanced at once, seeing that Ospak had one leg wrapped with vines, unable to break free yet. Thorodd, Starkard and Geir were all free and had engaged with the foxkins. Blood was running down Thorodd’s leg and a large hole was where his quad used to be, yet the viking didn’t falter, bringing his shield down on the head of the caster closest to him while tossing his axe at another.

Yanking his own weapon free, Einar turned his attention back to the barrier, igniting his blade again and chopped at what held him at bay.

“They’re returning!” Starkard called out. “At least fifty! Hurry!”

He could hear the barks, howls and roars from all over the den.

The wood was cutting but the space he had wasn’t large enough to throw his axe through.

Only one other option remained and he hadn’t wanted to do this, but there was no time to wait.

[ Thor’s Blessing ]

He could see it, still glowing red in the dark protection of the trees that had risen up to block his approach.

There was no time left and Einar focused on his intent, unsure how exactly it worked.

All he knew was this thing needed to be destroyed.

From above, the sound of thunder rang out, almost deafening as a bolt of lighting came from the clear sky.

The wooden barrier exploded, knocking Einar off his feet and tossing him about ten yards away.

Hearing was impossible, and pain was present in his chest and legs.

Smoke was there, a smell of burning wood, yet his head throbbed.

Blinking over and over, trying to see, realizing he had probably been too close to the intended target, spots danced over his vision.

Slowly, he could hear and groans were the first things that came.

In his leg and stomach were two large chunks of wood.

Shit… I’m going to blow everything today…

[ Healing of the Gods ]

His body felt amazing as he watched the pieces of wood start to slowly be pushed back from his skin. Blood flowed, but it wasn’t as bad as he imagined it would be.

Hundreds of tiny slivers popped out, falling from his tattered armor, proof that more than just the bigger two pieces had pierced him.

A squishing sound came as the two fell out, the holes they were in closing quickly.

“Einar… by the gods… what did you do?”

Thorodd’s voice sounded so distant and he turned to see the man on his back, trying to stand, but his knee was bent backward.

Starkard and Geir were further back and not moving. Ospak hadn’t spoken but he was at least rolling around some on the ground.

Then came the beastkin that was starting to move toward them.

He wanted to raise his weapon, but it wasn’t anywhere to be found. Even his shield was dented and Einar knew there wasn’t any way to fight.

The horde of beastkin stopped about twenty feet from them.

For a few minutes no one moved, even as Einar felt his body well enough to stand, he stayed down, trying to figure out what had happened.

Their eyes… they aren’t red anymore.

Now the eyes of the beast were yellow or black. A few blue eyed wolfkin and even one with two different colored eyes.

They all backed up suddenly as a bark came.

Slowly a foxkin moved between the group of seventy or more, limping as it made its way to where Einar and the others were.

“Vikings… Why are you here? What have you done?”

Its voice was feminine… and it spoke in his language.

“You speak my language?”

No sooner than he asked that question, Einar realized he was an idiot.

“Sorry, forgive me… that was a foolish question.”

The foxkin nodded, teeth slightly showing as it tried to read him, seeing the large chunk of debris and gaping hole ten yards away. Its eye swept the scene, noticing the fallen and mangled bodies of other foxkins.

“You… your people were under some effect. A red crystal I think made you and your kind attack everyone… elves, dwarves, us. I… I destroyed it.”

Barks and yips came, and the foxkin turned slowly, studying the other beastkin around it. Sniffing the air a few times, it reached up and rubbed its nose.

“A red gem… I remember a gem… given by a trader… so long ago but it wasn’t red… it was…”

The foxkin paused as more yips came and the crowd of beastkin separated again, another foxkin coming to join the first.

They barked and yipped, having a conversation as the first pointed at Einar and the destruction.

He glanced at Thorodd, who said nothing, simply biting his lip as his hand held his knee.

Groans came as the other three stirred and the beastkin began to surround Ospak, Geir and Starkard.

“Why? Why have you come? Why did you kill us?!”

There was anger in the new one's voice and the first one to arrive was silent.

“You killed elves! Freyr himself asked us to come!”

The foxkin shook its head and snarled.

“We would never kill elves! Lies! Freyr wouldn’t send Vikings here!”

Movement came as the beastkin began to creep closer, teeth now bared as they all lowered slightly, appearing to be waiting for the order to attack.

“He marked us,” Einar bellowed out. “Made us one of his children, let us in his temple in Lho Allanar and after we crossed the threshold took us to the tree and talked with us and the Elven children, he protects!”

The newest foxkin’s mouth moved to open, but the first barked at it.

Beastkin who had been moving forward, growling at them, stopped and began to back up some.

A conversation he couldn’t understand took place between the two foxkin for a minute and finally the second one to arrive let out a loud snort.

“We shall see if what you say is true. If not, I shall personally rip your tongue out for lying to us!”

Einar nodded and heard a commotion coming from the direction Skardi had been.

Freyr, if you want to help, now would be the time…

And then everything went silent except for the yelling of a man Einar knew all too well.

Every beastkin dropped to a knee and faced the leader of this pack.

“Einar,” Thorodd whispered. “Uh… I think Freyr just did something.”

Glancing around, Einar saw that the spot he was on was radiating with light. Not like a sunbeam, but a different kind of circular light.

Shoots of grass and other green vegetation began to push up from the surface of the soil he was lying on, and carefully rising to his feet, he found himself in a small four-foot circle of green life in a dirt that was blackened by the explosion.

“Forgive us,” the second one said, its head still pressed against the ground. “Please… tell us what has happened.”