[ Divine Protection ]
[ Blessed Healing ]
Immediately, the cold and the sensation of thinning oxygen vanished, and Einar’s body felt recharged and rejuvenated.
If I’m going to die, there is no point in holding back now.
Grunting at realizing his brain had repeated the same thing just moments ago, he glanced up across the spine. He saw Skardi, lips blue, eyes bulging, and his arms shaking as the hulking Viking slammed the metal rod repeatedly into the opposite side of the spine.
He appeared unsteady, fighting the wind and the lack of breathable air, yet the crazed look that sometimes overcame the warrior was there. He had one task on his mind: killing this creature.
Drawing upon his wyrd, Einar let the flames coat his metal shaft and began thrusting it through the flesh, the scent of burning meat carried quickly away by the wind.
The Leuca ango shuddered momentarily as the metal tip connected against its spine, shaking from side to side, causing Thorlief to lose his balance and slam into the hard scales.
Using as much leverage as possible, Einar grabbed his hammer, ignoring the trembling of his fingers and hands as the air grew thinner, his skills ability to keep him standing, struggling to overcome the need for air to operate.
His brain felt foggy, and yet he channeled the fury of everything he felt.
This… this fight… For… Martinez… Dawson… everyone.
Pushing through the cobwebs that tried to tie down his mind, Einar hammered with every ounce of strength he had.
Each impact caused the Leuca ango to roar, shaking from side to side, turning and trying to remove the insects that brought pain to the king of this sky.
Einar’s leg held himself tight against the beast’s body, and his eyes saw a thread that went from the end of the metal rod to the hammer. Every strike connected as if drawn by a magnet and as darkness fought to overcome him, a sensation came finally.
The tip of the metal broke through the bone, sliding quickly into the soft, unprotected spine.
A loud cry filled the thin air of the sky, and Einar struck again. Two more hits connected, and the thread vanished. His hands lost the hammer, unable to hold on any longer.
He tried to blink and clear the blinding sensation that seemed to come over him, but his mind faded to darkness.
***
“Rise, Einar, you have earned something I thought no Viking would ever acquire.”
The voice boomed like thunder, and the cold sensation of the stone floor against his back vanished as a hand yanked his arm, pulling him to his feet.
Before him stood Thor, a large grin as the red-headed giant bent down, grinning from ear to ear.
“I… we… we did it?”
Holding his oversized stomach with one hand, Thor bobbed his head, laughing so loud his deep voice echoed off the stone walls of the place they stood alone in.
“YES!” he cried out, wiping a tear from his eye. “All of us stood there, watching, cheering! To see you Vikings doing what you did! To watch you fly through the air on the back of the monster!”
He leaned forward, poking Einar’s bare chest with a thick finger.
“You, chosen one, have put on a show like none have in so long. For that, I have something for you.”
Swallowing the lump he felt and trying to understand what everything might mean, Einar watched Thor pull Mjöllnir from his side and hold it upright, the rune-carved metal head before him.
“Touch it. I shall grant you some aid in summoning the lightning you are trying to control. I cannot give you what you need, but it will assist you in learning to call upon it more often. I must warn you, however,” Thor said as he leaned forward, his bushy red eyebrows coming closer together. “The power of lightning is dangerous. You can hurt your allies just as easily as an enemy. As you can see, it can burn down a room and, just as easily, a friend or loved one. Be certain that it is used when the time is right.”
Tapping Mjöllnir with a finger, the god smiled.
“A weapon would be useful to channel it for a while like you did with that axe. Eventually, you should be able to command it like you do from the rune.”
Controlling the hands that wanted to tremble, Einar nodded, watching the blue eyes of Thor follow his hand.
Slowly, he touched one of the runes etched on the side with his pointer finger and felt a tingling sensation flowing through his body.
“Put your whole hand on it, and then brace yourself,” Thor said with a smirk. “This might hurt, even here.”
Without hesitation, Einar put his palm against the metal, heat, and cold fighting to be present everywhere he touched. Electricity started to run through his whole body and then the god’s oversized hand covered his, pressing his hand as if to become one with Mjöllnir.
“Your reward, Einar Sibbinson.”
Those words seemed to be pleasant, but the pain that came next was so intense that the world instantly became white. He knew he was screaming and yet no sound came forth.
***
“Einar! Einar are you okay?!”
Hands slapped his cheek, and glancing up, he saw Thorve looking at him, sweat dripping from her face as she bent down beside him.
Blinking a few times, he felt the dirt underneath him, a rock digging into his shoulder.
A thin blanket covered him, and some groans came from all around.
There, in a setting of trees, were a few other cloths like his, each one bearing someone who had made it on top of the Leuca ango.
“I’m… fine,” Einar muttered as he sat up, ignoring the glare he was getting from their healer. “We won.”
“You did,” she replied, letting her concerned look fade as she smiled. “You… and those fools rode that beast so high into the sky that the scouts lost it. They managed to see where it landed only after it fell from the air. Unfortunately… it is on the other side of a ravine and will take time to get to it.”
“So no recovering of their bodies?”
She shook her head, holding a hand as Einar took it and stood up.
Laughter came, and he rolled his eyes. He saw some of the men ignoring the covering they had been given, embracing and laughing with each other, slapping backs as some of the elves turned away, a little crimson in their faces.
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“Einar!” Skardi shouted as the naked giant strode forward, both arms held out wide.
Before he could dodge the embrace, the grinning Viking had him in an embrace, shaking him from side to side and up and down.
“We did it! We rode the bird and brought it down! Praise be to Odin and the other gods!”
Seeing the way everyone was laughing and smiling, Einar couldn’t help but grin, nodding and freeing a hand to pat the one he had once killed before getting set down.
“You men put some pants on! None of these elves want to see those things!”
Laughter and some crass hip movements came from a few before Thorodd grunted and then the naked warriors moved to the clothing set aside for them.
“You don’t know why they are celebrating, do you?” Osvif asked as he appeared next to Einar, a smile larger than he could ever remember seeing being present.
A notification awaited him, and realizing he hadn’t checked it yet, he could only shake his head at his childhood friend.
“I haven’t looked at it yet. I’m assuming it’s good.”
“Better than that. You’ll be in trouble if you don’t hurry up and look at it and figure out what you will do.”
[ Rune Experience Gained ]
[ Rune Level Increased ]
[ Your actions have earned the favor of All the Gods of Asgard. ]
[ A wager was won about your battle. ]
[ You have completed an impossible quest given by Freyr. ]
[ Freyr has given his power to you. ]
[ Choose one Intermediate Rune - It will be upgraded to Advanced ]
[ Only One Potential Rune Detected ]
[ Intermediate Warriors Defense Has been Upgraded to Advanced ]
[ Rune Level Increased ]
[ A boon has been gifted. Each Rune Slot has been restored by one point. ]
“Holy shit…”
Osvif laughed, nodding as Einar reread the notification.
“I… I already picked mine. Still… the potential is insane. Some of these men,” his friend said as he motioned to the group of Vikings, laughing, flexing, and acting like children, “have not stopped talking about the choices since the moment the boon came, and we all knew you had defeated the beast.”
Glancing at Thorve, who was smiling and nodding as she stood nearby, listening to the two of them talk, Einar couldn’t wait to see what it meant for him.
*****
[ V.A.L.H.A.L.L.A ]
Magnus / Einar Sibbison
Age: 32/18
Strength - 27+23
Endurance - 26+17
Agility - 25+3
Perception - 21+8
Wisdom - 20+3
Mysticism - 24+10
Runes:
Gungnir’s Strength (Chest) Legendary (Hidden)
Max Training Stat for Strength, Endurance and Agility is racial limit plus 50. 2.5 x Growth Rate
25% Bonus to Perception - No Stat Limit
Max Training Stat for Wisdom and Mysticism is 50. 1.5 x Growth Rate
Rune Level Bonuses:
Lvl 1 + 10% Bonus to Strength and Endurance
Lvl 2 + 10% Bonus to Agility and Perception
Lvl 3 Divine Protection. 50% Damage Reduction for 1 Minute. Cooldown: 5 Days
Lvl 4 Healing of the Gods - 100x Healing and Wyrd Regeneration Rate for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 3 Days
Lvl 5 Thor’s Blessing - Summon one bolt of lighting to strike one target. Cooldown: 13 Days
Experience 1%
Warrior’s Defense (Back) Advanced
10% Bonus to Endurance
Rune Level Bonuses:
Lvl 1 + 5% Bonus to Endurance
Lvl 2 + 5% Bonus to Endurance
Lvl 3 + 5% Bonus to Endurance / Resist Damage
Lvl 4 + 10% Bonus to Resist Damage
Experience 1%
Warrior’s Blessing (Stomach) Advanced
10% Bonus to Strength and Endurance
5% Bonus to Damage
Rune Level Bonuses:
Lvl 1 + 4% Bonus to Strength and Endurance
Lvl 2 + 5% Bonus to Strength
Lvl 3 + 7% Bonus to Endurance
Lvl 4 + 5% Bonus to Damage
Lvl 5 Thor’s Blessing - Summon one bolt of lighting to strike one target. Cooldown: 1 Day
Experience 100%
Might of the Viking (Right Arm) Advanced
10% Bonus to Strength
10% Bonus to Damage
Rune Level Bonuses:
Lvl 1 + 10% Bonus to Strength
Lvl 2 + 7% Bonus to Strength
Lvl 3 + 5% Bonus to Perception
Lvl 4 + 5% Bonus to Strength
Lvl 5 Thor’s Blessing - Summon one bolt of lighting to strike one target. Cooldown: 1 Day
Experience 100%
Forked Rune of Elements (Head) Advanced
15% Bonus to Wisdom and Mysticism
Advanced Lightning Affinity
Intermediate Fire Affinity
Basic Ice Affinity
Rune Level Bonuses:
Lvl 1 + 10% Bonus to Mysticism
Lvl 2 + 8% Bonus to Mysticism
Lvl 3 + 15% Bonus to Spell Damage
Lvl 4 + 25% Bonus to Wyrd Recovery
Lvl 5 Thor’s Blessing - Summon one bolt of lighting to strike one target. Cooldown: 1 Day
Experience 100%
Strength Milestone - Rank 1 - All damage done with melee weapons is increased by 25%. Muscle is denser, resulting in a 10% decrease in damage taken from all attacks.
Endurance Milestone - Rank 1 - Resists Attacks as if twice normal height and weight. Health increased by 25%. Body is naturally more resistant, resulting in a 10% decrease in damage taken from all attacks.
Agility Milestone - Rank 1 - Attacks are 30% Faster. The ability to see incoming strikes and dodge or parry them is increased by 25%.
Boon:
*****
He knew his eyes were crossed as he read the notification several times.
Did… did I somehow keep my level on Gungnir’s? Or did it relevel after the boss died? And I got a full level in my new rune…
“Osvif… did your new rune already level one time?”
Chuckling, his friend nodded.
“It did. Even though I probably waited an hour before doing it, everyone said theirs leveled once after picking it!”
“Even mine did,” Thorve said, a smirk on her face. “Somehow, Freyr loved me enough to give me this boon regardless of how far you kept me away.”
Laughing, Einar let go of his covering, ran to where the rest of his warriors were, and started dancing.
“He’s a fool,” Thorve said with a smirk.
“Yes, but he’s our fool and chosen by the gods,” Osvif replied.