I found myself floating in inky blackness. I felt calm, comfortable and relaxed. I tried to take a deep breath, and found that I could not. Panic began to set in as I realized I had no reference to up or down, and could not tell if I were in air or water. I began thrashing around, trying vainly to right myself, to find some semblance of order.

“Will you fucking stop?” A heavy sigh sounded from somewhere, and I stopped moving.

“Finally. Now, chill out. I’m trying to help you.” I settled down, and tried to curb the still-rising panic I felt.

As I settled down, the blackness began to resolve itself into shapes. I blinked, and it began to clear up. I was above water, that much was sure. I felt calm return from the massive adrenaline dump I experienced a moment ago. I took a deep breath, and found that this time, I could taste the air.

It was salty, and had the tang of the sea upon it. Other features resolved themselves. The sounds of the ocean, with crying seagulls. A pair of heavy boots walking towards me on a pier. I screwed my eyes shut and rubbed them, and when I opened them I was elsewhere.

“Finally! He awakes!” The owner of the comforting voice was a broad-shouldered man, with long sandy-blonde hair and a well-trimmed beard.

“What? What am I doing here? Where am I? Who’re you?” I stammered, confusion evident upon my face.

He stuck a finger in the air, smiling. “Excellent questions, my boy! Come. I shall answer them.” He extended that same hand to me, and I took it, being hauled up bodily by the man.

We began to walk down the pier, and he began, “Welcome to my home, Ivor. The elves come from here, you know. As for why you’re here? Well, my father has an idea, but only The Great Mother knows. They’ve gone off somewhere for some sort of an enclave or something. The rest of us weren’t invited. My siblings and cousins were a little put off by this, but we accepted it, in the end. We always do.”

I blinked in confusion. Elves? The Great Mother? What in the world was going on? He must have noticed my confusion, as he stopped, and took me by the shoulders, turning me to face him.

“You still don’t get it, do you? My boy, you are destined for many great and terrible things. My father went to the enclave to get more information. It’s a new world you’ve thrust us into. We need to know the lay of the land, and where we can fit in, if we ever can.”

Understanding dawned upon me. “You. I know who you are now. You’re - “

He held his hand up, silencing me immediately. “Nope. Not yet. Help us get a foothold here. If we can, we can aid you. As you are one of mine, I can give you some help here and there. Not too much, as I’m still weak. You know what to do, and how to call on me, right?” I shook my head. “Okay. Well, I can help with that.”

He took my left hand, and pulled out a knife. Using the tip, he scored a rune into the back of my hand. He then brushed his hand over the area, leaving a faint scar. “Focus some magical energy here, and I’ll know it. I’ll see what I can do, at that point. For now, I need you to wake up. You’re about to have some unwelcome guests. Do not cast a single spell at them. Do this the old way, my boy. In fact, I shall gift you these gloves. They’ll keep you from breaking your hands. I can do nothing more than that, I’m afraid. Now, off with you! Happ veiðr!”

He spun me around, and gave me a gentle shove towards the other end of the pier, and I took off like a shot.

*********

My eyes snapped open. It was dark, and I had somehow wound up on the outside edge of the bed. I was facing Elizabet’s nude back, and wondered how she had gotten between me and the boys. I slowly retracted my arm from its apparent resting place between her breasts. She stirred slightly, and reached out, grasping one of the boys, and pulled him close. She sighed contentedly, and slept on. I was about to wrap my arm back around her and go back to sleep when I realized I was wearing a pair of perfectly fitted black leather gloves.

Instead I sat up on the edge of the bed, and stared at my hands in shock and confusion. Had the dream not been a dream? Was this the dream? Just what is going on?

My reverie was broken by a soft clicking sound coming from the door. It appeared my night was about to get interesting. Someone was picking our lock. I looked around, and tried in vain to find a hiding spot. Nothing was large enough to shield my bulk from view. I took a moment to slip my knife back onto my belt.

To Hel with it. I simply stood in the moonlight shining through the window, fists in front of me, ready to deal with whatever was about to come into the room.

A sharp click told me the door was unlocked, and I set my right leg back, ready to propel me into whomever was about to enter. The handle turned and a large, meaty hand snuck its way inside, gripping the door.

“it’s time, yes. time to remove the stain. hands are enough, more than is deserved. time to crush, time to destroy. destroy destroy destroy. kill the offender, yes. remove the stain from this world.”

I struggled against the Anger welling up within. Letting it loose could be disastrous for my companions, but tamping it down could be even moreso.

I had no time left for second guessing, as the large figure entered my room, catching sight of me, standing there. Waiting. Shock bloomed across his face as I launched myself at him.

The shock was followed with annoyance, and finally acceptance before my fist found its home in his gut, and he doubled over, unable to breathe. I took his hair in my left hand, and drove my knee into his nose with a sickening crunch. This effectively put him down, and I looked up in time to see another fist just before it connected with the side of my head.

The world took on a reddish tint, and I found myself stumbling over the body of the first man. The unknown assailant continued to rain blows upon my chest and face, and I blocked what I could, while trying to regain my senses.

**********

Elizabet woke up as the first man fell to the floor, and looked up just in time to see me get pummeled by the second invader. She drew the covers up to her neck and screamed loudly, waking Blainaut and the boys.

Blainaut leapt to the adjoining door and whipped it open, confused. He took all of a second to take in the action, and called the other four into his room. They ran to join him, and slammed the door shut, then locked it.

“Elizabet, go make sure my door is locked. Hurry! Ivor can handle himself. Trust me.” Blainaut began to pant, keeping his relatively small bodyweight against the door. The three boys huddled on the bed, crying.

Elizabet opened the door a hair, and saw the hallway was empty, a shaft of light outlining the action next door. “Be careful, Ivor. Stay alive.” Hot tears rolled down her face.

*********

After I heard the door slam, I knew Elizabet and the boys were safe. The world was still swimming slightly, and my assailant hadn’t stopped hitting me. I backed into the bed, and raised my right leg, making contact with the frame. I allowed myself to be pushed back a little farther, and pushed hard against the bed, sending us both to the floor, next to the first man.

The reddish tint became a little darker, and I found myself on top of my assailant, my left hand around his throat, my right cocked back, ready to explode forward. “do it. kill him. hit him. let his nose meet the back of his skull. do it do it do it do it do it DO IT! HE WAS GOING TO KILL US ALL! REMOVE HIM! REMOVE THE TAINT OF FILTH FROM THE WORLD! KILL HIM!”

My vision swam, and the world became bright as my fist rocketed home into the floor beside the man’s head, splintering through the wood there. I slowly pulled my arm out of the hole I made in the floor, scraping my flesh, and feeling splinters embed themselves within me. My left hand tightened its grip on the man’s throat, and I stood.

I pulled his face close to mine as he tried in vain to pry my fingers off of him. Gritting my teeth, I growled “Not. Wise.”

I turned my attention to the other man, who was starting to come around. I reached down with my right hand, and took him by the throat, hauling him up. He frantically began clawing at my hand.

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“Time for a walk, boys.” I held both men up, and began walking out the room and down the stairs, where a crowd had gathered at the foot. They scattered as they saw me approach the head of the stairs, and begin my descent, two men gripped in my hands.

“Move. Now.” The crowd parted, and the owner came out of the back, dressed only in a nightgown.

“What’s the meaning of this!? Are you that fool who brought those yippers into my inn? Well? Answer me!” The skinny man placed his fists on his hips as he yelled.

I casually tossed the man in my left hand at him, who landed in a heap at his feet, wheezing. The other man was still scrabbling at my hand, trying to get more air. I lifted him to my face, and saw his mismatched eyes. “You. I’m not done with you. Stay put.” I slammed him down on a barstool, releasing him, and took stock of my arm.

“Well? Answer me!” The owner took a step forward, and I shot him a withering glare. He halted. “I’m waiting.” He said, weakly.

I began casually pulling out long splinters of wood from my arm. “That would be me. Why?” I dropped each bloody splinter onto the bar as my Anger continued to rant within.

He cleared his throat, finally seeing what was going on. “You have brought trouble into my establishment, sir. I’ll not have it. I want you gone. Now. Tonight. Get your things, and your filthy yippers out of my inn.”

I paused in the act of removing the final splinter. I looked up at the guardsman, who seemed to be having trouble breathing through his nose, then slowly turned my head over to look at the innkeeper. “No.” I pulled the last splinter free, and looked upon my arm, the flesh mangled and torn.

I took hold of my arm, and whispered “Heal wounds. Knit flesh.” I stared the innkeeper in the face as my arm healed. “Call them that again, and I’ll tear this building down, board by board, brick by brick. Call them that again, and I’ll tear you apart, hair by hair, bone by bone; heal you, then do it again. And again. And again.” I looked up at the ceiling, finding the place where my fist had gone through and pointed. “Look there. You just saw me fix my own arm after punching through your floor. You have the gall to insult me and mine to my face? These two lowlife shit-for-brains attacked me in your inn. I have only defended myself up to now. Make no mistake, I will destroy you and your business if this happens again.” I motioned to the unconscious man on the floor, and the wheezing man to my right. “Now. I’m going to take this trash out, then repair your floor, which is more than you deserve.” I took two steps toward the man, who instinctively stepped back, finding the wall in the way. “Once we leave this town, we will probably not return for quite some time. If I hear you have even thought such a thing about the Lizardfolk, I will come looking for you. And I will find you. And you and I will have a long chat about it. Am I clear, sir?”

He swallowed and nodded. “Aye. Crystal.”

I turned and walked back to the bar, and the wheezing man. “And now for the trash. Hold very still. This will hurt.” I reached up and took hold of the man’s ruined nose, and slowly twisted it around to its normal resting spot with several loud squelching noises and screams. “Second time I’ve had to do that. I think I’m getting better.” I hauled him off the chair and shoved him toward the door. “Out.”

He stumbled out the door, tripping over his friend and fell to the road, face-first, out cold. I reached down and picked up his companion by the belt, and dragged him outside, propping him up against the building. Squatting down, I touched his forehead and whispered “Awaken.” and watched as his eyes popped open. “Don’t move. I want answers, and you’re going to give them to me, aren’t you?” He nodded vigorously, then winced and held his head. “Bet that hurts. You’re lucky to be alive, you know. Had I hit you, I would have been pulling bits of your skull out of my arm instead of wood from the floor I punched through.” His face blanched when I said that, and I smiled. “Good. You understand the situation.” I patted his cheek. “Now. Talk. Start with your name.”

“I’m Elric, sir. Abner wanted that lizard of yours. He’s always been a bully to folks coming through, taking whatever he wants. Commander won’t do nothing. Thinks it’s fine. But, it’s just Abner and the Commander what does that, sir. I swear! Me and Bors, we don’t. We can’t do nothing about it. We’d lose our jobs, if not our heads.” He nodded and shook.

I looked over at the other guardsman, this Abner. “So. He wanted my boy that badly, eh? Well. I think it’s time I made good on my words from earlier in the day. Do you recall what I said, Elric? My mind is a little…hazy from what just happened.” I looked Elric in the face, and cocked my head to the side slightly.

“W-w-well, sir… I think you said you would take his hand, and use it to display your wares. If memory serves me.”

I nodded, and drew my knife. “I did say that, didn’t I? I think, however, that I’ve changed my mind. I don’t need his entire hand. Just a couple of fingers.”

Elric’s eyes went wide, and he reached out to stop me. “Sir, no! No. I’m the one who hit you. Not Abner. Take mine.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s awful kind of you, Elric. However, you and I both know it was Abner’s decision to come here and do this. He must atone for his sins. Do not move. If you run, I’ll chase you and it’ll be worse.” He swallowed and nodded, tears rolling down his face.

I walked over to Abner, seeing that he was indeed out cold. Opening his hand, I placed the tip of my blade on the back of his right hand with my left, making sure to cover the ring and pinky fingers. I slammed my right palm onto the spine of the blade and smiled with satisfaction as the two digits popped forward a couple of feet.

Abner, of course, immediately woke up to immense pain, and commenced screaming. I casually clubbed him in the back of the neck, stunning him, and repeated the process on his left hand. He jerked up, clutching both ruined hands to his chest, crying. I wiped my knife off and sheathed it.

“Would you like the pain to stop, Abner?” I casually asked him. He nodded. “Okay. Come here.” He shuffled over to me on his knees, and held his bleeding hands out. I grabbed his hands roughly, digging my fingers into the bloody stumps, and whispered “Heal wounds, knit flesh” and smiled as he screamed again in pain. His flesh had healed in an ugly, puckered scar thanks to me digging into them as I healed them. “Now. Will you ever attack me again?” He shook his head, sobbing. “Good. See to it that none of you, not even your commander, ever even looks at me again. Now go.”

I stooped and gathered the four bloody digits, and shoved them into my pocket. Walking back to Elric, I squatted. “Your turn, Elric.” I touched the tip of my knife and whispered “Red hot.”

He shivered and sobbed, extending his hands to me. “Y-y-yes sir.” I gripped the fingers of his left hand tightly.

“Hang on tight. This will hurt, son.” He gripped me, and I carved a “B” into the back of his hand, the stink of burning flesh rising to meet my nostrils. He screamed in pain, and I released him. “All done.” I held my knife out, and whispered “Cool to touch” and watched the blade return to normal.

Elric held his hand to his chest, crying softly. “What does it mean?”

“It stands for ‘Burglary’. You attempted to rob me; possibly to kill me. You will have a reminder for the rest of your life, but you will be able to wield a sword or a pike. Abner cannot. Now go. Make double sure your friends and your commander leave me and mine alone.” I stood and walked back into the inn, the patrons staring at me in shock.

“What? I warned them when I came into this town not to lay a hand on me again. This is the result. Good evening to you all.” I climbed the stairs and went back to my room.

“Elizabet? Blainaut? Kids? I’m back, and I’m safe.” The adjoining door opened, and my boys ran out, wrapping their arms around me, crying softly.

Elizabet came out next, wrapped in the blanket, her eyes red from crying. “Ivor…” She said, and wrapped me in a tight hug. I winced, the pain from being hit multiple times finally catching up to me.

I gasped in pain, and she released me. Smiling, I said “Not too tight, now. He hit me pretty hard.”

Blainaut emerged from his room, and crossed his arms, scowling at me. “I can’t take you anywhere, can I?” He huffed. “At least you’re okay. More or less, anyway. What about them? Are they alive?”

I gestured to the hole in the floor, which still had blood and bits of flesh in it. “I did that, Blainaut. I hit the floor instead of his face. Speaking of which, I need to fix this. Hang on.” I knelt down, and placed my gloved hands to either side of the hole and spoke “Wood to wood, fiber to fiber, grain to grain. Be whole.” and watched as the hole repaired itself.

“Huh. I didn’t feel a thing. Usually, I feel a drain or a pull when I cast something. This time I felt nothing.” I stood and placed my hands on my hips. “Wonder why?” I shrugged and looked around. “What? What’d I do this time?”

“Ivor, where did you get those gloves? I don’t recall seeing them before now.” Blainaut asked.

I turned and locked the door. “That’s, um, that’s a long story. Let’s just say that I might have, you know, brought my gods with me when I came here.” I shoved my hands into my pockets, feeling the fingers, and pulled them out.

“You what?” Blainaut’s eyes nearly bugged out from his head.

I walked over to my Bag, and dropped the digits inside. Peeling off the gloves, I said “Yeah. I was kind of shocked, honestly. My patron came to me in a dream, and gifted me these gloves, and told me to wake up, as we were about to have unexpected guests. These gloves kept me from breaking my hands.” I flexed my fingers and tucked the gloves into my coat pocket. “I’m tired, guys. I’m really needing some rest right now. Especially if I’m going to be pulling a cart for the next two days.” I yawned and crawled into the bed again, pulling the sheet up over me.

Blainaut stared at me in shock. “Just casually mentions that we now have more gods in our world, and goes right back to sleep.” He looked at Elizabet. “Just what have we gotten ourselves into?”

She looked over at me and smiled. “A new life, Blainaut. A new life.” She gently closed the door. “Goodnight, Blainaut. Wake us if the innkeeper wants us to leave.” She then came over and crawled into bed behind me, and pressed her naked body into my back, as the kids climbed into the bed, huddling around us for warmth. “Goodnight, Ivor” she whispered into my ear.

We slept peacefully until noon.