In the forest that Callum and Lord Graves left behind three people sat around a fire, tension high and the mood low. Each nursing wounds of the mind and body.
“He's not going to be happy with you” Melissa said to Killian
“Of course he's not going to be happy with me, it's the Sin of Wrath” snapped back at Melissa.
“You would have done me a better favor leaving me dead and getting rid of the body.” Killian muttered
“You too bicker like a married couple.” The third figure said, his hand shining light over his reattached severed arm.
The other two both looked at the third figure. The Herald and the two hands of sin all seated around a campfire
“This is the last time I took a suggestion from you and Gerald” Killian and spat at Herald's feet.
“How was I to know Lord Graves would come back from wherever he's been for the last millennia and a half!” Gerland retorted. “I've been tracking that particular strain of Varyn for a century. No matter what I try to do to capture it, it seems to always get away and to my surprise it bonds with some outworlder child! I was hoping I could just kill the boy and study his body but.. atlast that does not seem to be the case.” Gerald said putting his head in his hands but then he looked up at Killian.
“And what is this with your man turning? I did not know he was Sarvaldin; there aren't so many of them outside the Kastyn Federation.” Gerald said to Killian
Kellian was about to answer and then stopped. He noticed something unusual. Not so much a pressure increase but the very absence of one it tickled at his senses making him spring alert but then it faded as if it was never there. He looked around the forest, reaching out with his senses. There was nothing in the KM range other than animals. The other two looked at him just as he settled back down.
“It's nothing” he said “I'm just as surprised as you" Killian said hesitantly then continued " I knew Adam was a spy but I didn't know he was Sarvaldin."
"Wait!" Gerland blurted " that was Adam, Adam Legroz, The Shattered King?” He said incredulously
“Yes it's very same, I'm actually surprised he left you alive he's not fond of Hareld's that one.” Killian said morosely looking at the wound healing on Geralds arm.
“He came over to our side after the gods came down on his kingdom. It was all hush hush for a while.” Kellian said with a slight smirk on his face. “You can't make an enemy of a man who killed his own god. I never did fully trust the man even before we had confirmation he was a spy. But I was unsure which faction he belonged to. Definitely none of the Gods”
“The stories about him must have been all bluster then if that was Adam Logroz and the three of us really shouldn't be here at all?” Gerald said “He must have been some sort of poser. Where would Adam get an arcadem anyways.”
“No” interjected Melissa “Those stories are not wrong. You didn't feel his strength. If it wasn't for the malfunction with that essence or the arcanum he would have killed me for sure.”
All of a sudden the fire went from warm red orange yellow to a dark green and purple.
A dark chuckle echoed around them. The pressure the three pressed upon each other vanished and the three froze in place as it was replaced with the overwhelming feeling of anger and bloodlust. "And you killing Adam is the only reason you're living right now, Deary" came a cold voice with restrained rage.
Melissa and Kelly jerked as they recognized the voice. Killian thought back to the moment before where he felt the absence and he wanted to scream and run away cursing himself for not running earlier. Eyes of a deep purple. The purple of an ancient void swirled in the darkness. Those eyes snapped to Killian and beneath a grin of perfect teeth in a mouth wider than it should have appeared. “ tsk tsk tsk, fear not Killian.” it cooned.
Gerald stood up immediately, his aura pushing back sharply, his face pale, his body started to glow as he folded time and space around himself. “Not so fast Herald.” The cold voice snapped along with the eyes from Killian to wear Gerald once stood. Just then Gerald reappeared and ethereal blue chains sprouted from the ground wrapping themselves around Herald's body forcing him down on his knees " You can stay put." it added smiling again.
Killian dropped to his hands and knees in a bow of servitude Melissa followed likewise.
“Master please!!!” Killian begged. With the force of a tidal wave hitting, overwhelming force erupted over Killian slamming him into the ground. “I didn't ask you to speak.” the voice from the woods spoke cruelly.
A figure formed around the eyes and mouth out in the trees. Walking straight out of the woods the pressure closing in tight all around them. All of a sudden he was inside their circle, in front of the fire by them. He was wearing simple traveling garb with a hood over his head which he lowered as he sat by the fire.
He sat for a while poking at the fire with a stick that he picked up the nearest foot. He looked for Melissa to Killian to Gerald and let out a low chuckle that said shivers down the other three spines. His face was handsome and lean. Dark hair in braids with silvery ribbons strands woven into his hair. His nose was sharp and pointed with a kind mouth contrary to his cruel tone earlier. His eyes, purple, blazed softly as he surveyed those around him. He leaned back on a log and ran his hands through his hair as he pulled an orange apple shaped fruit from thin air and took a bite.
"There was a time," he began softly. "When Gods ruled this world, They were worshiped by their cherished beloved souls of their worshipers, These worshipers giving over to the great powerful beings known as Gods.” when he said the word god it dripped with sarcasm and disdain. “These Gods had churches all over the empire where worshipers could come into worship and can beg tribute or contribute.” he paused to take another bite and chew. “There was a time when Gods ruled as great Kings, all but in name." As he continued his voice became darker and controlled as he was fighting to control the unbridled rage creeping to the surface. His eyes flaring dark voids.
The man took a breath as if to calm himself. He took another bite, savoring the taste, he continued.
“There was a time when the Gods and their Heralds and all that worshiped worked together with the Sin Empire and were given their own kingdoms after they surrendered in the war. They ruled and controlled their subjects with reign and no interference from the Sin Empire.” he was hunched over the apple almost finished in his hand. He looked around at the three. He took another bite and tossed it in the fire. He stood up and looked away from the fire and in a flash appeared in front of Gerald face to face. And exploded.
“That is BECAUSE. WE. LET. THEM!” He finished roaring and throthing at the mouth. His spittle flying into Geralds face causing caustic smoke to erupt from where it landed. “We Sins were here long before you're “Gods” and will be here long after.” He said with an humorless cackle
The three in front of him across from the fire flinched back at his rabid outburst. Gerald front and center of the wrath, now abandoning all sense of decorum panicking and screaming in pain as his face burned and melted causing him to struggle against the chains, the chains tightening around him.
The man stood up taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as he continued.
“You would think Odin would have learned his lesson after I took his precious son from him, It was a crowd of people around him too.” he said as he edged closer to Gerald's face again. “It seems the lesson was lost on him.” The man said as he stopped right in front of Gerald and faster than anyone realized Gerald's meeting heart out of his chest took a bite of it, chewing slowly and whispered “Decay”.
Gerald looked down at the gaping hole in his chest and back at his heart as the Sin Wrath chewed. He could feel the power inside of him start to heal as a Wrath continued eating his heart healing his body replacing his heart. Then all of a sudden it stopped. He could feel the power that was healing him be pulled out of his body. Before their eyes Melissa and Kelly and have watched and horror as Gerald the Herald of Odin had the color drained from him. His arm falling off and bloody spots appearing all over his body. His body starting to glow then the skin cracked and the light leaked out of him in a wisp floating off in the air before being sucked into Wrath’s outstretched hand holding the half eaten heart. It glowed with the power from the Herald.
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“I'll be seeing you soon Odin” Wrath said into the glowing heart sending power into his words, before crushing it in his hand. It exploded in a shower of sparks and Gerald's body crumbled to pile of dust.
…
In a Castle Keep thousands of miles away from the forest. On a mountaintop far from society sounds of a battle clamored among the mountain peaks. Sounds of booms and bangs echoed through the valley below. The villages in the valleys long emptied.
The giant fist of a stone golem came crashing down. A man with blonde hair dove out of the way. The fist dragging on the ground as they swept sideways trying to hit the man. The blonde man moved nimbly and quickly dodged the sweeping attack springing into the air and spinning as a worrying humming noise grew louder and a hammer shot into his hands and by the time he turned half again the hammer was released and crashed into the golem's face. There was a resounding crack like stone and lightning and the rumble of thunder. The golems stone eyes rolled up the gym facets that where its pupils disappearing up into its skull. It crashed down, shaking the entire room.
The blonde man landed brush dirt from his shoulder. He had a relatively slim build with a wider stronger upper physique. Huge powerful arms bounded and leather bands and branded in tattoos. He stood there looking at the Golem, grabbed one of the bands from his arms and tied his hair into a bun. He walked over to the Golem his stride strong and precise patted him on the shoulder
"Good fight Glen!" The blonde man bellowed at the giant unconscious golem.
"Good grief Yord, you knocked him out cold, He can't hear you." came a snide voice from the corner of the room.
The blonde man looked around to see his brother and grandfather. His brother Keifen was clad in tight fitting leathers with a small half cape dripped over his left shoulder, a bandolier full of throwing knives in darts and a belt full of daggers on his waist. His grandfather, not looking his age at all, was a middle-aged man with a scarred face, an eye patch covering the eye on the scared side, the other eye softly glowing a pale golden color. He wore a cloak of black feathers, some gray, some blue, some white mixed in. He walked with a cane of gnarled wood with green and purple light emanating softly from the grooves carved into the wood. Odin, the God of Wisdom and War.
"Good, good my boy!'' Odin said to the blonde man. "You're shaping up to be a greater warrior than your father. Perhaps you could not knock your sparring partners out cold, resetting these golems takes a lot." Odin continued.
The doors to the large training room burst open as a servant entered hurriedly. He wore robes and a sash that went over his shoulder and down his front on both ends. His hat was skewed. In his hands he held a cylinder with runes scribed on it. On both ends of the cylinder was a golden round ball ended caps. The cylinder was filled with a faint ebbing white gas. The substance flickered out then back in.
“Sir the Harold Gareld Warren Flitberd his confluence is being drained!” the servant said in a rushed clipped voice filled with panic.
“What happened, Himmy? Do we have a view of his surroundings?” Odin replied, face turning stern.
“No sir, our sensors are being blocked. There was a high magical disturbance, touch of the Varyn’Kyth and Elder energies. Before our sensors were lost.”
Just then the cylinder in Himmy’s hands flashed a deep green. An icy voice whispered from it “I’ll be seeing you soon Odin.” Before any could react the cylinder hummed then exploded in green flames. Himmy was sent flying across the room. He landed in Yord arms as he shot forward to catch him. Odin waved the smoke aside and stepped beyond Keifen who had thrown up his hand casting a shield that flicked a faint orange, cracks formed all ong the shield and chips missing from it as if shattered glass. Himmys front was torn up and bleeding. Yord stood over him, his hand alight passing over healing the wounds.
“Are you okay brother, Grandfather?” Yord shouted across the room.
“Just a scratch, Yord tend to Him
my.” Odin said. His hands moving through the air leaving patterns. The air rippled around the patterns as the debris was pushed back. Medium size globe stood in the center of the patterns after a few moments growing from the size of a pin prick. The appeared in the globe. View of the globe focused in on a clearing Odin reached his hand out and moved it over the globe spinning it to the right. Events in the globes view started to go backwards until a boy apppeared in the clearing. Odin continue to watch as the events unfolded. Other boy that appeared crashing out of thin air. He then saw the three figures approach the boy. As he watched Yord, Keifen and Hemmy joined him at the globe.
"What was that golden light? Is that what Gerald been hunting..? Curious.. curious." Himmy muttering to himself his voice now high pitch in speed. " Did you see what happened with the Ambien magic in the area, completely disappeared but wasn't just used and absorbed like a spellcast for healing or anything it just finished into a vacuum" he continued.
“What is the importance of that?” asked Yord.
“The importance is that everything on this planet absorbs and concert Radical Energies to Nyx Energies also known as Mana. not matter the power there is always a gradual drain around. Here, this boy here did something that is not possible without great damage to the soul and body. He should not have been able to walk let alone run and use any abilities." Himmy explained.
" Wait a minute go back there who is that man is radiating some strange energy"
Odin reversed the played advance to the point where a fifth man appeared in the clearing. He interposed himself in between the three figures and the boy. When everything exploded into movement the three figures flickered one dropping dead only to be reanimated cruelly and sent chasing after the boy running. The man in the black armor and the man in bandages squared off against the third man. They engaged in several exchanges first the man and the black armor dashing in drawing his sword from his hip and conjuring another. Dashing in low he swept both swords in a scissor motion at the third figures abdomen. And possibly fast the figure Dodge out of the way leaning back placing his hands on the ground before lifting his feet to kick the swordsman in the chest sending him flying back. From underneath him the ground rippled and the man with a bandages emerged from the ground slamming into the other figure from below sending him up in an arching flip. The third figure landed and a tough of dirt and debris. The man in bandages turned to the man in black armor who would reappeared by his side the exchanged words and then the men in black vanished heading off in the direction of the abomination and the boy. From the cloud of debris spurted green flames a roaring column into the sky like a volcano erupting.
"ONE OF WRATH'S HANDS GERALD WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" roared Odin.
A shot of green plasma flame condense to intensity shot out from the column following the figure in black only to be intercepted by the bandage figure. He held his hand out grasping the beam as if it was something physical to touch holding it in his grasp. He yanked with a whip-like motion and yanked the third figure out of the column of flame. The man stumbled coming out of the column it dying off immediately. He righted himself and then dash forward drawing his sword.
Yord was amazed had to display of sortsmanship from this fighter knowing this man to be his equal. The other figure however wrapped and bandages moved as if he knew exactly where each strike was going to land not moving with any more effort than was needed. Each sweep of the sword past a hair's breath away from actually hitting the benched man as he nimbly stepped backwards ducking and weaving. The intensity of the fight growing the swordsman slashing and stabbing faster and faster until it was an indistinct blur on the monitoring orb. Yord saw the shift in the bandage figure as he nimbly lean to the side dodging another cutting/ through the air it is time shoving his shoulder forward his arm forced out in a palm against the other figure. This stagger the swordsman for a moment but Yord knew it's all it took. The bandage man followed up with five more quick strikes that didn't seem to land any definitive impact on the swordsman as he stumbled back from the first palm strike. He didn't press the attack looking confused and shaking his head. He said something then to which the bandage figure just cocked his head. And this time the bandage figure engaged his combat style was interesting and not known to Yord as he watched trance fixed. It took a while watching the fight before Yord realize the man and bandage hadn't been struck once. The man in bandage flicked out his hand at a sword of a brown material appeared in it. He blocked the swordsman next hit and there was a shock wave that rebounded off of their blows connecting. The swordsman started to push him taking control of the fight the bandaged man not as good with a sword as he is with his bare hands. The swordsman stabbed forward lunging at the bandage man the bandage man parried the lunch but not fast enough as the sword stabbed through him. Then all of a sudden consecutively one after another five explosions erupted on the swordsman's body sending them flying back. His sword stuck in the bandaged man.
"Gravesss!" Odin spat rubbing his missing eye.
Back on the viewing globe Graves looked off in the direction of the view that Odin and the others were seeing from. This sent a chill down Yord's spine, knowing there is no way that this man graves was able to hear them in the past.
Just then the swordsman came back into view his left arm completely mangled and hanging loose hearts of his face scratchef and flayed. As he stood the wounds he carried started to heal. He cracked his neck appearing to be saying something the bandage figure graves just shrugged. The swordsman – forward in a blink of an eye as he did so the sword engraves flew out of him yanking out dirt. Just as the swordsman brought his sword down and through graves it had already crumbled up to dust the swordsman's eyes went wide he spun around his sword in a large sweeping arch arrested entirely by grave's hand. The shockwave that emitted from the contact to household the fabric on both combatants. There is a tense moment in which the swordsman struggled the Yankees sword free from the grass of graves. There's a long tense moment as a two stared at each other before Yord and everyone with magical senses could feel before it happened, like an ethereal screeching metallic scream. The sword exploded and shattered into a million pieces fragments shooting everywhere cutting the swordsman up but passing through graves harmlessly. Dave's opened his hand to drop powder onto the ground he followed up with his other hands slamming into the swordsman's face slamming him to the ground. Stone erupted up around the swordsman sending his body flying into the air and with the snap of his fingers grave scent the pillars of stone into fragments shooting up into the air slamming into circling around and hitting the swordsman's body over and over until he dropped to the ground a fleshy unmoving lump. He conjured another sword this one much different a two-handed long sword with an ornate hilton pommel of wired gold and silver dotted with sapphires and rubies. The blade was a patterned steel or the pattern inlay appear to peer into the abyss. Speckled with stars in dark voids. He brought the sword down and a definitive gesture straight into the swordsman's chest.
"Odin I know you're probably watching yes you definitely are watching because if I don't kill him someone else is" graves said looking at them again. " Now now now I know you can't reply but I'd very much like to have a conversation with you while one of your heralds are on this continent. But I must be off old friend I'll try and be gentle if I have to put them down But I really don't want to can't say the same for Adam however he's not too fond of you God's and you're Heralds is he, Odin?" Graves and bent down and pulled his sword out of the hands body. He picked the body up and threw it over his shoulder. "I think you have something to be doing" he added looking back at them then the globe cracked and went black.
" But how? But what? How did he do that? We can't see anything in that area after? What the Hel?" Himmy blurted out staring at the conjuration in stunned bewilderment.
"His family invented the conjuration so I'm not surprised"
What wasn't his family just minor nobility before the rise of the Sin Empire and long after the creation of this conjuration device? Himmy asked
That's not all his family was. Odin said in a tone that brought to know further questions.
Odin stood for a long while staring at the clock cracked globe. He dismissed the conjuration with a wave of his hand and turn to himmy
Raise the shields and wake the ice giants He said before turning to Keifin and Yord and slamming his staff to the ground. A portal opened up behind them the plural aperture was a dark smoky liquid substance the edge rimmed with a bright white light like a scar in reality.
"You two with me. We much to do and far to travel. Hemi head to new Asgard grab Loki and tell him to meet me and Yoven."
With that Odin turned abruptly and walked through the portal. Yord and Keifin share the glance before following their grandfather through the portal.