Chapter twenty

         Once the shackles enveloped my hands I suddenly felt as if a giant hand was pressing down on my entire body. My back bent and I forced to bend forward in a half bow as the massive weight settled around my shoulder like a cloak made out of tons of iron. I became so heavy that my feet actually sunk into the hard stone floor like it was made out of wet clay.

       The newly crowned king continued to gloat and spoke jovially with a large grin on his face, " Ah, finally noticed the effects of the bracelets, did you? You see this crown isn't the only thing in the royal treasury created by the legendary blacksmiths Sindri and Brokkr, they also made those bracelets. Those bracelets are very special, you should feel honored to be wearing them. You see, they were commissioned by my great great grandfather during our war with the jötun. The brothers Sindri and Brokkr were making Thor's hammer Mjölnir at the time but because of a mishap at their workshop they accidentally made the handle too short. Since the handle was short and they had some leftover ore, they created those bracelets. They are called Tung, the bane of giants. They work by multiplying the weight of your entire body until you can bare it no longer and die, crushed beneath your own weight. For a giant this process takes minutes since they are so heavy to begin with but for humans the process is slow and excruciating. Your muscles are slowly ripped apart as your bones are ground to dust , but worry not my champion , this isn't the fate that awaits you."

        I grit my teeth and interrupted the insufferable bastards monolog, "You dare to betray me? You dare to betray Loki? Has all sense fled from your mind when you donned that crown?"

        "Now now, don't interrupt when I'm talking. Where was I ? Oh yes, your fate. You see I have arranged for you to be useful to me even as you perish. I have made a deal with the gods to hand you over to them. They seemed positively thrilled when I offered you to them and even more so when I informed them that you were Loki's new champion. They have promised to reward me handsomely for handing you over to them."

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        "Why don't they come and get me now?"

         "Luckily for you the bifrost is experiencing some difficulties but worry not, they have assured me that they will have it fixed in a day or so at which time they will come and collect you."

         "I think that crown might be too tight."

         "What did you say?"

          "I said that I think that your crown is too tight and it is putting pressure on your head , making you stupid."

           He stood up from his throne and shouted, "How dare you! I have outsmarted you, bested you without even drawing a sword! How dare you, a complete simpleton, call me stupid!"

           I looked up into his eyes from only two steps away and smiled. The fire within my soul suddenly blazed and my whole body was infused with strength. With some effort I extracted my foot from the stone floor it had sunk into and used the free leg to knee the tip of my sword which was in a scabbard resting on my left hip. The sword jumped into the air and I caught it with my mouth. Before anybody could react, I had sawed off my right hand with the razor sharp edge of my sword.

          Now I had a new weapon which consisted of my right hand still encased in the silvery material hanging from a chain that was still attached to my left hand. I used my left hand to swing the shackles , and my right hand flew at the shocked king's face. 

          When my improvised weapon made contact with his head it produced a satisfying *crunch* sound. Selanus was still standing but he was obviously dead since there was nothing but a red ruin where his face used to be.

         When I saw the result of my handiwork, I was quite satisfied. I had finally done what I had wanted to do since I met the insufferable bastard, I had wiped that smug look off his face.