There had been a bit of processing to do before they left the society campus. Clean up was generally left to specific essence users who were suited or employed for the task. Genevieve reluctantly exited the tactical net of the interface, the Mitchells severing the connection before they left rather than rudely cutting it as they went out of range. This was the excuse they gave, the interface would actually cover the city easily for communication but they didn’t want to be used for such things all the time.
The two bronze rank church of hero acolytes that had met them what seemed like a long time ago with their prisoner from the desert arrived to help escort the new prisoners. They showed deference to the wraith priest but otherwise avoided him. The priest said he would meet the Mitchells at the temple district and ghosted away, the team was now rolling in one of the dune buggies at a sedate pace amongst the city traffic. The outlandish vehicle got a lot of attention but it wasn’t the first unique magical vehicle the city had seen.
The slow pace allowed James and Teddy to have a private conversation in the front while the girls went over their recent loot.
“So every time you step through a rift you see that.. that…”
“Yes, every time, would you believe it the first few times I rift jumped I didn’t notice the jumps were so short and I sped through at top speed I was so nervous.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget that. What would happen if you stepped off the path?”
“Don’t like to think to be honest, it feels wrong, like my rift is a safe tunnel through a vat of acid, I don’t think whatever we’re made of is compatible with the environment in there outside my tunnel.”
“Lucky for you to be able to not think of it, I can’t stop thinking of it, there were things in the distance you realise?”
“Yeh the’ve never taken much interest, can never see what they are. It’s different every time I go though, the landscape is never the same, but like I said, I’m normally focussed on getting through to attack something.”
James just shuddered in the passenger seat, the rift use had left him unnerved.
Teddy looked over at the big man. “Do me a favour, don’t tell anyone about this, I think it has wider implications and it’s another thing that they can investigate on us, I’ll warn off the girls incase they ever need to use the power but no one outside the family can use it anyway so we can keep it between us.”
“Sure thing dude, I’ll keep a lid on it.”
The dune buggy trundled along, kicking up little dust as it followed the flow of traffic towards the temple district.
When they pulled up just outside the square they didn’t get out immediately. In the square everyone was on their knees and holding out their arms in supplication. In the centre of the divine square was a god.
It wasn’t one they recognised, the aura was staggering but restricted to the square, on the outskirts they could feel it like a force of nature washing out.
“Damn I hope we never have to fight one of those.” Kyra said unexpectedly.
“Why would you even think about fighting one of those?!” James looked at her in astonishment. “Kyra, you’re the team healer! Stop wanting to fight everything, especially things that won’t even give you the opportunity to practice even your very skilful healing.”
“Aww you’re a sweetie.” Kyra said patting him on the arm.
As they all disembarked the buggy the god disappeared. Teddy held onto the bull bar at the front while the buggy folded up on itself from the back. When it was done he drop kicked the model buggy, not full strength but it got a good arc, it bounced off a wall and a rift appeared next to Teddy and it disappeared in.
“Ten points, nice.”
They made their way into the square, the people had already got up and were going about their business. Walking past multiple temples they surveyed the vendors that made good business selling to the visitors to the square. They each munched a savoury dish they had tried on a previous visit, a mix between a pasta bake and a frittata, they had no idea what animal the eggs came from as they hadn’t seen anything like chickens since they got here. The vendor was happily shutting down his stall after being cleared out by the team, they had taken five large trays of the savoury dish into their inventories they enjoyed it so much.
They stood in front of the familiar building. The marble edifice looming over them. There was a young acolyte buffing one of the giant shields that flanked the doors with a grumpy look on his face and Teddy wondered what he had done to be given such a punishment.
The doors burst open and a giant bearded man stepped out with an outrageous wild bushy moustache over a wild bushy beard with plaits and beads running through it. He was dressed in fine but worn travellers armour and had many rings on his thick fingers. He grabbed the acolyte and threw them inside then threw his arms wide at the team and beamed in the sort of smile you might expect from Santa Claus.
“Well met Mitchells, well met! Welcome back to the temple of hero. Come in! Come in! Be rested and merry.” He marched out amongst the team and scooped up Teddy and Kyra around their waists and carried them in jovially.
James, who was bigger than the man, looked as if he was going to interject then looked at Lucy and shrugged then followed them in. When they crossed the threshold they suddenly heard the music, smelt the beer and the food. People around the doorway were politely drinking and chatting but further in there were revels. The big man walked them through, having put Teddy and Kyra down as soon as they entered he was guiding them through a mix of pulling them from person to person introducing them and getting them to dry different foods and drinks.
“What’s going on?” Lucy called.
“The battle was met and the villainous foe was brought down! Many deeds to be sung of and bravery to be toasted, long has it been since such a battle was fought so close to our home and the god is overjoyed at the bravery of our people.”
“You’re all celebrating because you had a fight?”
“Is not any victorious battle worth libation after? And a battle is not a fight! The guileful enemy brought his force to bare and found himself lacking, AGAINST THE HEROES OF GREENSTONE!” He bellowed the last sentence and raised a tankard from a passing shelf and met roars of approval and raised cups all round.
[This guy just needs a horned helm and a longboat and he’s ready to go full Viking I think.] James put on the interface.
[I think he’d be very excited if we told him about Valhalla.] Teddy replied.
[Well I think we’ve pretty much found it, we died and have come to the halls of hero to drink and hunt forever. We even brought our own Valkyrie.] James said, looking at the blonde armoured woman with her arm round Teddy’s waist.
[I am not a Valkyrie.] Kyra answered. [They take the honoured dead on to Valhalla, I try and stop people getting there by healing them first.]
The two boys shrugged, looked at each other and each found a tankard and smashed them together before raising them up in the air. “VALHALLA!” The room around them erupted in cups being raised and shouts of ‘VALHALLA!’, no one else knew what it meant but that was the vibe of the day. The big man boomed a laugh after joining in and grabbed both James and Teddy in crushing hug lifting Teddy and bringing James to his tip toes.
“Well met indeed! You honour us with your revels, come come, to the business at hand.”
He led them deeper into the temple, they passed an alcove where two younger members of the church were finding a… private moment. He laughed and scruffed them before tossing them back towards the party.
“Find the church of lust for that you licentious youth.”
He eventually took them to a similar room they found themselves in when they first visited when they first got to Greenstone. When they had first been offered essences in return for a task for the god.
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From the corner of the room the wraith man misted into sight, becoming more substantial until he was mostly person-strength with a slightly wavy quality. Their host straightened at the sight of him and schooled the grin on his face to an amicable smile. In a tempered tone he greeted the wraith man.
“Well met Vastreed, the Mitchells have resisted the urge of celebration and have come to fulfil their purpose here today.” He turned to the team. “I will leave you in Vastreed’s capable hands, if ever you have need of my axe then call for Ragnar and I will come bounding with joy!” He hugged each of them in a great bear hug and made his way out, closing the door behind him.
[Ragnar?! Axe? We really need to teach him about vikings.] James said.
Teddy turned to the wraith man. “So we have a name for you now.”
“You do, Ragnar is fond of giving me names, I have discarded such things but he insists that names are needed for songs to be sung and tales to be told. If this name works for you then feel free to use it, he has taken it from a near-forgotten hero of legend and it is an honour.”
“So still not your name then?”
“No, my talents tend to drive me away from others and so I tend not to carry a name. But my god values the unseen hero, the unsung do their deeds not to be remembered but because they need doing.”
“The value of doing the right thing even when no-one is looking?”
“Everyone save the god, he is always watching.”
“Strange to come to a world where that is really the case.”
The wraith man looked inquisitive for the first time, out of character for the ever-sure man. “Then why do people do good things where you are from if there are no gods?”
“Well we have religion, no proof of a god but people still believe, it’s becoming less than it was historically, then we have people don’t believe in anything but do it just to be good people.”
The man looked thoughtful. “I believe I have gained some understanding into your actions, how you can deny my god out of hand but yet go and do the good work a god would have you do. Do you judge us for doing it for a gods will?”
“No, I don’t think any of us do. It’s not our place to, you have your own way of doing things over here.”
The man nodded and motioned to the row of chairs for the team to sit down. Before he took his seat he motioned his hand over the low coffee table between them and a trail of mist followed his hand settling like a blanket over the table.
“My god understands that you don’t take action to gain his favour, nevertheless it is within his purview to reward actions that please him.”
He pulled the blanket aside and four items lay on the table, the mist blanket disappearing when pulled aside. The items had obviously been placed in front of each recipient. For Lucy there was an engraved armoured drop-leg leather wand holster, it was designed to sit below the hip and arrayed multiple wand slots so they would fan out but be secure for ease of grabbing the correct one. James had a belt with a small pouch on the front decorated with a bear’s head motif. Kyra had a box with a set of a dozen-or-so metal and jewelled beads for her hair that were engraved with runes and Teddy was given a pair of magical bracers for his forearms. The team inspected them without touching them, looking at them suspiciously.
“They are gifts, freely given, without expectation, rewards for valour.”
The team picked them up and thanked the man. They all passed them down to Lucy to inspect while they chatted to the wraith.
“So you know why we’ve come I imagine.” Teddy opened.
“You are here to discuss the upcoming contract and why my god was so insistent that you conduct it.”
“We are, we want to know what your gods stake in this contract is, why us and why has your church been so insistent we are so involved with the frankenmonster scientists?”
Lucy was more than capable of splitting her attention, while she listened she inspected each item.
Item: [Magisters Sheath] (bronze rank, legendary) [TOUCHED BY DIVINITY]
A personal gift from a deity. Hand crafted to be personalised to the wearer.
Effect: Magically reinforced storage for magical artefacts. Will protect any artefacts from impact or attack, unless pulled by the wearer the items will be secure in the sheath. Increases the wearers mana pool by a moderate amount.
“Your interactions with the agents of these foul abominations have been fortuitous. They will open the way for the gods purpose ahead.”
“So it has to do with what he wants at silver rank then?” Teddy spoke for all of them.
“It does, but I cannot talk more on that until more has developed and you are more ready.”
Lucy picked up the next item, James’ belt.
Item: [Belt of the Animagus] (bronze rank, legendary) [TOUCHED BY DIVINITY]
A personal gift from a deity. Hand crafted to be personalised to the wearer.
Effect: A belt with dimensional storage, designed to adapt to an essence user with transformation powers. The wearer will have access to any item placed within the pouch when transformed. Transformation powers will cost the user 10% less.
[James this is a really good little boost, useful and stylish.] she passed him the belt back and he put it on straight away.
Teddy was still questioning the man. “And this trip? It will give us more answers to the task ahead?”
“Not answers, but lay a foundation of understanding.” The wraith man cocked his head as if listening for a moment. “It also presents adventure and opportunity for you as a team, it is a prestigious contract that will present unique experiences.”
Lucy slid open the box that was reminiscent of the boxes they had received their essences in to look at the hair beads that Kyra had been gifted.
Item: [Seer’s Beads] (bronze rank, legendary) [TOUCHED BY DIVINITY]
A personal gift from a deity. Hand crafted to be personalised to the wearer.
Effect: A collection of beads personally hand engraved by a god. Each bead’s effects vary from small increase to mana pool, small increase to mana regeneration and a small decrease in mana cost to healing magic.
Lucy tilted the box this way and that, the metal beads were beautifully engraved and as they caught the light they sparkled with the hint of divinity and she knew Kyra would love them for that if nothing else. She was impressed with the amount, even with such a small boost to each effect there were enough beads to make it noticeable. Teddy’s armour was the last thing she had to inspect.
Item: [Bracers of Defiance] (bronze rank, legendary) [TOUCHED BY DIVINITY]
A personal gift from a deity. Hand crafted to be personalised to the wearer.
Effect: The wearer may bring the bracers to bare against physical and magical attacks. When brought together the bracers form a shield of force in front of the wearer to block incoming attacks, when struck together enemies will feel the force of defiance. Lesser magical attacks may be absorbed through one bracer and returned from the other.
[Teddy, these check out, there’s going to be a lot of Wonder Woman jokes though. Even with that they’re worth adding to your load-out.] She passed the bracers to Teddy. They were gunmetal grey and carved with Celtic-looking patterns with the engraved portions blackened, they were small and only covered the majority of the wrist of his forearms. He rolled his eyes when he saw the description and put them on, pulling the leather straps tight.
“Ok, we just wanted to check in and see if we could get any answers before we jump in on this. I don’t think we really got anymore by coming here.” Teddy said with a note of finality.
“But gifts!” Kyra said, running her fingers through the beads in the box. “Please say thankyou to the big man for the gifts, they’re beautiful.” She untied her thick golden blonde hair from its usual braid down her back and with bronze rank speed and agility she tied the beads into individual braids before braiding the whole lot into one long thick tail that almost reached her waist. Her hair was enhanced by Lucky being absorbed and the beads made it resplendent, it was definitely going to turn some heads.
[Anyone any more questions? I don’t think this is a deal breaker, there’s some serious adventuring to be had and I’m up for it.] No one disagreed with Teddy so he stood up.
“Please thank you god for the gifts for us, I guess we had better make our way to the adventure society to let them know we will accept.”
They all got up and the wraith man opened the door for them, as his hand touched the door it became fully corporeal to grasp the handle. As they made their way out they realised how soundproof the room had been, the party had made its way into the depths of the temple. Ragnar saw them coming out from where he stood, a mead barrel stuck under one arm with the top cracked off, he was grabbing peoples flagons and dunking them in to refill them before shoving them back at their owners, sloshing a little beer in the process.
“MITCHELLS!” He boomed, much more drunk. “A joy to behold! Drink and be merry!”
“Ha, Ragnar thankyou, we were just on our way out.” James said.
“WHATS THIS?!” The man said, dropping his barrel, luckily it landed square on its bottom so the beer shot straight up and landing back within the barrel. He grabbed Teddy’s arm, looking at the armour “You have received blessings from our god?! Hail and rejoice! We must drink to celebrate!” The party crowd around them all cheered and toasted, coming forward to see their gifts. Lucy had strapped her holster onto her left leg, going onto her belt and another lower strap around her upper thigh, she had even put a few wands into the slots. The team looked at each other.
“Well the society can always wait until tomorrow?” Kyra said.
Lucy surprised them all by grabbing a huge flagon of beer and jumping on a table which silenced everyone, she started reciting a poem from memory with gusto.
“Drink to the Allfather's Eye
for Odin's sons are we.
Drink to the World-Tree where he hung
and the Runes of Mystery.
Drink to the truth of steel
and blood that falls like rain.
Drink to Valhalla's golden walls
and to our kinsmen, slain.
Drink to the Glory-field
where a man embraces death, and
thank the gods that we live at all
with our joyous dying breath!
Drink for the wind blows cold and
Drink for the Wolf runs free
Drink to the ships with the sails like wings
for Odin's sons are we!”
Even thought the assembled party had no idea who Odin was, what Valhalla was or who this small woman on the table was, but they went berserk, the volume pitched and beer flew everywhere, Lucy was lifted off the table and carried around while they all drunk and ate all night long.