Elsewhere or possibly somewhere, in a drab and washed out lifeless grey cavern, the equally grey statue of a ‘man’ is lying stretched out between three boulders. The statue of a ‘woman’ kneels by his head holding a bowl over his chest. The only other thing in the cavern barring dust is the statue of a gigantic snake resting on a ledge above this tableau with its open-mouthed head directly above the bowl below.
As the first trickles of manna reach the cave, small flecks of pale colour start to make their appearance. The three statues all start to show some faint hints that they are not truly statues but something more.
« I pray we will all survive and gain our freedom, Loki please help me trick these swine and get away. »
Loki woke suddenly, he still felt terribly weak and lethargic, but, ‘a heartfelt prayer, so desperate...’ he thought as he forced himself to sit up. He looked around the cave and noted his wife, still frozen from the absence of manna and the dammed snake. ‘The System mmm... kay, can work with that, lets find out... I need Sigyn...’
After fumbling once or twice due to his inexperience with the System he succeeded in making use of it to updated himself. Loki smiled maliciously and after a moment’s thought he replied to his sole worshiper. Then he laughed and appointed her his High Priestess and gifted her with powers and abilities that would be useful to him – and incidentally, also for his new high priestess.
« Thank you Loki, Sigyn for your blessings, I hope I’ll prove worthy. »
Loki grinned at the success of his plans as Sigyn woke.
“Come love, our new high priestess has given us a glorious opportunity, we won’t need Ragnarok to gain our vengeance, first this serpent, then Váli, then the rest of that ungrateful lot starting with the ‘allfather’.” Loki turned and ripped the petrified serpent asunder then shredded its life force to ensure it wouldn’t be resurrected. “Then we’ll have a word with my dear daughter Hel and get our son Narfi back.”
Loki paused for a moment, he met his wife’s eyes and smiled involuntarily. He sent his High Priestess a message and his command. « Shaleen, daughter, get free and if possible kill your guards to delay word of your escape, I need you here in Midguard. Come quickly delaying only to warn your parents and offer them our blessing. Severed links and rune crafting for one shapeshifting for the other. Their choice. »
The two vengeful gods left the cavern that had been their prison and torture chamber for a millennia or so. They quickly made their way to Asgard where they indulged themselves and conducted a complete slaughter amongst the still comatose Gods.
= = O = =
Lilly sat quietly in the Adventurer’s Guild’s waiting room wondering why the guildmaster Vartark wanted to see her. She glanced at the two others waiting with her in the room. A quick analyse informed that the large man sitting to her right was a level thirty-four warrior and the elf next to him was a level fifty-eight Ranger. ‘Eh... typecasting at its finest,’ she thought to herself.
Just then the guildmaster’s personal secretary, Siri-Anna, poked her head round the door, “Lilly, the guildmaster will see you now.”
Lilly rose and followed Siri-Anna through the door into her office and was then ushered into the guildmaster’s office. Vartark was sitting enthroned behind his massive truewood desk. He indicated one of the uncomfortable looking wooden chairs located in front of his desk and said, “Welcome Lilly, please take a seat.”
Lilly sat on the chair, “What do you want to see me for guildmaster?”
“Please call me Vartark,” He paused as he studied the young looking half-elf sitting quietly in front of his desk, he knew she was almost fifty years old, but she still looked like a teenager. Obviously her elven heritage was dominant. He knew she was meticulous, frugal and somewhat cautious. In all an unusual personality for a fire mage.
Lilly waited patiently, not saying anything.
Then Vartark continued. “I trust you are aware that the Gods of Light have decided to grab another world, what you probably don’t know is that the System was not active there. That world’s manna is sealed.
“The invasion is not going well. After overrunning several prosperous towns and villages, all apparently virtually defenceless, the host nation reacted, not by trying to negotiate but by annihilating the first crusade. The local’s army contains mobile steel fortresses, flying golems, and their infantry seem to all be classed as soldier, sub-class ranger. They are all armed with ranged weapons. Deadly ranged weapons.
“The Church’s phalanxes were slaughtered to a man and their knights fared worse, or at least they died faster.”
Lilly licked her lips nervously feeling a chill running up and down her spine. She was starting to get worried.
“Feroxibus himself led the second army though the gate – he survived – the army didn’t. The guild auxiliaries...” Vartrak placed a small tray on the desk between them and poured the contents of a bag onto it.
Lilly’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of about two score lightless life crystals. “Wha... how, aren’t guild auxiliaries in a crusading host over level sixty?”
Vartark looked grim, “yes, but they were all killed. Apparently manna and magic aren’t needed to create a truly deadly army. Feroxibus was slightly injured and has since had to concentrate on defence. His priests are currently – how shall I put it – in a state of – denial, yes denial and bloody dangerous to approach.” Vartark grinned crookedly at Lilly’s expression, “I, that is the Guild has appointed you the guildmaster for this new word.”
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Vartark seemed to take pleasure in Lilly’s confusion. “The inhabitants will need to be taught about the System and the Guild’s place in it. Congratulations guildmaster Lilly. You will have to sneak into that world and avoid their rangers. I have selected your first two assistants.”
Lilly swallowed convulsively, “System display the relevant information needed to sneak into the new world.”
ting: easiest way to enter Midgard and survive, contact High Priestess of Loki and Sigyn, Shaleen currently in Foraville.
“WHAT?!!?” shouted Lilly and Vartark in unison.
“System who are Loki and Sigyn?” queried Lilly.
ting: they are Gods of Midgard. Loki is one of the chief Trickster gods and Sigyn is his devoted wife.
“Thanks for handing me this basket of snakes Vartark, two crusading armies defeated, nay, annihilated and Feroxibus thwarted and two of their gods have a High Priestess wandering around the capital.”
Vartark paged Siri-Anna and asked her to fetch the other two waiting adventurers to his office.
When they entered his office Vartark spoke, “Welcome Elorinal and Forax, allow me to introduce you to the newly appointed guildmaster for Midgard, Lilly. Please take a seat.”
The recently arrived duo gave Lilly a brief bow before seating themselves in front of Vartark’s desk. “So why have you summoned us guildmaster and what is Midgard?” asked Elorinal with a raised eyebrow.
“Midgard is the world the Gods decided to conquer, and whose people have destroyed two Crusading armies. And, as if that wasn’t enough, they have managed to wound Feroxibus.” Lilly smiled maliciously savouring the chance to shock somebody. “As for why you’re here, well guildmaster Vartark believes you are ideally suited to become my lieutenants and that we could all sneak into Midgard.”
“Why would we need to sneak, the Church is always willing to allow new guildmasters onto their new worlds,” asked Elorinal.
Lilly smiled sweetly and waved a hand at the tray on the guildmaster’s desk, “they entered Midgard with the blessing of the church. They died.”
Elorinal looked intrigued, Forax blanched. “I’m no good at sneaking, I decline your offer.”
“Fine, if you feel you are unable to help then please leave,” said Lilly.
As soon as the door closed behind the departing Forax, Lilly took a deep breath and looked Elorinal in the eyes, “Now we will have to find Shaleen, a High Priestess of two of Midgard’s Gods. She’s currently here in Foraville.”
Lilly concentrated and snapped her fingers. A small pale bar of light appeared in front of her face, spun slowly before steadying and pointing in the direction of Foraville’s trade district.
“Thank you for appointing me guildmaster of the \guild in Midgard Vartark. However I must leave as I’m on a deadline here and must rush.” With that Lilly left the guild offices following her glowing guide, her sole lieutenant following at her heels.
= = O = =
Shal looked down at her home noting the two temple guards at the front door with displeasure. She aimed for the open window of her bedroom and glided into the house. She landed on her bed with a muted thump, shimmered, becoming human once again, rose to her feet and walked though her bedroom door and made her way downstairs to talk to her parents.
In the lounge, Traleen and Rapheel were preparing to leave their home, both had hastily filled backpacks at their feet, Traleen was wearing the metal reinforced armour from her adventuring days whilst Rapheel wore pale brown robes. They both started when Shaleen entered the room from the hall.
Rapheel rushed to hug his daughter, “Shal, what are you doing here, how did you get past the guards?”
“I flew. I entered through the window in my room,” Shal smiled, “here let me show you something.”
Shal called up her Status and showed it to her bemused parents. “I have an offer from Loki, I can sever your links to the Church of Light, you wouldn’t need to convert but you would be aligned with Loki. He has never had many worshipers but many have followed him.”
Shal sighed, “Loki has offered to grant each of you a gift. One of you may choose the ability to shapeshift into either hawk, wolf or sea serpent. Just one of those three shapes. The other would be granted Rune crafting. Personally I have to go to Midgard. And I have to be there soon. Very soon.”
“If that means the Church can’t track us then we accept, right Rapheel? Also I believe your father could make best use of Rune crafting, personally I think a wolf would be most useful option.”
“I agree,” said Rapheel.
So Shal invoked Loki’s gift and ‘blessed’ her parents with the skills and abilities they sought, then she summoned a swarm of stinging flies and set them on the guards outside their front door. After a few cries of surprise and pain the guards fled.
= = O = =
Lilly and Elorinal followed their guide through the streets, luckily for them their destination was near the edge of the trade district. They found the road they had just entered strangely deserted. The two Temple guards guarding one of the houses explained the lack of people. Most people feared the temple guards. Lily checked her guide then looked up when she heard agonised cries. They came from the Temple guards.
Elorinal sniggered as he watched a swarm of oversized flies stinging the guards. From their reactions he suspected that the flies had very painful venomous stings.
Lilly watched the rout of the Temple louts. She found the sniggers issuing from her lieutenant sounded very odd coming from a male. She hurried towards the house with Elorinal. They arrived just as the door opened and two adventurers stepped out accompanied by a girl child.
All five froze for a moment, then Traleen’s sword almost seemed to teleport into her hand as she took up a defensive position. Rapheel stood just behind his wife’s left shoulder holding an enchanted spellstone. Shal stood tall, on all four paws. Her wolf form stood a tad over two meters at the shoulder and acid dripped from her jaws hissing as it touched the flagstones damaging them.
Lilly froze, then showed her empty hands, “Please, I don’t mean you any harm, the System indicated that I will need the High Priestess’ help to enter Midgard. I’m the newly appointed guildmaster for the Adventurers Guild on Midgard.”
The giant wolf huffed and seemed to grin. Lilly could almost swear she could see blue flames lick around its teeth. “So what do you want from my God guildmaster?” it enquired in a low pitched rumbling female voice.
Lilly licked her lips wide eyed. “Please can you sneak us into Midgard so that I can set up their Adventurers Guild. You know every world needs one.”
Shal’s eyes narrowed as she seemed to be consulting something, “Not so, but it could prove amusing. Very well, if you consent to have your links with the Gods of Light cut I will help you. But hurry we don’t have long.” The wolf glanced at her parents, “are you sure you can’t come yet.”
“Yes we are Shal, we need to warn the rest of the family.”
Shal issued a chilling low laugh, “Oh I suspect the Gods’ time is numbered in mere hours so be prepared for chaos,” she chuckled again. “A gift from Loki. One of his finest tricks.”
Elorinal stepped forward, “I accept my lady Priestess.” Shal glanced at him and Elorinal lost the feeling of being constantly spied on, he seemed to straighten as if a great weight had lifted from his shoulders.
Lilly hesitated longer but she also agreed.
“See you later daddy, mom.” The wolf shimmered and was replaced by a huge falcon, Lilly and Elorinal also shimmered and were replaced by falcons, normal sized ones, “follow!” shrieked Shal, and powered into the air as she arrowed toward the city of the Gods and the Gate.