OOC - Beyond the Ragnarok Chapter 10

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8
Chapter 9

Entering the Fray

The day started as any other, what wildlife was around going about their lives, before being startled away by the waking of a giant.

Of all things he enjoyed, sleeping amongst the northern pines was high on his list or any woodland floor for that matter. Groaning against the fatigue, he heaved himself on to his feet and looked around for an early meal.

With some food in his gut, Erik began his walk, going nowhere in particular, instead enjoying the calm found in the area he had found himself in. Occasionally using the massive hammer he kept as a walking cane, he traveled for most of the day, until finding himself near a Glade.

Beautiful he thought to himself, as he ran his hand through the water, fish swimming quickly away from the large invader. Feeling a sense of calm, he decided this was a good enough place to stay the night and so, after eating a few of the fish, lay down and closed his eyes.

Erik felt his mind wake, though he could sense it was a dream. He felt himself wander through a dense forest, feeling a presence beside him but not able to turn to see it.

Suddenly he came upon a clearing, with a camp set up in the middle, but he knew something was wrong. Blood was everywhere, but no bodies to go with it.

NO ERIK, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS!!

Erik woke with a violent jerk, accidently knocking off a chunk of the rock wall beside him. Gasping for breath, he leaned up to see dawn creeping along the horizon.

Then he smelled the stench of rancid breath and freshly broken trees and with further investigation he saw a group of trolls fighting amongst each other, throwing trees and destroying the pond in thier frenzy. Although smarter than most Jotuun, the sight of this peaceful Glade being devastated brought a primal rage from within him as he flung himself at them with a guttural roar.

***

Kespin scrambled over and sat cross legged in front of Luna, he cocked his head and studied her for a long moment, opening and closing his mouth as if choosing his words, he looked like a fish.

"Why?" he repeated slowly after a moment, "I collect knowledge is why, knowledge of the time before, knowledge god and monsters, knowledge of magic."

"What for." Balar growled, the pain of his injuries darkening his mood.

"because what is lost must be found." Kespin snapped clutching his precious book to his chest, "The Ragnarok was incomplete, the strands of fate torn asunder as were the worlds and peoples. The tree must be made whole and the order must return." As he spoke his voice grew louder and more confident. Majvok sat up and peered over and both Tiella and Luna leaned forward with interest.

"What do you know of the Harlequin?" Tiella asked suddenly but before the old man could answer a loud thud and blood curdling roar sounded from outside and the wagon came to a sudden halt.

"Weapons out." the merchant called back into the wagon.

"Gods breath." curse Dyvia who was still sitting up front, "Is that?"

Tiella and Luna peered out into the shadows of twilight to see that the wagon was passing through an abandoned grove and it appeared that a tree had fallen in front of it. No not fallen, it had been thrown. The gaping hole where it had been torn from the ground was about fifteen feet away.

"What is is?" Luna asked from inside.

Majvoc appeared on the ground next to the wagon having slipped out the other side. he was gaping at the sight of the battle that was taking place on the far side of the tree. In the centre of the ancient grove a pack of trolls were in the middle of a bloody battle with a Jotun.

"Its a bloody giant!" Balar gasped, gripping his axe and jumping to the ground with a pain filled grunt. Tiella followed and Luna peered out then to see what was happening.

Erik had faced trolls in the past, the filthy things were everywhere, but he soon realized his misjudgment as he bashed ones skull in, just to turn and see three more.

Even then, his rage was in control, bringing a skill to his swings that many times had surprised himself. Bringing the hammer down on the shoulder of another, the sickening sweet crunch and pop of it's dislocation created the distraction needed for another to get bite down on his own arm.

Pain seized his body as the trolls tusks dug deep, forcing him to drop his war hammer. The mix of battle fury and anguish was overwhelming his conscious mind, clouding what little control he had.

This is ENOUGH, the thought tore through his mind as his vision became clouded and Erik finally agreed to lose control.

Outside of his mind, the troll on his shoulder was still trying to saw through his arm, scratching his body for good measure. The other trolls had begun fighting themselves again, one trying to eat the limp arm of the other.

Another battle cry turned their attention to their original fight, in time to watch their comrade being thrown into the rock wall, then being set upon by Erik as he faced it barehanded, brawling with a revived strength. As they were about to set upon him, they heard commotion coming from over a tree that had been felled.

Their maws filled with saliva as they then smelled the flesh of softer prey.

“What are we waiting for we have to help him.” Luna yelled.

As she jumped down from the wagon. She took off in a sprint towards the fight. A troll got in her way and was rewarded with a swift smack in the face from her staff.

She continued to move through the trolls using her staff as a weapon in order to get to the injured Giant at one point she shot a shadow ball as one of the trolls. It sent it flying backwards into several others.

"Luna wait." Tiella cried and the elf charged into the fray.

Balar made to charge after he but Tiella restrained him. He looked at her in shock,

"You won't last a minute in your state." She said.

"Neither will she if we do not help." Balar argued.

"Listen to me you thick headed lump, stay here and guard the wagon. Dyvia?"

"Sod that." The dwarf called down from the wagon. Majvoc laughed at that but after a glare from both Tiella and Balar he gave a heavy sigh and started to string his bow.

"Dyvia please." Tiella tried again and the dwarf eventually climbed down with a groan.

Tiella glanced over and saw that Luna was hard pressed and the giant was injured and wavering.

"Husband you stay, Dyvia with me and Majvoc keep those arrows coming."

And then with a roar of anger she drew her silver dagger and charged the trolls just as the Joton gave his own roar and charge from the other direction.

After pummeling a troll thoroughly, Erik spun to see which of the others was next. As he closed in on one, he was snapped out of his blood lust by a sudden bolt that sent the beast flying. Looking for the source, he was surprised to see an elf holding several trolls at bay and doing a decent job at it. As another spell enveloped another opponent, the elfs next target was skewered by what looked like a spear, then another burst from it's skull. Erik notched another arrow, deciding to let the elf sacrifice itself in order to weaken the trolls further.

The rising sun was starting to become a problem for Luna. Her shadow magic was not as powerful during the day. She finally resorted to her shield. It danced around her and shimmered like moon light. But that would only last for so long. It did however give her enough time to catch her breath.

After a few more arrows were loosed upon the trolls, Erik realized the the elf was now being overwhelmed. Thinking of plans, he decided his best options were either to once again get into melee or escape to tend his wounds and let the elf die.

A shot of sudden pain snapped him back as the adrenaline and battle fury were beginning to fade. His choice was made, grabbing his war-hammer in his good arm, he charged back to aid the elf.

Luna’s shield eventually failed but help was on the way.

The sun was high enough that she could not use her magic. She did not stand much of a chance with out it. She used her staff to block and send trolls backwards. Her skin was already showing sines that she was going the get burned by the sun. A troll hit her and sent her flying into a tree or was it the Giant she did not know.

She fell to the ground the struggles to her feet holding her staff at the ready. She would wait and let the trolls come to her.

Using his charge to give more power to his attack, Erik drove the closest troll to it's knees, before switching stance and sending it flying into another.

How many are there? Why are there this many?

The questions were beginning to race through his mind, something about this felt....staged almost.

A roar alerted him to a troll charging behind him. Waiting for it to get closer, he smashed in it's head using it's own momentum against his warhammer. A small lull gave him the time to notice another had joined the fight, she looked human, but smelled different. The elf he now saw was just using her staff, not a good sign, he sighed before running over to his ally, now dedicated to help her survive.

Tiella stabbed at the nearest Troll as it tried to swipe for Luna. The blade sank deep into the troll flesh and she ripped the life force from the creature with viscous glee. The sickly energy poured through her and she released it into another nearby troll incinerating the creature where it stood.

She was knocked from her feet then by a third hairy beast and as she rolled onto her back it loomed over her ready to feed. Two arrows suddenly sank into the side of its head and she heard Majvok cry out in triumph.

Dyvia was there then helping her to her feet and together with Luna they held their ground.

It was then that the giant came crashing into the trolls from behind, a blood curdling roar escaping his lips.

Erik drove all of his weight into the nearest troll, sending it tusks first into a nearby tree trunk.

His arm was now limp from his wound and the rest of his body wasn't in the best of shape. Taking a quick look at the others, the elf looked ready to fall as well, but others had joined. Half-elf he had seen already, a dwarf coming to her aid after being sent flying. He had heard an archer, but couldn't see him anywhere. This gave him an uneasy feeling and he had already had to many of those. He moved to stand near the elf, the three trolls left looking for an opening.

"Are you here to help or do you fight so you can kill me yourself?"