Ethan followed the war party through the gates, the reins of his horse in his hand as he walked. As soon as he entered the stockade, it seemed like the air grew much warmer. The buildings were not as elaborate as Startesgarde, tall steepled roofs over basic wooden structures. Some of the buildings looked to have been crafted from the hulls of ancient warships. Animalistic mastheads loomed over him, remnants of the building materials previous purpose.

But the entire town had a “home” feeling to it. The sounds of hammers on metal echoed around him and he could see twin forges located directly across from each other immediately as he entered the town. I wonder if Daniel will have to come out here for a quest, we’ll have to buy him a horse if he does.

“This way. Follow.” The large man who mocked him outside the palisade motioned for Ethan to continue after them. He was surprised to see people laughing and enjoying themselves as they went about their daily routines. Children played in the path, men and women sang as they worked. From the cold weather and the colder greeting he’d received, he’d expected to see a town of stern and unfriendly people.

One by one the war party broke apart as the men and women returned to whatever they’d been doing before Siv had summoned them. One of the men took the reins of his horse and led her away with a kind pat on the muzzle. Finally, the only two left were her and the large unfriendly man.

He stood even taller than Siv, broad shouldered and extremely muscular. His head was shaved and instead of tattoos, he had intricate scars that raised above his skin. A double bladed axe was strung across his muscular back.

“Where are we going?” Ethan asked.

Siv stopped and turned around to look at him.

“You wanted to see the War Shaman, right? That’s where we’re going.” She shook her head at his idiocy and continued walking. Her companion chuckled from in front of Ethan.

Several minutes of walking later they stopped again.

“We’re here.” Siv pointed at a small round building situated near the lake side, isolated from the rest of the town. Three round columns rose from the curved walls, as if marking the corners. In front of him, a large brazier burned next to one of the columns, marking the entrance to the structure. To his right bare rock surrounded another one of the columns and to the left grass blew freely in the wind. Ethan stepped around Siv and saw the lake behind the building with the top of another column rising above the walls.

Hesitantly, he began to walk forward.

“She’s not going to stab you, outsider!” The man laughed at Ethan’s cautious approach.

Ethan blushed, glad he was facing away from the pair, and continued towards the building.

Approaching the column near the entrance, he saw it was much more intricate than he had seen from afar. It wasn’t perfectly smooth, but had been carved in the image of climbing flames. Red runes glowed in what seemed to be random places. A fierce power radiated from the wooden pole and he felt his resolve strengthen. Much more confidently, Ethan strode forward to the simple wooden door.

Small clusters of candles and incense burned around the edges of the room providing a warm light. He could tell something was etched into the floor, but the dim lighting made it hard to distinguish. In the middle of the room, a figure knelt.

“You come into this place of sanctuary, disturbing my concentration and don’t even have the courtesy to introduce yourself.” A rough femanine voice echoed through the room “What has happened to manners in this day and age?”

Several braziers that had been nothing but glowing embers moments before, now erupted into brilliant flame. Wind burst from nowhere and the unseen shutters flew open. The dim room was now bathed in light. The etchings in the floor were revealed to be a large circle of runes, animal skins decorated the walls and Ethan thought he saw a small sleeping area. Beside which hung a wooden rack full of axes, swords and spears.

An elderly woman stood tall in front of him wearing simple green and brown leather robes. Unlike Siv or any of the women in the town he’d seen on his way through, she wasn’t extremely muscular, her appearance looked more like a grandmother. Her grey hair was pulled back into a tight bun and despite her rough greeting, her face looked compassionate.

“Speak up boy, I know you heard me.” She addressed Ethan once again.

“I’m sorry, ma’am.” Ethan apologized, unsure of what to say.

“I’ll say. Well Sorry, why have you come here?” Her grandmotherly tone was patronizing in her response.

“Sorry, my name is Ethan.” His ears burned hot, the subtle admonishment wasn’t lost on him. “I was sent here by Elder Shaman Grimar Akilsson in Startesgarde to learn from the War Shaman.”

“Ah.” She paused and pursed her lip, looking him over in appraisal before continuing. “Well, you’ve found me. What is it you came here to learn? Manners, perhaps?”

Ethan’s embarrassment burned hotter. He’d assumed that the humble appearing woman was an aide, not the War Shaman herself.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am.” Ethan kneeled in respect to the venerable warrior. He’d thought the entire three day ride of how to present himself, humility and supplication were what he’d finally decided on and he’d messed it up immediately.

“Boy, get on your feet.” Ethan saw her sigh and motion for him to stand. “Now, you still haven’t answered the question.”

Ethan stood up, before he could respond she quickly added.

“You have apologized thrice now, do it again and I’ll call you Sorry for the rest of the time you’re under my tutelage.”

“I’m…” Ethan caught himself. “Elder Akilsson sent me to learn the ways of the Battle Shaman from you.”

“Of course he did. That old goat has been trying to pawn off a new apprentice on me for years,” She smiled at him for the first time, once again reminding him of a grandmother. “I’m old but I’m not stupid.”

“Come over here boy,” War Shaman Hertha Korisdottir beckoned him over to herself, not moving from her position in the middle of the runic circle.

Hesitantly, Ethan took a step forward.

“I’m not going to bite you.” She smiled at her own joke.

When he finally made his way to the middle of the circle, Hertha reached up and held his face in her hands. She held his jaw tightly, as she twisted his head up and down, led and right. Energy tickled his skin as he looked at her closed eyes.

“Well,” she said after several seconds, taking her hands from his face, opening her eyes and taking a step back. “You have been touched by two of the elemental spirits already.”

Ethan was stunned, he had no idea what she was talking about. He hadn’t encountered any elementals in game at all since he’d respawned. Is this just flavor text for the quest? Something about this woman, and the town in general, felt more immersive than anything else he’d encounted before in the game.

“Can you guess which ones?” Hertha’s voice was calm and patient. Her green eyes twinkling with candle light.

Ethan stood silent in front of her completely confused. I don’t even know what the elemental spirits are. When I was a Sorcerer, I had access to elemental magic but the trainers explained that was a manipulation of arcane energy and not spiritual. But that’s just a game mechanic, it isn’t real. I cast spells because the game lets me.

“I can tell what you’re thinking, and you’re not even close.” She smiled again, whatever test she’d arbitrarily administered he’d apparently passed because her demeanor was much more warm.

“You have no idea what I’m thinking.” Ethan said without meaning to.

“Don’t I?” She cocked her head, pausing before continuing. “You’re looking inside yourself to ‘know’ how you’ve been touched. Examining yourself internally, trying to make some connection between the present and the past.”

That’s oddly close. Ethan blinked rapidly, surprised at her insight.

“But you’re asking the wrong questions of yourself.” Hertha said.

“What is the right question?” Ethan was having no luck figuring out this elemental connection he supposedly had, much less the second one.

“How would me telling you help you to grow?” She asked him in the same patient tone.

Ethan’s brow furrowed as he continued concentrating, he was starting to get frustrated that he was drawing such a blank. No quest had been like this before. And for one called Battle Shaman, he felt like there already should have been more combat training.

But as annoyed as he was getting at this puzzle, his determination never wavered. He was going to get the answer.

“Here is my last hint: you’re focused on how you’d know and not what you know.” Her emphasis didn’t help the cryptic “hint” she’d given him.

Ethan kept concentrating, now going through everything he’d ever learned and how it could relate to an elemental spirit. War Shaman Hertha just stood watching him with a slight smile on her face.

Finally it came to him.

“Earth?” He guessed, hoping it was the right answer.

“And how did you come to that answer?” Her voice remained calm and neutral as she continued questioning him.

“I know a spell that allows me to cause jagged earth spikes to burst from the ground.” He said, now quite unsure if he had got the answer right.

“You are correct.” She said with genuine pride. “And you found the answer much faster than I would have expected.”

Hertha sat in front of the brazier and gestured for him to do the same.

“The vættr of earth has granted you this ability.” She drew four runic symbols in the dirt floor. “Have you ever used your gift?”

“Yes.” Ethan said, joining her on the floor, unsure what a vættr was.

“And how did it feel?” She asked, looking up from her sketch.

“I don’t understand the question.” He said, slightly confused. He hadn’t felt anything particularly different the few times he’d used Earthen Spikes. But then, he’d been fighting and hadn’t been too focused on much else besides not dying.

“Hmm… fair.” Hertha looked pensive for a second before speaking again.

“Mages I have known have described their use of magic to me as ‘rational’, “logical’ or even ‘intellectual’. When you have used your gift, did any of those feelings apply?”

“No. Not at all.” Ethan said without hesitation and she gestured for him to continue. “I was in a battle, and I was so focused on what I was doing that it just came naturally.”

“Exactly.” She grinned at him again. “‘Focused’ maybe determined?” He nodded.

“These emotional states are additional gifts of the vættr of earth.” She said, tapping one of the runes she’d drawn, the one that looked like four small squares grouped together.

“Excuse me War Shaman, I don’t know what a “vite” is.” Ethan quickly interjected.

“Vættr or the vættir, are spirits. In this case, the embodiment of the Elements around us. The elements are a part of everything, even if we don’t know or recognize them as such.” She explained. “We only need to understand them and we can borrow their powers as our own.”

Ethan studied the remaining symbols. The three parallel lines in a wave he assumed would be water. Three overlapping triangles were probably fire. That just left the spiral to be wind.

“What is the other element you said I’d been touched by?” He asked, realizing he had momentarily forgotten about it.

“Can you guess?” She replied.

Ethan thought for several seconds. If the spell is Earth, then the other magic that I have would be my axe.

“Water.” He answered, feeling more confident than he had with Earth.

“Interesting.” Her answer was thoughtful. “Why do you say that?”

Emboldened by his correct answer earlier he continued quickly.

“My axe.” He said, drawing his weapon slowly. “It carries frost magic.”

“A good guess, but no.” Hertha replied. “Your weapon’s Magic is it’s own. The enchantment it carries does not come from you, or an elemental blessing. It was bestowed on creation by a smith.”

“Oh.” He was slightly crestfallen, he was feeling good about being correct and now his self doubt returned.

“I believe you can find the answer easier if I show you this time.” Hertha said, standing up.

Ethan quickly rose to his feet.

“Follow me.” She told him kindly, leading him to the door he’d entered from.