Chapter 15

“Most people say to avoid where the old gods fell, lots of crap about the wyrd you know? Don’t listen to them kid. A few drops of an Aesir’s blood? You and I can run this town.”

-Last recorded words of Alvar Bjornson before his doomed Trollheim expedition.

The day started so well, Sol hung in the sky warm and bright, Yggdrasils distant leaves cast deep green shadows across the Realm, the light scent of flowers was on the breeze. The expedition had just left Lindholm and was traveling up the Burning Road into the depths of the Wold, despite the gloom under the trees people were laughing, droogs chuffing, the handful of scouts that usually led the expedition were happily milling around the chum wagon, relieved to be on a proper road for once, some of the delvers were even off hunting in the woods of the Wold despite the danger of enchantment or lokispawn lingering in its depths.

Erika had just gotten back from helping Bjorn with one such foraging mission, she hopped up onto her shiny green caravan and handed some of her haul up to Helga who took it with a smile. Sigrun was arguing with Alvis, Tathra was being shooed off Solvor even the damn alchemist Ammeris seemed a bit less up tight today, drinking from a flask of something hidden up her sleeve and telling a boisterous tale of stopping a house-burning. Next to Erika’s wagon a few of her fellow foragers had stopped and were chatting happily, one had just raised a waterskin to his lips when he shuddered slightly and let out a faint moan, more a rustle of air than a real sound.

Erika leant off the box to look at him, maybe he was choking on his drink? She thought. Looking at him closely she saw his waterskin was still tipped downwards, a cool clear stream running down his chest, across the furs and linen… and around the haft of the arrow embedded in his lung.

“AMBUSH!” Helga screamed leaning across and dragging Erika back as suddenly the Wold came alive with bandits and brigands, men and women nearly all human but with a handful of Jotunkin, all wearing thick fur daubed with moss and dirt over dulled chainmail and vine wrapped shields, shining axes and razor-sharp swords appeared from sheathes and bags as they howled and charged.

Instantly pandemonium reigned, Erika saw Solvor charge forwards fists flying with Bjorn on her heels shouldering his huge longbow, Ammeris started desperately fiddling with her pouches and vials as Tathra drew a short bow and vanished into the dark undergrowth. In the distance a second volley of arrows hummed out of the trees and slammed down into the caravans leaving screams echoing in their wake.

“Shield wall!” Sigurn’s voice cut through the tumult, dragging the stunned expeditionaries together, wood clacked against wood as a handful of shields were raised but the enemy was already amongst them.

Erika had never felt so scared in her life, she found herself literally frozen with terror like she was watching herself from outside her own body, watching a stupid girl in a pointless cloak who was probably going to die.

“Vitki! GET THEIR ARCHERS!”

Sigurn’s voice rose over the din and seemed to echo in Erika’s mind, the world came back to life in a single instant.

The cold burn of fear replaced with the hot burn of desire in Erika’s chest, she wasn't as good as she’d said, she wasn't as good as they deserved, but she knew she was all they had and she was damned if she’d let her friends get hurt.

Sliding herself out from under Helga’s protective arm Erika climbed up on top of her caravan, the distant archers still reloading couldn’t stop her as she took her stance and drank from her Odium Well as deeply as she could.

Vitki were measured by circles and ranks, ranks were more complex but boiled down to how many parts of your soul have you ignited and thus how many of the Pillars of magic can you use? Unlocking only one Pillar grants the title of neophyte. Circles are easier to understand, higher circle? Better spell. Muscle Spasm was a 1st circle spell and Tear Musculature was a 4th circle one.

It took years for a vitki to grow in circle, they needed to live, to change, to become more, unlocking Pillars was even harder. Erika wasn't some once in a life time genius, she wasn't a chosen demi-god, but she was good at what she did… very good in fact. She may only be second circle but she was an apprentice not a neophyte, she had ignited two parts of her soul and she shoved Odium into both of them.

Combination casting was hard, exhausting and dangerous but it was the reason that ranks were separate from circles, if you were lucky enough to learn a cross Pillar spell, each of them was stronger than normal, generally they were considered one circle higher for each extra pillar you used.

The long and the short of it? Erika could cast basically a third circle spell, and she was damn well going to.

“Far-flung creature I call you to feast

You who ever chased the goddess east

Your fetters I shatter from most to least

By my hand I free the Gorebeast!”