Battle Through the Nine Realms - Chapter 9 - A Warrior Appears (Patreon)

The troll turned to face Reinn, who had managed to spear the creature in the gut on its side, sinking two-thirds of the blade into the less hardened flesh.  

Valgard’s axe swung at the hand that was coming toward Brennor.  

Unlike the others, Magnus didn’t want to announce his presence.  He didn’t want the troll to know he was there.

Planting his feet and leading with his hips, the axe came down and around as he twisted his whole body.  

His eyes never came off the Achilles heel of the troll, and when the blade dug into the hardened flesh, it only cut about three inches, but it was all that he needed it to do.

The troll started to stumble as the blade stayed wedged in its leg just above the ankle, tripping and falling toward Magnus, who was under it.

Leaping forward, he jumped through the narrow space between the troll’s legs as it fell, thankful for the first time his body wasn’t that big.  Rough skin from the troll’s left leg rubbed against his left arm, tearing skin off and causing him to bleed.  

“While it’s down!” Reinn shouted, not hesitating to renew his vigor, and thrust the spear into the creature’s chest.

An arm came across, snapping the shaft and leaving the spear tip and a foot of wood embedded between a rib.

Magnus continued to roll, looking to see what the others were doing. He saw that Valgard was holding his right arm, looking like it had been yanked out of the socket.

Brennor had moved to the other side, taking advantage of the stump on the right arm at the wrist.  

Everything moved slowly and yet fast like all the other times he had been in battle.  Each man’s face showed intent and conviction while the last two farmers finally got involved, hacking at the leg or exposed head.

On his feet, Magnus ran to where Valgard was and saw the first smile he could remember on the man’s face, causing a row of white to appear between his brown beard.

“Shoulder?” Magnus asked when he got next to the injured man.

Nodding but still smiling, Valgard motioned to the troll. “Cut his hand off, but the momentum about tore my arm off.”

Without hesitating, Magnus reached out and gently grabbed the hanging arm.  

“This will hurt.  Give me a moment.”

Valgard’s eyes widened as Magnus took the arm, bending it at a ninety-degree angle before starting to rotate it outward and slightly up.  He could feel the shoulder catching, and then it slipped back into place.  Pushing the arm toward Valgard’s chest, he nodded and let go as the Viking started to slowly rotate it, wincing from the pain of it.

“How?”

“No time,” Magnus said as he turned to find a weapon.  

Blood was soaking into the dirty grain that had been trampled and rolled over by the troll and men.  The stench was enough to make most gag, but these men were warriors, and the smell of death and decay had long since lost its sting.  

Reinn was using his axe, hacking at the arm that was missing chunks of flesh, blood splattering every time the creature tried to attack him.  When it rolled toward the Lendmann, Brennor stuck it with his spear in its leg and side, making its strikes worthless as it propped itself up with an arm and a leg.

The axe Magnus had used lay a few feet away, the troll having pushed itself along the ground in its attempt to defend itself.

Running toward it, Magnus grabbed it, hefting it once more and feeling a strength he hadn’t felt the first time.  He could tell how he should have swung better, how it might have cut a little deeper.

That damn rune!

Eyes widening as he realized the rune was helping him learn to swing an axe in combat, Magnus raced around the troll, noticing that Guat and Osvif had yet to move, both in shock from the events unfolding.  

Shifting his grip slightly and getting a little wider this time with his hands, Magnus moved to the top of the troll, nodding at Reinn and Brennor, who both almost seemed amused at the sight before them.

Both men yelled as Magnus reached the moment he was going to attack.  It had taken a few seconds, letting the troll swing and move his right arm, leaning on the left one.

As the older two Vikings shouted, keeping the beast’s attention, Magnus took the three steps needed to cover the distance, planting his feet and swinging the axe downward in a chopping motion.  

Like in the woods when he fought the boar, a thread seemed to guide his swing, leading his blade to the side of the creature’s throat.  

This time, the axe dug deeper, slicing almost five inches into the flesh beneath its jaw, along the base of its neck. There was an unprotected section, slightly higher than the shoulders and the rest of the neck, which had pads of extra skin.  As the blade cut deep, the troll rolled, trying to react to the attack.  The axe was ripped out of his hands, and a body slammed into him, tackling Magnus before the right arm tried to smash him into a paste.

As the troll came backward, slamming into the ground, it fell upon the axe with so much force it drove it deeper, cutting into its spinal column above the neck.

A guttural growl and roar came and was cut off as the creature spasmed, its chest shaking but its arms going still.

Brennor raced forward, driving the spear he held into the troll's chest right under the rib cage, and leaned into it, thrusting the weapon shaft up.  No arms came to knock him away, and the Viking thrust again and again, each time sinking the spear deeper inside until it pierced the heart he was aiming for.

Blood was coming from the mouth of the troll as it lay there, now still.

[ Your actions have earned the favor of Odin. ]

[ A wager was won about your bravery. Bonus experience granted. ]

[ A boon has been gifted for seven days. Mind of Loki - 2x Base Wisdom ]

[ Rune Experienced Gained ]

Holy shit! Are these gods just watching and waiting to see what the hell I’m doing?!

Lost in that thought for a moment, Magnus’s mind seemed supercharged.  Like chugging a Red Bull or something, it was firing on overdrive.

There had been so much noise for so long that when the fight ended, the silence seemed overwhelming.

He could hear each person's rapid breathing and see the men trembling from the adrenaline running through their bodies.  

“Einar, are you okay?!” 

Valgard was on top of him, having tackled the teen, his act preventing the troll’s arm that had come for him from connecting.

“I’m fine,” Magnus replied, taking a few deep breaths. “I’d be better if you weren’t crushing me.”

Laughter came from nearby, and both looked to see Reinn chuckling and shaking his head as he moved to where the pair were entangled on the ground.

“I wouldn’t have believed such a feat was possible, not even if Thor himself had come and told me,” Reinn said as he offered a hand to Valgard.  “You and your boy today fought well enough to earn a place in Valhalla, of which I am certain.”

Basically yanked to his feet by Reinn, Valgard didn’t wince from the pain in his shoulder. Instead, he reached down and helped Magnus get up.

“You fought like a Viking!” Reinn exclaimed, somehow forgetting the way the man had looked at him just a few days ago.  “You and Valgard shall earn a reward worthy of your help!”

Brennor came over, his spear covered in blood, and the three turned to see the man frowning.  His lips were pursed, and he appeared to be biting his beard.  

“Valgard… I owe you a drink at the Longhouse.”

It looked like someone had reached down the Viking’s throat and pulled those words out, but Valgard nodded and held out his hand.

“I look forward to hearing how we both tell this story there.”

A grin came across both men’s faces, and then the sound of groaning ended the celebration.

As one, they turned and surveyed the men who were injured or dead.

“We need a healer,” Brennor said.  “I can go get one.  You help the men.”

Reinn nodded and began checking on the men while the man raced toward where the horses had been left.

Magnus moved to where Hrein was and bent down, checking on the Viking.  His pulse was gone, and yet the man looked peaceful somehow.

“He’s dead,” Magnus called out as he looked over his shoulder at Reinn and his father.

Both men grunted, but neither said a word.  

It was then that Magnus saw Reinn pull out a knife and plunge it in between the farmer's chest and into his heart.  The man shuddered and went still.

He started to rush toward the Lendmann but stopped, remembering that death wasn’t an end here.  

Reinn went to another man who was gasping for air, the raspy sound of breathing carrying across the area where the battle had ended.

“You earned a reward. May the Valkyries see you safely to us again.”  With those words spoken, he repeated the act, ending the man's life with a dagger to the heart.  

“Father, what would you have me do?”

The men, still alive and standing, turned to see Guat a few feet away from the troll’s corpse, looking at it and his father.

“Fetch the weapons and shields. You and Osvif will carry them back to town.”

Magnus started to bend down and grab one of the axes of the farmers, who looked like they had been put in a vice and squeezed shut.  Blood, bones, flesh, and gore had erupted in a circle around their body as the bones shattered upon themselves and were driven into the dirt.

“Einar, don’t!” Reinn said quickly.  “You earned the right of battle today.  Without your bravery, I am not certain we would survive.”  He paused, the frown on his face evident as the man glanced at his son and then where Hrein’s body was.  

“If I had two more horses, I would let you and Valgard ride together.  Since I don’t, I will find a way to make it up to you.”

Standing up, Magnus moved to where Valgard was, searching through the field for the axe that had been sent flying.

For a minute, neither said a word as they moved further away from the rest, sweeping their hands along the heads of the grain and glancing at the golden harvest.

“He’s right,” Valgard said finally, almost whispering those words. “If I hadn’t seen it… perhaps your mother is right.  You do have a different blood in you.”

Valgard frowned, his frustration at something Magnus couldn’t quite understand just yet displayed on the older man's face.  Whatever Einar had been before he arrived, Valgard hated with a passion. Questions that didn’t have answers ran through Magnus’s mind, but he knew there also had to be a story about who Einar’s father was.  

“I just want to be a warrior, but as I said, I’ll do whatever you ask around the farm.”

Snorting, Valgard put his left hand on Magnus’s shoulder and let out a sigh.

“I’ll say it again, had I known smacking you across the head with a stone would have knocked sense into you like this, I would have done it years ago. I’m not sure what’s changed, but something about you is different.”

Groaning, Magnus played the role he needed to and shrugged.  

“Almost dying makes it real.  It helps you see that there are choices one must make and try to live by.”

Shaking his head slowly, Valgard stopped and then nodded.

“You’re right.  Blast Odin and Thor, but you are right,” the man declared as he gave a squeeze, let go of Magnus’s shoulder, and turned his attention back to the field.  

“If you keep that promise, I’ll do what I can to help you become the best warrior possible. Your mother asked me to help, and perhaps one day you can undo the damage to your father’s name.”

Nodding, Magnus pointed at the grain where it was bent and knocked down.

“You little shit,” Valgard said with a chuckle. “You knew it was there all along, didn’t you?”

Grinning, Magnus shrugged and pointed toward the darkening sky.  “Only Odin knows.”

Laughing, Valgard moved to where Magnus had pointed and found the axe easily.

Two down and a village to go.  All it takes is bravery, not getting killed, and showing people you’re not a pansy, it seems.

Looking up at one of the two moons just starting to show itself in the west, Magnus considered what Odin had promised him.

I’m definitely going to have to get a lot stronger if I’m going to fight more things like that.