The Iron Bound

by J. M. Briggs

  The guilt couldn’t matter. The faeries were being controlled and that wasn’t their fault, but if the mages all died here then it wouldn’t matter. Arthur and Scáthbás would just enslave more and more. Eventually, they’d find Cathanáil, and if Merlin and Morgana died here then they wouldn’t even be able to guide her next life. At least that was what she told herself.

  Decision made, Alex curled her fingers inwardly and did something completely new to her. She willed her magic to cut her skin and felt the sharp pain as the flesh of her palm was pulled open by the flash of magic. It was both painful and hot, but the very feel of her own magic in the wound was instantly soothing, like a cool burst of air. Warm blood began to gather in her palm and Alex met Arthur’s eyes. They were widening with panic.

  Never looking away from him, Alex brought her hand forward and slid it into the mass of magic beside her. Magic rippled over her skin and when she opened her hand to fully expose her bloody palm to the air. The magic pulled at the energy in her blood and swirled around her, enveloping in her a pillar of magic. It burned and a scream was ripped from her throat as the magic backlashed through her body, setting every nerve ending on fire.

  There were faces: so many faces that she thought she’d seen before, but that flew by too quickly for Alex to be certain. Strange landscapes and cities passed before her; some familiar from books while others were completely alien. A familiar gleaming sword, a rusty chalice, an odd looking hammer, some kind of trident, that horrible chain and many others went by too fast for Alex to process. A pounding at the back of her skull made her groan in pain, but she fought through it all.

  The blood in her palm shimmered dark silver and glowed in time with her pulse as more magic flowed into the small pool. Blood dripped off her fingers and hit the ground, sending a wave of magic rolling outward like a boulder into the water. At the eye of the storm, the air around her stilled and the world seemed to fall silent for a long moment. Then the air began to vibrate around her and the earth beneath her feet trembled. A roar like a dozen rolls of thunder all at once and unending echoed around Alex making her heart jump.

  “Don’t kill the freed,” Alex whispered frantically, unable to hear her own voice. A wave of fear and guilt spilled over her, but she kept repeating the words. “Don’t kill the freed. Let them run.”

  She had no idea if it would make any difference. It was building and building around her as streams of red flowed across the ground. Alex could hear shouting and screams, but they couldn’t overcome the roar still filling her ears. The world exploded into red. Alex could see the shapes of the mages rushing about as glowing red figures while the Sídhe and Arthur were cool blue figures in stark contrast. Her vision began to clear and she could see fairies collapsing to the ground as the small rivers of glowing red blood poured out around her, climbing the hill and illuminating the edge of the forest in front of her.

  Arthur dove away from the rush of magic and one of the streams of blood, throwing his hand out to create a mist of dark sparks that spun around like a storm. He rolled back to his feet and took off running down the hill. Towards the lake, Alex realized weakly. She licked her lips and tried to speak, but the hum racing through her body was too much. The pain was gone, leaving her dazed and heady as she stumbled forward. Around them, the red glow was fading into the soil, but she could still feel it there just beneath the surface.

  Stumbling forward, Alex’s body felt heavy as exhaustion weighed down on her. Around her, the air was still shimmering and she could only see Arthur thanks to the dark mass of his body and the ripples he was creating in the mist of magic that was hanging over the whole area. They were following the road down towards the lake and thankfully there was no traffic. It was difficult to keep up with him and with every second he pulled further and further ahead as his longer legs and lack of exhaustion gave him an advantage. Up ahead Alex could see glistening water in the light of the moon and tried to move faster.

  Water surged up at the shore of the lake just as Alex reached the crest of the hill above the water. Alex shouted for Arthur to stop, but he didn’t look back at her. Instead, he leapt forward as the water began to spin and swirl like a vertical whirlpool. Throwing her hands forward, Alex tried to pull on the magic as Arthur vanished, but her knees rattled. The world faded away as Alex collapsed forward. Her knees hit the rocky shore of the beach and the pain gave her only a brief rush of adrenaline. The water portal vanished and Alex sighed in defeat. Falling forward, she caught herself on her hands as her arms trembled. Behind her, she could hear Morgana shouting her name and lowered herself slowly to the ground. Inhaling the thick musty scent of the ground, Alex let her eyes slide closed, secure in the knowledge that Morgana would find her.

  33

  Hammer of Thor

  115 C.E. Sør-Trøndelag, Norway

  It was a clear night as they waited beyond the gates of the village. Thor’s eyes moved over the line of tinder and wood set spread in a semicircle in front of them. Torches were waiting for the first sign of the Dark Elves, but Thor was beginning to wonder if they would come at all. Nearby Brokkr was growling lowly and staring into the darkness as the humans all drew away from the strange creature.

  Sweeping his eyes up the hillside, Thor did his best to stay calm. The Dark Elves were fierce and their ability to see in the dark had him concerned, but there were three mages present along with the warriors of the village. Surely, this would go well, Thor told himself. A dull, heavy silence hung over them and Thor glanced towards Brokkr who was sniffing the air. The wind shifted suddenly and Thor straightened up.

  The wind almost muffled the sounds, but he could hear the faint footfalls of the Dark Elves. Grabbing a nearby torch, Thor watched the forest and listened for another moment to confirm. In the distance, he thought he could see something moving in the fields. The sounds of their approach increased and low voices began to echo on the wind. Tossing down the torch, Thor watched with satisfaction as the line of dried moss and kindling on the ground ignited.

  Dark Elves began to swarm out of the darkness only moments later as the fire spread rapidly around the village. Flames roared up before them as the fire spread in a large ring. Dark Elves were shifting back from the flames shielding their eyes, and for a moment Thor felt a rush of confidence. It didn’t last long as the Dark Elves began to kick dirt over the flames, dimming them just enough for the front line to leap through the fire.

  Swinging his sword at the nearest one, Thor grunted as its armor buckled slightly beneath the force of his blow. The Dark Elf stumbled for a moment before spinning around and striking at him with a long spear. Avoiding the attack, Thor thrust the sword forward. A blast of silver magic caught his attention just before balls of fire and light began to spin around Morgana, striking the Dark Elves that approached her. Pulling on his own magic, Thor tried to focus on dodging the attacks and his desired effect at the same time but found it difficult. Bright blue sparks shot forth from his fingers and swarmed out in a wave of wild heat and sparks. Despite his lack of control, it was enough to force the Dark Elf back.

  There were more Dark Elves advancing on him and Thor flexed the fingers of his left hand. He was grateful that his smithing had trained him to use both hands as he summoned an orb of magic in his free hand. Pushing his hand forward, Thor pointed at the nearest Dark Elf and smirked as lightning flashed off his fingertips and struck it in the chest. It began to dissolve into dust and he turned his attention to the next one. Beyond the wall of flames, more Dark Elves were coming forward even as spikes of earth sprang from the ground in a mist of Merlin’s green magic. Energy flashed around Thor as the other mages shifted their attacks to protect him; something which he was more grateful for than he liked. Those crowding around him began to fall and Thor destroyed another with a well-timed swing of his sword at the Dark Elf’s neck.

  A scream erupted from the village and two of the men pushed open the gate. Merlin and Morgana were sending waves of magical attacks raining down on the Dark Elv
es swarming out of the darkness. There was no sign of moving from either of them. Turning on his heel, Thor rushed through the gates and followed the screams, gesturing for the others to stay in position. The guards posted inside were already running across the village with their weapons raised.

  Dark Elves were pressing their way through a roughly hacked hole in the village wall. Thor could see women and children fleeing from them across the village enclosure and rushed towards the Dark Elves. Thor felt the ground beneath his feet hum as another orb of power formed in his left hand. Throwing it forward, he willed it to destroy the Dark Elves and watched as it transformed into a bolt of lightning that flashed out like a chain of light striking three of the Dark Elves.

  Thor rushed for the group, all but forgetting his magic as he swung his sword at the nearest Dark Elf. The weak metallic armor squealed beneath the force of the blade and the Dark Elf stumbled to the ground. Twisting his sword in his hand, Thor brought it down on the creature’s head. There was a satisfying splash of black tinted blood and the thing began to turn to dust. As a mother scooped up her young son and ran towards the far side of the village, Thor took stock of where they were. His own home was only a few feet away and he couldn’t see any sign of his father who’d remained as one of the guards inside of the village.

  Taking advantage of his temporary distraction a small group of Dark Elves dashed forward, their crude weapons swinging wildly towards him and displacing the air. Stumbling back, Thor swung his sword hard enough to disarm one of them but had to keep moving to avoid the attacks of the other two. In the corner of his eye, Thor could see that the defenders were holding back most of the other Dark Elves by the gate. Other guards had rushed to the hole to defend it. That left the half dozen or so inside the village to him.

  One of them hit him from behind, knocking him forward into another Dark Elf. As a club impacted with his stomach, the air was knocked out of Thor and only his armor kept the impact from shattering his bones. Stumbling back, Thor panted and blindly swung his sword around. It collided with one of the creatures, sending it falling to the ground with a shriek of pain. As his vision cleared, Thor was hit again from behind in the shoulder. His sword was wrenched from his hand. Seeing him weaponless, the poured in around him, forming a tight dangerous circle.

  Fear tightened his throat as panic began to claw at his chest. Thor released a wave of sparks all around him to force them back with a roar. Waves of bright blue erupted outwards forcing back the Dark Elves. Thor took in a greedy breath and stumbled back, putting distance between himself and the group. Looking around, he couldn’t find his sword as the creatures began to rise. Thor turned and rushed up the small incline to his workshop in search of another weapon.

  When Thor got to the door of his forge, he turned back to check on the Dark Elves. Their violet eyes were glittering in the low light and he called magic forth into both of his hands. The light of his bright blue magic only made their eyes glow more brightly, but he launched a pair of orbs at them. Beyond the wall, he could still hear the sounds of battle and the glow of the flames was still illuminating the smoke rising into the air.

  Thor released another bolt of lightning, trying to think of what else he could use his magic for. He hadn’t tried anything complex yet and didn’t dare try to open the earth as Merlin could. He launched another wave of magic and pulled back the hide covering to his forge. One of the Dark Elves rushed forward and thrust a sword towards him. Lunging to the side, Thor’s fingers wrapped around the first thing he found. Not an axe or the hilt of a sword, but rather his primary work hammer. Thor smashed it into the head of the nearest Dark Elf, and magic thrummed beneath his fingers. It was faint, but it was there and Thor tugged at the magic before he even thought about what he was doing.

  Thor smirked as his hammer pulsed in his hand. He could feel magic stirring within it, though he was not sure from where. It was not draining from him, and yet it felt like his own power. Stepping back outside, he scanned the village and brought the hammer up in front of him. As the Dark Elves rushed at him Thor found he didn’t care in the slightest. There was a rush of magic into his chest, making him feel stronger than he’d ever felt. Heady on the sensation, Thor swung the hammer again. It struck one of the Dark Elves in the chest. A flash of magic jumped off the hammer like lightning and made the creature scream in pain as it dissolved.

  Swinging the hammer, Thor hit another Dark Elf as magic jumped from the hammer into the Dark Elf. They just kept coming and with fast movements, he dodged their attacks and struck them one after another with the hammer. Then the remaining two Dark Elves backed off, half stumbling back down the hill, looking back at him with fearful eyes. Thor launched himself after them, reaching out to grab the long whitish hair of the one closest to him. With a slight roar, Thor swung his hammer again, catching the Dark Elf in the shoulder. It fell to the ground and as he moved to strike it once more another bolt of lightning arced off the surface of the hammer. Bright blue magic washed over the creature, turning it to dust which settled on the dirt below him.

  Thor looked around the village but saw no more of the creatures. Running back to the gates, Thor stormed outside the walls and saw that the fires were beginning to die down. The thrum of magic in his chest was growing stronger and stronger leaving Thor aching to release it. The Dark Elves were closing in around the warriors and he could see some villagers dead on the ground. Merlin and Morgana were surrounded by magic which was churning like a storm.

  His magic jumped as an idea came to him and he felt another lightning bolt rolling across the hammer. Raising the hammer above his head, he called more magic forth and visualized a storm of his own. He would rain lightning down on the Dark Elves, but the magic spun out of his chest and back into the hammer. The metal began to glow as small bolts of lightning flashed off of it, striking out at the nearby Dark Elves. It shook in his hand, but Thor didn’t let go and watched the hammer in awe as the magic spread out around him.

  Lightning flashed above their heads as dark clouds rolled in from nowhere. The wind howled and Thor could smell lightning and magic on the air. Yet he could feel his own magic churning into the storm and was unafraid. He eyed the Dark Elves who were shifting into an organized battle formation and frowned at the realization. It seemed that the time of wild beasts was indeed now past. Narrowing his eyes, Thor tightened his grip on the hammer and felt the wind speed up.

  People were screaming and Dark Elves were snarling as rain began to fall. Thor frowned, not wanting the rain to interfere with his ability to fight. Suddenly the rain around him stopped, creating a dry zone around him. He didn’t have time to marvel at the strange event as the first line of Dark Elves rushed forward.

  Thor brought his right hand up, pulling on his magic and forgetting about his hammer for a moment. A bolt of lightning blasted down from the sky, striking the hammer. Pure, raw power crackled off the metal and lashed through the air, arcing wildly to strike all of the nearby Dark Elves. There was a blinding flash of light as the world went white and a deafening roar of thunder as everything trembled around them.

  His whole body was frozen in place as every muscle trembled and the air was forced from his lungs at the rush of magic from his body. Thor’s sense abandoned him until the roll of the thunder finally faded. The winds lessened and the pressure in the air eased, though the scent of lightning lingered gloriously in the air. Thor inhaled deeply as a burst of warmth spread through his body. He felt stronger than ever before: felt invincible and completely victorious. Then he opened his eyes.

  Ashes were fluttering through the air before settling on the ground. There were small scorch marks scarring the ground, but no Dark Elves. He waited for more to appear out of the darkness, but there was nothing. Slowly, he exhaled and began to smile as the thrum in the hammer lessened to a soft pleasant hum.

  “Did you see that?” Thor spun to face Merlin and Morgana. “That was beyond anything I ever imagined I could do!”

  He tossed the hammer up in
the air a bit and caught it with a widening grin. In the corner of his eye, he could see those who had fallen and yet he just couldn’t contain his excitement. Something was still humming through his body making every part of him feel stronger and better than before. His father came stumbling to the gates with wide eyes and his brother rushed to join him. Whatever residual fear Thor might have been carrying vanished, leaving only the heady feeling of victory behind.

  Merlin and Morgana were staring at him with surprise etched on their features. It was both amusing and a bit worrying until he followed their gaze to the hammer he was still holding in his hand. A faint pale blue glow was still surrounding the metal and Thor smiled at the pleasant hum having the hammer in his hand caused in his chest. He shifted his grip on the leather wrapped handle, admiring how perfectly it seemed to fit into his hand; better than it had before. Stepping closer to him, Merlin reached out and touched the metal of the hammer carefully.