"Yeah," I said, darkly. "No pressure there. All I have to do is kill the one you call the Defiler."
"Valgard will use every deception and trick he knows to take you down," cautioned Valdis. "He will not fight honorably. Do not doubt this, even for a moment. No matter what he claims or promises."
"I have no doubt that he'll cheat every chance he gets," I replied. "I wasn't exactly planning on letting him get in the first punch."
"Good," said Vigdis. "Remember that he is perfectly content with stabbing you in the back or using someone you care about as a shield."
The more I heard about Valgard, the less I liked him. If he had done only half of the things that I had been told so far, he would still be a bloody psychopath who needed to be stopped. Unfortunately, it seemed that it fell to me to be the one who stopped him. That was usually how my luck ran in these situations.
"Well, if we're all on the same page here," I said, nodding at the others, "then we should probably get moving. I want to get to Pensmore before it gets dark."
“Hurry to meet death, my friend,” said Fornjot. “Valhalla awaits you.”
I knew that he meant it as a compliment, but it still bothered me. I wasn’t in any particular hurry to die. I was, however, ready to get this over with. The sooner we stopped Valgard and Loki, the sooner we could all begin to rebuild our lives. Nothing would ever be the same as it had been before all of this started, but at least we stood a chance. I was willing to take that chance and make the best of it. I just had to survive the next few hours.
We all returned to our respective mounts and I watched as the twins gave me a long, silent look before turning to ride away. It was odd and lingered with me, clouding my thoughts. It felt like they knew more than they were telling me, but were deeply saddened by it. Could that mean that they were setting us up for a trap or that they simply already knew how they expected this fight to end? If I lost, they lost just as much or more. There was a lot riding on the outcome of this fight.
The last traces of the Hrimthurssar vanished into the trees, leaving our column of warriors alone on the road. The snorting of the horses and the creaking of leather was the only sound other than the whispering of the wind. It was eerily quiet despite the fact that we knew an army of warriors had just disappeared into the woods around us. I now had a deep respect for the woodcraft skills of the Hrimthurssar.
“Before we ride,” I said to Fornjot, “I have something that I need to do.”
“Go, but be quick,” he replied. “We need to be swift.”
I rode over to the wagon where Spec-4 was resting. She smiled when she saw me, sitting up on her elbows.
“You don’t look happy,” she observed.
“We’re going to be moving out, soon,” I said. “Before we do, I needed to give you something.”
“What?” she asked, frowning.
I removed my pack and handed my weapons to her. The only firearm I kept was my XVR revolver. The rest went to her.
“Why are you giving me all of these?” she asked, softly.
“This fight will be with swords,” I explained. “They’ll only weigh me down. Besides that, I want you to have Beowulf. If that cheating son-of-a-bitch comes for you, blow his fucking head off.”
“I’ll use it to cover you, too,” she said, grinning.
“Don’t shoot until he cheats,” I said, shaking my head. “I want everyone there to see him for what he is.”
“Alright,” she said, checking the weapon and the load.
“Good,” I said, starting to turn away.
“Wylie,” she said, bringing me up short.
“Yeah?” I replied.
“When this is over,” she said, meeting my gaze, “I expect you to come back for these.”
“I will,” I said, softly.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she whispered.
Riding back to Fornjot, I found him where I had left him.
“Let’s move!” I called, motioning forward with my right arm.
Kicking Volcano in the flanks, we moved forward. I gave him enough of the reigns to let him know what I wanted. We moved off in a slow trot. It was fast enough to cover ground quickly, but slow enough to allow the wagons to keep up without too much trouble.
I could feel the tensed muscles of Volcano, straining with each step. He was just waiting for the command to break into a full gallop. With the size and sheer power of this horse, I wasn’t confident enough in my horsemanship skills to try it. Handling this much muscle at combat speed was going to be tough. I wasn’t going to get to worry about it for very long, though. We were going to be reaching Pensmore. I knew it was still more than ten miles, but the long legs of the massive horses would eat that distance up rapidly.
I spent most of the trip lost in my own thoughts. Fornjot kept to himself, undoubtedly thinking of his own people and how they were going to survive the coming battle. He didn’t break the silence until we were leaving the interstate and heading along the road to Pensmore.
“A moment, Grant,” he said, reigning in beside me.
He motioned for the column to come to a stop before resuming the conversation.
“We are almost to the point of no return,” he began. “If your map is correct, then just beyond that ridgeline lies Pensmore and whatever the Norns have in store for us.”
“Yeah,” I replied.
“It is not too late for you and your companion to leave,” he said, staring at me with intense eyes. “No one here would think less of you. This has always been our fight.”
“I would,” I said, frowning. “But, I don’t run from a fight. Besides that, Loki is as much a threat to my people as he is to yours. If we don’t stop him here, we all lose.”
“You will die here, Grant,” he said, after a long pause. “Loki is a God. You cannot hope to defeat him.”
“Maybe not,” I countered, “but that won’t stop me from trying. He has to be stopped. If I don’t do it, then who will?”
“I do not know,” he admitted. “I do not expect to live through this battle, either.”
“Then it will be an honor to die beside you,” I said, extending my hand.
Taking it, he clasped my forearm with a warrior’s grip. Holding my gaze for a long moment, he finally shook his head and smiled.
“I never thought that I would die fighting beside a human,” he said, chuckling.
I smiled.
“But if you are willing to lay down your life for this cause,” he said solemnly, “then you are my brother. The honor will be mine. I hope to fight beside you again, in the next world.”
“How about we live through this one and drink to our victory together?” I asked, grinning.
“I like the sound of that,” he said. “Let us meet our foes in battle and emerge victorious.”
We started riding again and the column began advancing behind us. The ridgeline was coming up quickly and my heart was already beginning to race in anticipation of the battle that awaited us on the other side.
“If your Hrimthurssar friends do not live up to their end of the bargain,” he said after a few moments, “then this battle will not go well for us.”
“They’ll come through,” I replied without looking at him.
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because I have to be,” I answered.
With each hoof beat that echoed back from the surrounding hilltops, I could feel the distance closing between us and destiny. I could feel the presence that was waiting for us on the far side of the ridge. What’s more was that I somehow knew that they felt it, too. This was to be the last battle. Victory or damnation awaited us on the other side of the mountain. Damnation was all that was left for this world, even if we won. Between the dead and the opening of the Bifrost, our battles were only just beginning.
“Death and glory,” I whispered.
“Death and glory,” whispered back to me on the wind.
Chapter Thirty Four
Loki's Son
“How glorious fall the valiant, sword in hand, in front of battle for their native land!'
- Spartan saying
As we emerged from the trees, I got my first good look at Pensmore. It was massive and heavily constructed. Although it was called a Chateau, it looked more like a castle than a French estate. Sure it had the molding and graceful lines, but it also had crenellations which could provide cover for snipers or archers. It was beautiful and terrible at the same time.
Beautiful because it represented the best in human architecture, made with the latest and most advanced technologies that allowed it to be completely self-sufficient. Terrible, because it also was built to withstand the worst the world could throw at it. If it was designed to withstand an earthquake or an F5 tornado, then it could easily withstand a siege.
There was a large steel fence surrounding the estate, but the gates stood open. The large grounds that surrounded the Chateau were filled with the tents and pavilions of an army. From the number of Vargr that were at one end of the estate, it was clear that this was where Valgard’s troops were living. They were waiting for us to arrive.
As soon as we emerged from the tree line, horns began sounding the call to arms. Tents flew open and warriors, wearing a wide assortment of armor, began running for their Vargr. From out of the front of the house emerged a massive warrior. I instantly recognized the helm that he wore. Valgard was coming out to answer our challenge.
Fornjot gave the order to form up and the Eldjötnar began lining up for the charge. Volcano began to toss his head and snort in anticipation, digging at the ground with his fore-hooves. All around me, horses began to join in and the air became electric. I could feel my blood racing through my veins and the battle-lust was growing in me like a fire.
Across the distance, I watched as Valgard swung onto the back of his smoke-colored Vargr. Raising his massive hammer aloft, he charged out towards the gate where his men were forming up to meet our charge. With a roar of challenge, they surged forward and launched themselves at us with terrible speed.
Drawing my right hand sword, I gripped my reigns as tightly as I could and prepared for the burst of speed that I knew was about to come when I put my heels to Volcano’s flanks. I could feel that all eyes were on me.
“We await your command,” said Fornjot, nodding at me.
Raising my blade into the air, I roared out my best battle cry. All up and down the line of Eldjötnar warriors, the cry was answered. The roar of the warriors was matched by the beating of weapons against armor and shields. They were ready.
“Form a wedge,” I shouted above the din. “We break their lines and make for the castle. Tonight, Loki falls!”
Pointing my sword forward, I put my heels to Volcano’s flanks. No amount of preparation could have helped me be ready for the sudden blast of speed. For such a large animal, the speed of his charge was amazing to behold. I took the lead as Volcano outdistanced all of the other chargers. To their credit, they formed the wedge, with me as the tip of the spear. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Behind us, more horns sounded out the call to battle. From the trees, Vigdis and Valdis emerged and exploded into attack speed. Their clan erupted from the trees and possibly for the first time in their history, Eldjötnar and Hrimthurssar rode side by side against a common foe. For just an instant, I worried that they were going to attack us from behind. That faded as Vigdis and Valdis took up positions on either side of me, joining me in my charge directly at Valgard.
The distance between us vanished rapidly as Valgard focused all of his rage and hatred directly on me. I could tell that he was not going to spare any who had opposed him. Vigdis and Valdis had chosen their path and it was too late to turn back now. Their fates were locked with my own. Either Valgard fell, or we did.
Volcano’s body seemed to elongate as he put everything he had into the charge. He was pulling ahead of the two Vargr that were pacing me and I could feel the tremendous force of his massive hooves as they thundered against the ground. In that moment, the rest of the battlefield ceased to exist. All of my concentration, all of my fury, all of my battle crazed instincts…they were completely focused on Valgard.
Time seemed to slow down as my perception became hyperactive, allowing me to catch details that were happening in the blink of an eye. Each move seemed to happen before me like a slow motion replay on television. I was totally focused on the battle with a single-minded intensity that I had never known before. Many times before I had felt the battle-lust beginning to take hold of me, but this time it washed over me like the tide. The ancient Norse called men like that the Ulfhednar. They were wolf-warriors. They were also known as Berserkers.
I could see Valgard begin his attack. He wasn’t swinging his massive battle-axe at me. It was clear to me from the angle that he was holding the weapon that he intended to strike Volcano in the legs. That would put me on the ground and at a severe disadvantage; one that Valgard would push to the fullest. The last thing I could afford to do was to give him chance at gaining the upper hand.
At the last possible second, I kicked Volcano hard in the flanks. I could only hope that he knew what I wanted him to do. To my surprise, he not only reacted to my urging but he surpassed my expectations. Leaping into the air like a gazelle, Volcano soared above the descending axe. I could hear the steel weapon ring off of the iron-shod hooves of the massive warhorse.
While we were sailing past each other, I slashed downward with my blade and felt the ring of steel on steel as I struck Valgard’s helmet. Although it didn’t do significant damage, it did knock one of the horns off. I watched as the pointed end sailed away and landed in the snow. Despite doing little damage, Valgard still had to struggle to remain on his Vargr.
No sooner than Volcano had hit the ground, we were sliding to a stop and turning for another pass. Behind me, I could hear the clashing of weapons as both Vigdis and Valdis landed blows against their foe. I had little doubt that they would fight valiantly, but I could only question if we would be able to defeat Valgard.
I spun around expecting to see the twins engaging Valgard, but was shocked to see that they were locked in combat with a pair of armored warriors with Valgard’s colors on their armor. Instead of finding Valgard locked in combat, I found that he was already barreling down on me with his weapon ready for the attack.
Whirling my sword around I managed to knock his blow to the side, but the force of the impact nearly knocked the weapon out of my hand. I could feel pain shooting up my arm all the way to my shoulder. I realized right then that going strength against strength was going to be a losing strategy. I couldn’t hope to match him with pure muscle. What I needed was to out-think him. Lucky for me, Valgard didn’t seem like a deep thinker.
“Is that all you’ve got?” I bellowed, swinging around for another pass.
“You dare mock me!” he roared, enraged.
“It’s not like you make it very hard,” I snapped back.
The primal fury in his eyes grew to almost volcanic intensity. Behind him, I could see the massive thunderstorm that was building over the hellish glow where Springfield had once stood. It seemed that the very elements themselves were warring against each other, vying for the fate of this world. Through the gaps in the clouds, I could see the eerie greens and blues of the Aurora Borealis.
Swinging his weapon above his head with a fury that matched the intensity of the storm that was growing behind him, Valgard charged at me with reckless abandon. The killing rage was upon him now and there was no way that this fight was going to end without one of us dying. I seriously doubted that he would be willing to go along with my plan of it being him that died.
We raced towards each other, preparing our attacks and searching the other for an opening. Too late, I saw that he was smiling. My attention had been so focused on what he was doing with his weapon that I missed his intent. We were approaching to pass on both of our right sides, with our dominant weapons hands engaging. That’s when it all went w
rong.
At the last second, he dropped his attack and leaned hard to his left. My attack passed harmlessly through the air where he had been. That’s when I realized that he was only drawing me out and keeping my attention locked on him. I had completely forgotten about the deadly jaws of his Vargr.
With a scream of pain, Volcano stumbled as Valgard’s Vargr ripped a savage bite across his right foreleg. Then, I was pitching forward as Volcano went head-first into the snow and flipped over. I flew clear of the writhing mass of twisted flesh that Volcano had become as he collapsed onto the ground and rolled to a stop.
I hit the ground with tremendous force, shaking me to my core. Instinctively, I tucked my head and rolled with the landing as best I could. It still hurt like Hel, but there was nothing else I could do except ride it out. Somewhere during the fall, I lost my grip on my sword and it flipped away from me into the snow.
My ears rang and my vision was blurry as I tried to climb back onto my hands and knees. All around me, I could hear the crashing of steel on steel and the screams of the wounded or dying. The battle was raging and I had no way of knowing who was winning. I shook my head and tried to clear it, but the ringing continued. Time seemed to pulse around me as things came in and out of focus. Above the ring of battle, I could hear a distant voice calling my name. It took me a moment to realize that it was Vigdis.
“Grant!” she was calling, giving me something to focus on.
As my vision cleared, I saw Valgard bearing down on me with the axe side of his weapon already lining up for the killing blow. With speed born of adrenalin, I dove to the side and narrowly avoided the coup de grâce. I heard his roar of triumph turn into a scream of rage as his Vargr thundered past me, sliding in the snow in an attempt to turn back for another pass.
Rolling to my feet, I searched quickly for my missing sword. Instead I saw a massive wolf-spear lying in the snow where it had been dropped by one of the other combatants. It was stained with the bluish blood of one of the Hrimthurssar, but I had no way of knowing which side they had been on. All I knew was that I need that weapon.
Ragnarok Rising: Desolation: Book Five of the Ragnarok Rising Saga Page 44