Gauging Valgard’s next attack, I waited until the last second and dove out of his way. I narrowly avoided getting caught by the snapping jaws of his Vargr, but it was moving too fast to change direction and pin me down. Rolling to my feet, I snatched up the fallen spear and brought it around in a defensive stance. It was much larger than I expected, but it had been built for a warrior much bigger than me. In my hands, it was more like a pike than a spear. Then again, that worked to my advantage.
Twirling the spear around like an oversized staff, I turned to face Valgard. I could see his feral grin as it dawned on him that I was planning on standing my ground this time. I wanted him to believe that I was planning on countering his attack. I needed him to be overconfident and think it would be easy to run me down with his Vargr. In fact, I was counting on it.
“Come on, motherfucker!” I screamed, holding the spear in a cross-body stance with my right foot held farther back than my left.
Leveling the spear, I looked down the shaft and kept the tip centered on Valgard’s chest plate. Valgard answered my challenge with a whirl of his hammer and a mocking burst of laughter. Then he lunged forward with frightening speed as his Vargr zeroed in on me, sensing the kill.
They were almost thirty yards away and closing fast. I held my stance and tensed for what was to come next. With each heartbeat, the colossal warrior grew closer and closer. I could see my death reflected in his eyes. I just hoped that he couldn’t see his own reflected in mine. The last thing I wanted for him to do was turn away. I needed him to keep coming and not slow down if my plan had any hope of success.
At twenty yards, he began bringing up his weapon for what would undoubtedly be a crushing blow aimed at my skull. Only through supreme effort was I able to hold my position and not give in to the urge for self-preservation that was screaming for me to get out of his way. The wicked edge of his axe was facing backwards. Clearly, it was his intention to crush the life from me with the hammer-head.
At ten yards, he was committed to the course. No matter what happened now, he wasn’t going to have time to turn away at the speed he was moving. Too late, he saw the look on my face change and the smile began to broaden on my lips. Confusion mixed with panic flickered into his eyes and I knew he was desperately trying to figure out what I was planning.
Pivoting to my right and taking one step back, I drove the shaft of the spear into the ground. Confusion turned to horror in Valgard’s eyes when it dawned on him what I was doing. No longer was I aiming the spear at the thick steel chest plate. With a downward shove, I brought the tip of the wolf-spear in direct line with the Vargr’s open mouth.
To its credit, the beast tried to rise up and avoid the spear but momentum and physics were on my side. The only thing it managed to do was avoid taking the spear-tip in the mouth. Instead, the blade buried itself into the thick neck of the creature while the beast’s own momentum did the work for me by skewering it and driving the blade deeply into the chest cavity. It also brought the beast to a sudden and fatal stop.
The thick handle of the spear bowed but didn’t break. Blood gushed out from the dying creature’s mouth as the thick blade punched through throat, chest and the organs beneath. Although the beast came to a sudden and deadly stop, the momentum sent Valgard flying through the air to land headfirst in a pile of ice and snow.
I released the spear and grabbed my remaining sword, clearing the sheath in one fluid motion. Glancing around quickly, I hoped that I could find my missing sword. I knew that I was going to need every advantage I could find in this battle. Despite the fact that I had taken Valgard off of his Vargr, the fight was far from over.
For just an instant, I considered drawing the XVR and putting a round through his head before he could get back to his feet. I had to admit that the thought was appealing, but I knew that I couldn’t live with myself for such a cowardly act. Try as I might, I couldn’t force myself to fight on his level. I would win with honor, or not at all. The thought crossed my mind that it might just get me killed, too.
Just as Valgard was getting to his knees, I saw the hilt of my sword sticking out of a mound of snow about twenty yards away. Sprinting over to it, I yanked it free as Valgard got shakily to his feet. The impact with the blocks of ice had rattled him, but the anger had not dissipated in the slightest. His helmet was dented and crooked, with a large chunk of ice stuck to the end of the remaining horn. Had the situation not been so serious, I would have laughed at him.
“Grant!” he snarled, raising his massive weapon.
“I’m over here, shithead,” I snapped back.
Adjusting his helmet, he turned to glare daggers at me. All around us, the battle continued to rage. Despite the fury of it all, Valgard and I seemed to be in the eye of the storm. Warriors were fighting to the death in any direction you looked, but there was a big area where there was only Valgard and me. It was as if even the other warriors were avoiding getting between us.
“Make peace with your Gods,” he rumbled, “for you shall be seeing them very soon.”
It struck me then just how much bigger Valgard was than me. He was easily a head taller than Thrym had been. Although not as tall as Surtr, he was more heavily built and looked stronger. If he got in a solid shot with either the hammer or the axe, then this fight was likely going to be over. I had to avoid getting hit at all costs.
I could hear the creaking of leather as Valgard tightened his grip on the handle of the massive weapon. Swinging it around to gain momentum for maximum damage, he began to charge directly at me while roaring out his battle cry. I shifted my weight onto the balls of my feet and waited for him to make his move. If I had any chance at all, my timing had to be perfect.
As his attack bore down on me with all the power and fury of a freight train, I watched his feet and counted the heartbeats. I was forcing myself to remain calm, despite the overwhelming urge to put some distance between myself and this behemoth. I could feel the ground trembling beneath my feet. Although I knew it had to be tremors from the volcano, I couldn’t help but wonder if it might be from Valgard.
Bringing his weapon downward and at an angle, I had to spin to my right to avoid having my ribcage crushed in from the force of the blow. He was still using the hammer head side of the weapon, which was both comforting and frightening. I didn’t want to have an arm lopped off, but I wasn’t thrilled about the concept of getting my bones shattered, either. It took everything I had to narrowly avoid the blow.
Roaring in fury, he spun around and used the momentum of the weapon to bring it around for another attack. The angle was different this time and I was able to deflect the attack just enough to force the weapon to bite deeply into the hard-packed ice beneath our feet. Before he could free his weapon, I slashed savagely at the side of his face. I only managed to knock his already damaged helmet off of him, but it was enough. The next blow I landed was going to strike flesh. If I could continue to avoid getting killed, that is.
With a crack that sounded like thunder, he yanked the weapon free and turned around to face me. I was already moving and angling myself to minimize his target. It was going to be close, but if I could slip inside his reach then I was going to score first blood. If I could get to his throat, it might be the end of the fight. I should have known that my luck never runs that good.
With a burst of speed that I wouldn’t have believed he was capable of, Valgard rushed at me with the weapon poised to take my head off. I barely managed to slip far enough to the side to avoid the worst of the blow. I only lost part of my left ear and he scored a deep gash down my left bicep. The blade of the axe was razor sharp and blood flowed freely from the clean slice that was easily an inch deep. The top third of my left ear lay in a pile of crimson stained snow at my feet.
Despite the blood that poured down my left arm and dripped from my hand, I managed to hang onto my sword. The wound burned, but the pain hadn’t yet appeared. It would come in a few moments when the shock of the wound began to wear off. Until then,
I still had full use of the arm. I knew that I had only a few moments to make it count.
Spinning hard on my left heel, I slashed savagely at his exposed flank. The thick plate armor that he wore absorbed the worst of it, but the grunt of pain told me that at least some of the damage had found its mark. He stumbled to the side and clasped his hand to the injured spot. I was pleased to see that it came away bloody.
“A lucky blow,” he said, frowning at me.
“We’ll see,” I replied, bringing my swords up in a defensive stance.
“Indeed we shall,” he said, turning towards me and bringing his weapon up.
Despite his bravado, he was approaching me with more caution. It wasn’t much of a victory, but I was going to take it. As I glanced around, I noticed that more and more of the fighting around us had come to a stop as they focused their attention on us. They were forming a large circle around us, with the forces loyal to Valgard on the side nearest Pensmore and the forces of Fornjot and the twins on the other. No doubt their fighting would resume the moment our battle was settled, one way or the other.
“It seems that they all want to bear witness to your demise,” said Valgard contemptuously.
“Don’t be so certain, asshole,” I retorted. “I’m still standing.”
“True,” he said, mockingly, “but not for much longer.”
I didn’t like the way he said that.
“Already the poison flows through your veins,” he said, nodding at the blade of his axe.
“You really are a fucking coward,” I snarled.
I wanted to do more than that, but he was right. I could feel that I was already starting to run a fever and my arm was beginning to go numb. If I stumbled and dropped my weapon, he would finish me off and declare himself the winner. No one would know that he had used poison to do it and he would never admit it. To all present, it would appear that he had beaten me fair and square.
“Bastard,” I hissed, shaking my head to clear it.
My vision was beginning to get fuzzy at the edges, limiting my depth perception and giving me tunnel vision. I stumbled and almost fell over backwards, but managed to catch myself at the last moment. That was all he was waiting for to press his attack.
Rushing forward, he swung the massive hammer-head in a side-sweeping blow meant to knock me off of my feet. I barely managed to get my swords into place, blocking the worst of the damage. The force of the blow still sent me sprawling onto my back and sliding in the ice. I lost my grip on both swords and my head was swimming. I desperately fought to remain conscious.
Striding over to me with an arrogant swagger, Valgard loomed over me and flipped the hammer over to the axe side. Flexing his fingers, I could hear the creaking of the leather gloves on the handle. I could even smell the odd scent that seemed to surround him. It was sickly-sweet and reminded me of decay.
“This ends now, Grant,” he said, raising the axe over his head for the killing blow. “I look forward to spending time with your woman. I’ve never taken a human before. I promise that she will suffer greatly before I grant her the release of death.”
Visions of Spec-4 screaming in pain flashed through my mind. I couldn’t bear the thought of him hurting her. I knew that I had only seconds to do something before he finished me off and he carried through on his threat. I could go to my grave knowing that I had died fighting, but not knowing that my death had meant her suffering.
Stepping forward, his massive legs were planted firmly on either side of my chest. It was clear that he intended to split my skull like a melon. Scrambling around in utter desperation, my right hand fell on the handle of my XVR. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even consider using a firearm in this kind of fight, but Valgard had already cheated. Honor was satisfied and I had no more need to fight fair.
Yanking the big revolver out of the holster, I shoved the barrel into the gap in his armor right where his upper thigh met his crotch. I could tell by the grunt of pain that I had found something sensitive. Grinning wickedly, I squeezed the trigger. The roar of the massive pistol was somewhat muted, but had the desired effect. I kept squeezing the trigger until it clicked onto an empty cylinder.
The enormous hollow point magnum rounds smashed their way through his manhood and ripped deep into his abdomen. Bluish-red blood poured down onto my hands and I tossed the empty revolver aside. I no longer needed it, because the damage had been done. Valgard was hurt badly. He might regenerate in time, but it was going to take a while.
I watched as his weapon fell from nerveless fingers and thudded to the ground beside me. With a groan of pain, he pitched over to his left and hit the ground, cradling his wounded groin with both hands. He was bleeding heavily and for just a moment, I almost felt sorry for him. Then I remembered what he had threatened to do to the twins and to Spec-4 and that feeling vanished.
I briefly considered a smart-assed comment, but thought better of it. I wanted to savor the moment. Valgard had been inflicting pain and suffering on people for years. It was time for him to feel a little bit of it for himself. I wasn’t going to let him suffer for long, not that he didn’t deserve to. I wanted to finish this and force Loki to come out and face me.
Reaching down, I grasped the handle of his axe/hammer. It was heavy and took some effort to lift it, but the weight felt good in my hands. I knew that this weapon had enough power to crush any enemy beneath it. I couldn’t help but wonder just how many lives he had taken with this weapon? How many innocent lives? How much suffering had he caused?
My vision was still swimming from the poison, but my adrenalin was now keeping the worst of it at bay. Even if I didn’t last long enough to fight Loki, I was going to make damned certain that Valgard wasn’t a threat to anyone ever again. Taking him out was not a bad epitaph for my life. The combined might of the Eldjötnar and the Hrimthurssar that were loyal to the twins might be enough to stop Loki, even if I fell.
“Do…do not…,” he groaned. “Do not kill me. I beg you.”
“Isn’t that ironic,” I replied, turning the weapon over so that the axe head was facing down. “How many people have asked you the same thing while you held this weapon?”
Valgard didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes told me everything I needed to know. For the briefest of moments, the faces of all of those that he had killed were flashing back to him. I wanted him to feel that sensation. I wondered if he would feel anything even remotely like remorse. Did he feel anything at all?
“How about this?” I asked, cocking my head to the side. “I’ll show you mercy.”
“Really?” he asked, shocked.
“The same mercy that you showed all of them,” I said, and brought the axe down onto his throat.
For a split second, fear registered on his face. It was far too late for him to do anything to stop me. Blood erupted from the stump of his neck as his head rolled away into the snow, staining the ground an odd shade of blue-tinged crimson. I caught a glimpse of his eyes blinking in disbelief as the light slowly faded from them.
My elation at my victory was short-lived. With my adrenalin fading, the poison was once again burning through my veins. Stumbling back, I dropped the hammer/axe and fell back against the corpse of Valgard’s Vargr. Although it was dead, the body was still warm enough that it was oddly comforting.
My breath was coming with difficulty, now. The effect of the poison was making me feel like my chest was being constricted by an anaconda. Each breath was more labored than the last. I had no idea what the poison was, but I had little doubt that it was going to be the end of me if I couldn’t find an antidote.
I could see the twins approaching me with their weapons still drawn. Their swords were covered in blood of their enemies. For a moment, I thought that my vision was blurred to the point that I was seeing triple. It took me a moment to realize that they were helping Spec-4 walk over to me. One of the twins was on each side of her, holding her up despite her badly damaged leg.
As they approached, they gently lowered her
to the ground and knelt on either side of me. I could see an odd mixture of awe and concern on the faces of the twins. Spec-4 looked like she was about to cry.
“Wylie,” she said, her voice cracking slightly. “Are you OK?”
“Never….better,” I managed to wheeze.
“I see his sense of sarcasm was not injured,” said Vigdis.
“Valgard…,” I croaked.
“Is dead,” finished Valdis, nodding. “You have nothing to fear.”
“Poison,” I gasped. “He…poison…on his axe.”
Vigdis was up and moving. She crouched near where I had dropped the weapon and was examining the blade. My head was beginning to swim and I was growing faint. I knew that I didn’t have long before I succumbed to the poison. That’s when I heard the trumpeting of dozens of the Hrimthurssar signal horns. They lifted up one single note and held it for a long time. I wasn’t sure what it was for, but I had the sinking feeling that I wasn’t going to like it.
Vigdis returned and was fishing something out of the pouch on her belt. I could see urgency in her eyes and her hands were shaking as she pulled a stoppered vial out and broke the wax seal that held it shut.
“Drink this,” she said, forcing the bottle between my lips.
I didn’t really have a choice, because she forced my head back and began pouring what felt like battery acid into my throat. I coughed and sputtered, but she managed to make me swallow the evil fluid. The burning didn’t stop when it left my mouth. My mouth continued to burn with a nigh unbearable pain, but it continued to spread as it ran down my esophagus and into my stomach.
I felt like my skin was about to catch fire. It was absorbing into my bloodstream at an alarming rate. I could feel sweat breaking out all over my body and my vision was turning red.
“What was that?” demanded Spec-4.
Ragnarok Rising: Desolation: Book Five of the Ragnarok Rising Saga Page 45