A long table stretched the length of the room, ending with a huge fire place at one end and a firepit at the other. Arun dragged me to the end and sat us down, calling out orders for his warriors and mine to join us, and then for runners to get food and drink. After that was done, he turned and looked at me, grinning.
“Let us eat and drink, and talk, I find things are much more enjoyable that way.” He said.
“I agree.” I replied, grinning back, it was hard to adopt his infectious manner.
A second later platters of hot succulent meats and horns of, when I took a sip, found out was mead, and began to eat and drink, both were delicious. When I had eaten my fill, I turned to the big man, who had just finished his own platter of meat, as he let out a giant belch. The table erupted in laughter, then with more and more warriors belching and laughing. I laughed as well, boys will be boys and all that, refocused on Arun. He took a big gulp of mead, swallowed, smacked his lips, and then turned to me.
“I supposed you want to know about this and how I knew to wait for you.” He said, gesturing around him, with his free hand.
“I would.” I replied. “As far as I know, the Ojibwe were far to the north, by the Great Lakes.”
“That is true.” He said, nodding. “But, well, let me start at the beginning. You see our tribe have always been people of the water, and have lived around the Great Lakes and river, the mighty Mississippi. Our oldest legends talk about us settling here after traveling across the Great Ocean. This is where we found our home. Then, according to our people’s histories, four hundred years ago, a new people came. They came down the rivers north of the Great Lakes on canoes the likes of which our people had never seen before. Even the way they looked, their hair and skin were like nothing our people had seen before.”
“Vikings, they did make it here before Columbus.” I said, under my breath.
“What was that?” Arun asked.
“Nothing, please continue.” I said.
“These men were pale skinned, and blonde, red, and white haired, their eyes were the colors of the grass, the sky, and the water. Not only that, they were larger, much larger than my ancestors were. These men decided to stay with our people, and eventually married into our tribe. They brought new skills and technologies that were unknown before they came. We learned how to mine and work metal, we learned how to construct better canoes and forts. They also worshipped different gods and gave us those. We found a balance between our gods and theirs. Life was good, then the Great Suffering came. It was different in our tribe. Everyone who was of the blood of the Norsemen, survived, while all the rest died. We had only just begun to rebuild our tribe when our gods came to us. Told us of what we would need to do and how to revenge our people. This task started with my great, great, great grandfather, and was passed on to me. It wasn’t until just recently though, that the gods themselves visited me. It is where I received my hammer and shield. It is also when they told me to build this fort and come meet you. Now, you’ve heard our story and why we are here, waiting for you, now come.” Arun said, standing up and smacking the table with both hands.
His warriors as if on cue stood up and began smacking the table as well and chanting.
“Arun! Arun! Arun! Arun!” They chanted.
“What’s going on?” I asked, standing up and looking around curiously.
“Now we fight, to see if you are strong enough to lead my warriors and myself. It is our way. The strongest leads.” Arun said, grinning at me like a wolf.
The doors were thrown open and the warriors, still chanting, filed outside, my own crew looking around as if not sure what to do. To Billy’s credit, he got everyone up and over to me in a few moments. Arun turned to me and gestured to the door.
“They will form a ring for us to battle in, I will await you outside, use whatever weapon you choose.” He said, then strode towards the exit and his chanting warriors.
“What’s the plan Captain?” Billy asked.
“I go kick his ass.” I replied, with more bravado then I felt.
We headed outside en masse, and the circle had already been created as Arun said it would. All hundred or so of his men stood banging their axes and swords on their shields, chanting his name over, over, and over again. They left one side open for us and we walked there, stopping and looking around. The circle was twenty feet by twenty feet, plenty of room to fight in, but I was worried about hostiles on three sides if I won. Arun stepped out of the line on the far end, enormous four-foot long hammer in one hand, and giant round shield on the other. His men went crazy, pounding their shields and practically screaming his name.
He reveled in it for a minute, then raised his weapons in the air, causing them to cheer one last time louder then ever and he lowered them, quieting them all down, till there was silence. He nodded and then spoke.
“This battle will be in accordance with the old ways. One winner, no interference, may the gods and our skill decide the winner!” Arun bellowed. The warriors started to cheer but he silenced them with glares, then he turned to me. “When you are ready War Shaman, come let us decide who is the better man.”
I went to step forward, but Patty put a hand on my shoulder stopping me. He shook his head then winked at me, as if saying trust me. Then, he strode forward and into the center of the ring.
“Oy, you have to beat me first, you fucking arsehole! You don’t just get to challenge the Captain. You have to prove yourself and all that.” Patty jeered, stopping a few feet from Arun, and doing some stretching and limbering up.
The giant man looked back and forth from me to Patty, then his face lit up in a grin and he threw his head back in laughter.
“This is fine, I do not mind a warm up, although War Shaman, you do not mind one of your men dying?” Arun grinned, swinging his hammer and shield around to warm up as well.
“I think you’ll be surprised Arun.” I said, crossing my arms and affecting a nonchalant pose. “I wouldn’t underestimate my man, it will be your downfall.”
“I wouldn’t underestimate me!” Arun growled, his demeanor changing instantly, as he took an offensive stance. “Come little man, let us see what you have.”
Patty sprang up from his stretch and his Spear practically appeared in his hands. He spun it around a few times in a figure eight whirlwind of magical steel and wood and ended with it in forward attack stance.
“Oy, big fella, did they ever tell you the bigger they are they harder they fall, ya fat fuck!” Patty jeered.
“I’m not fat! I’m big boned!” Arun yelled, charging forward massive ax leading the way.
Arun covered the five feet in a flash, his massive hammerhead crashing down in the spot Patty had just located, sending splinters of wood flying in all directions.
Arun stared at the spot in shock, then as if a sixth sense kicked in, he fell to one knee and raised his shield high above, in one smooth quick motion. Patty had leapt ten feet into the air a split second before the hammer came, and was coming down, Spear of Lugh leading the way. The spear and shield collided with an explosion of sound and light as they both began to shine the instant they touched.
The sound and light subsided, when I could see again, I saw Patty and Arun facing off with each other once again. This time, Arun was grinning, and his hammer and shield were glowing with soft purple light. Patty’s grin was the same while his spear was glowing blue again.
“I was wrong little man, you are a worthy warrior.” Arun said, nodding to Patty with respect.
“Aye and you’d do well to remember it, but you aren’t bad yourself, that’s quite a nice pairing of hammer and shield you have there.” Patty Replied, nodding back in respect, then spinning his spear around and ending in a defensive and offensive stance, spear held forward. “Come, we don’t have all day now.”
“That is true.” Arun said grinning, he swung his hammer twice, then roared, rushing forward, glowing purple hammer swinging hard, leading the way.
Patty lashed out with the Sp
ear of Lugh and the hammer on its head. The world went white.
EPILOGUE – A LITTLE RESPECT – ERASURE
MOON FLOWER
“Hello Moon Flower, I’ve been expecting you.” A deep voice rumbled, sounding from all around me, and in the far corner of the room, two glowing red eyes appeared.
“Oh fuck…” I whispered, as my Danger Sense went crazy. I spun in place, dropping into a defensive stance, facing off with the voice.
“Calm yourself, if I was going to kill you, you would already be dead.” Hasteoltoi said, astride her gigantic short-faced bear, who swam through the lake with ease, so huge no water even came close to touching the goddess. “No, we have much to discuss, Fuzzy here…”
“That giant bear is named Fuzzy?” I said, incredulously.
“Yes, don’t let his formidable appearance fool you, Fuzzy is a lover. Isn’t that right my lovely?” Hasteoltoi said, as she scratched and rubbed the massive bear behind is ears.
I shook my head in awe, as the pair made it to the island and the goddess dismounted. Fuzzy, I can’t believe I’m calling him that, laid down and immediately began to nap. The goddess came to me and stopped a few feet away, giving me a calculating look. She seemed to come to a conclusion, nodding to herself once, then gesturing in the air twice. A small window appeared, when I looked inside, I hissed involuntarily.
“Yes, judging by your reaction you know what is going on.” The Goddess said.
I turned my attention back to the window. Inside, were three women, stripped to nakedness and covered with cuts and bruises, laid out on stone alters, and bound with their hands and feet stretched out wide. It was getting dark, but torches were lit around the area and I could make everything out in great detail. Figures stood over each bound woman, I could see that there was the Skin-walker that had killed Chief’s Crow’s Feet. The other two were also Skin-walkers, I assumed they were they Chiefs of the Blackfoot and Cheyenne.
The view changed, and I could see around the stone alters, and they were surrounded with thousands of monsters. I saw Teihiihan, Wendigo, Nirumbee, and more monsters I couldn’t even name. It was as if every monstrous legend of all The People had gathered and were at this sacrifice. That’s what it was, a sacrifice. Before my eyes the chanting grew louder and more intense, the language so guttural and garbled I couldn’t make out the words.
The women began to scream as the chanting rose in intensity and the Skin-walkers all stood over the women and raised their clawed limbs, six inches of razor-sharp death reflected in the light. I watched as the claws streaked down and the women screamed once more, and then never again. I winced at the brutality.
Hasteoltoi closed the window and gave me a moment to compose myself. When I was ready, I took a deep breath and looked at the goddess.
“What was that?” I asked simply.
“That’s why I’m here girl.” She replied. “There is no time to waste, their sacrifice changes things again. They are a death cult, gather your Riders and go, time is running short. I have marked the spot on your map. Take Fuzzy with you, you will need him.”
The giant bear opened one eye at the sound of his name, then huffed and went back to sleep.
“I will do as you say Hasteoltoi, we shall leave at once.” I replied.
“Go now, and luck be with you child.” Hasteoltoi said.
I turned and Fuzzy was already by my side. He bent down and stared at me in the eyes, as if saying, you getting on or what? I walked around and gingerly got on his back and into the position that the goddess had been on, Fuzzy huffed once, looked back at me, and then strode off into the water. I looked back at the goddess, but she was already gone.
END
I
AM
GAMER
II
AFTERWORD
Thank you everyone for reading I Am Gamer II. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. This is a new world and creating it and sharing it with all of you is a blessing. If you don’t mind, please leave a review on Amazon and Goodreads. The more reviews the better the book sales and the more I can write. Please check out my Patreon every little bit helps!
A special thanks to Jacob, Adam, JD, Angel, Taj, Ian, Rick n Tae, Robyn, Jose, Aaron, William, Patrick, Fabien, Dennis, Travis, my dad, my loving girlfriend, and everyone else who without their support I wouldn’t be able to do this!
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See you next time on
I Am Gamer
Book 3!
Also, I will be coming out with a Podcast soon check out my Facebook and Patreon for details.
Here’s a sneak peek of a new novel I’m working on.
SILO 69
A GAMELIT 1980’S HAREM POSTAPOCOLYPTIC ADVENTURE.
CHAPTER 1 –
“Who wants to tell the class how photosynthesis works? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?” Mr. Stein asked over, and over, and over again, as per usual.
“First you have a penis and a vagina…” William Connelly, also known as Billy and my best friend, chimed out.
The class burst out in laughter and Mr. Stein started towards the offender. Then the final school bell of the day sounded, interrupting our onerous science teacher, and I leapt to my feet, along with the rest of the class and hustled out the door. I was convinced having Mr. Stein’s biology class as seventh period was a special kind of torture that the faculty had decided on during summer break. Why else would they have the most boring and monotone teacher, teaching a boring as hell subject, as the last class of the day? It made no sense, the faculty couldn’t be that retarded, yep, torture was the only reasonable explanation.
The hallway was a cacophony of sound and color, as all the other kids rushed out towards freedom, controlled chaos was the best way to describe it. I darted around the teenage obstacles and made it to my locker, quickly putting in my combination and stashing my school gear, snagged my favorite possession, my Sony Walkman, then slammed it shut.
A hand tapped me on my shoulder just as I was about to hit the play button, sighing loudly, I pulled the headphones off and turned around. My eyes widened, my jaw dropped open, and some type of sound between a whine and a hiccup escaped my mouth. Standing in front of me was a vision of loveliness named Winnie Cooper. She was the most beautiful girl in school, according to all the guys and girls, gay and straight.
Today, as per usual, she was dressed exactly right to exude the maximum amount sexiness. Her clothing accentuated every curve of her body, riding the line between slutty and good girl, making her even hotter. She was tall, but not to tall, a couple inches shorter then my six-foot one frame. Her skin was
We had grown up together, I can’t remember when she went from just one of the guys, to sex goddess of my dreams, it just kind of did. One day she was flat as a board, no hips, the next she had filled out and bam, that was the end of our childhood friendship. Now, I stammered like an idiot whenever we talked. It didn’t help that her hair was long dark, thick, and perfect. It was matched by her green eyes, which seemed to suck your soul from your body and cherry red lips that never needed lipstick. Sun kissed skin, perfectly bronzed, yet
smooth and silky looking and her goddess like figure completed her perfection.
“My mom says hanging your mouth open like that makes you look retarded.” Winnie joked grinning, her tone making the barb a playful slap and not a painful sting.
I shook my head and snapped my mouth shut at her words. My face turning red now as my body continued to betray me. Winnie was a cool chick and a good friend, and either ignored or chose to let me embarrassment pass in her infinite coolness.
“So, your birthday is tomorrow right?” She asked.
I stared at her, my brain not comprehending that Winnie was asking me a question. She cocked her head at me, the look immediately sending my heart racing faster than it already was, and my brain seemed to kickstart. Her question played through my mind again and my head nodded in the positive.
“Okay… so... do you have any plans tonight?” She said, asking another question.
This time my brain was more on point and I was able to make sounds with my mouth.
“Nope.” I replied, immediately regretting my word choice, who the fuck says nope?
“Good!” She said, her face beaming as she jumped up and down quickly, causing each of her jiggly parts to move in distracting ways, underneath her jean miniskirt, white crop top, and waist cut jean jacket. “So, do you want to hang out tonight and we can celebrate our birthdays together?”
Her words pulled my mind back from its hormonal thoughts and I replayed her question. I forgot that we shared birthdays, and I also forgot that her and her boyfriend, some college dude, had just broken up. That meant she was single and asking me out on a date…
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