Chronos and the Rogue Hunters

by Edward Eck

  “Yes, but there is nothing I can do about it.”

  “Maybe there is,” suggested Cyrus. “Do you know anyone who might know the spell to create a new Gleipner?”

  Kallanir sat down at a finely crafted stone table opposite Cyrus and crossed his hands. “There are elder dwarves in the lower mines, great crafters of magical items.” Kallanir pondered Cyrus’ question for a moment. “There may be one or two down there who might yet possess the necessary skills to make such an item. But if the king finds out, he will be furious with both you and me.”

  “Kallanir…” said Cyrus. “This Alexis Malkin is most likely a dark sorceress. And we already know she possesses the spell to get here from Earth. If that’s the case, then she has the power to bring Fenrir here as well. Your city is not safe as long as that creature is free. Help us.”

  Kallanir had to consider this for a few moments. Cyrus could tell that Meagan was getting impatient with the dwarf. He needed to keep her at bay—at least until he could convince the dwarf prince they should work together. With a stern look and a nod Meagan tossed her hair and moved out onto the balcony.

  “According to legend,” started Kallanir, “there are six impossible items that are needed to make Gleipnir. In addition, Fenrir is no fool. Last time the Asgardians put bonds on the wolf, he demanded someone put a hand in his mouth as a show of trust. When he couldn’t get free, he bit off the hand of Tyr.”

  “Does this mean you’ll help us?”

  “I fear the dangers of Midgard will spill over into the other realms, including Nidavellir,” he said quietly as if trying to keep the conversation a secret. “I will help. And call me Kallan.”

  Cyrus dropped his voice as well. “So, Kallan, where do we find these impossible items?”

  “Don’t worry,” the prince replied. “They may be impossible on Midgard, but not necessarily in the other realms. The items we need are the sound of a cat’s footfall, the beard of a woman, the root of a mountain, a bear’s sinews, a fish’s breath and a bird’s spittle.”

  “Yeah, sure,” said Cyrus with mock enthusiasm, “that stuff should be easy to find.”

  “Don’t worry, my friend,” Kallan grinned widely, “any dwarf could find the root of a mountain or be ashamed to call himself a dwarf. As for the beard of a woman, some of our women folk here should have no problem with that. The other items, we may need some help. For now let’s go to the lower mines and find the elders who know how to make Gleipnir. Perhaps they will know where to look.” Before leaving, he paused and held up a hand. “There is one obstacle we may have. The dwarves who made the first Gleipnir are no longer alive. We may need to visit the elves… they will know the spells. Unfortunately, we’re not really on speaking terms with them at this—”

  “I will go to the elves,” interrupted Meagan, who was once again standing at the doorway to the balcony with Amber by her side.

  “Dark or light, elves do not tolerate humans,” said Kallan.

  “Let me worry about that,” she replied, her voice more calm and agreeable now.

  “I don’t think we should split up,” said Cyrus concerned about Meagan’s personality change since arriving on Nidavellir.

  “Kallan is right about one thing, elves don’t normally like humans… or dwarves for that matter… but I can get in to see them.”

  Meagan seemed confident, but Cyrus was still unsure.

  “I’ll go with her,” said Amber.

  “No,” replied Meagan quickly. “I can do this alone.”

  “Look, I’m an air elemental sorceress. I’ve already been below ground longer than I like and I’m not really wild about the idea of going deeper into the mountain to the lower mines. I need to get above ground. Like it or not, I’m coming.” Amber gripped Meagan’s arm.

  Cyrus could see the pleading look in Amber’s eyes. She was doing her best at keeping things together, but it was clear the underground was starting to get to her. The white of her knuckles and the shaking of her hands revealed her nerves were on end.

  “Okay,” said Meagan relenting for Amber’s sake, “Amber and I will go see the light elves. You two go see these elders.”

  “Before you leave,” interrupted Cyrus, “I need you to contact Gollnick. I have a little request.” Cyrus had the slightest of a grin on his face.

  “I will take you back up to the surface,” said Kallan. “From there you can take the Bifrost to Alfheim, home of the light elves. Then Cyrus and I will head for the lower mines. When you return, enter the cave and take the third right turn in the tunnel system. It will lead to a small dwelling site. Wait there for us. As long as we don’t die in the lower mines, we will meet you there in two days’ time.”

  “Why so long?” questioned Amber.

  “The mines are very deep and much of the distance will be walking or climbing.” Looking to Cyrus and smiling, he added, “I hope you can keep up, human.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Cyrus was confident about the physical challenge of the next two days. He was just glad he didn’t need to learn any new spells.

  25 A Fiery End

  It was mid-afternoon when Alex, Radimir and Sheelin stopped for a rest. The weather had cleared and the sun shone bright in the sky. A bitter chill and a new layer of snow reminded them they were still in the frigid north. Sunlight reflected off the newly fallen snow, blinding the trio of sorcerers. They had not seen nor heard any signs of Taryn… or the Wendigo.

  Alex wished Taryn were with them to start a fire and keep them warm. But she had her own problems right now. Time was running short. If the creature didn’t get to Taryn, the hunger would. When that happened, she would become that which she’d come here to hunt.

  Alex pushed back the hood of his winter coat and ran fingers through his disheveled hair. He sat on a fallen tree to rest while they took a drink and grabbed a quick bite to eat. The deer jerky was tough, but anything tasted good right now. Food options were scarce since they needed to travel light. Speed was their ally in hunting this creature, both for offense and defense. For such a large biped, it moved lightning fast.

  Radimir had returned to wolf form in an attempt to pick up Taryn’s scent, but with no luck. Sheelin found herself in a similar situation since she was unable to spot any tracks left by Taryn.

  Alex could see their spirits were low, as were his. They needed some encouragement, even the smallest indication Taryn was nearby. He stood, closed his eyes and cast a spell, “Searo te-yon maku.”

  The others watched as he turned in place with his right palm perpendicular to the ground as if seeing through his hand. He could feel their eyes on him as they held their breaths. He too hoped for the slightest sign of their friend.

  When Alex finally lowered his hand, his head drooped as well. The spirits of the other two sank with him. No one said a word. He looked from Radimir to Sheelin then brushed some snow from his pants and started walking.

  The wolf sprang to its feet, but hesitated. When Sheelin too stood and followed Alex, the wolf quickly moved into the lead with nose to the ground.

  Sheelin moved up next to Alex. “Our chances of finding her in time are dwindling. If it isn’t already too late.”

  “We’ll find her. We just need to figure out where she would go.”

  Just then Radimir’s head jerked quickly to the left. He sniffed a few more times and took off in a sprint. Alex and Sheelin exchanged a glance then took off in pursuit of their shape-shifting friend. After ten minutes, he and Sheelin came to a stop. They had lost Radimir’s trail until he poked his head out from behind a tree.

  “Clothes?” he asked.

  Sheelin tossed him his clothing and waited for him to dress.

  When Radimir finally rejoined the other two he pointed south. “Scent head to river. She follow river south.”

  “She’s looking for a cabin or settlement,” said Alex. “The question is, is she looking for shelter… or food?”

  Sheelin took a few steps toward the river and knelt. “There are trac
ks here. Possibly Taryn. Definitely moving slow and dragging her feet. She stumbled a few times. She must be cold and weak.”

  Encouraged by these new signs, the trio picked up the pace. They followed the trail along the river until they spotted a shape in the distance. It was white, but small. Alex hoped it was just Taryn’s snow-covered jacket and not the Wendigo. The figure fell to the ground and they broke into a run toward whatever it was.

  When they approached, the figure was curled up in a ball at the base of a tree beneath some low hanging branches. Seeing no movement, Alex carefully pushed back the tree limbs to get a better view. He cautiously reached in and placed a hand on the figure. There was no response to his touch, so he rolled it over to get a better look.

  Taryn launched at him with a scream as her fingers reached for his throat. Alex caught her hands in mid-strike. Her face was pale and drained. Her bright red hair was almost white and her eyes lacked pigment.

  In her weakened state, she was easily restrained. Hunched over, she sat cross legged on the frozen ground. With her hands tied behind her back, she glared at her three captors. A low growl emanated through her clenched teeth.

  Alex, Radimir and Sheelin sat on the opposite side of a small fire. They had built a make-shift camp twenty yards from the river’s edge.

  Alex was concerned. His friend still resembled Taryn, but she was slowly beginning to look more and more like the Wendigo. “So what do we do now?” he whispered to Sheelin.

  “We wait. It’s up to my father and the other hunters to destroy the Wendigo. Once that’s done, she should be free.”

  Radimir leaned forward to speak past Alex to Sheelin. “While wait, sitting goose.”

  Alex smiled. “I think he means we’re sitting ducks. If the Wendigo attacks, we’re going to have a hard time protecting Taryn and fighting off the monster at the same time.”

  Sheelin appeared to consider the situation. “I could try a signal flare. It would alert the others to our location and let them know we need help. Unfortunately, it would also let the Wendigo know where we are, too. We have no way to know who would get here first.”

  Alex considered their options. Taryn’s pale features and white streaks through her once red hair made her look almost ghost like. He couldn’t let his friend suffer, but they were in the middle of nowhere with little protection and in a poorly defensible location. “Time is against us. We have to risk it.”

  Radimir nodded his agreement.

  Sheelin stood and point skyward. “Sili fir-tor mata.” A bright red orb shot from her finger and raced skyward. At an altitude of two hundred feet, it exploded into a red globe that hung in the air for many minutes. As it descended, it exploded twice more, indicating their location directly below.

  Alex stood. “Now we protect this area until help arrives. Spread out and find some cover. Keep your eyes and ears open. It could be a while.”

  Later that evening, as the sun set on the distant horizon, the trees cast long shadows and the already cold temperatures began to drop. What little warmth the sun provided had deserted Alex and his friends. They were alone in the cold, and in the world, it seemed. Their hope waned with the diminishing light.

  A solitary figure walked out of the darkening woods to approach their meager camp. Alex and the others stood their ground, prepared for an attack.

  As the figure neared, Sheelin called out, “Father?”

  Qaletaqa stood near the edge of camp, the firelight barely illuminating his features. His eyes studied their captive. A gentle breeze was the only sound against Taryn’s low growling. Her whitened eyes locked with Qaletaqa as they held each other’s gaze.

  Sheelin moved between Taryn and her father. “We did as you requested. We found her and kept her safe, both from the Wendigo and herself.”

  Without a sound, Qaletaqa briefly glanced over his right shoulder before returning his attention to his daughter. “Unfortunately, we’ve been unsuccessful in finding the creature.”

  Within seconds, fifteen other hunters emerged from the shadows and flanked the eastern edge of the camp, all weapons trained on Taryn.

  Qaletaqa craned his neck to look around past Sheelin at Taryn as she sat with her hands bound and hunched over. “Surely you can see there is no hope for her. It’s only a matter of time before she is strong enough to break her bonds and attack. At the first taste of human flesh, she will become a Wendigo. We must destroy her now before that happens.”

  Alex and Radimir moved to join Sheelin in blocking Qaletaqa’s path. This was what Alex feared, that Qaletaqa would strike out at Taryn once she was a captive. “You gave me your word you would leave Taryn to us. To protect or destroy if necessary. She isn’t too far gone yet. There’s still time to save her.”

  “Look at her. She’s more Wendigo than human.”

  “She’s also defenseless. I will not allow you or anyone to harm a defenseless person, no matter what potential threat she may pose.”

  Qaletaqa held up a hand. The hunters lowered their weapons and took a more relaxed stance. “Her strength grows the longer we wait. Soon there will be no other choice.” Qaletaqa moved forward and took a seat near the fire, opposite Taryn.

  Alex took a seat to his right. “Are you sure there’s no other cure, other than destroying the original Wendigo?”

  “None that I know.”

  Alex thought for a few seconds then quickly stood and moved toward Taryn. Twisting from the waist, he threw his right hand forward, fingers extended, toward Taryn. She looked at him with fear in her eyes then froze in place.

  Qaletaqa jumped to his feet as Sheelin and Radimir watched in confusion. Qaletaqa took a step closer and saw that Taryn was unmoving. “What did you do to her?”

  Alex turned to face Qaletaqa. “You were right, I am powerful. More powerful than anyone realizes. I’m not sure how I did that, but I’ve frozen her in time. So long as the spell remains in effect, she won’t continue to change.”

  “You froze her in time?” Qaletaqa studied Alex. “How?”

  Alex raised himself to full height and announced, “My name is not Alex, and it is not Max either. I am Chronos, King of the Titans and Master of Time.”

  Taryn started to move a bit, drawing Alex’s attention back to her. “Okay, maybe not master quite yet. I need to concentrate to keep her progression frozen.”

  “Chronos?”

  Without diverting his attention, Alex explained. “That was what Taryn was withholding. The Circle believes I am the Titan, Chronos, from Greek mythology.”

  Qaletaqa stepped closer and reached out to touch Taryn’s cheek.

  “No! You’ll disrupt the spell.”

  Qaletaqa pulled his hand back, but continued to stare in amazement. “How did you do this?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. It was more by instinct than anything. What I do know is if I break my concentration, she’ll return to the normal timeline. And I don’t know if I can freeze her again.”

  An hour later, they heard a long loud howl from nearby. Alex’s focus wavered, but he regained his composure quickly. “Please tell me that was just a wolf.”

  Qaletaqa moved to the outer edge of the firelight as he looked off into the distance. “No. It was the Wendigo and it’s headed this way. It’s coming.” He continued to stare into the darkness then turned to his friends. “Hunters, form a perimeter. We must not let the creature get away.”

  The fifteen hunters spaced themselves at equal distances around the meager camp. They stood, weapons armed and spells ready. The night grew silent… not even the birds made a noise. The only sound was from the water rippling in the river as it made its way south. Then a gentle breeze caused some leaves to ruffle in the wind and drew a misfired arrow from one of the hunters.

  Qaletaqa tried to calm the others. “Steady, friends. Let the monster come to us.”

  A long minute passed without event. Alex’s senses were heightened, waiting for a sound or movement in the woods. The shadows played tricks on his mind while se
eing things that weren’t there. A quick scan around the camp revealed everyone was experiencing the same thing. The night had grown dark and the cloud cover provided no moonlight to aide their sight.

  Without warning two men from the eastern edge of the perimeter called out in pain then came flying into the circle backwards, landing near the fire.

  Alex startled, then turned to the perimeter where the attack had occurred.

  Taryn screamed in anger. Her bonds were still in place, but her strength and fury had grown.

  From the edge of the camp near the river rose a towering figure, over nine feet tall and pure white. Skin stretched over bones with thin lines of muscle underneath. Its ribcage looked like a xylophone while long thin fingers ended in razor sharp claws. The face was humanoid in appearance, with an extended snout and long white hair. A low growl could be heard as it gnashed its sharpened teeth.

  Radimir dove behind some bushes. Seconds later a grizzly bear rose to block its path to Taryn. Alex ran to the aide of the bear and using his elemental powers, summoned water from the river. Sheelin stood at his side.

  The first tentacle of water froze around the left wrist of the Wendigo who looked down at its immobile hand. It tried to shake it free… then with hidden strength, forcibly broke the icy bond.

  When it looked up from its hand it was met by a charging bear. With a bear claw to the face, the creature let out a howl and backhanded the animal with little effort. Another icy tentacle from the river ensnared the right ankle of the creature.

  Fireballs from the Hunters with magical powers flew in to hit the monster as Radimir backed away a few steps for safety.

  Unfortunately, the heat from the fireballs served to melt the ice bonds and the creature moved forward shoving the massive bear backward.

  Alex continued to ensnare the creature only to have it break free… or be freed by flying fireballs. Of course his icy aura prevented the fireballs from doing any harm to the creature either.

  Alex looked over his shoulder to Qaletaqa. “This isn’t working. Fire and ice are fighting one another and the creature is winning.”