Tales From New Otrin (The Nomad)

by Max Masen

“What is inside, Shaun?” Racjack asks. He grabs Shaun’s shoulder and pulls him close. Shaun suddenly dissipates and Racjack holds up an empty cloak. Shaun reappears in front of them.

  “Rule one, mortals, do not touch a god. Except my sister. We do have to send her back to Valhalla. But that does not mean it will be easy for you. She is magical, powerful, and immortal. But she is in her human form. That means you three may stand a chance against her.” Shaun steps aside and puts his hand out, motioning to the door of the cabin.

  “You’re not coming in with us?” Racjack asks skeptically. “Then it’s no deal. Easy as that. We’re supposed to be getting back to our unit within a few days. Dawn will tear us to shreds.”

  Sheenja pulls Racjack in close and hisses in his ear, “We cannot refuse the will of a god. He will rip apart our unit and all of New Otrin with his wrath.”

  Racjack hesitates, watches Shaun carefully, and says back to Sheenja, “You seriously want to do this, Sheenja? There’s just no way we can survive against a goddess.”

  Brandgurt suddenly steps forward confidently and announces, “We’ll do it! We will fight your sister and claim our prize!”

  “Ah, so I do have a champion?!” Shaun says excitedly, his arms outstretched to Brandgurt.

  Brandgurt stands firmly and grips his short sword. Racjack and Sheenja watch Brandgurt uneasily.

  “I guess so,” Racjack says.

  Brandgurt walks carefully up to the door of the cabin. He rests his pointy ear against the wooden door and sees if he can decipher any noises. He hears creaking and steps throughout the building. He wonders if the noises are Dawn or possibly wild animals that have snuck inside and now own the residence. Racjack pulls at Brandgurt’s elbow hockey pad and says, “Well, what is it?”

  “I don’t know,” Brandgurt says quietly, still focusing much of his attention on the door. “It sounds like it could be anything.”

  “But does it sound like it has two legs or… more?” Sheenja asks sinisterly.

  “I don’t know,” Brandgurt insists, this time with more annoyance in his voice. “Why don’t you try?” He grabs Sheenja and shoves him to the door.

  “Instead of playing this game, we could try spreading out and covering each entrance and exit. Sound good?” Racjack asks rhetorically. He pushes Brandgurt to the right, near a storm drain and window. He then shoves Sheenja to the left and instructs him to find any exit that could be in the back of the house. Sheenja agrees without question, and he slithers away toward a window he finds on the side of the house. He looks it over quickly but decides against entering in through it. He continues on and sees a door in the back of the house, overgrown weeds encasing anything that could be used to open it. He uses his claws to begin cutting through the weeds and, to his surprise, actually makes progress. The door suddenly bursts open and he finds himself consumed by a mound of weeds and various plants. They reach out and surround him and pull him into the house. He lets out a quick yelp, just enough so that Racjack and Brandgurt hear it, and within a moment he is out of sight. Brandgurt hurries over to Racjack and on Racjack’s face is a tense, stunned expression. He can’t bring himself to move and this causes Brandgurt to panic also.

  “Racjack, we have to move!” Brandgurt yells. He reaches for his short sword and unsheathes it. Racjack is still stuck in place, and his eyes concentrate out over into the woods. “Racjack! Can you hear me?!” Laughing comes from the side and Brandgurt discerns that it’s Shaun that is mocking him. “What’s so funny?!” Brandgurt yells to the god.

  “Dont worry. I’ve just frozen him. Now all that are unfrozen is you, my sister, and myself. You are my champion, Brandgurt. I already have Sheenja out of the way. But I wanted to spare Racjack. You on the other hand, I need you to defeat my sister yourself so that you can rightfully claim yourself to be my champion,” Shaun says, his tense voice indicating that Brandgurt has no choice in the matter.

  Brandgurt pauses, looks to Racjack, frozen and in shock, and he feels his skin start to tense up. Then his muscles. He hesitates to answer, nervous of what his answer might imply. Then a calm comes over him. “Unfreeze Racjack! Please!” His voice is shrill, desperate.

  Shaun replies with elated energy, “I will. After you’ve defeated my sister. Hurry up, my champion. Defeat my sister and inherit the great Shaun of the Dead’s weapon!”

  “I can’t do this, Shaun. I-I’m not up for it,” Brandgurt stammers nervously.

  “Really?” Shaun sighs. “I’m getting bored with this. I guess I’ll just…” Shaun lifts his hand and constricts his fingers. Racjack’s neck constricts with the movement of Shaun’s hand. “Is this enough motivation, Brandgurt? Because I don’t really like to have to motivate my champions. But you-”

  “Wait!” Brandgurt cries hysterically. “Wait! I-I’ll do it.” Brandgurt’s head hangs low after he contemplates what his answer means. But Shaun begins to dance around him, knowing he’s forced him to give in. “Just tell me something I can use to my advantage. What are her weaknesses? How can I defeat her?”

  “She’s surrounded in a wooden house with an abundance of plants surrounding her. Do I have to spell it out, Brandgurt? This is not a difficult challenge I’m asking of you,” Shaun says, Brandgurt sensing the annoyance in his voice.

  “Fine, got it,” Brandgurt says, stretching and ready to overcome his fear. He quickly looks the area over. Wood by the base of a tree appears to him to be good for kindling. He was given a small lighter courtesy of New Otrin. He takes it out and runs his finger across the top of it, igniting a small flame. He takes the wood into his hands and sets the fire to the wood. It catches and he brings it close to the cabin. His heart starts to race and he can feel Shaun standing behind him, watching attentively, careful to examine any instances of hesitance from Brandgurt.

  “Do it,” Shaun says quickly, a broad smile emerging slowly across his face. “Burn her down.”

  Brandgurt sets the burning wood to the cabin and the flame catches to the cabin’s surface and catches to the overgrown weeds coming down from the windows and on top of the cabin. Brandgurt steps back and admires his handiwork. His chest starts to feel heavy. He takes a few more steps back, closer to Shaun and he peers over at Shaun as his creeping smile suddenly broadens even further.

  “That’s it, Brandgurt,” Shaun says, his smile indicating that he is pleased. “Her and her damned plants will burn in there. All thanks to you. I’ll meet her in Valhalla to complete the ritual and have her pay fealty to me again. I can’t have her running amok and challenging me every time she gets a bit of strength. Ah, yes, your reward.”

  Brandgurt’s eyes remain on the growing flame and he ignores Shaun’s comments. “Sounds good,” he says with little interest. “Now can you please unfreeze Racjack?”

  “Of course, I almost forgot!” Shaun says excitedly. He is about to snap his fingers when the front door of the cabin suddenly bursts open, an angry, half-burnt woman with a dark, flowing cloak emerging from it.

  “You!” she screams to Shaun. “Why have you followed me here?!”

  “I think you know what I want, sister!” Shaun says back loudly, but with a hint of calm and composure.

  “You want your medallion back, brother?!” Dawn yells frantically. She pulls the trinket from her gown and holds it in the air, the sun sparkling off of its pointy edges. “And you thought this Grant could stop me?!” She points to Brandgurt accusingly. Brandgurt starts to sweat but holds the short sword firmly. He suddenly feels the urge to pull his hand up to defend himself but he quickly notices that no shield rests in his hand. “Don’t worry, Grant. You won’t be fighting me. That would be too easy. I have a champion of my own.” Dawn steps aside and Sheenja steps forward, lifeless and without purpose. His eyes have become white as milk.

  Brandgurt backs up until his body reaches Shaun’s. Shaun smiles, giddy with excitement. “This should be a good one, sister,” he calls to Dawn. “You’ve picked a worthy one and so have I. But let’s see if living counts more for de
ad, shall we?”

  Dawn’s smirk quickly matches her brother’s. “We shall.”

  Sheenja’s reanimated corpse stands tall and its soulless eyes seem to peer through Brandgurt. Brandgurt feel its gaze searing through him and contemplates dropping the sword and running as quickly as he can away from the body of his dead companion but he holds it firmly in his hand and has a sudden burst of courage surge through him. He repositions himself atop a boulder and ensures he has the high ground. Sheenja saunters over to him with sword in hand. He walks slowly and without fluid movements. His body jerks from side to side and then he suddenly leaps a few feet up and comes crashing down on top of Brandgurt, his sword coming close to Brandgurt’s face but stopped short by a block from Brandgurt’s sword.

  “Sheenja,” Brandgurt calls desperately. “Sheenja, it’s me, Brandgurt. Don’t you recognize me?!”

  “He doesn’t understand that,” Shaun says. “He’s dead. Now fight back before he finishes you and my sister sends me back to Valhalla. I’ll be the laughingstock of the underworld for months!”

  “Looks like you’re running out of choices,” Dawn says to Shaun mockingly. “Admit defeat and I will let your champion live a life of shame but a life nonetheless.”

  “Not a chance, sister!” Shaun beams back. “Brandgurt, finish him!”

  Brandgurt lets Sheenja’s sword slide off of his and he uses the moment to get a blow in with his elbow. Sheeenja is barely fased and turns back around to face Brandgurt. With little effort, Sheenja raises the sword and slices it close to Brandgurt, knicking a piece of his elbow pad.

  “Sheenja!” Brandgurt tries again.

  “Stop playing around, Brandgurt!” Shaun yells nervously, afraid Brandgurt will throw the fight out of fear.

  Sheenja swings again and Brandgurt moves to block the blow with his sword but Sheenja’s energy is too much for Brandgurt to hold onto the sword and the sword is flung a few feet away and slides down into a trail then down into a ravine.

  “Alright, sister, I think we’re ready to throw the fight,” Shaun says, his voice sounding equal parts annoyed and embarrassed.

  “That offer is no longer good,” Dawn quips. “Your champion is to die an honorable death at the hands of mine.”

  Shaun looks to Brandgurt, Brandgurt’s face erupting in sweat and a panicked expression appearing. Shaun shrugs and says coolly, “Should have fought harder.”

  Sheenja whips his tail out and it slides hard under Brandgurt’s feet, tossing him in the air and forcing him back down hard. He looks up and sees the glare of the purple sun off of Sheenja’s blade. It comes down hard and Brandgurt barely slides away from the tip of the sword. He looks to the ravine, where his sword landed. It’s too far away. He won’t be able to retrieve it in time. Sheenja will easily be able to get him in the back and he knows it. Sheenja strikes again, this time his sword comes down on Brandgurt’s armor concealing his forearm. The blade penetrates the armor and slices its way into Brandgurt’s skin. He lets out a deafening scream as the cutting motion forces him down to his knees.

  “Die with honor,” Shaun says to Brandgurt calmly. Brandgurt hardly hears him, the majority of his focus being on the sword lodged in his arm.

  “Finish him, my champion,” Dawn calls to Sheenja.

  Brandgurt stands up suddenly and grabs onto the handle of the sword. He uses all of his strength to lift it out of his arm while Sheenja continues to thrust it further in. Brandgurt starts to make progress, slowly lifting it out. He lets out a victorious, relieved scream upon finally pulling it out. She stops for a moment to peer down at his arm and see the damage done. But he doesn’t have long. Sheenja quickly strikes again, the cutting edge of the blade coming down just late enough that Brandgurt has time to leap away. He fumbles on the ground but upon looking up, he realizes he has landed close to his sword. He lunges forward but can hear Sheenja in pursuit close behind him.

  “What is happening?!” Dawn screams violently. “How has he managed to recover?!”

  “He hasn’t… yet,” Shaun says with quiet optimism. He watches the fight rage, closely inspecting Brandgurt and trying to guess at his odds of winning.

  “Finish him!” Dawn screams to Sheenja.

  Brandgurt lands on top of the sword and fumbles with it while trying to grab onto the handle. He pulls it up and sees Sheenja nearly on top of him. Sheenja strikes the blade hard but Brandgurt quickly blocks it with his. He pushes the blade off while trying to get to his feet. He notices that he is starting to grunt while exerting all the energy he is capable of.

  “Kill him!” Dawn screams desperately.

  A look of ruthlessness appears in Sheenja’s pupils and he suddenly pushes back with even more strength. Sheenja pushes back hard and forces Brandgurt down. He hits the ground hard and the sword falls out of his hand. “Sheenja, don't!” Brandgurt pleads helplessly. The attempt fails and Sheenja is unphased by Brandgurt’s plea. Sheenja slams his sword down next to Brandgurt and Brandgurt is able to recover quickly enough, grabbing up the sword back into his hand and slicing it through Sheenja’s abdomen. Sheenja steps back and peers back at Brandgurt, confused but his body remaining frozen.

  “Is… is that it?” Brandgurt asks. Be stands up and upon getting to his feet, his ankle snaps and he collapses from the injury and lets out a surprised yelp.

  “Finish him, Sheenja,” Dawn commands. She lifts her hand and waves it. Sheenja watches her closely and turns to Brandgurt when she is finished. Sheenja lifts his sword high and crashes it back down hard on the ground near Brandgurt. It gets lodged into the dirt and he attempts to lift it. From the ground, Brandgurt brings his sword up and slices Sheenja across the neck, his scaly head separating from the rest of his body and falling to the grassy ground. Brandgurt breathes a sigh of relief and for a moment forgets about the injury to his foot.

  Shaun lets out an exclaimed shout and comes to Brandgurt’s side. “You did it!” he yells. “I can’t believe you actually killed the reptile!”

  “Can we do something about my ankle?” Brandgurt asks, ignoring Shaun’s excited exclamations.

  “It can’t be,” Dawn says in despair. She floats over to Sheenja’s body and says, “My champion. You can’t have lost.”

  “He did,” Brandgurt states affirmatively, using his sword to help him stand. “Now one of you better do something about my goddamned ankle!”

  Shaun and Dawn stand together and start to laugh at Brandgurt’s outburst. “Don’t worry, mortal,” Dawn says. “We had our fun. Now we will fix you up and send you on your way.”

  “What do you say he should get, sister?” Shaun asks, looking to Dawn lovingly.

  “Perhaps a shiny shield?” Dawn replies.

  “No, no. That’s boring. Do you really want to do a weapon again? I feel like we do that every time,” Shaun replies.

  “You bring up a very good point, brother,” Dawn says back. “How about… a potion?”

  “You were reading my mind.” Shaun smiles knowingly.

  “What are you two going on about?” Brandgurt asks, the siblings sensing annoyance in his voice.

  “You’re going to feel your ankle getting better right about… now.” Dawn waves her hand over Brandgurt and he suddenly feels his ankle recovering rapidly and he can then stand on it without the support of the sword. “And you will also be given A Gift of the Twins. A potion to use when you are in desperate need of it.” Shaun tosses Brandgurt a vial of purple liquid.

  “What does it do?” Brandgurt asks nervously, looking the bottle over.

  “That is for you to find out. And for us to watch,” Dawn says. A cloud of dust circles around them and the two of them disappear into it. Brandgurt is left standing alone, still entranced by the vial.

  Author’s Note: Thank you for reading and you can be sure that you’ll see more of Brandgurt in the future in his own standalone stories as well as crossovers with the rest of the Yesterlands gang. In the meantime, check out the other stories in The Nomad series and make sure to lea
ve a review if you liked what you read!