“You’ll teach me?”
“Some basic principles, I guess. Visitors from Earth like us, unfortunately have no such inherent ability for magic. Passive reliance on charged runic items or similar means is all we get. When the charge runs out, we have to get a native with enough proper affinity to activate it again.”
“But I saw you practicing runic magic!”
“My circumstances are different from yours. For the present. When the time comes, I will be able to explain why. Your priority now would be to rest and recover. On that note, I have to take my leave, my friend. I have to get back to Maljen, that’s the town where I live. It will be dark soon and I don’t want to risk traveling at night, even with my personal defenses. We’ll talk some more tomorrow morning. I have already taken my leave of Eric and Helga. Don’t worry about them, they won’t pry and will take care of you. Let me get my horse. It’s tethered at the back.”
The Gothi stood up and took a step to walk to the back of the house. He stopped and looked at the roof. Tyler followed his gaze. He saw three ravens perched there.
“Anything wrong?” he asked the Gothi, surprised at his reaction to the birds.
“No. I just hate minders,” replied the Gothi who waved his right hand in a shooing motion. The birds took off. The Gothi looked around the sky and again stopped while looking at the nearest copse of trees. Tyler could see a solitary bird flying above the treetops. It looked like a large eagle with a white tail. The Gothi looked back at him for a few seconds as if he had a question for Tyler but apparently thought better of it and went to get his horse.
After a while, the Gothi showed up on his horse, said goodbye and rode off. Tyler watched him until he disappeared through the edge of the distant trees. Tyler sat where he was, enjoying the view and the fresh air. It felt good to be out in the open like this. No worries about becoming a meal for a vicious and hungry forest creature or worse, a bloodthirsty and horrible mythological monster.
As it started to grow dark, he went inside the house. He saw Helga doing some chores, gave a nod and a smile, and walked back to his room.
He entered his room, turned and closed the door. As he moved towards the bed, an apparition in white suddenly started to form in front of him. Shocked, he stopped and looked at the fast forming phantasm. He couldn’t move. His active imagination fearfully flitted from one remembered scene to another from horror films he had seen. Thoughts of ghosts, vampires, witches and other vicious Hollywood creations ran through his mind. In color.
The apparition walked towards him. It was rapidly filling out but still amorphous. It was clearly a female. The curvy shape and the forming facial features left no room for speculation. He found it difficult to breathe and his legs refused to obey him. As it got close, it raised its right hand. It was fully formed already. A dainty right hand, Tyler absent-mindedly noted.
It slapped him. Hard.
CHAPTER LORE:
Eir – Old Norse. A Norse goddess associated with healing. Other believe her to be a Valkyrie.
Heila – Old Norse. Meaning “heal”.
Davre - Old Norse. Meaning “day-meal”.
CHAPTER III
Dysfunctional Children
“That hurt!” thought Tyler, as the surprise slap shocked him back to mobility.
His mind registered the fact that the slap was soundless even if the pain was real. Instinctively, he took a step back and jumped for the door. The door remained closed despite his frenzied efforts to open it. Finally, he gave up and looked at his tormentor. He was thinking of shouting for help but couldn’t get himself to do it. Yet the silent slap meant the sound in the room was being controlled. Anyway, if the being wanted him dead, he would already be dead.
She really did look like a ghost, now that her form has stabilized. Her image shimmered in places and he could see through her at times. She wore a short diaphanous garment which looked to be a simple piece of thin white cloth. It had an opening for the neck and lashed together at the waist with a strip of fabric from the same material. It reached down enough to cover her upper thighs.
She was barefoot. Slender, with the perfect amount of flesh in the right places. Her face, though a bit hazy, was quite beautiful. Flawlessly so, if not for the furious expression it had.
“Thrall!” hissed the spirit.
“Wh...aa...tt?” stammered Tyler.
“Thrall! You smell of Bileyg!”
Thrall meant slave, remembered Tyler, now feeling insulted.
“I am not a thrall! And who is this Bileyg guy?” he shouted back, throwing caution to the winds because of the perceived insult.
The form appeared to examine him for a few moments.
“You wear his gift. Are you not bound to him?” asked the being, in a calmer tone.
“What gift? These clothes? These were given to me by the Gothi!”
“Not the clothes, stupid mortal! The medallion!”
“You mean this?” Tyler brought out the necklace, “it was given to me! By Ivar!”
“So you have not been bound to his service. Yet. That Gothi of yours is a thrall of his god.”
“Of Bileyg? I don’t think so! He’s just a priest! I believe he serves Od…” Tyler couldn’t finish the sentence. His voice disappeared.
“Do not call him by the name by which he is worshipped!” said the being, in a rising and irritated tone, “it may call his attention! A god may have many names but some have the power to draw his eye. Believe what you may, but your friend, as you may believe him to be, is not only a priest but also a thrall.”
“You are the one called Tyler West, are you not? Now named Havard Ulriksson?”
It was a question asked in a smug manner which in turn annoyed Tyler. But the simple query, with all it implied, started a knot of fear in his guts.
“So, what if I am?”
“Remember this, Tyler West now called Havard Ulriksson. Do not be bound to any god. I saved you. You are mine.”
“WHAAAAATTTT?”
Tyler was dumbfounded. His attempt to vehemently protest was cut short by a wave of the being’s right hand. He couldn’t talk.
“Hear my geas. You will not talk nor give knowledge to any god, being, or creature about this meeting of ours. Nor will you knowingly enable them to learn about it. Be careful, Tyler now called Havard, the gods have their games. But so do I. I will talk to you again.”
With that, the nebulous form dissipated.
Tyler dumbly looked at the spot where the being stood a few moments ago.
“Freaking shitstorm,” he thought, trying to get a grip and calm himself down at the same time, “But freaking hot babe! A bit psychotic though. No manners, didn’t even give me her name.”
As Tyler sat down on the edge of the bed, he noticed that his backpack was on top of the wooden chest. His clothes, dry but unironed, were on the table. He changed into his shirt and underwear, placing his folded Nordic attire on the chair. He went to his pack. The last rays of the fading sun through the membrane covered window gave some light to see by. He saw his watch among the items inside the pack and got out his cell phone and tablet, arranging them on the table. Both were damaged beyond recovery, they wouldn’t even turn on.
With a sigh, he went back to his bed, the strange encounter weighing on his mind. It was now dark outside as the fading rays of the sun had already gone. He realized he forgot to ask for a candle or some sort of lamp. Lying down and covering himself with the blanket, he thought about what happened.
First off, the being couldn’t be evil, if the Gothi’s remarks about the runes surrounding the house were true. That’s a bit reassuring, thought Tyler. She also mentioned something about the gods but didn’t include herself among them, so she must be some sort of spirit. Probably of the nature kind, as she mentioned saving him. So that must be the lake and its surrounding forest. It also explained his feeling of being watched and the eerie quiet. But belonging to her? Nope, not going to happen. It was even a lousy first date.
&
nbsp; Tyler doubted her possessive statement. Otherwise, she wouldn’t assume about Tyler bound to a god. He really hoped it wasn’t any sort of a dominatrix statement. That worried him. If it was and it led to relations of the fleshy kind, then the supernatural aspect of it was disturbing. He was not into that hentai and manga tentacled physical relationships nor was he into BSDM. He could be as kinky as the next regular guy, but the unknown paranormal aspects, if it did lead to such a relationship, frightened him.
But then again, he could be overthinking it. But hey, his ego could use the boost of a gorgeous and sexy female, if that was what she was, being sexually interested in him. His love life and sexual record back on Earth weren't exactly stellar. Actually, it was already close to being celibate.
He admitted that she was right about gods and their games. But that suspicion should include her. She clearly had plans for him. That was again disquieting. The idea of being a pawn didn’t sit well in his mind. But the medallion may prove to have drawbacks of its own. Its magical aura may lead to the assumption that he was Odin’s servant. It may result in aggressive actions against him by enemies of Odin’s pantheon. Adversaries which include frost giants, the fire giant Surtr, and other powerful beings, if his memory serves him right. He had better try to remember what he can about Nordic mythology from what he had read and his RPG gaming experiences. He was but a casual gamer but some games did feature the Nordic gods.
The Gothi, on the other hand, was clearly withholding some knowledge from him. He couldn’t blame the guy as he even gave a heads up before discussing Adar with Tyler. The “thrall” accusation did put him on guard. If true, then the Gothi must be furthering his god’s plans. It was obvious that the benefactor the Gothi referred to was Odin, though the Gothi didn’t try to hide that fact. He did go to some lengths to leave hints leading to that bit of information, probably within whatever limitations imposed on him. The ravens merely reinforced his conclusions about the Gothi.
Tyler decided to be a lot more careful. He didn’t want to play any game the gods have set into motion. People die or meet worse fates than death in those divine diversions. But then again, the being mentioned she saved Tyler. Would that mean his presence here was pure chance? If any god, probably Odin in his instance, influenced his arrival in this world, wouldn’t his arrival be less traumatic? The Gothi’s presence was because he was called by Eric, the hunter. Does that mean he didn’t know that Tyler passed through a portal?
With those restless and perturbing thoughts running through his mind, Tyler tried to go to sleep. As expected, it was a fitful night.
He woke up to the door being opened and a loud “good morning!” from the Gothi. The Gothi was wearing the same attire though he was now carrying a pouch. As he entered the room, he pointed to the clothes on the chair.
“May I?”
“Good morning, Ivar. Yes, just put the clothes on the table.”
As the Gothi placed the clothes on the table, he noticed the gadgets.
“Oh, you brought them out. I am really curious about these things. What is this?” asked the Gothi, picking up the cell phone and showing it to Tyler who was trying to sit up on the bed.
“That’s a cell phone. A wireless telephone. Enables communication between people separated by long distances. But it’s busted. The electronics must have been totally damaged by the water.”
“Wireless communication? Like a miniaturized radio? How far can it reach?”
“The principle is the same but that device also has a lot of other functions. On range, it is global. As long as compatible transmitters are present and one is willing to pay for the charges.”
“How about this?” asked the Gothi again, picking up the tablet.
“That’s a tablet. Also electronic in nature. Same as the cell phone, damaged beyond repair. It also has many functions. It can serve as one’s personal library, a scheduler, among other things.”
“Can you explain further?” asked the Gothi who took the chair, the devices still held in both hands.
Tyler explained. He even opened the cell phone and tried to describe its internal functions. The Gothi was intensely curious and bombarded him with a lot of questions. The discussion for which led to a description of the internet as well as the history of the development of the cell phone including related devices. The conversation even got sidetracked to modern modes of transportation. The explanation about the internet led to a discussion of video games in general as well as their content.
But the Gothi was clearly excited about the use of the internet as a global library of knowledge. Despite Tyler’s warnings about the internet’s vulnerabilities, the Gothi remained highly impressed. On the technical side, the abilities of modern day computers fascinated him.
“It really is a changed world,” marveled the Gothi.
“Maybe,” replied Tyler, “but humans still remain the same in general. Power, greed, wars, and our failings still exist and I don’t think they have changed a lot since your time.”
“Well, the human characteristics you have described go back to the beginnings of human civilization,” commented the Gothi, “the deities of this world also have the same drives and failings. Though if you notice, and if you’re familiar with mythology, deities tend to act capriciously and in immature ways, as described by one of my professors.”
“I guess they’re not omnipotent,” replied Tyler, “if my recollection of ancient mythology is correct.”
“You’re exactly right. Deities here are powerful but merely reflect the nature and needs of their worshipers. For example, the humanoid gods of Ethiopia have black skin and flat noses while those of the Thracians have generally been described as having red hair and blue eyes. You can also see it in the specialist roles of gods in many pantheons. Gods of agriculture, fertility, war, wisdom and even sex.”
“If it is not sacrilegious to ask, how come they exist here?”
“Some moved here by choice, some were driven here. But their worshipers have to be present. A heretical theory, for Adar at least, suggest that the deities were created by man’s beliefs, hence the different deities peculiar to each civilization. But the prevalent doctrine being preached is, of course, the opposite. Yet that theory may explain the petulant, impulsive and quirky traits mentioned in Earth’s mythology. Imagine coming into existence just like that. Fully grown, with enormous power. Without the maturing process of growing up and slow socialization experienced by humans, or mortals, as they call us. I am not even including issue of proper parental care. So what you essentially have are very powerful but dysfunctional children.”
“That’s disturbing and frightening on so many levels. Are all deity systems here polytheistic?”
“Yes, as far as I know. Monotheism is violently purged by Adar’s deities. It does appear to be a common reaction among the different pantheons which may act as one in extreme instances. There are a few powerful but independent beings with deity-level powers but they usually are deemed “evil” and sometimes referred to as the “hidden ones.” But they must have adherents or they wouldn’t exist at all. ”
“That’s brutal.”
“Self-preservation, my friend. If the heretical theory is valid, then the loss of belief also means a god can just disappear or its powers diminished proportionately. Though there must be some basis for this assumption. Most of the greater power of deities only extend to territories dominated by their worshipers. This is not to say that for example, a small community of worshipers with a Nordic pantheon in a Greek city will be beyond the reach of Nordic gods. They still would be, but the divine favor which can be extended to them is limited. Belief is the key to the connection between such gods and mortals. Even one believer can be heard by his god in the middle of a forest in a different territory. If the god deigns to listen.”
“Being a heretical belief, does it mean its proponents get struck by lightning, turned to stone or some such shit?”
The Accidental Archmage: Book One - Ragnarok Rising (MOBI EDITION) Page 6