As much as I worried about the girls, I knew I had to let them fly solo at some point, and now was as good a time as any. The sooner we could make it to the castle, the better.
“Alright,” I said. “We’ll split up, but I want you to keep the dragons with you.”
“Of course.” Kas nodded.
“I will protect her with my life,” Asta promised as she patted Inger
I smiled at the girls, and then I addressed the little red dragons on their shoulders.
“Do what you can to help,” I ordered them. “But also make sure to stay out of the way of the weapons. I don’t want you getting hurt.”
Uffe nodded his understanding while Inger cooed to me, clearly eager for the battle to come.
“You all take the Draugrs on the left,” I instructed. “Blar and I will get the ones on the right.”
I’d deliberately given the girls the side with six Draugr. That was three for each of them and five for Blar and I to take out on our own.
“Let’s go!” Kas smiled, drew her sword, and ran into the field toward the closest Draugr. The strawberry-blonde sliced as she ran by him, and the undead creature was split in half at the waist before he could even think of retaliating. It seemed the element of surprise had been in her favor then. The other Draugrs noticed, though, and I figured she would have more of a fight on her hands after that. Still, she was one ahead at the moment, and I couldn’t let her beat me.
“Stay safe, Rath.” Asta nodded at me seriously, and then she ran after Kas.
“Ready?” I smiled at Blar, and he nodded before flying forward and letting out a stream of fire at the closest Draugr.
I ran behind him with my sword at the ready.
The undead on our side had seen Kas and Asta attack, so they were ready, and they came at us all at once.
One of them threw his axes at me, and I dodged them before I slid on the ground and cut the guy off at the knees. The top half of his body kept trying to come for me, but I had other creatures to worry about, so I kept moving.
The Draugrs congregated around me, and my sword clashed against various weapons as they did whatever they could to stop me and keep me away from their treasure.
Blar breathed fire at them and darted down to scratch them and rip out their eyes. At one point, he even snatched a sword right out of one of their hands, which gave me the opportunity to cut the man’s hand off at the wrist.
I sliced and stabbed at the creatures until they were in pieces on the ground around me. Then I walked around and made sure to stab each of them in the head so they would actually die. If I left them in pieces, they would try and continue to come after us however they could.
I walked up to the last Draugr that was dragging the top half of its body on the ground in an attempt to retrieve its sword. I shook my head and stabbed it through the skull before I placed my foot on its head and pulled my blade free.
Then I turned to check on the girls and saw they were doing the same, and they were nearly done. I smiled at their win.
They’d managed to take out six Draugrs in the time I’d taken out five. It was a wonderful effort on their part, and I knew before long they would be up to my level, and I wouldn’t bat an eye about them fighting on their own.
“Good work,” I told the women as I walked over to them.
“Thanks.” Kas wiped the sweat from her brow.
“That was exhilarating,” Asta said with a smile.
“I’m glad you thought so,” I chuckled.
It made me happy to think just a month ago the elf girl hadn’t been able to defend herself from one of these creatures, yet here she was having just taken out three of them.
“We should be going,” I said. As much as I wanted to congratulate the elf girl, that would have to wait until later.
We were incredibly close to the castle, and once we got in there we could find the dungeon and Vinrar. We were nearly finished with this quest, and I was eager to get it done as quickly as possible.
The girls nodded, and we all headed toward the giant black castle in front of us. It was circular in design, and up close I could see all of the cracks that ran through the stone. It was in disrepair, and I wondered if anybody actually lived there or if it was simply where they kept Vinrar.
If this place was the opposite of Asgard, then who was the opposite of Odin?
I shuddered to think about someone in Helheim having the same kind of powers Odin had. I half expected there to be more Draugr closer to the castle, but we walked right up the broken and crumbling steps to where the front door once was. The wooden entrance now hung off its hinges, and I pushed it to the side as I peered into the darkness.
Inside, the castle smelled dusty and somehow even worse than the rest of Helheim. The door creaked as it shuddered on its hinges, and I stepped inside with the girls behind me.
“Where should we go?” Asta asked in a hushed voice, but echoes still reverberated around us.
“We need to find the stairs,” Kas said. “Dungeons are always underground, right?”
“I believe so,” I agreed.
“Let me give us some light.” Asta held out her hand and cast sunlight.
The front room we were in was illuminated, and we could clearly see how dusty and abandoned the place was. The tapestries that hung on the walls were frayed at the end and so dusty it was impossible to tell what they depicted. The marble table in the center of the room was split in half and laid in pieces on the floor, and there were several Draugr pieces in the corner of the room. I supposed that answered the question about whether or not someone lived here.
It seemed strange there was a castle without a king, but at the moment I wasn’t going to ask questions. I just wanted to find the dungeon and Vinrar. I’d worry about whose dungeon we were headed to later.
“This way,” I said, and I headed to the right.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure which way would get us to the dungeon the fastest, but we couldn’t guess forever. At some point, we just had to get moving. That seemed to be the theme with Helheim.
The girls and I had gotten so used to having Kas’ enchanted map that told us where the portals and things were, it was almost strange to have to guess for once.
The more we walked around the castle, though, the more familiar it became. It really was the opposite of Odin’s castle in Asgard, and I thought about when we’d snuck in and where we’d gone.
Once I realized everything was the mirror layout, it didn’t take us long before we found the doors that led to the dungeon beneath the castle.
The girls stayed behind me as we made our way down the stone stairs. They were in terrible condition, too, and I watched my feet carefully as I led the girls safely down.
We got to the landing, and I glanced around expecting to see the cells, but instead I saw a large door with a man on either side.
The men were clearly specters of Helheim, and when they saw us they pulled out their swords and held them out to us. They were nearly see-through like the rest of the dead in Helheim, and they stared at us with blank, joyless eyes.
“Halt!” one of them called.
The two of them were in guard uniforms, and it was clear they were meant to protect this dungeon, but I couldn’t figure out why. Were they here to keep people out, or to keep Vinrar in? And how had they managed to screw up enough in life that they wound up guarding a dungeon in Helheim? If it were me, I’d rather be one of the specters roaming around than someone doing a job in the afterlife.
“We mean you no harm,” I said. “We only want to see Vinrar. We know he’s here.”
“We cannot let you pass,” the guard on the right said. Long straight blond hair hung down to his chest, and a huge scar came across his nose down to the left side of his face.
“I was sent here on a quest,” I explained. “I must get in and see Vinrar.”
“Our orders are to not let anyone in,” the black-haired guard on the left grunted.
“You know how many times
we’ve heard that someone’s on a quest?” the blond-haired guard scoffed.
“How many times?” Asta asked as she cocked her head curiously.
“Is it a lot?” Kas snorted.
“Well, actually, this is the first time.” He looked down at the ground and then back up at us. “But it’s clearly a lie, and it won’t work on us.”
“But it’s not a lie.” Asta frowned.
“Rath is destined to save all dragons from enslavement,” Kas added.
“Sure, sure,” the black-haired guard sneered. “And if you’re here to save dragons, just why would you want to talk to Vinrar?”
“I wish I knew.” I shook my head.
“Looks like you’ve already got some dragons,” the blond guard said. “Just go on back where you came from, we can’t let you in.”
I thought about pulling my sword right then, but these spirit-men had done nothing wrong, and there was clearly a reason they were sent here to guard Vinrar. They had no reason to trust me, and if I were them I might not trust me, either.
Besides, if I killed them then there wouldn’t be anybody here to keep watch over Vinrar after I left, and there was no telling how much trouble he could get into, even in Helheim.
“Rath,” Asta whispered. “May I speak to you for a moment?”
I glanced over to the elf girl, and she and Kas both looked at me expectantly.
“Sure,” I agreed and turned back to the guards. “One moment.”
I took a few steps back, and the girls huddled around me with the little dragons still on their shoulders.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I have powers of persuasion,” Asta said as her yellow eyes cut back to the guards for a moment.
“Right.” I smiled. “I had almost forgotten about that.”
“The only thing is I’m unsure whether they’ll work on the dead or not,” the elf girl explained.
“There’s only one way to find out,” I said.
“You wish for me to use them, then?” Asta asked.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “Please do. That would be very helpful. If they don’t work, then we’ll try something else, but I want to try and get through without hurting these guys.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Kas said as she pursed her lips. “I don’t want to leave Vinrar without guards.”
“Right,” I agreed. “Asta, go ahead and give it a try.”
“Alright.” The elf girl took a deep breath, and then she stepped past me toward the guards.
I watched as her entire demeanor changed. Instead of the sweet woman she usually was, she became a strong, fierce female who didn’t look like she would take no for an answer.
“Gentlemen,” Asta said in a firm and unwavering voice. “You need to let us through.”
“Why would we do that?” the black-haired guard sneered, but then his eyes landed on Asta, and they seemed to glass over. “Waiiiiiit… We do?”
“Yes.” Asta took another step toward the men and made sure to lock eyes with both of them. “You need to let us through. And it would be your pleasure to do so.”
“Our pleasure,” the blond male repeated in a dreamy tone.
“That’s right,” the white-haired elf woman said.
“Go right in,” the other guard mumbled as he opened the door.
“And you’ll let us out as soon as we ask,” Asta added.
“Of course,” the blond guard agreed, and he grinned dopily at the elf girl.
“Come on.” Asta turned around to smile at us. Then the elf woman took a step through the door, and Kas turned to me and raised an eyebrow.
“That was impressive,” the sorceress said once we caught up with Asta.
“Sometimes I feel bad using it,” Asta sighed. “But this time it was for good.”
“Don’t feel bad,” I said. “You have those powers for a reason. Never feel bad for playing to your strengths.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Asta agreed as her expression brightened. “Perhaps they will work on Vinrar as well.”
“We’ll see.” I smiled. “Now, let’s find that asshole.”
Inside the dungeon was even colder and muskier than the staircase that led down to it, and the further we got underground, the more the hair on the back of my neck stood up. And even though I figured Vinrar was in chains, I still kept my hand firmly placed on the handle of my sword, ready to draw it at a second’s notice.
There were small cells to both our right and left, but there was nobody in them, and I wondered where Vinrar could possibly be.
“He has to be here,” Kas said after a minute. “The guards said he was.”
“There.” Asta pointed to the end of the hallway. There was another door there, and it had a large steel beam across it so it couldn’t be opened from the inside.
“He must be in there,” I agreed.
We made our way to the very end of the corridor and stopped in front of the door.
“Everyone get your weapons ready,” I instructed. “I believe he’ll be chained up, but we can’t take the chance that he’s not.”
“Will his dragon be here, too?” Asta inquired as her yellow eyes widened.
“He’s supposed to be.” Kas nodded.
“Do you think the dragon will be chained as well?” Asta frowned.
“I don’t know,” I said. I didn’t want to think he should be chained, but I also wasn’t sure we’d be welcome guests, so part of me hoped he was at least in another area. I didn’t mind slicing Vinrar up, but I would hate to harm his dragon, and I would only do so if it were absolutely necessary.
Once everyone had their weapons ready, I nodded to them and removed the metal bar from across the door.
Then I pushed on the steel frame, and the door squeaked open, so I peered inside. The cell was dark, but I could tell it was huge. A faint light from the doorway shone inside and lit up the back wall where I could just make out the figure of a man on the floor. His arms were chained up above him, and he hung his head down so all I could see was long black hair.
This had to be Vinrar. We’d found him.
Just seeing the man made my blood boil. Even though he was chained up and cursed to be tormented here, alone for the rest of eternity, that wasn’t enough. I wanted to rush over to him and slice his throat for the pain and destruction he’d caused.
I edged inside carefully with my sword out in front of me and the girls behind me.
“You must be the chosen one,” the chained man said in a low, grisly voice.
Kas tensed behind me when the man spoke, but I held a hand out to keep her back, and then I took a step forward.
“That’s right,” I said as I lifted my chin and squared my shoulders. “I’m here to fulfill the prophecy you set into motion. Now, tell me what I need to do.”
“The great master.” Vinrar laughed menacingly, and he threw his head back so I could see his open mouth as his laugh continued to grow louder and louder. “I am the great master!”
“You are nothing,” I said through clenched teeth. “You are a sorry excuse for a man.”
“I am all powerful.” His dark blue eyes locked on mine then, and I could see the craziness in them. If he hadn’t been insane before, then sitting in this dungeon had clearly driven him over the edge. I could feel he honestly believed he was some sort of God instead of the monster he truly was.
“He has gone mad,” Asta whispered behind me.
“He was already mad,” Kas growled.
“Fools,” Vinrar spat. “You know nothing of me and what I’ve done.”
His chains made a terrible clanging sound as he tried to lunge forward, and I couldn’t help the grimace that came over my face. The guy was pathetic.
He thought he was so powerful, but here he was chained up like a feral dog. If he wasn’t such a bastard, I might have felt sorry for him.
Vinrar started to laugh even harder then, and I glanced back at the girls with a furrowed brow.
“Tell m
e what I must do to right the wrongs you have done,” I commanded as I faced Vinrar again.
He laughed even louder.
“What is so funny?” I asked, annoyed at his craziness.
“You are about to die.” He looked up through his dark hair to smile at me.
“You will die if you don’t tell me what I need to know.” I rushed over to the man and held my sword out to his throat. I was growing impatient with him. If he didn’t have the information I needed, I would have killed him already.
“You and your baby dragons have come to the wrong place.” He looked me in the eye and then took a deep breath to yell. “Ove!”
“Ove?” I asked. The word was from the old language, and it meant ‘full of terror.’ What was that supposed to mean?
Vinrar laughed maniacally, which only made me push my sword harder against his throat.
“What is so funny?” I asked through gritted teeth.
“Look up,” he whispered. His dark-blue eyes lit up as another smile came over his face, and his demented laughter continued.
I kept my sword against his throat, but I slowly tilted my head to look up at the ceiling.
There, above us, was the black dragon from the picture I’d seen. Its large yellow eyes stared down at us, and my heart rate accelerated as it watched me.
“Ove, now!” Vinrar bellowed, and the huge dragon pushed off from the ceiling and dove right toward me.
Chapter 8
The massive beast came hurtling toward me, and I instinctively lifted my sword up to defend myself.
I could feel Blar tense on my shoulder and knew he was about to lunge off me, but I reached my other hand up and put it on his paw. I didn’t want to hurt this dragon. I needed to let him know that.
Ove was even larger than the portrait made him seem, and I thought about how terribly fitting his name was. The massive black dragon would fill anyone with fear, but what was truly fitting was that he’d been filled with fear by Vinrar. It was sadly poetic, and I frowned at the thought of it.
This poor dragon had led the revolt against Vinrar, and he’d still wound up in a cell with him in the afterlife.
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