Hi there my friends, this week I bring you yet another chapter of my story Heritage, last chapter was a lot of fun for me because it marked the first time I got to share some of my stuff with this amazing community, I hope you enjoy this second chapter and help me improve with your opinions and comments, and now without further delay, I give you "Storm".
-I told you we should have warned him – said a voice with a screechy tone
-If we’d done that we risked exposing ourselves to a mere mortal- answered a deeper voice with a gentlemanly air about it.
-What? Who’s talking? Where… Where am I? What happened? Am I? Dead?
-Look Munin, it appears the childe has still some fire within- said the deeper voice.
-Stubborn like his father- replied the other voice.
-My father? – The mere mention of the word snapped Erik out of his drowsiness, and he started to regain his consciousness, little by little as he opened his eyes he saw his surroundings, he was inside a small room, or more like a cell, it had a low ceiling featureless walls a sturdy looking door and a barred window, but no sign whatsoever of the people who were speaking, he was alone there except for, the two birds from before, was he dreaming? Had someone drugged him? As he started to sit up one of the birds looked right at him and told him.
-Are you planning to stay there forever? –
A talking bird?¡ It looked like freaky Friday wasn’t over, maybe he was dreaming from the beating he took from… that couldn’t have been real either, that icy giant with the biker clothes, the fight, it all seemed so unreal.
-Leave him alone Hugin, that troll really did a number on him-
-What in the world? – said an incredulous Erik.
-Looks like the heir is not precisely the bright type- said the second bird with a deep calmed voice.
- I must have gone mad from that beating- said Erik while holding his head with both hands.
- Well it appears as your head wasn’t damaged in the fight, as you remember that bit quite well- continued the bird with the gentlemanly accent.
- Not only that, check it out, he bounced back from all those bruises- added Munin with enthusiasm as he flapped his wings.
- He possesses his father prodigious healing it seems-
-You know my father? - Erik couldn’t hide his curiosity
- Why of course childe, we are after all the heralds of your grandfather- said Hugin with evident pride
- Grandpa Alvin? - Erik’s puzzled face was obvious as he pronounced those words
- What? No, no offense to your granddad, but we don’t work for mortals, we are talking about your old man’s old man, Lord Odin himself.
- Lord who?-
- By Asgard, what do they teach children in schools around these lands? –
- Memes, and reality shows mostly –
-Lord Odin, Allfather and king of the Aesir – continued Hugin after clearing his throat.
- Is this some kind of joke? I don’t…-
-Listen kid, not trying be a meanie here, but we ain’t got time for pleasantries, so here’s the deal- interrupted Munin in evident exasperation- That thing that mopped the floor with you was an ice troll, and no I don’t mean some fatty making nasty comments on YouTube from his mama’s basement, I mean a titan whelp, the thing is the offspring of a titan, and it’s trying to bring its folks back to this realm, really mean business, so we need you to put a stop to it pronto-
-ME¡? Did you see what happened before? I’m just some regular guy trying to make a living and…-
-Is that so? - Inquired Hugin - Then, would you be so kind as to explain why the creature decided it was worth his time to attack you? - continued the bird- you see my dearest Erik, may I call you Erik? The titan whelps don’t usually attack humans randomly, they have lesser servants to that end, they only bother revealing themselves when a true menace to their purposes appears, and Heir-
- An heir? An heir of what? -
- Of the divine blood, Erik - answered Hugin.
- I’ll take it from here Mr. Fancypants- interjected Munin desperate to be heard- what my pal here’s trying to say is, that you’re the son of a God, more specifically of Thor the god of thunder-
-You mean that guy from the avengers? -
-That movie really did hurt us Norsemen-
-I said I got it Hugin- after saying this Munin turned his eyes back to Erik - No Erik, Chris Hemsworth is not your daddy, I mean the real thing, the mighty Thor who was worshipped in all of the north as the biggest badass the Aesir ever produced-
-You really have the wrong guy here, my dad was a coward who ran on my mom the minute he knew she was pregnant, not some fairy tale god-
-We knew you’d say that, and there’ll be some serious explanations for it, but for now, can you just shut your trap and let me finish? -
-Despite I deeply admire your endeavors, time is not a luxury we can afford right now, we must leave the premises as soon as possible- said Hugin trying to cut the conversation short.
-You always do this Hugin- Answered an enraged Munin
But before the raven could express the full of his frustration, there was a sound on the wall, and right after a small portion of the wall slid aside revealing a square hole barely big enough to fit an adult person, and as if that wasn’t surprising enough a small humanoid walked out of said opening, Erik could barely believe his eyes, he had seen small people before, but this creature was something else entirely, it looked like one of those garden gnomes, a wizened little person with a white beard, pointed ears and ancient looking garments, it was as if the weirdness of that night were endless.
The creature stood up to look at Erik and without taking his eyes off the boy he said.
-Wow, you look just like your dad, I mean not half as strong but still -
He had a gentle but stern voice, like that of a father figure, somehow the voice of the dwarf reminded Erik of his grandpa, but before he could say anything in response the tiny person turned on his heel and gesticulated towards the opening inviting Erik to follow him.
-Where are we going? - Asked a puzzled Erik
-Look kid, anything’s better than here, sides’ you want some answers bout’ your dad, don’t you? - answered the dwarf without even turning to look at Erik.
And without further discussion the party started their way down the tunnel in the wall, the trail was uncomfortable for Erik and the ravens, he was too big to fit adequately and the ravens couldn’t fly in such conditions, however the dwarf appeared to be right at home in the tunnel, after about twenty minutes they finally emerged from the tunnel in some sort of underground house, it was like the picture of a children’s book, small furniture and a door about as big as the tunnel entrance were illuminated by tiny oil lamps hanging from the ceiling, Erik had to remain crouching in order not to hit his head with the ceiling, the dwarf walked straight to a place that looked like an ancient workshop and started moving a pile of wooden boxes as if looking for something, after five minutes or so, he came back to Erik carrying a sturdy looking box, it was obvious at that point that the Dwarf was a creature of few words, Erik couldn’t help but to laugh internally at the similarities with grandpa Alvin, but he decided against bringing the subject up, instead he silently looked as the dwarf took off the lid from the box and offered him its contents.
Inside of the box, there was a letter, the paper was yellowed for the time, it had Erik’s name written on the envelope, so he hesitantly took it and opened it to reveal whatever contents it could have.
- Dear Erik, I’m sorry I can’t be there to give you this in person, by the time you read this I’ll be long gone from Midgard, you must have so many questions, who I am, why I left you and your mother, I understand if you hate me and can’t forgive me, but trust me, there’s a reason to all this, your world and mine are both in danger, and sadly I can’t be there to prevent the whelps to do as they please in Midgard, but I rest easy knowing you’d be taking care of things down there, I know I am nobody to ask this from you, but as my son, I know you’ll do the right thing, that’s why I trusted Haagen with a present for you, please wield it proudly, protect Midgard, protect the world that your mother and I love so much, but above all, protect my beloved Doreen, and make sure she knows I never forgot about her.
May we meet again my son, never forget who you are, and never forget your destiny.
Thor Odinson.
Despite his attempts to hide the feelings the words on that letter evoked in him, Erik’s tears started flowing from his eyes, he’d probably never know his father, but at the very least he now knew his father never forgot about him; and as he turned the paper he found and old Polaroid, two youngsters about his age smiling, the man looked just like him, only bigger and with wild hair and beard, he was wearing a outfit that made him look like a hell’s angel, however he somehow had a kindness about him made evident by the wide and sincere smile upon his face, the woman in the other hand was a slender beauty with a lavender top and jeans shorts, her blonde hair tied in a pony tail and her blue eyes sparkled in pure joy, Erik recognized her immediately, his mother never looked so happy in any of his childhood memories, and in that moment Erik understood why she never, not once spoke Ill of his father, they really loved each other, she wasn’t just some easy lay for a random frat guy, she had a special place in his heart, the kind of place that no force in the universe can take away.
And with that old load off his shoulders, Erik looked at the rest of the contents in the box with new eyes, and he found the tool that would lead him through the path his father had laid before him. A couple of fingerless gloves with clear blue stones topping each knuckle and a bigger stone on top of the back of the hand, somehow, they were a perfect fit for Erik’s hand, as if they were meant to be worn by him. And as soon as he wore them he felt a rush of electricity through his body.
-They’re called Storm Bringer- Said the Dwarf stoically.
-Haagen huh? Thanks a lot- Answered Erik with a faint smile upon his face.
The dwarf just nodded, but Erik had spent way too much time with Alvin and he knew that that type of gesture was a way of showing feelings for a certain type of men, so he just corresponded the nod, and looked at the ravens standing atop of the furniture.
-So? Ready for round 2 Mr. Heir? - Asked Munin enthusiastically
-It’s only proper manners to return the favor, don’t you agree Erik? –
-Let’s do this – Erik sounded more confident than ever as he said those words
And without more delay the party left Haagen’s home with renewed vigor, and while they made their way out of the dwarven tunnels it was almost dawn in San Francisco, they emerged from a manhole in Eddy street in Tenderloin district, the place had a reputation of being dangerous, it was usually packed with homeless people and drug addicts, but weirdly, the entirety of the place was empty.
-This is weird, this place is usually full of bums and thugs – said Erik as he looked around him
-Maybe the whelps are rounding the mortals here- answered Munin while stretching his wings
-Perhaps it is my imagination, but I catch the stench of the whelps nearby –
After a few minutes walking following the trail Hugin had caught, the three of them found an abandoned warehouse, and from the distance they saw more of those creatures, they looked almost identical, they were pushing humans around forcing them to enter the warehouse, and they weren’t shy about using violence to that end.
-What’s the matter kiddo? Looking a little pale there –
-There are at least three of those things… what if I? –
-Do not concern yourself with such nonsense- said Hugin with a reassuring tone –The creature from before could outfight you because your divine blood was dormant, however now that you have bonded with storm binder-
-You’ll kick their asses in no time Erik, so be a good Heir and get some slaying done while we help the mortals out of there-
Erik took a deep breath and came out of hiding to confront the unnatural terrors preying upon the helpless, somehow that reckless behavior felt natural to him now, and as he walked towards the battle he couldn’t help wondering what his father would say if he could saw him in that moment.
-Hey, whatcha doin’ there? – Asked one of the trolls with a menacing voice as soon as Erik emerged from the darkness.
-Erik thought of answering, but as soon as he saw they were also abducting children, something snapped inside of him, and as if he had a whole life of battle to back him up he charged at the three abominations like a Viking rushing to victory.
The creature that spoke was the first to attack, he launched a kick full of killing intent, but his leg got caught by an empowered Erik, who then used his body to project his opponent. It was amazing, every one of those trolls were at least one size bigger than Erik, and he had felt how powerful they were, but now it was as if they were mere flies trying to oppose the strength of a hurricane, everything was different, his strength, his speed, his reaction, even his tactics; he could anticipate the movements of his opponents and then counter them with an efficiency that was almost unnatural.
But the most amazing thing was Storm Binder, the gloves crackled with electricity with every blow Erik landed on the trolls, their icy flesh cracking under the might of the divine weapon, the trolls were helpless before the raw power Erik then possessed, and without hesitation Erik dispatched the three creatures with a roundhouse punch that sent the beings flying in different directions.
Erik took a moment to look at the aftermath of the fight, he felt a weird calm inside himself, not happiness nor fear, not any other feeling, so for a moment he stood still and gazed upon the relic his father had left him, maybe all that wasn’t just a weird dream, maybe he was after all the son of a god, however his contemplation was brought to an abrupt end by the voice of a terrified Munin forewarning him of an even bigger danger.
-ERIK LOOK OUT¡ -
It all happened in seconds, as soon as Erik moved his eyes to locate his feathered friend a massive arm rammed him with an unholy strength, he barely had any time to put his hands up to protect his face, the impact was so brutal that he flew various meters until he crashed against an abandoned car, he felt his head spinning, but he shook it hard trying to regain his senses, time was not a luxury he could afford when such a foe was attacking, when he was able to focus his sight he saw his attacker, it was another troll, or at least it looked like one, but where his fellows were impressive that thing was truly titanic, it didn’t even bother trying to look like the people from the mortal realm, he was donning a barbarian outfit, and from its expressionless mouth two tusks sprouted menacingly.
The very air froze around the beast in front of Erik, and all the previous stillness inside him was replaced by a raging storm, his blood claimed for battle, and the abomination before him was a worthy adversary, there was no need for words, for elaborated strategy, it was the time to don the ancient bear shirt and lose himself to the Viking instinct, that thing was out for gore, and by Valhalla Erik would make sure it got it.
Erik let a primitive war cry out, and before his opponent could react he landed a shocking blow to the chest of the troll, but however slow the creature was it was extremely resilient, Erik danced around it trying to get it tired, but he soon realized the thing wasn’t going down that easily, the frenzy inside him was intoxicating, as if the danger that unnatural beast posed to his life was the biggest stimulant, he craved for more, more battle, more power, he wasn’t going to lose, he had the power of a god.
However his opponent wasn’t just going to stay idle before his assault, the troll soon adapted to Erik’s fighting and reacted accordingly, predicting the moves of the astonished warrior, the troll threw a powerful blow that fully landed on Erik’s face; he felt his cheekbones cracking under the creature’s fist, the might of the attack forced Erik to his knees, as he desperately clung to consciousness; he couldn’t lose, not now when he finally had some answers about his father, not when all of those helpless souls depended on him, he knew he that if there was any chance for survival it was in Storm Binder, so he surrendered himself to the weapon, and he witnessed the divine.
-I can’t die here, I can’t die here, I WON’T FUCKING DIE HERE¡¡¡¡ -
- STORM, BINDER¡¡¡¡-
Erik’s rage awakened the primal forces of nature, all the stones on the gloves shone in a vivid blue as arcs of lightning hissed into existence, and as Erik’s cry of fury continued a bolt of lightning from the skies smote the unbelieving troll, the deafening crack of lightning was only beaten by Erik’s battle cry as he finished his foe with a devastating uppercut.
As the smoke from the lightning explosion cleared out Erik stood up over a defeated enemy, the homeless fell prey of the awe and ran in disbelief, the two raven flew towards the Heir with excitement in their voices.
-I knew you would prevail, you definitely take after your father- for the first time since they had met Erik felt emotion in the voice of Hugin.
-What did I tell you? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree-
-So? What now? Do I get to meet my father? – inquired Erik
-I am afraid that won’t be possible for the time being-
-You see Erik, your papa is real busy fighting the big titans back in Asgard-
-So I won’t be able to meet him? –
-By Odin that’s not what we meant, of course you will be able to meet him in time –
-But before you can get all chummy with your old man you need to get some whelp slaying done-
-You mean there’s more of these things? - Asked Erik in disgust- Sadly yes, and as much as we’d love to stay and guide you-
- The big boss needs us to deliver the message to other Heirs like you-
-So make haste and find others like you, there’s safety in numbers, despite there isn’t much we know about them, the Voluspa said there’s another Heir active in this city-
-The what now?-
-It’s an oracle, that’s how we knew about you, pretty handy huh? - answered Munin
-So you’re leaving then? –
-Do not worry Erik, we shall meet again, for now go to a place called Powerhouse bar, you’ll meet an Heir there, the Voluspa is never wrong- said Hugin trying to comfort his friend.
-Will do, and if you see my dad in this Asgard place tell him…-
-Sure thing kiddo, and in the meantime know your old man’s really proud of you.
And as Munin finished saying those words the two birds took flight towards the breaking dawn, leaving behind a new Erik, not a man, not a god, but the best of both, and the proud emissaries of the Allfather knew that whatever fat awaited him, Erik would make the Aesir proud, like a true Hero.
Like I said before, I hope you've had enjoyed it as much as I did, I really hope to read some of your comments and opinions, soon I'll be posting more material, I hope to see you in the comment section, if you liked my work please follow and upvote. see you soon ;)