Day Four of the Odinsleep (The Fighting Continues)

Day Four of the Odinsleep (Noon- 5pm)

As Korbin sleeps his mind expands, working feverishly to keep pace with the changes the Norn’s magic have wrought upon his body. Casual observations made in passing expand and take on deeper meaning as heretofore unacknowledged context bombards his mind, filling it with insight into the motivations of the beings he has met – from Raven’s unspoken death wish to Cedron’s melancholy over his lost love, slain years before. His consciousness reaches out, making connections that link actions with desires. A profound understanding of the party’s current situation dawns upon him as he realizes that everything is much simpler than it appears as the cycle of Ragnarok is made clear to him.

Korbin witnesses the swirling rime of Nilfheim crashing into the blazing fires of Muspelheim at the center of the yawning void of Ginnugagap. Their violent collision generates steam that releases the first primordial entities from the ice. Giants, gods, and men, all begat by those beings spread across the Nine Realms and fill them with life. The crow sees Baldur die, pierced by a spear thrown by his blind brother. He sees Thor battle a serpent large enough to encircle the entire world within it coils. The Thunder God prevails over the beast but dies from the monster’s venom. He watches as an old, one-eyed man is swallowed whole by an unimaginably large wolf. He witnesses that same wolf have its lower jaw ripped off by a lone warrior after all others have fled. Korbin sees two warriors killing each other in a battle atop a rainbow outside of the walled city of Asgard and knows that one of those fighters is Loki. Finally he sees the coming of a raging fire that spreads northward, devouring everything in its path. Those fires slowly are slowly drawn back into the south, revealing the yawning void and the frozen ice on the far side of the gap. Then he sees fire and ice converge once more…

- - - - - - - - - -

Idunn barely turns her attention from the battle below and almost negligently raises one hand, her fingers dancing through an intricate and oft-repeated dance. The trees of her orchard respond to her unspoken command and release their pollen. The fragrant dust drifts over and across the wall, blanketing the invisible Svartalfar with the fine grains, revealing the hidden attackers for all to see. Desmond and Arthur take up positions on either side of the goddess, both with blades drawn, ready to slay any enemy who dares come near her.

Ra’ziir looks over the edge of the wall and sees Raven dodging the attacks of the ogres and trolls as he races toward the water. The bladesinger produces a crystal and some wool from his pocket and rubs the two together while chanting “Noctis Lucis Torque!” An actinic bolt of electricity lances from the elemental elf’s outstretched hand with a thunderous roar. The blast strikes the ogre at the spearhead of the charging squad. The stroke takes the ogre squarely in the chest before arcing out to strike the next three nearest ogres. Other bolts and blasts radiate outward from the target as well but no other foe is foolish enough to stray within range of their reach.

Shadow focuses on a spot at the south edge of the wall and cries out “Πυροσβεστική!” A small orange bead drifts from his finger and detonates with a dull roar. Dark elves dive one way and the other, flattening themselves on the ground or dropping off the edge of the wall and holding on with just their fingers to escape the blast. The drow banks hard before seeing the results of his spell and dives, racing toward Raven.

Grotto raises his axe, draws back and is ready to release it when Idunn’s pollen reveals the gathered foes. He pauses, adjusts his aim and hurls his double-bitted weapon with all of his might. The axe tumbles end over end and as the nearest of the dark elves to avoid Shadow’s fireball closes on the group, the dwarf’s weapon strikes him in the ribs, just to the left of the sternum. The dark elf stumbles a half-step as Grotto’s axe reverses its course and flies back to its owner’s hand.

Cedron takes a deep breath and draws his sword. The blade begins to ring softly as it slides free of its sheath, its pitch and tempo changing to fall in line with the ambient noise around the bard. As Cedron steadies himself for the onrushing foes he channels the power of Malazzarr into his sword and it erupts into pure, white flames that cling to the softly singing sword.

Drax, even though he is exposed atop the wall and standing out in the open, seems to attract no notice from the closing dark elves as he takes up a place behind and to the right of Cedron, remaining completely unobtrusive as he waits to strike when the enemy force draws in close, saving his energy for the exact moment to strike.

Kysek aims slightly further north and a little farther down the wall than Shadow as he casts his spell. He flicks a small rolled bead of bat guano in the air and calls out “шаровая молния!” His fireball erupts, engulfing five of the dark elves. As the flames of his spell die away, the Svartalfar rise to their feet, seemingly unharmed by his arcane attack.

Hansuke rushes past the rest of the group, racing along with a speed unmatched by the rest of the group. He veers in the direction of the dark elf struck by Grotto’s axe and leaps into the air. As the tattooed monk lands, he launches a single devastating punch. The Svartalfar tries to intercept the monk with his wicked pointed spear but Hansuke slips the blow and connects with a rock-hard fist to the jaw. The Svartalfar’s head rocks back and a tooth bounces away across the flagstones.

Niklas takes aim along the wall and draws back his bow, firing and shooting as quickly as he can. Three shafts streak through the air. The first shaft strikes the dark elf just below the hollow of its throat. Only the finely woven chain shift prevents the arrow from passing all of the way through its target’s neck. The dark elf brings up its forearms as the second two shots rain down on him. Both of those shots go wide and the dark elf begins to close in.

Morn pulls a flask from his belt, pulls the stopper out with his teeth and throws it with all of his strength. The ceramic container shatters when it hits the wall and dumps its volatile payload all over the stone surface and sloshes over the feet of one of the Svartalfar. The liquid within touches air and erupts, igniting the boots and trousers of the dark-skinned enemy.

The dark elves rush forward. The one Niklas shot reaches Morn and stabs at the minstrel with his spear. Morn not only manages to twist aside, he contracts his whip to the length of a riding crop and smashes the Svartalfar across the cheek with it, opening a deep gash down to the bone.

The one battling Hansuke launches a frenzy of stabs but the monk slaps aside each as it comes close and avoid each of the attacks. One to Hansuke’s right, however, manages to score a grazing blow across the Hengeyokai’s arm.

The remaining Svartalfar rush forward, closing in on the group as they hold their positions, ready to defend Idunn from the invaders.

- - - - -

Raven races across the field. Three of the uninjured ogres change course to intercept him as the remained rain hammer blows down on the Einherjar. Four of Asgard’s defenders are struck down by the looming brutes, shields, helms, and chests caved in from the heavy blows. Raven slows, hoping to let the first one overshoot its run but the other two catch up to him. He drops into a crouch and brings Nightwatcher across at the level of all three ogres’ knees. The blow hits with punishing force and two of the giants stumble and nearly fall. The last one is struck so hard that the lower leg is severed. Blood gushes from the wound in a titanic fountain and the ogre falls, its lifeblood pumping out onto the battlefield. The two survivors rain hammerblows down at the elf but he manages to twist aside from both, avoiding injury.

Shadow drops into view behind the ranks of the Einherjar just as the ogres fell the front line fighters.

= = = = = =

• Haste – all except Korbin and Raven (16 rounds remaining)

• Arthur: 100% health;

• Bubo: 100% health;

• Cedron: 100% health; (True Seeing – 10 minutes, 8 rounds remaining)

• Desmond: 100% health;

• Drax: 100% health;

• Grotto: 100% health;

• Hansuke: 97% health;

• Korbin: 100% health;

• Kysek: 100% health;

• Morn: 100% health;

• Niklas: 100% health;

• Raven: 100% health;

• Ra’ziir: 100% health;

• Shadow: 100% health; Overland Flight (16 hours, 59 minutes, 9 rounds remaining)

• Spewer: 100% health