216 Knowledge is Power (Part 2)
“Exile!” Clay bellowed as he barged into the workshop, causing Exile to curse as his concentration was broken.
Clay frowned when the golden runes floating above the pages of the book shattered and disappeared. ‘What was that?’ He noticed an annoyed expression on Exile’s face and understood he had interrupted something important. However, that was when his eyes went wide from the suppressive aura leaking from Exile’s figure.
“What’s wrong, Clay?” Exile asked as he turned to glare at him with a stern expression.
“Sorry, I didn’t know…”
“It doesn’t matter.” Exile cut off his apology with a wave of his hand. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s the Deep Stalkers. They’ll arrive at Valheim in a few hours.” Clay revealed an ugly expression as he explained what had happened.
“Ok,” Exile sighed as he stroked his beard. “Have the new players join the Pantheon. I trust your judgement so we can raise their level later on. But we’ll need all the firepower we can get for this battle.”
“Check in with the others and send messages for all the Pantheons to gather to fight the threat. Hold them off until I arrive.”
Clay frowned as he listened to Exile. “You’ve reached Tier 2, right? Aren’t you at your weakest right now?”
Exile chuckled when he heard the concern in Clay’s voice. “If you can buy me some time, I’ll have a few nice surprises to reveal.”
Clay’s frown deepened as a sinister smile spread across Exile’s face. ‘He’s up to something again! Clay sighed when he realised he was helpless in that matter. All he could do was support Exile for now.
As Exile watched Clay leave, a grim expression appeared on his face. ‘I guess I have to do what I can for now!’ Exile sighed as he thought about the many experiments he wanted to do. A moment later, he activated his Oracle spell.
[Lord Exile, it has been a long time. I trust you are doing well.]
Exile smiled when he heard the old dwarf. ‘Yes, Thovok. I need your people to offer me stones suitable for inscribing runes on. As many as possible as soon as you can! Silence followed Exile’s thought as he waited for the dwarf’s reply.
[It’s an odd request, but it won’t be a problem. I’ll see to it that it’s done. We send some every hour until you say otherwise.]
“Thank you, Thovok. I’ll personally thank King Bargrux when I finish my business here: Exile replied before cutting the connection.
‘I’ll finish upgrading my equipment first before I make another attempt at spell creation. Exile mused as he walked back to the enchanting table. ‘I just hope I have enough time!
Meanwhile, Bjorn chuckled as he sat in the temple of the new city, and the children gathered around him to listen to his tales. He waited patiently until the children settled down. “There are more adults this time. That’s good! Bjorn cleared his throat to get their attention.
“Now, what story should I tell today?” Bjorn said as he stared at the ceiling.
“Jor and the Ice Giant!”
“Allevia and the Hermit!”
“The War of the Fall!”
“I want to hear about Ragnarok!”
Bjorn grinned as he heard the children calling for their favourite tales. He was pleased to hear the little girl call out for Ragnarok. Bjorn thought about the letter that Ania had sent via hawk. ‘It gives me a chance to be the first to talk about these things. I hope to one day see it for myself! 𝑜𝑣𝘭.𝘯𝑡
“Ragnarok it is!” Most of the children cheered, but a few of them groaned. However, that was only because they had grown up with the stories of the Old Gods. “Now, settle down and listen carefully.”
“The first story I will tell you is called The Heart of the Sea.” Bjorn smiled as he saw the children perking up. “Not long ago, a fishing boat was damaged in a storm. The waves and winds had blown them away from the coast to where they could no longer find their way home.”
“Days passed, and soon the fishermen grew hungry. They prayed and prayed for a miracle. One day, their prayers were answered. Fish leapt from the sea into their boat! They did not struggle to get back into the water. They seemed content to become food for those poor souls.”
“One of the men, after eating his fill, started asking who the woman on the boat was who kept staring at them. However, the others laughed at him. There are no women on this boat! They would say, mocking him. That night, when the others were asleep, he approached the woman that only he could see.”
“She smiled warmly at him with pity in her eyes. Who are you? The man asked as the woman stared at the horizon. I am the Goddess of Fisherman. All that lives in the sea fall under my domain. She replied, and the man shivered. Please, great goddess, tell me your name. She smiled as she whispered softly in his ear. I am BeansNtoasT.”
“The man frowned at the strange name. However, he never forgot it. Goddess, can you help us back to shore? The man asked as he bowed his head and fell on his knees.”
“No. She replied and the man despaired. But do not fret. A friend of mine will soon arrive to guide your way. The man lifted his gaze to stare at her, but she was already gone!”
The children gasped and Bjorn smiled when he saw them fidgeting in excitement.
“Hours passed as the man waited for the Goddess’ friend. He never gave up hope, and eventually, he felt a shift in the winds. The man watched as the sail of the damaged boat turned on its own to catch the wind. However, when he looked at the sea, it did not seem affected by the same winds.”
“As he glanced around he finally spotted a man, draped in a grey cloak. The man was blowing into the palm of his hand and the winds seemed to come from that gesture. The fisherman rushed to the figure and knelt before him. Please, tell me your name so I may offer gifts in your name.”
“The figure stared at him for a moment before saying, I am the whispers on the wind. The guide of forgotten paths. I am the God of Lost Travellers. I am, Old Un.”
“The fisherman raised his gaze to express his thanks but the figure was gone! However, the winds kept blowing. When the sun appeared on the horizon, the fisherman could see the coast of Skardia in the distance and wept in joy!”
The children cheered in joy as they pointed out those were the Gods whose statues stood outside the temple they were in. They pressed Bjorn for another story as he chuckled at their enthusiasm. “This next story is called Dreaming of a Cure,” Bjorn said as he took a sip of mead. “In Eraldsfen, there was a mother wrought with grief. Her son had fallen gravely ill, and everyone suspected he only had a few days to live. The mother, having lost all hope turned to the gods. She prayed for a full day and night to every altar before exhaustion forced her to sleep.”
“However, a strange dream occurred. She found herself standing outside of Eraldsfen looking at the forest. A beautiful, ethereal woman strode out of the treeline with a sympathetic expression on her face. Without saying a word, she took the mother’s hands and led her into the forest.”
“Remember this path. When you awake, come here. The woman said as they halted in a bare clearing. Who are you? How can this help my son? The mother asked as tears streamed down her face.”
“I am the weaver of dreams. The wielder of nightmares. I am WintersEmbrace. You must come here if you wish to save your son.”
“The mother’s eyes opened, and she frantically raced to the outskirts of the village. The path she had been shown was exactly as it was in her dreams. Hope flared in her heart as she raced through the forest. However, when she reached the clearing it was not bare. It was full of weeds, and she could only watch as a man whispered to those plants. She stared with wide eyes as those weeds grew under his care at his very words!”
“Who are you? Can you save my son? The woman asked as she approached the man. A smile played on his lips as he neared her. He embraced her and whispered in her ear. I am the eternal gardener. The God of Wild Plants, Moist Burrito. Take these weeds and boil them down. Have your son drink it, and all will be well.”
“The mother suddenly realised that there was no man, and she was embracing empty air. She wiped the tears from her eyes and gathered as many of the weeds as she could. She followed the man’s instructions and waited patiently. On the fourth morning after the encounters, she awoke to find her son missing from his sickbed. She searched the whole house in vain. Only to hear him laughing as he played outside.”
The children gasped as they questioned Bjorn. They wanted to know what the weeds were called. Others wanted to know if WintersEmbrace visited everyone in the world to give them dreams when they fell asleep. Some asked why she would give people nightmares.
“Well, when it comes to children, she only gives them nightmares when they misbehave.” Bjorn chuckled when some of the kids glanced at their parents nervously. “Now, the next one is called The Lake of Chilling Winds.”
“A hunter had prayed to the gods for a safe journey before leaving his town. He trekked for a few days, deep into the forest where he found a boar. This hunter thought he was extremely lucky as he took the animal down with a single arrow. However, he had been too excited to notice that a pack of wolves had been stalking the same prey!”
“Half of the pack rushed to defend the kill while the other half chased after the hunter! The man ran through the forest with fear thick in his heart. The wolves howled and snapped as they chased after him. Quick! Run away! The hunter yelled when he saw a man up ahead.”
“IamLegend, God of Winter Winds. Go to the lake! Only then will you be safe!”
“As the hunter sped past the self-proclaimed god he felt the air reach freezing temperatures. The wolves suddenly yelped as the biting cold struck them. Those winds slowed the beasts down. However, he could see they were still intent on chasing him!”
“Suddenly, a hidden lake came into his view. The man frowned as he ran when he saw another figure standing on its edge. He raced toward the man and watched as the figure raised his arm. The surface of the lake became rough with waves and the water parted. Revealing a path that would allow the man to reach the other side!”
“I am Desa, God of Lakes. The figure said as the hunter passed by him. The wolves were beginning to catch up now, and the hunter was growing tired. When he reached the far side of the lake, the two walls of water suddenly crashed together. Drowning the wolves? that had chased him. When he glanced at the opposite shore, he saw the two gods staring back at him. Thank you, the hunter whispered as the pair disappeared.”
Bjorn went on to tell the tale of The Hidden Treasure. Where the God of Wealth, MidasTouch led an orphaned boy to a buried casket of gold. After that, he told the story of Fjora and the Serpent. Fjora had used her bare hands to slay a monstrous serpent, saving her village in the process. She was rewarded with becoming a hero with monstrous strength by the God of Strength, Claymore.
The children chatted excitedly when he was done. However, one girl looked at one of the altars in the temple before giving voice to a question.
“Who is that god?”
Bjorn followed her gaze before frowning. “That is Mikari, brother to the King of the Ragnarok Pantheon, Exile.”
“What’s he the God of?” She asked but Bjorn only replied with a shake of his head.
“Let’s leave his story for another time.” Bjorn glanced around the temple at all the expectant expressions. “We have time for one more story. What would you like to hear?”
Bjorn cocked an eyebrow when one of the men in the back raised his hand. ‘I don’t think I’ve seen him before… Bjorn’s eyes narrowed as he studied the man.
“Is there a story you would like to hear?” Bjorn asked as the man stood up.
“I haven’t heard it for a long time. It’s a story my father used to tell me when I was a boy. I wonder if you know it? It’s called The Father of The Gods…”
Bjorn inhaled sharply as his gaze turned cold. “Who are you?”