Chapter 16: Dark Blade

I did not feel like celebrating but I sat down with the others at the big table and was asked to tell them about my time at the academy. I gave them a very rough and condensed version and I did not even finish part of it as there was too much to explain and I could tell I had lost them as I told about the formal dinner, so I recalled the events around the duel and that was well received. I also told father that I would not be here for long and that a ship was on its way to pick me up.

Elena was quite disappointed I could tell but she told me that father was about to be engaged again with Sigfrida. I liked Sigfrida and I knew he could not beat her to death. Thinking about mother’s fate by the hand of my father once again brought up the image of my mother’s bleeding body and the countless times he had beaten and tortured me.

My hand cramped around the grip of Mördaren and the thought of splitting my father from head to toe in half was very attractive.

I was almost there when a voice thundered in my head.” Eric, I must see you.”

It was Tyr.

All thoughts of killing my father left me and the dark images of my memories were washed away with the joy I felt hearing his mental voice. I got up and told them I needed to retire and rushed before anyone could say much out of the Great Hall.

Something grabbed me, it was not like the instantaneous teleportation I experienced with Narth but I passed through walls and flew with open eyes and faster than any flyer across the ice without feeling the wind or the cold.

In mere moments I crossed almost halfway around the planet and found myself solid and on my feet in the underwater cave, deep below the Pillar burg only a few hard beats later. There in the natural stone basin, floated the largest white Tyranno Fin of Nilfeheim. This enormous predator, this being of such tremendous power was Tyr and he was a mentor but also a great friend.

When I first saw him in this cave I was afraid, this time I simply felt joy to see him awake so I could talk to him before I had to leave again.”Tyr.” I jelled both with my voice and in my mind and reached out to touch his enormous snout.”I am so glad you are awake.”

“Not for long little fish. I must return to the sleep soon, but I had to see you before you return to the stars.”

“I expected you to be asleep otherwise I would have been seeking you first.”

“I know that little fish and your uncompromising dedication and fondness to an old big fish makes me feel quite warm. Now I must talk of urgent matters to you. I have had a very special visitor. That visitor is the reason I am awake. The Narth has been seeking me out and it pleases me beyond my ability to express that you found friendship there.”

“I guess I should have kept silent about you but I shared my Inner something with my best friend and there was nothing I could or wanted to hide from him.”

“All is good Eric. I have done the same with the Narth Supreme and I must say I am richer for it, but you must leave your sword with me.”

“Of course. I got it right here.”

There was suddenly a strong sense of resistance. Why would the fish want my sword? What possible use could Tyr have for a simple steel weapon? It was given to me by my grandfather. The thought to raise the weapon against Tyr suddenly occurred to me.

I marveled about my own thoughts, Tyr did not need to explain to me why he wanted anything. He was my friend and that was reason enough to give him whatever he desired.”

I unhooked the belt.

“Eric, this sword is not what it seems and it has disguised itself to look like a Viking broadsword and it is waiting for you for a very long time. It is yours and no force in the Universe can separate you from it for long, but you are not ready yet. You must master it, right now it is trying to master you and that must be avoided at all cost.”

I tossed the sword from me.” I knew it. I felt it. I know I am a savage more than I like to admit, but what I did in the Halls was not me.”

“You are strong. You are able to separate yourself. I am relieved it was not too late.”

“But Tyr, it is only an object, just a sword. How can it have a will and try to make me do things?”

The sword on the ground changed its shape and form right there. It grew longer and turned into a strangely shaped two hander. It was still a sword, but it had an odd almost talon shaped cross guard; unlike the Great War swords I had seen in the weapon chamber of our burg, it had no false edge, but a long grip. There was a skull like symbol on the blade just above the hilt and a similar shaped skull shaped the pommel. The entire sword was made of a very dark metal.

Tyr said. “This is Dark Blade, a token of power and a piece of a cosmic puzzle if you will.”

I still stared at the transformed weapon and there was an urge in me to go and hold it, just once. It knew me, and I knew it.

I stepped back. I trusted Tyr more than this strange temptation and said.” I have seen this winged and fanged symbol once before. It was a symbol on the robe of a man worshipping the Dark ones.”

“When the puzzle is completed Eric, a battle will be fought. A decision must be made and this decision will affect if the Rule remains intact or will be broken forever.”

“All this is beyond me, Tyr. I am only a Neo Viking with a strange desire and the knack to get into trouble and I like to see the future as not yet established and not predestined.”

“Eric you are far from a simple Neo Viking. Yes the future is shaped by the decisions we all make, but there are certain forks in the road, mile markers if you will, that must happen. I was destined to meet you Eric, the reason I became sentient was because it was destined you will be born on this world. You wanting to leave Nilfeheim and roam the stars are not entirely your own ideas but this desire comes from something within you. For now I have the power to make you forget and forget you must, so you can make your own decisions and grow and become ready, for it is you who will make that enormous decision I have spoken about.”