Chapter 26 - Valhalla

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The stone and wood room he stepped into was filled with large angry men. Some of them wore heavy metal armour and some wore hardly anything at all. The mass of men were busy throwing themselves up a small hill at the center of the room. Atop the hill was a monster that stood tall above them all. This creature absolutely towered over them. It was almost ten feet tall with pale blue skin and flaming red hair. Large bony tusks protruded from its lips and head. The monster had a heavily muscled frame and huge three fingered hands. It wore nothing save for a red and black leather kilt wrapped around its waist.  

Indy could see something glinting around its thick neck in the hazy light. It looked like a small golden key hung from a tight golden necklace at the base of its throat. 

Indy looked past the creature and closer at the room around him. There on the far side of the room was another large wooden door. He could see metal embossed on the door forming two crossed swords. Below the crossed swords, Indy could see a golden keyhole. 

There was the challenge. "Ok... so get the key, open the lock. That seems easy enough," he said to himself. 

Just then, a heavily armoured man thudded to the ground at his feet. The man cursed and swore before rising to his feet and dashing back towards the hill. Indy watched the man run at the monster only to be launched in another direction by a sweeping kick. 

Indy realized the beast was just toying with these people. The beast was sweeping them off the hill by the dozen with a single heavy blow. Indy watched in fascination as a warrior tried to sneak up on the creature, low and from behind. The beast picked that one up with a three-toed foot. The large blue foot pawed the earth and the man was thrown away like a ragdoll. 

The man sailed through the air and crumpled against the wall. This time he didn't rise like the others. 

No one came to the fallen warrior's aid. The others continued to assault the hill in one mindless wave. Indy raced over to the man, who was struggling to his feet. 

Indy reached down to help pull the man up to his feet. Indy looked into a single shocked blue eye as the man rose to tower over him. Long blonde hair and a longer beard covered the man's face. A giant scar cut across the left side of his face and through his left eye socket. He had a large red ruby in place of the missing eye. The man's other eye looked at him wearily. 

"Just who are ya now?" The warrior demanded. 

"My name is Indy," Indy replied with his usual grin. 

"Ye risk Odin's wrath to aid me, Indy. But thank you kindly. I'm Gammon Windsong." Gammon bowed low but stood quickly. "I must re-join the fight." Gammon moved to leave but stilled when Indy raised a hand.  

"Well," he said impatiently. "What is it?" 

"What is that monster?" Indy asked. "And where am I?" 

Gammon raised one thick eyebrow in surprise. "You're in the halls of the brave in the castle of Odin and that beast there is a berserker. We are in training for Ragnarok. Anyone that defeats the berserkers may sup with Odin and the other gods. Didn't the Valkyries tell you all this when they dropped you on the tower?"  

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