Nifflheim

Forest of Blades Pt. 2

"He is a tough kid. Sometimes you have to end up on the ground so you can stand up again. That's the way I was taught," I chuckle.

Langley's cheery smiles turn conniving as he opens his mouth, "Why don't you two Spar so I can see how two experienced fighters hold themselves."

Haralda's eyes light up from his words, "I haven't had a good spar in ages!"

"I think we have had enough fighting for one day, I blurt out giving side eyes to Langley who covers his mouth holding in a laugh.

"Oh come on. You can take it easy on me right?" Haralda laughs as the tip of her sword crashes into the ground.

I let out a timid laugh, "Yeah. I guess we have some time."

I take back up my handaxe and distance myself from Haralda who lifts he sword from the dirt and exclaims, "ready?"

Before I can even nod in agreement, Haralda bolts towards me, closing the distance between us in an instant. I dive to my right and her large sword slams into the ground where I once stood.

I sprawl back onto my feet, "Are you trying to kill me?"

"I believed you had enough skill to dodge," Haralda jokes.

I parry the next swing of her sword, using the weight of her blow to guide the sword away from me. A sharp ring hangs in the air when our blades collide on the next swing. The handles of my axes reverberate in my hands.

"And if I didn't dodge?" I ask through some heavy sips of air.

Haralda just raises her shoulders with a sly smile and charges towards me again. A fire burning in her eyes. I side step her next thrust  and my blades pause a few inches from her throat. "Yield."

Haralda's eyes narrow and she raises her sword in a burst of speed. It clashes into my axe and frees it from my hand. Her shoulder slams into my chest and I find myself with my back against the dirt.

"Another chance to stand up again," Haralda snickers extending her hand out to me.

Iver claps while I brush off some dirt, "Alright fellas. Let's get ready to move out soon." Everyone nods and heads back to the center of our camp to gather up what little gear we have.

"Hey you dropped this," Langley sounds from behind me.

Before I even turn, I know what he holds. It must have fallen out in the scuffle with Haralda. I feel naked, like I'm missing a part of myself. Sweat lines my hairline watching his filthy fingers clasp the key. Images of myself forcibly freeing the key from Langley's hands flash in my mind. Do it. Take it. It's yours. Before I can act on the beckoning of the key, a figure moves behind Langley. Edlyn. She nods her head, snapping me out of my trance.

"Thanks kid." I say as warm as I can, taking the key from him.

The worlds weight lifts from my shoulder as my fingers surround its metal. I give a sly smile and jab my elbow into Langley, pushing past him to follow the after image of Edlyn deeper into the forest.

Once I'm deep enough to be certain the others are out of eat shot I whisper, "Edlyn. Edlyn, show yourself."

"I'm here Asger," Edlyn gently whispers in my ear, "you must be wary of Asger."

"I know. It feels like I'm losing myself here in this place. In this key. If you weren't there... I'm afraid what I could've..."

Edlyn interrupts me, "Yes, you must be wary of the key, but also be wary of what it's draw does to others."

Her words dance around my ear and then fade "Wait! Don't go!"

I turn and bump into Bjorn's hulking demeanor. "Wandered a long way from camp," he grins.

I take a step past him with my hand hovering by the hilt of my axes, "yeah I just needed to clear my head. Let's get back."

Greed consumes his eyes as I pass him. I grab my axes and swing them over my head, colliding with his hammer. The handles of the axes tense and splinter in my hand under his forceful blow. I hastily retaliate leaving one axe to hold back his hammer. Bjorn refusing to dodge, allows my axe to slice into his forearm with nothing but laughter. The handle from the axe gives away and crumbles in my hand.

"I like it when they fight back," Bjorn chuckles and he slams my back into a tree. He presses his arm across my chest, pinning me. "Your friends aren't here to save you this time. Now where is it! Where is the key!"

His free hand pushes and pulls on my gear until the key tumbles on to the ground with ting. Bjorn's eyes fixate on it and he tosses me to the side like garbage. The key's pull must be masking every thought in his head, whispering sweet promises in his ear. But those are my promises.

I jump to my feet, "Give it back! Give it back right now!"

I charge at him with my remaining axe, his attention still focused on the key. My next swing carves a gash across his back and Bjorn's lets out a hearty groan. With one hand, he swings his hammer around him, nearly missing me and crashing into the tree beside him. The hammer runs through the tree like butter and it creaks and cries on its decent to the forest floor. The leaves throughout the forest vibrate and severe winds blow past Bjorn and I. A feint whisper sounds from no clear direction.

Breaks us. Burns us. Uses without a care. Time for yous to nourish the dirts beneath my roots.