The Chronicles of Exodus 2: Wrath of the Fallen

Chapter 9 Till Death Do Us Apart

That night I readied myself for the meeting. This may be the last talk I have with my family. I entered the dining hall, a relatively large building with three long tables taking up the majority of space. Otherwise, the rest of space was taken up by lounge chairs, bean bags and a pool table. I stepped through the door, removing my cloak. I walked to my seat at the table and draped the cloak over the back of the chair. I looked at the others, they had discouraging expressions. "What was done with Patrick?" Levi asked, breaking the silence. "We took him to the Dragon's pass and placed him in soil there, opposite of where Astrid was placed. We had a short moment of silence before... before moving on." Mimir answered, a hint of pain in his voice. "And what of our visitors?" Ash spoke up. She eyed me suspiciously. I straightened my posture. "I speculate the duo are people I encountered before the Quiet Rumbling. They must be seeking vengeance for what I did to them. However, I'm unsure of Kratos' motives and location." I said. Ash nodded before taking a sip from her glass. I looked to see who would speak next. Thea raised her head. "Weather conditions are worsening! We won't last another month at this rate unless we get a stable food source!" Ethan nodded and began adding to the discussion. "All attempts at farming and crop making have been failures. The only reason we haven't starved to death is thanks to those realm fruits Jira's been collecting for us from the Realm Between Realms and the reason we haven't froze to death is thanks to Jira's flame breath." He finished. "I feel we should discuss the elephant in the room." Freyr stated, raising his bottle of beer, and swinging it around. "Are we going to make it to Sydney Base? We have dragons, a giant snake, and an actual god among us but we act like we can't make it across the country to a military protected city!" I nodded and placed a finger and thumb between my eyes. They're not gonna last much longer, the time has come. I pushed back my chair and stood. "I will deliver you to Sydney Base!" I raised my glass. "My brothers and sisters, for far too long I have felt like an outsider in society, but when it comes to you, to this family, I will never forget the things we have done together. For the hundreds of years, I have walked this Earth never have I felt so responsible, such genuine love for people like you. For Astrid and Patrick!" I shouted raising my glass. The others raised their glasses and cheered.

But that night, while they celebrated and packed their things, ready for a life they truly deserve, I stood out in the cold rain, standing over Astrid's grave. She was my everything, my reason for living, without her I felt like nothing. But now I will protect this family, this world from my mistakes, from the evil that resides within.

I stood in my dorm, clutching the Draupnir Ring. The last gift Astrid gave me before her death. It was our 8th anniversary and I got her, her beloved axe. I remember the day like yesterday, feeling all the love, the joy and happiness but also the pain. The first and last time I held her in my arms. I loved her so much, but that was all taken away. Taken away by one man, one man who found power for his selfish needs more important than the life of another, the life of a fellow human being. That is the reason why I must continue this journey, even it hurts like hell.

After checking in with the crew I walked out into the dead of night. I was going to find those sons of a bitch and take off their heads! I climbed the highest mountain in the area, near where I fought the undead kaiju earlier in the week. I stood at the top of the mountain, stretching out my arms, waiting for those devils to come and find me. I grabbed my hammer and held it firmly. The leather straps and metal screws on the handle left imprints on my bare hands. Lightning struck the nearby ground creating an unnaturally large fire. A fire so large it could consume a double story house. I leaped down and readied myself. This may very well be the end. Finally, the sky erupted with roars. Roars from dragons, kaiju, the undead and thunder. It was time. Two dragons dived from the sky, following the trail of lightning that struck the ground behind them. The duo leaped from their dragons and drew their weapons. I clutched my hammer and we readied for the fight. These were people from my family. A brother and a cousin. Two peers, friends, family, now enemies. What could do such a thing? Everything, simple miscommunication, falling out between friends, anything. They looked into my eyes, and I looked into theirs. "Till death do us apart," we said in unison. My brother charged first; his arm regenerated back after I cleaved it off in our first encounter. I could see his rage. He wasn't going to hold back anything. He charged, leaping into the air, and striking his sword down on my hammer. The clash of metal rang in my ears all while rain pelted us in the face. He raised his sword up again and stuck it down with even more force. Repeatedly slamming his sword against my weapon. I slid back, gaining distance. Brother paced like a wild animal, like a lion about to pounce at a wounded animal and tear it to shreds. I ran at him, swinging my hammer and striking him right in the gut. While he was stunned, I kicked out his foot and kneed him in the face before smashing him in the chest with my hammer. As he fell onto his back, I stood over him, raising my hammer high before swinging it down hard. I swung again and again, breaking his ribs, and collapsing his lungs. I only stopped to look him in the eyes. He lay there, motionless but not dead. How could I do this? He was my brother; I grew up with him. We used to play together and chase lightning when we were young. How could I do this? How could I bring myself to kill him? I couldn't. I dropped my hammer to the side and scooped him up off the ground and walked over to a patch of grass, laying him down on the greenery before turning to face my next foe. Picking up my hammer, I readied for the finally. He charged first, like brother. With his hammer he struck me in the stomach, kicked me in the chest and punched my face, not letting me get up. I had to rely on a weak blast of Burning Roar of Ruin to knock him back several meters while still in human form. I ran at him, leaping high into the air and striking our hammers at the same time. Lightning boomed in the distance, painting a backdrop of our duel as the head of my hammer exploded into shards or metal. I was knocked into the air and sent back several meters by the explosion. Upon landing on the floor, I tossed the wooden handle with charred leather straps to the ground, opting to use my fists or spear. I decided to go weaponless. I ran at him, sliding behind him and punching him in the back, knocking him to the floor before picking him back up and tossing him to the floor, headfirst. As he tried to get up, I shoulder rammed him to the side and kicked him in the thigh. He yelled in pain before picking himself up. He gripped his hammer hard and ran at me. He swung his hammer hard, striking me in the hip causing me to crumple to my knee. As he smashed me to the floor again and again, I manifested the spear, transforming the ring. He raised his hammer high for a finishing blow, but I was faster. I thrust the spear up and forwards and as lightning exploded and thunder howled his body fell lip, lifeless. I breathed heavy. Blood covered my whole body. I didn't even realise how much damage he had done to me. But I had done far more. Clinging to the end of my spear was...his dead body. "No." I said quietly. My head was a hurricane of thoughts but most of all pain. It hadn't registered to me what I had done until right then. The moment I saw his blood drip down the spear and onto the floor. His body fell to the floor and the spear popped back into ring form. I knelt down and picked him up but not before looking to find his comrade. But his body was gone, disappeared into thin air. After that I left. Tears streamed down my cheeks and the rain washed off his blood, but my shirt was stained. I walked all the way to the Dragon's Pass to make his grave. "Jordan." I said in the softest voice. "I'm sorry, for everything. I loved you; I love you so much. After laying his body down in the soil, I covered his body with rocks and dirt. I picked a flower from the nearby field and planted it at his grave. As I stood over his grave, the rain pouring down on my back and with the threat of total apocalypse on the horizon I spoke, "I will always love you Jordan, Till all are one."