Mark of Odin: The Awakening

Chapter 1: A light in the darkness

He was surrounded by darkness, the ground beneath his feet barely visible amid the gloom. Groping his way forwards, he felt completely disorientated. This time it seemed more real, more coherent. Finally, he found the steps and started to climb. It was almost certainly hopeless. Every previous attempt to reach the top had been defeated by the never-ending staircase. But there was no other way forwards and he was determined to find out what was up there.

A faint glow appeared. At first weak, then brightening in the distance. Something was happening. He quickened his pace. He had to reach that light. With each footstep, his surroundings began to stabilise, the steps taking on an ivory hue. His footfall now echoed in a blackness that was slowly but surely fading as the strange warmth of the light grew closer.

He remained doubtful. Surely everything would melt away again as soon as he reached the top. But this time it did not happen. Instead, he found himself in a narrow corridor paved with grey stone. It ended in an imposing steel door; the light was shining around it from the other side. He strode up to the door and firmly seized its handle. At first it resisted, but he was resolute. He had to know what lay on the other side. This time he would not give up. Heaving with all his might, the door gradually started to move with a resounding creak. Finally, he pulled it open wide enough to be able to squeeze through to the other side.

Once through, the light temporarily blinded him. A dazzling brightness shimmered all around, dazing him. His eyes needed a moment to adjust; it was a sudden change from the gloom of the stairs to such a brightly lit space. Once he was accustomed to the light, he realised he was inside a vast cavern. Its walls soared hundreds of feet upwards towards a seemingly endless sky. This distant space above was emitting the glow that illuminated his surroundings. His head was spinning. What was this place? He spotted a winding path that led inwards into the cavern and decided to follow it. It led him to a stream that unnervingly flowed with water as red as blood. As he stared down at the aberrant waters, a great wave suddenly surged through the cavern and he was picked up and helplessly dragged along by the torrent. He flailed around, fighting to keep his head above the water as his body was dashed against the rocks. Suddenly, as abruptly as it had started, the great flood of water subsided.

He had been washed up on the shore of a lake. Pulling his battered, blood-stained body to his feet, he glanced around. A shadow lay across the entire shore. He instantly saw what was causing it; a tree of titanic proportions towered over everything from the centre of the lake. He had never seen anything like it before. And yet, it inexplicably seemed somehow familiar. Roots protruded from the water and reached out across the length of the shore. Its powerful, dense branches were covered with long, narrow leaves and red fruit. The entire tree radiated an indescribable strength, an energy.

A sound startled him and he turned to his right, to find the source of the noise. That was when he saw it. A vast mass of silvery fur and muscular legs ending in terrible claws. A powerful head armed with sharp fangs and set with flashing, sharp eyes. It was a type of giant wolf. It was greedily drinking water from the lake without paying him any attention. He stared at the beast, frozen, unable to move or speak. All he could do was watch as it lapped up water from the lake. Then it stopped. Slowly, it turned its huge head towards him. Its burning eyes pierced right through him. His body started to convulse and his head raged as if he were burning in the flames of a thousand fires.

WAKE UP!

He heard a low voice inside his head as he fought off bouts of convulsions, his skull in danger of bursting. An indescribable pain wracked his entire body. The cavern suddenly fell into darkness, the ground started to crack open and the gigantic tree began to crumble. Heavy branches were hurled down all around, crashing to the ground with the boom of heavy artillery. His bloodshot eyes oozed blood but he couldn't take his eyes off the huge wolf. It stared back at him unwaveringly with its fiery gaze.