Open Chronicles Frozen Power

[Kol]

Northern Blightlands - Lerek

The edge of the knife slid across the watchmen's throat silently, his body falling to the ground with a muted thud as Kol lead it to the floor. Just to the left of him another member of the local militia fell, one of his men mirroring his actions almost exactly.

Lerek was a small town, small enough that most people would have ignored it. The Blightlands were not a plenty land. The people here did not have much in the way of anything and what they did have was often taken by Menalus. This was true for the village of Lerek, but Kol knew something that most did not. Hidden away somewhere within the depths of this place was something that not even the great fire giant of Molthal knew of.

A shard of an elemental, trapped and kept as a thing of reverence. The people here worshiped the thing in secret, holding it as their last method of protection against their would be Lord in Molthal.

Kol knew that it was hidden somewhere within this village, and he intended on finding it.

"Take the watchers." The Sorcerer said with a curt motion of his hand, sending his men quickly towards the other towers located all around the village.

Quietly they would creep forward, killing those who would alert the rest of the town before taking Lerek itself.

 

[Ormr]

High in the Frostpeak Mountains he'd heard the call. Perhaps it was curiosity, perhaps it was boredom. Ormr would have grunted something incomprehensible and the deal was struck though. He would fight in the Blightlands at the Village known as Lerek. Woe be to his enemies as well as his allies if they should encourage is ire for Eogorath demanded destruction.

-----​

The Nordwirr were Raiders, Warriors but that did not mean the Half-Giant held them in high regard. Upon arriving in the Blightlands he had exercised restraint, should an amount of patience but that was over now.

As the call went out to -Take the Watchers- there was an unsettling sound somewhere in the background. It would raise the hairs on the back of every mans neck for it preceded death. Eogorath commanded that there be blood, that there be battle. Murder by stealth was not the way, it would not stand.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Had they not heard his footsteps thudding as they made contact with the ground the Waters in the Tower would have heard his battlecry as his rage was unleashed. The Half-Giant charged, his form massive and impossible to miss. A Cloak, the fur of the largest Bear he could crush with his bare hands trailing behind him as he moved. Gauntlets of stitched fur covering his hands, reaching up to his forearms and outfitted with varios bones across the knuckles. A Sword sheathed across his back that was as tall as a man.

Obviously the men in the Watchtower would call out, alerting anyone was in earshot that they were being attacked.

When he came upon the Watchtower Ormr would have shifted his right side forward, turning his right shoulder ahead as his arm swung in a massive blow delivered with an impossible amount of strength. On contact the wood of the Tower splintered, exploding into a thousand pieces of tinder as he took out one of the supports and sent it toppling to the side with the men stationed inside with it. The Half-Giant barely paused.

Reaching for one of the beams of wood that had made up the Tower he pulled it free, lifting it over his shoulder like a spear before throwing it. As he threw Ormr shifted his right side ahead again, moving with the momentum of the throw so that he could cast the wooden beam ahead. It flew like a spear and impaled itself into the side of the building he had thrown it towards.

Kol

 

[Kol]

The sound of thundering footsteps and shattering wood exploded out into the night. Kol's head whipped to the right, his lips thinning as the half-giant that had accompanied them smashed the Watch Tower into bits.

Almost immediately the sound of a horn broke through the midnight air, loud screams of panic and calls to arm echoing shortly after. A curse left the Sorcerer's lips, hands curling to fists as he shook his head and stood to his full height.

"Al'allak!!" Kol called to his men, his voice superseding the screams of fear as the Half-giant sundered a nearby building.

The Raiders broke from the shadows like serpents. Most of them held axes, bare swords, cutting into warriors and women alike as they burst into action. Within just a few seconds of the start of the half-giant's attack utter chaos broke loose.

Kol himself strode forward, clutching his Rune Knife as he walked down the central road of the village.

 

[Ormr]

The Horn sounded, Ormr responded by lurching forward.

As the first Defender came towards him, a man of middle age who mustered his courage in defense of his family weilding a sword Ormr would bat him aside without much of a care. The Man would literally be flung aside, the Half-Giant would continue lumbering ahead as the Nordwirr Raiders joined in the attack.

Another Defender came close to Ormr and he would reach out, capturing the mans arm in one of his massive hands before flinging him away. It was to easy. Ormr seemed disappointed. Many of the Defenders of Lerek were affected by an aura of fear that surrounded the Half-Giant. Not hard to see why considering how he had commenced the battle. Odd that Ormr's rage turned to what appeared to be boredom shortly thereafter.

The thud of his footsteps heralding his arrival Ormr would eventually step out onto the central road of the village ahead of the man and turn an impassive gaze towards him...

"This is not the battle I expected."

...as he spoke an arrow flew from the darkness, striking him in the back of his shoulder. It felt like little more than a pin prick, barely piercing the thick cloak he wore. Ormr turned his head, reaching with a hand to swat it freely. As his eyes searched the village, the buildings in the darkness he would see some of the Raiders putting women to the axe as well which caused his jaw to set...

"There is no honor in that."

...Eogorath has bestowed great blessings upon him, immense gifts but Ormr understood their purpose and that was not it. To kill someone with a weapon in their hand was one thing, even if it was a lowly villager but to kill a woman, unarmed was something else. His strode took him towards one of the Nordwirr easily, a Raider and Ormr would outstretch a hand which eclipsed him over the shoulder before he jerked the man around and with a backhand sent him tumbling over the ground until his body lay prone, incapacitated.

When Ormr looked back at Kol it was with an expression of indifference. The Half-Giant's ire was only mildly appeased...

"Why are we here?"

 

[Kol]

Kol did not like what he did not understand.

Half-Giant's were a thing lost to myth in many places, though he knew that these lands were controlled by one born in fire. He wondered briefly if Ormr had a connection to that beast, though he doubted it given where they had found one another.

Words of honor tasted bitter in the Sorcerer's mouth, Kol knowing the truth of what honor really meant. Lips thinned, and he glanced over towards the now crippled man upon the ground. Fingers flittered over the hilt of his rune knife.

He would have to control this thing. "There is something here."

Kol told the half-giant.

"The shard of a soul, I need it so that we may delve further into these lands." Raids on these coastal villages rarely brought back anything of value. Molthal and the larger inner-cities was where the plunder was, yet the Nordenwiir could not venture there.

Not yet anyway.

 

[Ormr]

To learn that there was something in this village, Lerek didn't seem to impress the Half-Giant. Of course as Kol went onto explain that it was the shard of a soul that needed so that the Nordwirr could delve further into the Blightlands Ormr didn't seem to pleased with that information either...

"Sorcery."

...the Half-Giant had no particular love of magic. Eogorath had blessed him, granting him inhuman strength and fortitude and permitting him some manner of Divine Magic but that was a far cry from Sorcery. Ormr could not bend the elements to his will nor some of the other feats he had seen Sorcerers accomplish. It was inconsequential to him and abhorrent to the aspect of Eogorath that he served.

Why then did Ormr assist Kol? Because Eogorath spoke to him in dreams, he heard the booming voice of the God in the back of his mind and it always spoke of greater battles.

The Half-Giant may not approve of everything he saw, honor was a particular thing to him. Killing an unarmed woman was dishonorable to him, according to the tenets that he followed though she could be made his slave according to those same tenets and if she armed herself then it was no longer dishonorable to kill her. It was a strange thing. Yet irregardless of all this he had come.

A group of Defenders broke off from battle with until they stumbled back onto the main road of the village. Whether had driven them mad or they threw caution to the wind they attacked. The Half-Giant had not even drawn the massive sword sheathed over his back as of yet nor did he now. Armed with sword and spear the Defenders stood little chance. Ormr's blows would send them flying, his grasp would crush them in whatever armor they may have worn and his footsteps would pulverize them into the ground. Corpses were left in his wake.

"Where is this soul shard?"

...Ormr asked, his voice a rumble of what could be described as malcontent as he began to move down the central road of the village again. Moving languidly it appeared he was in no hurry. Scanning the area it seemed to him that the Nordwirr were in no danger of defeat though they would suffer some casualties, not the least of which would be his doing.

 

[Kol]

Kol hesitated a moment, mostly because he wasn't entirely sure of what the answer was.

A frown briefly flashed over his face, and then he glanced towards one of the men that Ormr had crushed beneath his fist. "Protect me, and I shall find it."

Without waiting for an answer Kol walked over towards his dying fellow. The man stared up at him, eyes already empty. His ribcage had been utterly crushed, lung punctured. Nothing short of magic would save him. Kol gave a quick prayer to the Dark Gods, then plunged his knife into the mans throat.

Blood spilled forth like a crimson river, and within just a few seconds he began to draw upon the ground.

Quick flicks of his wrist saw a symbol taking form, the blood of the man seeming to pool in the very center of it. As Kol finished the ritual, the pool of blood began to shimmer, and then suddenly turned a dark black. Symbols of red began to appear, depictions of people, places, and then a single grand home on the outskirts of this town.

 

[Ormr]

The Half-Giant would nod once after he'd heard Kol speak.

The Dark Ritual was of no real interest to him. He watched as Kol approached the man who had been crushed but his eyes, cold and white as the snow turned away to survey the area while the ritual was performed.

The Nordwirr, it appeared were busy slaying. Their raid an overwhelming success insofar as Ormr could have seen though he understood the defenders would continue to fight. There were some, he imagined who might barricade themselves into their homes seeking either to fortify their position or to ride out the storm.

Amidst the ritual a man rode onto the central road. The Half-Giant had turned to face him, mildly interested as he seemed to have no fear and his attire marked him as someone who may ave held a position of some standing in the village.

Ormr took a step towards him, the Defender wheeled his horse around and charged sword in hand. The Half-Giant would meet him in the middle, his right arm lifting and passing back over his shoulder so that his fingers could lock around the hilt of the massive sword sheathed there. A tug of the arm and the sword came free in Ormr's hold. The Defender yelled something incomprehensible, a curse while Ormr brought the sword overhead and gripped it with his left hand below the right closer to the pommel then cleaved it downwards. In a particularly gruesome display the sword chewed through both rider and mount, hitting the road beneath them as the blow concluded and leaving a grotesque mixture of blood and spilled entrails on the ground as though a corpse had exploded.

Lifting the sword back up with his right hand Ormr turned back around, coming closer to Kol after the ritual had completed and the symbols of red had appeared...

"Did your Gods show you the way?"

 

[Kol]

Kol turned back to face the Giant just in time to see him crunch his way through a mounted defender.

The Sorcerer was not of weak stomach, he had seen entire villages sacrificed for the Dark God, but the sight before him made him feel...uneasy. If the Half-Giant suddenly decided to turn on the Nordenwiir it would be a difficult task to kill him.

Even the Dark Gods would hesitate in their support. They were a fickle bunch, and would grant their blessing in only those battle they saw fit. Who was Kol to decide whether he or the Half-Giant could cause more blood and carnage.

Lips thinned, and he dismissed the thought. The giant could be directed. "Yes."[/colo]

The Sorcerer stepped into the pool of blood, vanquishing the ritual.

"There is a manor on the edge of town, well defended." At least for this place. "The shard is there."

Once they had that,

 

[Ormr]

"Well defended."

...the Half-Giant scoffed slightly. To his mind nothing in this village had been exceptionally well defended. The Watchtowers they had proved ineffective against the raw brutality of Ormr and the murderous stealth of the Raiders prior to the Half-Giants initial assault.

Nodding his head Ormr looked at Kol, narrowing his gaze briefly as he observed the Sorcerer before he turned his head and began to trudge away. Trekking through the village of Lerek, the remnants of it at least as it appeared the Raiders were in the midst of doing their bloody work still the Half-Giant looked for potential challenges.

At one point Ormr hesitated, thinking he saw a group of Defenders however they either had second thoughts about attacking the Half-Giant and Sorcerer or they became engrossed in another combat....

"Tell me, Kol."

...he rumbled the Sorcerer's name...

"What God did you make a deal with?"

...Ormr had been blessed, Eogorath had many aspects so it was not out of the question that Kol might also serve him however he doubted it. The Dark Gods weren't something Ormr knew much about, he hadn't a need to learn much of religion beyond what mattered to him. Anyways it was something to ask while they made their way to this Manor.

 

[Kol]

As they walked Kol found himself coming to ease with the half-giant. There was always a threat of treachery, that much was common in the north, but he figured at least with this one he would be able to see it coming.

That wasn't a guess at the Giant's intellect, but more a statement of his personality. Ormr didn't seem to be the type of person that would stab you in the back. Rather, he would tell you he was about to kill you and why, then proceed to rip your arms from your torso.

Kol could respect that, and it was a nice change of pace.

The question that came from Ormr made him hesitate. He had not expected something like that, though he was not shy about the answer. As they walked the Manor came into view in the distance, a secondary wall rising high around it.

A frown pulled at his lips as he reached up and pulled back his hood.

For the first time the Half-Giant would see Kol's face. His flesh was scarred and broken, every inch of his head seeming as though it had been ripped off and simply reapplied. "All of them."

Kol stated flatly.

"All those who called out to me." He glanced up at the Giant, a face seeming to hang in the darkness behind them. "Those that linger in the darkness, that want nothing of man but our most base of instincts."

Blood, betrayal, disorder.

Kol served those gods that many wished did not exist.

 

[Ormr]

As the Manor came into view it seemed to gain most of the Half-Giants attention. A Secondary Wall was seen encircling the Manor, this made Ormr smile darkly as though he had finally a challenge even if it was likely to be a minor one. It wasn't until he heard Kol speak that he turned his head to regard the man...

"All of them?"

...where his voice was usually a rumble there was something incredulous about his tone then Ormr would chuckle briefly...

"If so many Gods have made deals with you I wonder if they are not the desperate kind."

...but then the Half-Giant knew only one God and in turn he served but one aspect of that God. Eogorath had many aspects and many different facets of worship across the spectrum. Ormr simply couldn't understand serving many Gods.

Slowing his massive stride Ormr came to a halt. He did not doubt from the Walls of the Manor that he would be seen now that the Defenders of Lerek knew they were under attack which is why he said to Kol...

"Have your Raiders attack. I will breach the wall."

...he had few concerns about this villagers and the dangers they may have posed however after he had spoke the Half-Giant had turned. Nearby there was an abandoned Cart, likely used to haul various things such as foodstuffs or assorted goods from one place to another. Ormr moved closer to it, curled his left hand into a massive fist and slammed it down through the cart. His fist penetrated to the other side but rather than shrug it off the Half-Giant would lift the cart, angling it back over his left shoulder like a makeshift shield and begin moving towards the Manor.

 

[Kol]

Kol barked out a laughter. "Perhaps they are desperate."

The smile floating in the darkness behind Ormr seemed to wane slightly, though not quite turning into a frown. Conversely, another grin appeared within the dark, this one larger than the other.

Kol never glanced at them, never bothered to look. The Dark Gods would not speak, they were only here to taunt, to hint, that was their one place in all of this. They lead him in the right direction, plucking the cords at his soul.

The Raiders that had tagged along fell in behind the Sorcerer. Some of them gave weary glances to Ormr, some simply moved at pace with him.

"Go." He commanded. "Take the Manor."

No one doubted his word, no one disobeyed.

 

[Ormr]

If he ever suspected that these Dark Gods were hovering, insubstantial in the background he never let on. More likely he would not care even if he had known.

As the command was issued from Kol and the Raiders turned to do their bloody work the Half-Giant would turn with them and charge. The Cart he'd hoisted up over his left shoulder and angled backwards lead the way. Acting as a makeshift shield the Nordwirr Raiders could take up positions behind Ormr as he rushed forward.

Arrows would rain down from the wall encircling the Manor, the Defenders having plenty of time to see the approach of their attackers but this is where the cart came into play. Many of the arrows fired would sink into the wooden frame of the cart, some would strike Ormr over the forearm he'd punched through the frame before hoisting the cart up but this hardly seemed to bother the Half-Giant. Those arrows that did hit him over the arm or elsewhere usually only sunk into the fur of his gauntlets or the cloak he wore.

Cries from the defenders rang in his ears calling for another volley but he was undaunted. The Men and Women of Lerek knew desperation and this would make them fight all the harder. Good, that is what he wanted.

When he came within an easy sprint of the large wooden doors that made up the Gatehouse for the walls surrounding the Manor Ormr would have tossed the cart. Shrugging it aside any Nordwirr at his back would need to dodge quickly or risk being struck as the Half-Giant freed his arm from the improvised shield.

Bull-rushing ahead he would have swung his right shoulder forward. Digging his heels into the earth he would have used them to increase his forward momentum, ignorant as an arrow came down and struck him between the shoulderblades as his eyes began to radiate a pale light and he roared similar to when he commenced his assault earlier...

"RAAAAAAA!"

...a mixture of spittle was flung from between his lips as the rumbling sound ripped from his throat. Colliding with large Gate of the Walls the Half-Giant would feel them buckle under his initial blow causing them to rock inwards. The Wooden Beam used to lock the Gate likely split behind it, Ormr raised to his full height and used massive fists to bludgeon the wood. A fist punched through the gate, then another and the Half-Giant would set both hands on it before heaving until the gate swung wide permitting the Nordwirr to enter at their leisure.

Ormr raised a hand then, his right and used it to shield his eyes before rolling his shoulders. A few arrows noticeably stuck from his form but otherwise he was none the worse for wear. He'd grunt something and then move inside onto the killing floor. The Manor lay beyond, as did whatever Kol sought.

 

[Kol]

The Raiders were behind Ormr, long before Kol ever followed.

They moved like only those who craved true slaughter could. Men and women dressed in furs broke into the opening that the Half-Giant had carved through the gate. Some of them rushed in rage, others in calm voyage of slaughter.

Noticeably one of them seemed to change. His skin grew fur, his face twisted, and the rage within him grew. In mockery of a Nordenfiir's Svalen, the man shifted and changed into a great bear. Yet there was a difference, his skin was patchy, his eyes were of red rage, and odd thorn like spines grew over his flesh.

The abomination rampaged through the open gate, jumping on the defenders and rending them into pieces with loud shrieking screams.

Kol slowly followed after, his steps careful, measured.

His gaze slowly swept over the slaughter occurring inside of the walls. Eyes searching, slowly locking onto the main building of the Manor. "Below."

He whispered quietly, another grin appearing just behind him.

"TEAR THE BUILDING APART!" He called to the Raiders. "FIND THE CAVERN!"

It was there, beneath the earth, hidden away. That was where the Shard would lay. He could feel it now, a trapped soul calling out in desperation.

 

[Ormr]

There was an interlude when the Half-Giant moved beyond the Walls and into the courtyard of the Manor. As the Raider burst past him, his form shifting into a semblance of the Svalen form yet different he hesitated and looked with some curiosity. He'd faced many Nordenfiir before and he knew the look of their Svalen form but this was seemed different, soured.

A Defender charged him, attempting to take advantage of the Half-Giant's momentary distraction but as Ormr turned his head to lay eyes on the man, his gaze narrowing it froze him in his tracks with evident fear. There was a brief exchange that followed, Ormr had taken the man and ripped one of his arms free of his body then dropped him.

Eyes would then drift to Kol as he directed the Raiders in their carnage, commanding them to tear the Manor apart...

"It seems someone went through a great deal of trouble to hide this soul shard you seek."

...the Half-Giant made his observation a strode forward. Where the Nordwiir were busy ripping through the Manor he would pull one of the entry way doors from its hinges and toss it aside before looking inside. At his height Ormr would have to duck his head so that he could enter but this was a small issue.

While he knew little of the different religions, the Dark Gods and so forth Ormr recognized that the earth could hide artifacts of great power, some of which had remained hidden for a long time. He wondered if the Shard that Kol such was just such an object....

 

[Kol]

Kol followed after the half giant, moving with swift steps into the manor.

"It is an object of great power." The Sorcerer told Ormr. He had first heard of it through the whispers of the Dark Gods of course. A dream had shown him the shard itself, a piece of the elemental that it had once been.

He'd known then what he would use it for.

"The Blightlands are impossible to raid far into." Kol continued. "There are no rivers, no roads, nothing that will allow you to travel swiftly onto the interior."

As he spoke Kol began to slowly girl up his sleeve, revealing dozens of intricate scars carved into his flesh. "With the Shard, I will be able to create a path."

The tip of his knife cut through one of the lines on his arm, and instantly an odd glow consumed the scars.

It burned and sizzled then suddenly began to shift in a direction.

"It is below us." He stated calmly.

 

[Ormr]

Once he was inside the Manor mobility became slightly more laborious for the Half-Giant. To look upon Ormr was to see a massive creature, easily upwards of ten feet in height with a girth to match. He was the Bastard Son of a Frost Giant and one of the Nordenfiir, it only seemed appropriate that such large peoples mixed together created a monstrous creature.

Ormr seemed distracted briefly, the sounds of the slaughter continued in the courtyard as the Nordwirr Raiders sated their aggression on their enemies. Inside the Manor the Raiders were tearing everything apart. No stone was left unturned as the old saying went.

As Kol spoke the Half-Giant turned his head, his expression a mixture of mild interest and indifference. The Shard meant nothing to him but the idea of raiding further into the Blightlands where he might encounter real troops, the Sons of Molthal amongst them excited him...

"Then this endeavor is not without its merits, Kol."

...the Half-Giants voice rumbled out in a torrent, Kol had worth to Ormr so long as he could provide him with another battle. Something that the Half-Giant would find more rewarding than a raid on a village as they had done. He was a powerful ally but unpredictable if his hunger was not sated.

The Half-Giant watched Kol roll up his sleeve, revealing countless scars. A show of devotion his Gods required perhaps though it was not uncommon for those steeped in a religion to mortify themselves as a form of penance. Ormr imagined it was devotion that drove Kol to carve himself though.

Watching as the odd glow consumed the scars and indicated something that he didn't understand Ormr would have nodded when Kol directed him calmly replying...

"Stand aside."

...before moving forward with his hands curling into tight fists. Much as before Ormr showed his talent for destruction. Raising his arms he pounded them down onto the ground, ripping and pulling at the floor of the Manor until it started to collapse beneath him. His blows came hard and without end as though he was driven by an unseen force. Debris flew as he pounded, ripping chunks of the floor away until he'd created a hole. Inside that hole was darkness that opened into something else, a passage, a corridor that lead deep down into the earth underneath the Manor...

 

[Kol]

The Half-Giant was a fearsome thing, and Kol couldn't help but wonder what he would be capable of if he allowed the Dark Gods into his heart.

One of the grins flashed for a brief moment, as if the temptation of such a corruption was almost too much to bare. Then it slowly disappeared into nothing as the thought vanished from Kol's mind. He knew that any attempts of preaching at Ormr would fall on deaf ears.

The man had his own god, and Kol was not the type to convert others.

He did not want to share the blessings of the Gods, not when he didn't have to.

As the Giant smashed into the floor a scream echoed in the distance, the startled yelling of a man confronted with death. Kol turned his head up, and then regarded the floor once more as Ormr's work revealed a passage beneath the manor.

A smile touched Kol's face, though an odd pulse rang through his arm. "Something else is down there."

He commented quickly.

"Something alive." A low rumble echoed through the cavern.

 

[Ormr]

It was not uncommon for relics of ancient power to be buried with a guardian or some foul spawn created by their power, still the Half-Giant wondered if Kol would be so foolish as to betray him. Treachery was also not uncommon.

Narrowing his eyes Ormr would turn his head towards Kol as the Sorcerer indicated something else below in the cavern, something alive as he described it prompting a scoff from the Half-Giant...

"Not for long."

...the rumbling voice of Ormr rang out though his words were not arrogant in the sense of how they could have been taken. There were many creatures of the world that the Half-Giant had crushed but others yet remained, his God demanded worthy battles where Ormr might eventually face defeat but to concede to such a possibility was to invite it altogether.

Strangely Ormr did not even question who would have originally hid the Soul Shard that Kol was seeking in such a place, it just never occurred to him or he didn't care.

Descending into the passage Ormr's eyes began adjusting to the low light or complete lack of it slowly. The Half-Giant felt the stonework that made the walls of the corridor with large hands that he used to help guide him, undaunted by the knowledge something likely awaited him in this place.

"How far?"

...he'd have asked the Sorcerer as he moved forward. Once again the passage was large but not made for a creature the size of the Half-Giant, he might been at a slight disadvantage but surely Kol had a few tricks up his sleeve.

Another rumble echoed, Ormr narrowed his eyes and the sounds of whatever battle or death remained above were forgotten behind them.

 

[Kol]

The scars on his arm were still pulsing softly, the grin that had presented itself earlier following along as an odd sort of guide within the darkness. A frown touched his face for a brief moment as he tried to read the signs.

"It is not that exa-" His words cut off mid-sentence.

The tunnel suddenly cut off, opening through a large wooden archway decorated with dozens upon dozens of runes and symbols. Kol recognized none of them, the writing being Southern. Yet it was not the archway that caused him to stop speaking.

Just beyond the archway, far into a large cavern sat a pillar. Just above it floated an odd blue shard about the length of his forearm, and curled around that pillar was a Wyvern.

It's skin was a pale green, one of it's wings utterly crippled. It's massive head curled around the huge column, standing far larger than even Ormr.

 

[Ormr]

The Passageway opening into a larger cavern would have been welcome, it had been uncomfortable to move down the corridor so a larger space would have allotted him more freedom of movement. The Archway was but an entrance to the Half-Giant who only came to a halt hearing what he took for hesitation from Kol when his voice seemed to catch in his throat.

Almost instantly Ormr’s eyes focused on the creature that occupied the cavern though. A Wyvern, massive but wounded one of the more common but less intelligent cousins of a Dragon yet no less deadly and possessing a predatory cunning.

The Half-Giant had seen the pillar as well he just didn’t care. Nor did his concern extend to the odd blue shard. Suddenly it had started to become more evident why Eogorath had summoned him here with the Sorcerer.

“Perhaps we both have found what we seek.”

…his voice, deepening beyond its normal rumble resounded outwards enough to rose the Wyvern. The Half-Giant stepped forward, lifting his right arm so that it could pass back over his shoulder and his hand could lock around the hilt of the enormous sword that was sheathed there. As the sword came free Ormr would sweep it around in front of him, his left hand locking onto the hilt beneath the right while a rare smile of satisfaction curved on the corners of his mouth.

There was no fear in the Half-Giant, even as the Wyvern stirred showing its massive maw and loosening its joints. Digging his left foot into the ground Ormr would press it backwards then launch off of it. Sprinting across the gap the Half-Giant drew closer to the creature then leapt into the air, the sword angling back over his head as he threw himself at the Wyvern before coming forward in a monstrous chop.

Battle had begun…

 

[Kol]

Kol watched as the giant readied himself, his lips thinning for a brief moment as he glanced at the Wyvern slowly unfurling itself from around the column.

The creature appearance different than the one that Kol himself had killed within the Tundra. It was larger, it's scales thicker and two massive fangs extended out beyond it's maw. The smile that had been slowly floating besides the pair whispered something.

His head turned, a curse echoed from his lips. "Watch for it's poison!"

Kol barked out at the Giant as he dashed after Ormr.

The Wyvern of course did not hesitate, and even injured the great serpent seemed to move with extreme power and grace. It dashed across the cavern in a heartbeat, it's great maw opening up as though it were about to bite Ormr when suddenly it's tail lashed forward towards the giant's legs instead.

 

[Ormr]

In combat time can seem to slow down or speed up.

As Ormr leapt at the Wyvern everything seemed like it had slowed to a crawl, his massive sword coming down from over his head in a massive chop aimed to strike the creature square in its head. In the background Kol's voice seemed distant, barely audible but registering as he shouted his warning.

Then everything returned to normal, even sped up in his mind as the Wyvern's tail lashed out and the Half-Giant was thrown onto is back and out of its momentum. Ormr hit the cavern floor with a grunt and reacted instantly by rolling onto his side. The Wyvern's maw came crashing down moments later as it attempted to follow up on the momentary disadvantage of the Half Giant but missed as he rolled out of the way.

Ormr responded by rolling back, the Wyvern's maw having just crushed against the floor of the cavern and swinging his massive sword as he went. It would come around in an arc that brought it down overtop of the Wyvern's serpentine body just below the head but seemed to have little affect beyond a stunning blow. The Scales were simply to thick for the sword to tear through.

The Half-Giant had regained his footing following the blow and brought his sword around in front of him again, aware that Kol was somewhere in the background...

"Perhaps now is good time to take your shard, Kol."

...there was some sarcasm evident in his roaring tone as he called out to the Sorcerer but then the Wyvern was on the attack again. The tail lashed out again but this time Ormr had anticipated it, he sprung to one side out of its reach and rolled. Coming up onto a knee just as the Wyvern lunged in with its maw again the Half-Giant swung his sword as rigid muscle tensed across his torso, striking the Wyvern in the side with enough force to jar it and knock its head aside again but do little damage. This time Ormr followed by staying on the offensive, coming back to his feet and rushing the Wyvern as it recovered. Angling his sword forward so that it ran parallel to the ground he'd have thrust it towards one of the creatures eyes so that he could take advantage of a softer area and drive his blade as deeply as possible...

 

[Kol]

The Sorcerer would not argue.

He could help the Giant fight the beast, but there were more important things at present. Though he'd grown to like Ormr, Kol did not truly care if the half-giant died.

The only thing that mattered was the shard.

Tearing off half of his sleeve, Kol threw the rag to the ground. Flecks of black flickered for a brief moment, and the tip of his knife sank into his flesh. Three quick lines were drawn, symbols were connected, and then an odd vibration rushed through his body.

Turning his head only briefly towards the monster and the giant Kol dashed forward. He moved twice as fast as he had before, rushing through the open cavern as the two beasts clashed.

He moved quickly, lunging over the Wyrm's tail as it swung through the room in an aim to strike Ormr from behind.