Chapter 50
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"Here, this is the one." Boldir took a leather-bound book from a shelf, roughly an inch thick with fraying edges along the cover. It was one of at least a couple hundred books in the room that was clearly refitted to serve as a study.
Boldir handed it to Val to satisfy his curiosity, but when he opened it, it was of course not much more than chicken scratch.
Boldir chuckled as Val screwed up his eyes trying to make sense of the structure, turning page after page. "You'll need to learn to read the language, though this is an older example."
"Hang on, I can't read this, but the structure… This is a journal?" Val noted a familiar combination of numbers and couple words at the beginning of each entry.
"Hmm, it is. This isn't an original either." Asha remarked.
"Aye, it's been translated several times, embellished here and there perhaps. The important part is that this journal references a thick mist that does not recede, gets under your clothes, and even makes you hear things. More importantly, it mentions a race of creatures that should be long extinct— the Draug."
"These aren't just stories?" Val asked cautiously.
Boldir shrugged, but there was concern in his eyes as he stared at the book in Val's hands. "Everyone believes these to be idle horror tales fishermen would tell their children. There's been no proof that any of it is real, but the journal describes the events of a war with a civilization, and ultimately the sinking of Atlantis. Following that, the appearance of the Draug, and a curse upon any who die in deep ocean. Supposedly you won't find peace in death, but be rescued and cursed by the Draug to serve them."
"And you think this fog or mist suggests these stories are real?" Val asked, looking to Boldir and Asha's faces in hopes of reading their thoughts.
"I don't know, there are pieces that fit, like a mist that blankets the entire coast. However, Atlantis was described to be in the Ocean off the East Coast of this land, not the West."
Asha took the book from Val, quickly turning the pages to the end. "This journal mentions a war between early men of this continent, backed by the gods, and the Draug. 'Thus the bitter war ended with our victory, forcing the Draug forever from our world, but the price was so great we had to abandon our homes and find shelter in other peoples.'"
Val folded his arms, trying to make sense of it. "I don't have your common sense about this world, but assuming this journal described real events, is it possible that the merging allowed them to return? I highly doubt they are from our world, there's a lot we have not explored of the ocean but we explored some of the deepest places. There's far more free magic in the world than there was before, correct?"
"*Assuming* this was real, virtually anything is possible in the current situation." Asha said, not looking up from the journal as she continued to read.
Boldir held up his hands. "I could be wrong, this entire thing is just a hunch because Muninn seemed concerned about the difference between fog and mist. The journal specifically stresses the point about it being a dense mist. Didn't know the difference myself, before this book."
"Val, you may be able to confirm the validity of these stories, actually." Asha was fixated on a page with a passage that was not translated, presumably a piece of original text.
"Hmm?"
Asha held up the book, showing him the pages.
"Nordic runes??"
"Yes, the early people on the East Coast in this case; early Vikings tried to settle and took one of the sides in this war."
"Then let's go ask the birds, they should be in our room, failing that, I have another option." The trio descended to the second floor, almost rushing to their room, where they found the two ravens in discussion.
"Hmm?" Huginn looked at the three, reading a myriad of questions on their faces.
Val closed the door, before bluntly asking. "Are the Draug real?"
Muninn narrowed her eyes. "Where did you come upon that name?"
Asha held up the journal. "They're described in this journal, Boldir thought of it at the mention of the unnatural mist sweeping over the entire coastline."
"We were just discussing that ourselves. They *were* real, many thousands of years ago. But both they and the abominable powers they held as deities were slaughtered to the last. My lord personally made sure of it, as did Lord Tyr and the rest of the Aesir host." Huginn spoke with a subtle note of exasperation, as if it were the tenth time he was repeating this point. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
"It's not impossible that they survived, and have simply hidden or remained dormant all this time, till now. Magic surges through the world, enough to bear witness to the birth of a new god or even the revival of an old one." Muninn protested.
"There was nothing left to revive, Njord made sure they would never walk the coasts again, and Aegir personally hunted them down to the last, in the depths."
Muninn scoffed. "Since when did you ever trust a giant?"
"Since Thor threatened to again go to war with the giants, were there to be even a single survivor."
It was clear to Val that the two had been debating this point in some manner for a while now. "Hold on for a moment, is there any other reason for this kind of phenomenon? Muninn seems convinced that this is a sign of the Draug."
Huginn thought for a moment. "…None that I know of, at least not on this scale, save for the work of gods, but we are not natives to this land."
"Okay, I'm sure some of it is described in the journal, but what was this war? The short version, for my sake."
Huginn sighed. "We went to war with the Atlanteans to stop their aggressive expansion of power. In their hubris, they threatened to hold the sea from any who would not submit fealty to them, claiming even the gods must submit. When we finally breached their shores, they made a pact with abominable creatures of the deep, hoping to gain power to repel our warriors. In the end they got what they wished for, but the power they gained cost them their entire civilization. Atlantis sunk beneath the oceans, the… creatures, that they became… They were no longer men, simply abominations, worse, they could not reproduce on their own any longer. Instead they took prisoners of all kinds and twisted them into their form, willing or otherwise."
"Then they started attacking everyone along the coast, taking people and turning them too." Val pieced together the rest from what Asha and Boldir explained of the journal.
"Yes, they were a blight carried upon the waves, a disease that would spread indefinitely unless eradicated, and so we did."
Val furrowed his brows. "Hypothetically, how dangerous are they?"
Muninn replied. "Very. They cannot be reasoned with— they have an unwavering allegiance to their masters, and they warp and twist life without remorse or reserve. Any prisoners they take become slaves to their cursed vengeance on the world."
"*Had*. Their masters are long dead." Huginn added.
"And it's safe to assume that the scale of these events correlates with their number or strength?"
"There's a definite cause for concern. They do not fare well on land, ushering in dense mists to render it habitable for them. If it's really them, and they have blanketed the entire coastline, it is safe to assume armies, not stragglers." Muninn explained.
"Super. Huginn, are you one hundred percent confident it's not the Draug?"
"…No. I'm going to return to my lord soon to consult him on this very point. *If* they have truly returned in force, then we are upon the second Draug war. Only this time, there is a much more developed world for them to prey upon. Many of the gods who stood against them are either weakened, or gone."
Val's eyes widened in alarm. *Fuck, the coast!*
"I'm leaving, tonight." Val said suddenly.
Boldir and Asha looked at him with surprise, Muninn was alarmed for only a moment, before resolution appeared in her gaze.
Val spoke quickly. "Assuming this is real, and these have all just been precursors to a much worse threat. I need to be in Seattle yesterday, before any possible survivors are taken and turned."
"You should get some rest, head out tomorrow, the place you described is several days—" Boldir paused, realizing something as Val took his keys out of the nightstand drawer.
"Twelve to fourteen hours, depending on the conditions and refueling, maybe even less is all I need. It's little after six now, by sunrise I'll be entering the city. Best case scenario this is all a coincidental look-alike and my plans are just pushed up." Val began hurriedly gathering his things as he explained, fully equipping himself and fishing out a canvas rucksack of canned goods he left under the bed.
Asha began gearing up too, causing Val to raise an eyebrow curiously. "I'll come with you, I doubt I'll make much progress with the council before some proof turns up." She explained, seeming to shrug off the lingering effects of her hangover.
"I'll be driving quickly, you know."
Asha scoffed. "I'll survive your toy."
Boldir stood there stumped, holding the journal Asha had thrust back into his hands. "Room's paid for the week you know—"
"Keep the room under her name, you can take it from my funds." Val interrupted.
"This all seems a bit rash… But I suppose it would not be you otherwise…" Huginn remarked with some disdain, before taking off out the balcony door. Muninn joined Val as he and Asha left for the customs office to retrieve his bike.
"What's your plan exactly?" Asha asked as they walked at a brisk pace.
Val smirked. "You know me well enough by now, what plan?"
Asha glared. "This could be very serious, you know."
"Figure it out as I go then, my priority is finding my friends, then any other survivors, and anything in between me and those objectives will answer to Tyrfing."
"Not all problems can be solved with the sword."
"Perhaps, but as Muninn said, they cannot be reasoned with, but there are few who don't understand violence."
Asha simply held her narrowed emerald eyes at him with some scorn.
"Relax, I'm not about to try fight off armies of fanatic sea monsters on my own, if at all. I find my friends, any other survivors, and we leave, alternatively, I find no one, and we still leave. I do after all have a deal with Harken to at least discover what is happening."
"Fine, but no reckless heroics. Even I'm not comfortable with the contents of that journal."
The three came to the customs office, busy as usual with new arrivals. Walking up to a different window, a human clerk greeted them.
"How can I help you two—"
"I need to retrieve my storage unit, everything in it." Val interrupted impatiently as he slid his temporary visa documents through the port at the bottom of the window.
"Very well, one moment please." The clerk quickly disappeared, returning in what felt like several, long drawn out minutes later. A burly dwarf was pushing the bike out on a large metal platform-cart, causing Val to smile wryly at the care taken for the vehicle.
"Here is the entirety of your storage unit and if you can sign here please." Val quickly scribbled something resembling his name on the provided clipboard. The clerk handed him the prorated refund for his storage fees which he promptly returned to Asha.
"Thanks."
The clerk bowed his head slightly. "It is our pleasure, please remember us next time you require proper handling of your merchandise."
Not wasting any more time, Val stashed his supplies and started pushing the bike towards the gates. Of course before he had made it through, a familiar figure flagged him down.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"Don't you work the night shift??" Val asked with exasperation. Durnham had strode in front of him, cordially greeting him.
Durnham looked at him curiously, it was obvious enough they were in a hurry, but to the seasoned guard captain, that typically meant danger when it came to Val.
"Shift starts in an hour or so actually. What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure, but it's related to the incidents along the trade routes to the North. We're setting out earlier than planned to check it out, look I really don't have time, if you need the whole story, ask Boldir." Val quickly explained, only prompting more questions on the dwarf's face.
Durnham met Val's agitated gaze for a moment, before quickly barking at his men. "Let them through! Move it with those pulleys! Clear the way!"
In near record time the gates that had only just been closed upon sunset were lifted back up, with some audible grumbling from the guards. Val did not even bother pushing the bike the rest of the way, hopping on with Asha quickly seating herself behind him. With the last of the sunlight fading from the pink sky, Val left the dwarves in shock as the engine thrummed to life and he shot out the gates, heading for the nearest road going north.
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"Here, this is the one." Boldir took a leather-bound book from a shelf, roughly an inch thick with fraying edges along the cover. It was one of at least a couple hundred books in the room that was clearly refitted to serve as a study.
Boldir handed it to Val to satisfy his curiosity, but when he opened it, it was of course not much more than chicken scratch.
Boldir chuckled as Val screwed up his eyes trying to make sense of the structure, turning page after page. "You'll need to learn to read the language, though this is an older example."
"Hang on, I can't read this, but the structure… This is a journal?" Val noted a familiar combination of numbers and couple words at the beginning of each entry.
"Hmm, it is. This isn't an original either." Asha remarked.
"Aye, it's been translated several times, embellished here and there perhaps. The important part is that this journal references a thick mist that does not recede, gets under your clothes, and even makes you hear things. More importantly, it mentions a race of creatures that should be long extinct— the Draug."
"These aren't just stories?" Val asked cautiously.
Boldir shrugged, but there was concern in his eyes as he stared at the book in Val's hands. "Everyone believes these to be idle horror tales fishermen would tell their children. There's been no proof that any of it is real, but the journal describes the events of a war with a civilization, and ultimately the sinking of Atlantis. Following that, the appearance of the Draug, and a curse upon any who die in deep ocean. Supposedly you won't find peace in death, but be rescued and cursed by the Draug to serve them."
"And you think this fog or mist suggests these stories are real?" Val asked, looking to Boldir and Asha's faces in hopes of reading their thoughts.
"I don't know, there are pieces that fit, like a mist that blankets the entire coast. However, Atlantis was described to be in the Ocean off the East Coast of this land, not the West."
Asha took the book from Val, quickly turning the pages to the end. "This journal mentions a war between early men of this continent, backed by the gods, and the Draug. 'Thus the bitter war ended with our victory, forcing the Draug forever from our world, but the price was so great we had to abandon our homes and find shelter in other peoples.'"
Val folded his arms, trying to make sense of it. "I don't have your common sense about this world, but assuming this journal described real events, is it possible that the merging allowed them to return? I highly doubt they are from our world, there's a lot we have not explored of the ocean but we explored some of the deepest places. There's far more free magic in the world than there was before, correct?"
"*Assuming* this was real, virtually anything is possible in the current situation." Asha said, not looking up from the journal as she continued to read.
Boldir held up his hands. "I could be wrong, this entire thing is just a hunch because Muninn seemed concerned about the difference between fog and mist. The journal specifically stresses the point about it being a dense mist. Didn't know the difference myself, before this book."
"Val, you may be able to confirm the validity of these stories, actually." Asha was fixated on a page with a passage that was not translated, presumably a piece of original text.
"Hmm?"
Asha held up the book, showing him the pages.
"Nordic runes??"
"Yes, the early people on the East Coast in this case; early Vikings tried to settle and took one of the sides in this war."
"Then let's go ask the birds, they should be in our room, failing that, I have another option." The trio descended to the second floor, almost rushing to their room, where they found the two ravens in discussion.
"Hmm?" Huginn looked at the three, reading a myriad of questions on their faces.
Val closed the door, before bluntly asking. "Are the Draug real?"
Muninn narrowed her eyes. "Where did you come upon that name?"
Asha held up the journal. "They're described in this journal, Boldir thought of it at the mention of the unnatural mist sweeping over the entire coastline."
"We were just discussing that ourselves. They *were* real, many thousands of years ago. But both they and the abominable powers they held as deities were slaughtered to the last. My lord personally made sure of it, as did Lord Tyr and the rest of the Aesir host." Huginn spoke with a subtle note of exasperation, as if it were the tenth time he was repeating this point. Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
"It's not impossible that they survived, and have simply hidden or remained dormant all this time, till now. Magic surges through the world, enough to bear witness to the birth of a new god or even the revival of an old one." Muninn protested.
"There was nothing left to revive, Njord made sure they would never walk the coasts again, and Aegir personally hunted them down to the last, in the depths."
Muninn scoffed. "Since when did you ever trust a giant?"
"Since Thor threatened to again go to war with the giants, were there to be even a single survivor."
It was clear to Val that the two had been debating this point in some manner for a while now. "Hold on for a moment, is there any other reason for this kind of phenomenon? Muninn seems convinced that this is a sign of the Draug."
Huginn thought for a moment. "…None that I know of, at least not on this scale, save for the work of gods, but we are not natives to this land."
"Okay, I'm sure some of it is described in the journal, but what was this war? The short version, for my sake."
Huginn sighed. "We went to war with the Atlanteans to stop their aggressive expansion of power. In their hubris, they threatened to hold the sea from any who would not submit fealty to them, claiming even the gods must submit. When we finally breached their shores, they made a pact with abominable creatures of the deep, hoping to gain power to repel our warriors. In the end they got what they wished for, but the power they gained cost them their entire civilization. Atlantis sunk beneath the oceans, the… creatures, that they became… They were no longer men, simply abominations, worse, they could not reproduce on their own any longer. Instead they took prisoners of all kinds and twisted them into their form, willing or otherwise."
"Then they started attacking everyone along the coast, taking people and turning them too." Val pieced together the rest from what Asha and Boldir explained of the journal.
"Yes, they were a blight carried upon the waves, a disease that would spread indefinitely unless eradicated, and so we did."
Val furrowed his brows. "Hypothetically, how dangerous are they?"
Muninn replied. "Very. They cannot be reasoned with— they have an unwavering allegiance to their masters, and they warp and twist life without remorse or reserve. Any prisoners they take become slaves to their cursed vengeance on the world."
"*Had*. Their masters are long dead." Huginn added.
"And it's safe to assume that the scale of these events correlates with their number or strength?"
"There's a definite cause for concern. They do not fare well on land, ushering in dense mists to render it habitable for them. If it's really them, and they have blanketed the entire coastline, it is safe to assume armies, not stragglers." Muninn explained.
"Super. Huginn, are you one hundred percent confident it's not the Draug?"
"…No. I'm going to return to my lord soon to consult him on this very point. *If* they have truly returned in force, then we are upon the second Draug war. Only this time, there is a much more developed world for them to prey upon. Many of the gods who stood against them are either weakened, or gone."
Val's eyes widened in alarm. *Fuck, the coast!*
"I'm leaving, tonight." Val said suddenly.
Boldir and Asha looked at him with surprise, Muninn was alarmed for only a moment, before resolution appeared in her gaze.
Val spoke quickly. "Assuming this is real, and these have all just been precursors to a much worse threat. I need to be in Seattle yesterday, before any possible survivors are taken and turned."
"You should get some rest, head out tomorrow, the place you described is several days—" Boldir paused, realizing something as Val took his keys out of the nightstand drawer.
"Twelve to fourteen hours, depending on the conditions and refueling, maybe even less is all I need. It's little after six now, by sunrise I'll be entering the city. Best case scenario this is all a coincidental look-alike and my plans are just pushed up." Val began hurriedly gathering his things as he explained, fully equipping himself and fishing out a canvas rucksack of canned goods he left under the bed.
Asha began gearing up too, causing Val to raise an eyebrow curiously. "I'll come with you, I doubt I'll make much progress with the council before some proof turns up." She explained, seeming to shrug off the lingering effects of her hangover.
"I'll be driving quickly, you know."
Asha scoffed. "I'll survive your toy."
Boldir stood there stumped, holding the journal Asha had thrust back into his hands. "Room's paid for the week you know—"
"Keep the room under her name, you can take it from my funds." Val interrupted.
"This all seems a bit rash… But I suppose it would not be you otherwise…" Huginn remarked with some disdain, before taking off out the balcony door. Muninn joined Val as he and Asha left for the customs office to retrieve his bike.
"What's your plan exactly?" Asha asked as they walked at a brisk pace.
Val smirked. "You know me well enough by now, what plan?"
Asha glared. "This could be very serious, you know."
"Figure it out as I go then, my priority is finding my friends, then any other survivors, and anything in between me and those objectives will answer to Tyrfing."
"Not all problems can be solved with the sword."
"Perhaps, but as Muninn said, they cannot be reasoned with, but there are few who don't understand violence."
Asha simply held her narrowed emerald eyes at him with some scorn.
"Relax, I'm not about to try fight off armies of fanatic sea monsters on my own, if at all. I find my friends, any other survivors, and we leave, alternatively, I find no one, and we still leave. I do after all have a deal with Harken to at least discover what is happening."
"Fine, but no reckless heroics. Even I'm not comfortable with the contents of that journal."
The three came to the customs office, busy as usual with new arrivals. Walking up to a different window, a human clerk greeted them.
"How can I help you two—"
"I need to retrieve my storage unit, everything in it." Val interrupted impatiently as he slid his temporary visa documents through the port at the bottom of the window.
"Very well, one moment please." The clerk quickly disappeared, returning in what felt like several, long drawn out minutes later. A burly dwarf was pushing the bike out on a large metal platform-cart, causing Val to smile wryly at the care taken for the vehicle.
"Here is the entirety of your storage unit and if you can sign here please." Val quickly scribbled something resembling his name on the provided clipboard. The clerk handed him the prorated refund for his storage fees which he promptly returned to Asha.
"Thanks."
The clerk bowed his head slightly. "It is our pleasure, please remember us next time you require proper handling of your merchandise."
Not wasting any more time, Val stashed his supplies and started pushing the bike towards the gates. Of course before he had made it through, a familiar figure flagged him down.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"Don't you work the night shift??" Val asked with exasperation. Durnham had strode in front of him, cordially greeting him.
Durnham looked at him curiously, it was obvious enough they were in a hurry, but to the seasoned guard captain, that typically meant danger when it came to Val.
"Shift starts in an hour or so actually. What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure, but it's related to the incidents along the trade routes to the North. We're setting out earlier than planned to check it out, look I really don't have time, if you need the whole story, ask Boldir." Val quickly explained, only prompting more questions on the dwarf's face.
Durnham met Val's agitated gaze for a moment, before quickly barking at his men. "Let them through! Move it with those pulleys! Clear the way!"
In near record time the gates that had only just been closed upon sunset were lifted back up, with some audible grumbling from the guards. Val did not even bother pushing the bike the rest of the way, hopping on with Asha quickly seating herself behind him. With the last of the sunlight fading from the pink sky, Val left the dwarves in shock as the engine thrummed to life and he shot out the gates, heading for the nearest road going north.
"Here, this is the one." Boldir took a leather-bound book from a shelf, roughly an inch thick with fraying edges along the cover. It was one of at least a couple hundred books in the room that was clearly refitted to serve as a study. Boldir handed it to Val to satisfy his curiosity, but when he opened it, it was of course not much more than chicken scratch. Boldir chuckled as Val screwed up his eyes trying to make sense of the structure, turning page after page. "You'll need to learn to read the language, though this is an older example." "Hang on, I can't read this, but the structure This is a journal?" Val noted a familiar combination of numbers and couple words at the beginning of each entry. "Hmm, it is. This isn't an original either." Asha remarked. "Aye, it's been translated several times, embellished here and there perhaps. The important part is that this journal references a thick mist that does not recede, gets under your clothes, and even makes you hear things. More importantly, it mentions a race of creatures that should be long extinct the Draug." "These aren't just stories?" Val asked cautiously. Boldir shrugged, but there was concern in his eyes as he stared at the book in Val's hands. "Everyone believes these to be idle horror tales fishermen would tell their children. There's been no proof that any of it is real, but the journal describes the events of a war with a civilization, and ultimately the sinking of Atlantis. Following that, the appearance of the Draug, and a curse upon any who die in deep ocean. Supposedly you won't find peace in death, but be rescued and cursed by the Draug to serve them." "And you think this fog or mist suggests these stories are real?" Val asked, looking to Boldir and Asha's faces in hopes of reading their thoughts. "I don't know, there are pieces that fit, like a mist that blankets the entire coast. However, Atlantis was described to be in the Ocean off the East Coast of this land, not the West." Asha took the book from Val, quickly turning the pages to the end. "This journal mentions a war between early men of this continent, backed by the gods, and the Draug. 'Thus the bitter war ended with our victory, forcing the Draug forever from our world, but the price was so great we had to abandon our homes and find shelter in other peoples.'" Val folded his arms, trying to make sense of it. "I don't have your common sense about this world, but assuming this journal described real events, is it possible that the merging allowed them to return? I highly doubt they are from our world, there's a lot we have not explored of the ocean but we explored some of the deepest places. There's far more free magic in the world than there was before, correct?" "*Assuming* this was real, virtually anything is possible in the current situation." Asha said, not looking up from the journal as she continued to read. Boldir held up his hands. "I could be wrong, this entire thing is just a hunch because Muninn seemed concerned about the difference between fog and mist. The journal specifically stresses the point about it being a dense mist. Didn't know the difference myself, before this book." "Val, you may be able to confirm the validity of these stories, actually." Asha was fixated on a page with a passage that was not translated, presumably a piece of original text. "Hmm?" Asha held up the book, showing him the pages. "Nordic runes??" "Yes, the early people on the East Coast in this case; early Vikings tried to settle and took one of the sides in this war." "Then let's go ask the birds, they should be in our room, failing that, I have another option." The trio descended to the second floor, almost rushing to their room, where they found the two ravens in discussion. "Hmm?" Huginn looked at the three, reading a myriad of questions on their faces. Val closed the door, before bluntly asking. "Are the Draug real?" Muninn narrowed her eyes. "Where did you come upon that name?" Asha held up the journal. "They're described in this journal, Boldir thought of it at the mention of the unnatural mist sweeping over the entire coastline." "We were just discussing that ourselves. They *were* real, many thousands of years ago. But both they and the abominable powers they held as deities were slaughtered to the last. My lord personally made sure of it, as did Lord Tyr and the rest of the Aesir host." Huginn spoke with a subtle note of exasperation, as if it were the tenth time he was repeating this point. Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.webnovel.com for visiting. "It's not impossible that they survived, and have simply hidden or remained dormant all this time, till now. Magic surges through the world, enough to bear witness to the birth of a new god or even the revival of an old one." Muninn protested. "There was nothing left to revive, Njord made sure they would never walk the coasts again, and Aegir personally hunted them down to the last, in the depths." Muninn scoffed. "Since when did you ever trust a giant?" "Since Thor threatened to again go to war with the giants, were there to be even a single survivor." It was clear to Val that the two had been debating this point in some manner for a while now. "Hold on for a moment, is there any other reason for this kind of phenomenon? Muninn seems convinced that this is a sign of the Draug." Huginn thought for a moment. "None that I know of, at least not on this scale, save for the work of gods, but we are not natives to this land." "Okay, I'm sure some of it is described in the journal, but what was this war? The short version, for my sake." Huginn sighed. "We went to war with the Atlanteans to stop their aggressive expansion of power. In their hubris, they threatened to hold the sea from any who would not submit fealty to them, claiming even the gods must submit. When we finally breached their shores, they made a pact with abominable creatures of the deep, hoping to gain power to repel our warriors. In the end they got what they wished for, but the power they gained cost them their entire civilization. Atlantis sunk beneath the oceans, the creatures, that they became They were no longer men, simply abominations, worse, they could not reproduce on their own any longer. Instead they took prisoners of all kinds and twisted them into their form, willing or otherwise." "Then they started attacking everyone along the coast, taking people and turning them too." Val pieced together the rest from what Asha and Boldir explained of the journal. "Yes, they were a blight carried upon the waves, a disease that would spread indefinitely unless eradicated, and so we did." Val furrowed his brows. "Hypothetically, how dangerous are they?" Muninn replied. "Very. They cannot be reasoned with they have an unwavering allegiance to their masters, and they warp and twist life without remorse or reserve. Any prisoners they take become slaves to their cursed vengeance on the world." "*Had*. Their masters are long dead." Huginn added. "And it's safe to assume that the scale of these events correlates with their number or strength?" "There's a definite cause for concern. They do not fare well on land, ushering in dense mists to render it habitable for them. If it's really them, and they have blanketed the entire coastline, it is safe to assume armies, not stragglers." Muninn explained. "Super. Huginn, are you one hundred percent confident it's not the Draug?" "No. I'm going to return to my lord soon to consult him on this very point. *If* they have truly returned in force, then we are upon the second Draug war. Only this time, there is a much more developed world for them to prey upon. Many of the gods who stood against them are either weakened, or gone." Val's eyes widened in alarm. *Fuck, the coast!* "I'm leaving, tonight." Val said suddenly. Boldir and Asha looked at him with surprise, Muninn was alarmed for only a moment, before resolution appeared in her gaze. Val spoke quickly. "Assuming this is real, and these have all just been precursors to a much worse threat. I need to be in Seattle yesterday, before any possible survivors are taken and turned." "You should get some rest, head out tomorrow, the place you described is several days" Boldir paused, realizing something as Val took his keys out of the nightstand drawer. "Twelve to fourteen hours, depending on the conditions and refueling, maybe even less is all I need. It's little after six now, by sunrise I'll be entering the city. Best case scenario this is all a coincidental look-alike and my plans are just pushed up." Val began hurriedly gathering his things as he explained, fully equipping himself and fishing out a canvas rucksack of canned goods he left under the bed. Asha began gearing up too, causing Val to raise an eyebrow curiously. "I'll come with you, I doubt I'll make much progress with the council before some proof turns up." She explained, seeming to shrug off the lingering effects of her hangover. "I'll be driving quickly, you know." Asha scoffed. "I'll survive your toy." Boldir stood there stumped, holding the journal Asha had thrust back into his hands. "Room's paid for the week you know" "Keep the room under her name, you can take it from my funds." Val interrupted. "This all seems a bit rash But I suppose it would not be you otherwise" Huginn remarked with some disdain, before taking off out the balcony door. Muninn joined Val as he and Asha left for the customs office to retrieve his bike. "What's your plan exactly?" Asha asked as they walked at a brisk pace. Val smirked. "You know me well enough by now, what plan?" Asha glared. "This could be very serious, you know." "Figure it out as I go then, my priority is finding my friends, then any other survivors, and anything in between me and those objectives will answer to Tyrfing." "Not all problems can be solved with the sword." "Perhaps, but as Muninn said, they cannot be reasoned with, but there are few who don't understand violence." Asha simply held her narrowed emerald eyes at him with some scorn. "Relax, I'm not about to try fight off armies of fanatic sea monsters on my own, if at all. I find my friends, any other survivors, and we leave, alternatively, I find no one, and we still leave. I do after all have a deal with Harken to at least discover what is happening." "Fine, but no reckless heroics. Even I'm not comfortable with the contents of that journal." The three came to the customs office, busy as usual with new arrivals. Walking up to a different window, a human clerk greeted them. "How can I help you two" "I need to retrieve my storage unit, everything in it." Val interrupted impatiently as he slid his temporary visa documents through the port at the bottom of the window. "Very well, one moment please." The clerk quickly disappeared, returning in what felt like several, long drawn out minutes later. A burly dwarf was pushing the bike out on a large metal platform-cart, causing Val to smile wryly at the care taken for the vehicle. "Here is the entirety of your storage unit and if you can sign here please." Val quickly scribbled something resembling his name on the provided clipboard. The clerk handed him the prorated refund for his storage fees which he promptly returned to Asha. "Thanks." The clerk bowed his head slightly. "It is our pleasure, please remember us next time you require proper handling of your merchandise." Not wasting any more time, Val stashed his supplies and started pushing the bike towards the gates. Of course before he had made it through, a familiar figure flagged him down. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" "Don't you work the night shift??" Val asked with exasperation. Durnham had strode in front of him, cordially greeting him. Durnham looked at him curiously, it was obvious enough they were in a hurry, but to the seasoned guard captain, that typically meant danger when it came to Val. "Shift starts in an hour or so actually. What's wrong?" "I'm not sure, but it's related to the incidents along the trade routes to the North. We're setting out earlier than planned to check it out, look I really don't have time, if you need the whole story, ask Boldir." Val quickly explained, only prompting more questions on the dwarf's face. Durnham met Val's agitated gaze for a moment, before quickly barking at his men. "Let them through! Move it with those pulleys! Clear the way!" In near record time the gates that had only just been closed upon sunset were lifted back up, with some audible grumbling from the guards. Val did not even bother pushing the bike the rest of the way, hopping on with Asha quickly seating herself behind him. With the last of the sunlight fading from the pink sky, Val left the dwarves in shock as the engine thrummed to life and he shot out the gates, heading for the nearest road going north.
