Frozen Steel
Snow fell in thick, whispering veils, shrouding the sky in white silence. The mountain peaks of Niflheim loomed like sleeping beasts, their jagged spines coated in centuries of frost. The wind howled mournfully, its voice echoing through the ridges like an old ghost song.
A flash of movement broke the white stillness.
Rain landed in the snow, light as breath. No longer a boy, but not yet a man, he wore a blackened cloak lined with fur and frostbitten symbols. His silver-blonde hair whipped in the storm, and his eyes colder than the world around him.....fixed on the cave before him. He raised one hand, fingers humming with concentrated Uud. Behind him, shadows fell through the sky-pirates in dark armor and long coats, their boots crunching into the frost as they formed ranks.
Two ice giants roared, lumbering out of the cave-mouth. Their skin was pale stone, etched with blue runes. They raised their hammers, shouting in their forgotten tongue,
"That human village we pillaged last week had all sorts of goodies, I even got a fresh cow...can you believe it?" the giant exclaimed..
"No way! you got a full cow? i was only allowed to keep a few crops and you got a full cow." the ice giant expressed in disappointment.
But their cries did not go unheard in the snowy storm....
A spear of Uud, sharp as a scream, surged from the blizzard and impaled the first giant through the heart. The second turned in shock, only to have his legs sliced from under him by twin blades flickering with arcane heat. He collapsed, gasping steam into the snow, and Rain finished him with a downward strike through the eye.
The entrance was clear.
Rain stood still for a moment, his breath slow and visible. Then he turned to the others and spoke with quiet authority. "Secure the perimeter! The cave is ours."
Sarsgaard stepped forward with a chuckle, wiping snow from his beard. "Not bad for a kid who used to cry when snow got in his boots."
Starwick grinned, adjusting the strap of his frost steel blade. "He ain't a kid anymore, Captain! Look at him.....a true sky-born pirate."
Rain didn't smile. He simply nodded once, walking deeper into the cave as the pirates followed behind. The frost-covered walls glimmered with faint blue light, and from within came the scent of fire, blood, and something darker.
The raid on Niflheim had begun.
The cave wound deep, its walls lit by flickering torches stuck in frost-bitten skulls. Icicles the size of swords hung from above like the teeth of some ancient beast. Behind Rain, twenty pirates followed with steady boots and sharper blades, their weapons gleaming with the telltale sheen of Uud-infused steel.
Starwick stayed behind at the entrance with five others, crouched and ready, snow piling on their coats as they prepared to pick off any runners. Inside, Sarsgaard led the advance without stealth or subtlety. His presence was a declaration. The clink of metal, the stomp of boots, the dry laughter of pirates, none of it hidden. The arrogance was intentional.
The ice giants, stirred from their slumber, lined the walls of the deeper chamber. Some chuckled like wolves sensing blood. One even licked its chipped tusks. Their eyes burned with primitive joy.
Then came the grand hall, a common room of sorts, with stone benches carved from the bones of glacier beasts, a frozen hearth belching faint heat, and piles of stolen goods rotting in the corners. Grimolvr the Great White reclined on a throne carved from blackened permafrost, the tusks of mammoths flaring around him like a crown. He slouched with a mug of boiling wine in hand, his beard frozen in clumps. Sarsgaard stepped forward, cloak billowing behind him like a storm front.
"I see you haven't changed since we last met." Sarsgaard mocked the hideous creature.
Grimolvr snorted, his icy breath steaming like a forge. "You could not live with the shame of your loss twelve years ago… now you come to be my supper." He chuckled deeply, shaking the bones underfoot.
But then he saw Rain.
And the color drained from his frostbitten face.
"You… You bring elf kin to slay me? I am no ordinary ice giant, you flea-ridden pirate, I am the great whii....."
A silver streak blurred across the room.
Rain had already moved. The spear of Uud sang through the air like a mournful wind and in a flash of white fire, it split Grimolvr's words in two. The head of the Great White fell to the cold stone floor with a hollow thunk, expression frozen mid-sentence.
Silence followed. Not one giant dared to move. Not one pirate cracked a joke.
Rain stood where Grimolvr's head had been, his body relaxed, spear still humming in his grip.
"A shame," he said, voice low and cold. "He talked too much."
Then the chamber erupted into chaos, a stormy blizzard invited herself into the cave and brought the giant back to life. The pirates could only watch the impending showdown between Rain and the Frost Giant. Grimolvr laughed out loud as he hurled the full force of his storm authority at the boy but Rain used his Uud as protection from the frost.
"That's enough Rain! Until you develop your authority don't fight anyone with an authority"
Rain couldn't agree more as the frost began to penetrate his Uud guard, Sarsgaard stepped in after his declaration. Charging up his blade with a partial authority he used his passive ability 'Gold rush', an ability that allows him mesmerize his opponent by forming illusions based on their deepest desires fueling his own attack power by allowing him a one hit strike that attacks the spirit of the opponent.
Rain observed carefully as Sarsgaard cleaved the giant with an upward slice, and when he saw the giant stager and his Uud move strangely he leapt in for the killing blow. This time he made sure the head and chest were utterly destroyed as he thrust an Uud spear attack.
The great hall reeked of scorched frost and blood. The body of Grimolvr twitched once more before falling still, his throne cracked beneath him. Around the chamber, the remaining ice giants hesitated for a breath....long enough for the pirates to strike.
Rain didn't move. He didn't have to.
By the time the last echo of the battle faded, Uud-tipped blades dripped with thick blue blood, and only silence remained.
Sarsgaard dusted his coat. "Well, that was cleaner than expected."
One of the pirates nudged Grimolvr's lower body with his boot. "Not so great anymore, is he?"
The others laughed and fanned out into the side tunnels, where plunder overflowed chests of gold frost-bitten shut, relics of border villages still wrapped in linen, crates of stolen wine from Midgard's last trade run. Rain glanced at a small pendant lying atop a pile of silver, the sigil of a village he'd once passed through with Enoch. He pocketed it without a word.
Meanwhile, at the cave entrance, Starwick leaned against the icy wall, tapping his staff with audible irritation.
A pirate came jogging out, arms full of pelts and wine jugs. "It's done, commander. We're rich again."
Starwick scoffed. "Rich? You're rich. I just stood here catching cold while the rest of you got to play swords and heroes."
"You told the Captain you didn't want to fight," the pirate shrugged.
"I said I didn't want to fight grunts. I would've handled Grimolvr myself if that leaf-eared blur hadn't finished." Starwick's voice rose, echoing down the cave.
Rain emerged with a small bag of loot slung over his shoulder, his spear folded down into a short staff. "You'll live, Starwick. Finders keepers.."
The pirate mage pointed his staff accusingly. "You're lucky I like you, boy. Otherwise I'd have claimed the loot tax for mages-in-waiting."
Sarsgaard passed by, dragging a crate of exotic wine. "The only tax you'll be getting is the one you drink."
Starwick perked up. "I suppose I can be persuaded to forgive you."
They laughed and made their way out of the cave, stepping over icy corpses and shattered bones. As they passed through the mouth of the mountain, the wind howled with less fury, as if Niflheim itself recognized the cave's new rulers.
Rain stood for a moment, gazing out at the white horizon, silent, sharp, unfeeling. Then he followed the others, boots crunching softly on snow that had not yet forgotten blood.
Nightfall on Niflheim's Peak
The snow softened underfoot as the pirates made camp on a ledge overlooking the world below. A great bonfire crackled to life, throwing sparks into the whistling wind. Around it, the crew roared with laughter, drink, and exaggerated tales of battle.
A jug passed from hand to hand before it stopped near Rain. The crew chanted, slurring from too much celebration..
"Come of age, come of flame, drink and earn your warrior's name!"
Rain held the jug for a beat, looking into the flickering fire with calm composure. He gave a half-smile, aged more by life than years.
"I know you all know Enoch would have me on a pike."
The group howled with laughter, a pirate clapped him on the back.
Starwick leaned in dramatically. "Oh, he can't wait to leave us dirty pirates and finally be with Lira!"
Laughter erupted once more, echoing down the frozen cliffs. Even Rain couldn't help but chuckle, though his eyes briefly flickered with something gentler.
"I sail for Alfheim tomorrow" he said after the laughter quieted. "I suppose, i will miss travelling with the crew....and off cause Starwick I'll miss you too."
They toasted again, this time quieter. Not somber, but respectful. The elven slave had grown into a fine young man...a respectable warrior.
A PROMISE OF TRUST
The snow was behind them now. The skies cleared, streaked with the golden blue of early morning. Below them, the fjords of Midgard cut through mountain and forest like great silver veins. Sarsgaard stood at the bow of the ship, cloak billowing as Rain approached him in silence. The pirate didn't look at him at first. He just stared out into the wind.
"From a slave to a fine warrior," he began, voice steady. "You've come far, boy. Farther than most of my kin ever dream." Rain kept quiet. He sensed this wasn't a moment for interruption.
"I need to entrust you with a favor," Sarsgaard continued. "Take care of Lira when you reach Alfheim. Do whatever you must! Protect her if you will!"
Rain nodded, a bit hesitant. "I will! Of course!"
Then Sarsgaard turned, and there was a strange softness in his stern face.
"And you have my blessing."
Rain blinked, confused. "Blessing? For what?"
The captain barked a deep, heartfelt laugh. "You'll know when the time comes."
Then, leaning in, his voice dropped low and secretive.
"She was under a spell, the whole time you knew her. You might not recognize her face when next you meet. But I promise you, she will recognize you."
Rain's eyes widened slightly, but before he could ask more, the bells of the central city tolled faintly in the distance. The towers of Central city "Elumidr" shimmered ahead, touched by morning light.
And just like that, they were home.
Morning Before Departure
The icy winds of Niflheim had long passed, but the chill of departure lingered in the air. Rain stood beside Enoch at the city's high terrace, where the wind rolled in strong from the open skies. Below, the flying ship prepared for takeoff. The boy....no, the young man turned to his master, the weight of a thousand unanswered questions behind his eyes.
"Master," Rain began, "you haven't let me learn or practice authority for five years. By the time I learn, Sköll and Hati will have swallowed the sky."
His voice wasn't bitter, but it carried the frustration of someone who had walked the edge of death and lived to ask why. Enoch didn't look at him right away. Instead, he watched the clouds drift, his hands folded behind his back, cloak flickering like smoke.
"I've told you. Many times now," the master said quietly. "Authority shouldn't be developed before you can fully actualize your soul."
He finally turned, eyes sharp and ancient. "Elves in Alfheim wait at least forty years before even considering it. That's why their kind is stronger than most, because their power mirrors the self they've forged."
Rain frowned, looking down at his hands "So I should just wait… until I know myself?"
"No," Enoch corrected, walking forward and placing a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You should live. Face the truth of who you are, and then decide what you would use that kind of power for."
He paused, and Rain remembered the fire, the death, the frozen battlefield.
"You survived Virmethorn," Enoch said softly. "You've seen what a true authority can do."
Not the words Rain wanted, but the ones he needed. Silence stretched between them... Then Rain blinked in realization.
"You said elves wait until forty… Does that mean, in the entrance exam, I'll be facing elves older than that?"
Enoch's lips tugged into a rare, mischievous smile, the kind that gave away everything without a word.
Rain exhaled slowly, eyes wide. "That's not fair!"
"Life isn't fair" Enoch said, already turning away. "But I trained you for more than fair."
The wind picked up. The ship's horns sounded.
Without another word, Enoch walked away, his figure fading like a shadow at sunrise.
And Rain turned toward the ship that would carry him to the land of his ancestors, into trials unlike any before.
Light bringer
The sea was calm, almost unnaturally so. Gentle waves shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, their rolling rhythm casting silver light across the horizon. A lone figure stood upon the obsidian cliffs of Alfheim's eastern coast, dressed in black armor so elegantly forged it seemed to drink the sunlight. His cape hung motionless, even in the salty wind.
He did not move.
Far below, the water stirred.
Then without warning...the sea erupted.
A monstrous form rose from the depths, scales glistening like wet bronze, eyes vast and burning with ancient rage. The serpent's jaws opened with a sound like the cracking of a mountain. Saltwater and shadow poured from its maw as the Leviathan emerged in full, the World Serpent 'Jörmungandr'.
The knight lifted his long blade.
No flourish. No fear.
He charged Uud into the edge, a radiant blue fire running down the steel, humming with bound purpose.
His voice rang out in a tongue long buried beneath the living ages:
"Non es gratus in hac terra… draco marinus."
The Leviathan's coils turned, parting the sea. It answered with equal power, its voice deep and resonant, shaking the clouds....
"Scio quis sis, perfide… morieris pro foedere fracto."
For a breathless moment, the cliff and the sea stood still.
Then the knight struck. A single arc of Uud-infused light cleaved through the air traveling faster than the eye and carved across the beast's throat, drawing a howl that split the tide.
From the sky above, Rain watched from the ship's mast, stunned.
The cleave made a shockwave that cut the ship's mast plunging the ship to a fall, Rain grabbed a Jotun Eagle feather and jumped out of the ship avoiding the fall damage. As he glided towards Alfheim he witnessed the dreadful showdown were an elven warrior singlehandedly fought the sea Leviathan and won.
ACT ONE BEGINS