16 Upcoming

Reunion

*KRAAAKOOOM*

A storm rose from the back mountains covering the afternoon artificial sun.

Dark clouds gathered and thunder roared while lightning struck the forests and mountains.

*THROOOODOOSSHHH*

A body flew through the trees breaking them in half.

"YOU BASTARD!! THAT'S CHEATING!!" Ysmir screamed out as he stopped himself from going back any further.

Thunder and light continued to roar and strike as Odin fell from the skies with his body and spear engulfed in lightning and power.

*KADDING*

*WHOOSH*

Ysmir raised his axe blocking Odin's spear from above before he was thrown back again from the surge of lightning force Odin was using.

"Come. Ysmir, son of Yohr, show me your might!" Odin jumped high and far after Ysmir excitedly.

Though Ysmir is being thrown around like a ragdoll, he could definitely endure the force of power he Odin was using. Odin felt that Ysmir was not using his full strength and he was pushing for that.

"As you wish, princess."

Just as Odin landed next to Ysmir, the red-head zoomed towards the Prince and swung his axe with his full strength once again.

*KADIING*

"AGAIN!!"

*KADDIING*

The blue glow in Ysmir's eyes appeared once more as he swung against Odin.

Odin was thrown back from Ysmir's strike.

That was it, what Odin wanted.

They went back and forth on the offense and defense until Ysmir feinted a strike and kicked Odin in the chest, throwing him back.

"AAHHHHHHH!!"

Odin wiggled his body avoiding the axe that would have slashed his chest and swung his spear onto Ysmir's head.

*Thunk*

"HAAAAAA!!"

*THOOM*

Before Odin could stand, His face was smacked by the flat side of Ysmir's axe and was thrown off once again.

They played the game avoiding the sharp spear tip and the axe's blade.

Every strike Odin received from Ysmir pushed him back, he definitely got stronger to the point Odin had to use a bit of his lightning force.

Yet Ysmir kept on, adapting in the battle, not giving him any time for wide attacks.

"Prepare yourself."

A strong shockwave spread around the area as a shower of lightning dropped from the dark skies onto Odin.

"YOU BASTARD!!" Ysmir complained.

*KRAAKIIISHH*

•••••••••••

Odin led the group back towards the city of Asgard, in tow were his two brothers Vili and Ve with Sigrun, Hilda and Kara.

And an angry Ysmir who had burned lines around his body, his red hair in shambles from his obvious defeat from Odin.

And though he lost, it gave the group a feeling of how much he's grown.

Odin's physical strength is beyond any of the young Aesir's in their 20's and younger, while many of the adults who have lost to Odin from a simple brawl.

Yet Ysmir stood his ground with the 2nd Prince.

That is, until Odin cheated and used his lightning force. Or so Ysmir claimed.

Now Sigrun and the rest knew that they wouldn't have much of a fight with Ysmir if they stood on the same ground to battle.

"You have gotten stronger, Ysmir." Odin stated.

"Still have a long way to go, apparently."

"No, the might you have now at our age is more than many could ask for. I have never heard of anyone as strong as you before their ceremony."

"Really, what about these two idiots in the back?" Ysmir pointed towards Vili and Ve where the older one frowned while the other beamed happily.

"It's no surprise, we are descendents from Buri himself, his divinity runs through our veins. But you, you are different, once you complete the ceremony and receive the fruit of longevity, you will become many times stronger than you are now." Odin explained. "But there is one problem…"

"What?…"

"Though our aging slows, so does our might and effort… meaning it might take decades and even centuries to achieve what you have done here in just four years."

"…" Ysmir sighed in exasperation, he went through so much to get that strong and not only did he lose to princess Odin again but his training will be harder than ever.

"But do not fret, as you have accomplished more than any æsirs could imagine in their life before their first century." Odin spoke with a proud smile as if it was his achievements instead.

Vili walked in the back, a frown donning his expressions. Jealousy?

Ysmir already knew about the slow progress after the glorified Golden apple, and rightly so.

He knew his powers will be tripled or maybe even quadrupled after Great Idun's Golden apple.

But what he wanted to achieve is to stand at the top of the Colosseum's ranks before the ceremony, or even be able to stand toe-to-toe against the damned giants in the mountains.

He is somewhat able to to contend with the giants but not the way he wanted it, maybe if he focused all his inner energy reserves into strength instead of most going into defense then he could probably stand with the giants.

But the weighted cuffs helped significantly in his strength rising.

But now he has to turn to something else…

"How long until the ceremony begins?"

"It's a fortnight away until then, Lord Roknos asked me to come get you before he forgets." Odin informed.

"I'm surprised he still remembers me or the fact that I still struggle in these mountains…"

"Of course he remembers, how could a Lord like him forget?" Sigrun chimed in.

"You'd be surprised blondie #2, he's quite forgetful while in the mountains." Ysmir learned that Roknos had a bit of divine ADHD in his head, so much so that he can't focus on one thing but would rather leave his thoughts and activities for things that catches his attention, at least that's what Ysmir has seen.

"Yet you still stand mighty due to his teachings, you should be grateful rather than speak ill of the æsir who took you under his wings…" Vili spoke with disgust.

"Do you guys hear something?" Ysmir asked, as if deaf.

"BASTARD!!" Vili raised his hand as it glowed in a dreadful green energy.

"Try it, brat!" Ysmir turned back towards Vili as they faced off.

"THEN SO BE IT!!"

Both of Vili's hands summoned the dreadful energy more powerful than before then waved his hands blasting it towards Ysmir.

*THOOSH*

Ysmir was blown back, but still stood strong without falling, he then stood there to see what kind of divine force this prince brat inherited from Buri.

"VILI, stop." Odin demanded his younger brother.

"What?!" Rather than responding to Odin, Vili looked at Ysmir with shock.

"What the hell is this supposed to do?" Ysmir wondered aloud.

He was engulfed in the dreadful energy Vili casted on him, yet he didn't feel much from it other than a little bit of heaviness, some sort of repulsion to his movements.

"How are you still moving?!" Vili shouted, demanding to know and refusing to believe that his witchcraft was not working on Ysmir.

"Huh?! What the hel do you mean why?!" Ysmir stepped towards Vili who seemed angry and in denial. "Am I supposed to freeze up while you dance around with your magic?"

"…"

Just as Ysmir stepped in front of Vili, the young prince decided to waved his hands around to cast another spell, a stronger one it seems.

*Thwack*

But Ysmir simply slapped the young Prince's hands away interrupting his intents before raising his fist to punch him in the face.

*plop*

Vili fell on his butt thinking he was struck, but as he looked up he saw Odin holding Ysmir's hands stopping him from being punched.

"Weak." Ysmir commented with a mocking smirk.

"That's enough." Odin bellowed, the skies filled with dark clouds once again.

"Well I wasn't actually going to hit him, I don't want him running off to his big big brother and telling on me now."

*Thud*

Vili pushed Ysmir and Odin away as he ran leaving the group in anger and embarrassment.

"Ve, go with your brother. Make sure he doesn't stray far."

"Yes. VILI, WAIT!!"

"You are still childish, bickering with children." Odin stated towards his one and only friend.

"That's why it's so fun."

"You withstood it!!" Sigrun said just as shocked as Hilda and Kara.

Ysmir looked at them confused, not knowing what they meant.

"Vili's magic is different from just any witchcraft æsirs use." Odin said. "One of his many abilities let him bring down his opponents with just a wave of his hands, restricting their movements and such."

"Is that what that was?" Ysmir questioned, if it was only to restrict his movements then it didn't have as much force as the weighted cuffs he was currently wearing.

"It's good that you have become stronger, Fate knows you would need it." Odin said genuinely happy, but his expressions turned helpless the next second. "But I beg you to refrain from bothering Vili with your mischievous actions."

•••••

By the time the sun rose highest in the sky.

In the colosseum, blades and weapons clashed as the top-thousand warriors in the ranks challenged each other, hoping for higher honor and glory in the top ranks.

And as always, Lord Logros, an æsir past his prime but still full of respect and fear watched over his stages in amusement.

Not because of the challenges he has watched for over centuries in the colosseum, but because of a certain group walking towards the platform he sat in with some of the best warriors in the colosseum.

Of course, he was not surprised to see Odin and the others as they have frequented the stages for better challenges, but rather because of the redhead in the lead.

"It has been quite a bit, young Ysmir." Lord Logros greeted.

"Yes it has." Ysmir agreed, though that long four years he spent in the mountains might just be a short while for those over centuries old. "I believe you know why I am here."

"I believe I do, what other reasons have you ever had in coming here then to challenge my warriors."

"Then there is no need for further explanations, please prepare a stage for me." Ysmir smiled, confident.

If he can climb up the ranks, maybe even to the first spot, he can be considered one of the most mighty in Asgard, as the Colosseum is considered to have some of the best warriors in the city. Of course, his wish for the top spot might just be that, a wish, but if he can rank close enough before the ceremony then he will no doubt be the mightiest of all.

But it's too early to say.

Looking towards a gigantic stone that had rune-like engravings on it, which was the rankings for the colosseum warriors, Ysmir could see the names of Odin, Sigrun, Hilda and Kara's names on it.

He was a bit conflicted but not too surprised by their ranks.

Kara, Hilda and Sigrun ranked at #956, #941 and #894 respectively, with Sigrun being the strongest of them all.

Odin on the other hand passed them by miles, sitting at #427 on the ranks.

Ysmir was not surprised by the girls rankings as the first time he challenged one of the warriors, who was known to be the weakest of the ranks, he was knocked out as soon as the challenge started.

But it seems they have grown stronger to be ranked in the lower sections considering they have not gone through their coming-of-age ceremony and consumed Idun's golden apples.

What made him surprised and conflicted at the same time was Odin's ranking.

He surely surpassed anyone in their generation, which was no surprise, and ranked in the middle to high section of the ranks.

But was that all he was capable of? Are the younger æsirs, no matter how strong, unable to climb past the mid-section of the rankings?

Was it because Odin was only limited to the Colosseum rules of "Only Might and No Sorcery"?

Well he would have to find out for himself.

There was one thing he knew when he and Odin fought in the mountains, he was stronger in pure physical force than Odin.

So even with the rules here, it was the perfect place to test himself and his warrior path.