The Race for the Fjords

Another day awake, another day cleaning up and I changed from more civilian clothing and into some military clothes and putting my old clothes in a bag as I got ready to head out into the hallway, paying no time to see the weather and getting myself some breakfast with the small crew we accumulated by heading down the stairs.

I came into the cozy dining hall, decorated like a hunting lodge and a large wood-fuelled fireplace in the back of the hall, filling the room with a welcoming warmth.

I then spotted a wave from a table and headed on over to it to see that Ari was sitting there, but Harold and Irene were most likely still sleeping off the sharp cold of that blizzard. Not that I could blame them for it, but I didn't want to waste the breakfast hours sleeping.

"Morning sis, had anything?"

"Yeah, a cup of milky honey tea and that's all. I was waiting for you or someone to come here. I get a bit anxious eating alone." Ari replied quietly as I made an order with Ari for breakfast.

"Fair enough but Ari, I have one thing to ask you that is important."

"What is it?"

"Do you think you'll be capable of wielding that mythical armour that was used by your ancestor?"

"What do you mean by that, Joe?"

"I'm not throwing out that you might be evil or anything but... the idea of parting seas and breaking the skies is a rather heavily powerful ability."

"Are you saying that I'm not good at controlling my magic?" she says, with a raised brow while looking slightly annoyed at me.

"Not that, but saying just asking that with such immense reinforced ability to use such magic. What I'm trying to say directly, instead of snaking around it: can you control magic of that scale, sis?"

"So it was about my ability to control magic!" She contended quietly with me

"No, Ari, understand me here. What I'm trying to say is that being in control of such massive amounts of mana and magical ability coursing through your veins can come at a risk. What if you end up losing control and leading yourself into disaster, considering you weren't a mage? By the underworld, what if the artifact doesn't exist?"

"Joe, she was my ancestor! I wouldn't have been able to part that river or melt the lock from that cage."

"That's different. We were desperate then; we are talking magic that can erase and melt cities, evaporate people by the millions. Ari, just because you believe she was your ancestor because you are extremely gifted with magic doesn't mean you can control something on the scale of the magical abilities of Aeryhn's armour. This woman was an experienced mage! She could kill an entire battalion of men with water magic!"

"Joe, I believe I can honestly. Let's leave it at that. If you want full confidence in me, then I'll use my magic more often if we come across any opposing forces." She said with a sigh of compromise.

"That would be great, then you can learn your own ability before you try and wear that armour if you need to."

Eventually we settled our argument as we had breakfast and waited for Harold and Aunty Irene. It wasn't too long before they joined us and settled in for breakfast and we conversed idly for a while about small things before Harold asks something about the tombs, "is it true there are zombies, draugrs and skeletons in these mythical tombs?"

"Might be just a child's tale so kids and teens don't take a trip down into the lesser guarded tombs." Irene said, with a smirk on her lips and then sipping her cup of tea.

"Aunty, as much as I know that might be true, that it's a child's tale, I'm not downplaying the idea either. Even to this day, there are still necromancy groups, bandits, thugs and all sorts that can raise the dead and draugrs can raise themselves." Ari replied, and I nodded in agreement.

Harry then says to Irene, "They make a point, Irene. Just because we are in an era of civilization doesn't mean we can strike out the fact that our world is vast and many things from years ago, during the time of emperors, queens and heroes, have never changed."

I then brought up, "Our fundamental problem I think is, what if we have orc agents playing games and they want their claim to the artifacts?"

"We go in there, blast 'em and walk out... We are trained with guns and they use close-quarters combat, no pistols, all melee, if close enough with their enemy. Shoot them down with a pistol." Ari mentions while motioning with her hand.

"Fair enough, but we need a way to know they're orc agents." I say.

"You'll know when they get sufficiently pissed that you mention they're true plans, enough if they are a bit more sneaky about it. Most of the time they'll try to shoot at you or try and kill you at first glance." Irene brings up with a smirk.

I then stand up, finishing my last cup of tea and make my leave to get my equipment from my room and checking out the window for the weather in a rush and wanting to put my equipment in the truck. Luckily, it was light snow and slight cloud and nothing more! Perfect, a good time to reap the wonderful weather we have in order to set up camp near the location of the barrow and explore.

I went outside after gathering my things and then dumped them in the back of the truck. But with a small look about, I watched as a grey truck drove on past that had a recent paint job done to it... but one thing stuck out and that was who was in the cab. Two orcs that stared me down, their eyes almost burning as they passed. And then I got that feeling that something wasn't right that truck and those orcs or maybe it was my misapprehension gripping me.

I threw myself into making my way quickly to our table in the hall before then saying to everyone, "We have to move now. I saw a truck with a few orcs in the cab and it looks like they didn't like the sight of me or our truck."

Irene was quick to hop up and then says urgently, "Shit... Alright, let me get my stuff and I'm ready to go." After that, Harry and Ari soon followed and then we left as quick as we could, throwing our packs and equipment in the back before rushing in the cab and making tracks as we made a race for the fjords.