Chapter 55

(This is translated by Deep translator and corrected with Grammarly. If you find any mistake, please do not hesitate to tell me, I will give credit to the corresponding person. I appreciate your help and your time. Thank you ^^)

(POV Bingvar. Time: 15 days after the challenge. Location: Ulduar - Odyn's Chambers)

I was on my way to meet the God Odyn "The Father of All". I was seeking his blessing on the challenge I was about to undertake, and that would allow me to momentarily leave my duty as a guardian. As one of the most powerful Vrykul in the service of the Gods, I, Bingvar, must introduce myself and ask his permission.

When I stood before the great doors of your hall, I stood with slight nervousness, but I was not afraid.

-I will obtain the blessing of "The Father of All", I will march in search of my challenger and I will win. My opponent will become my glorious mount.

I could already imagine myself soaring through the skies on the back of the great creature called Nidhogg.

-His flying appearance and speed are some of the most striking things. Riding such a being would surely earn me the title of the "Sky Rider", or Bingvar "The Comet". Victory would bring me honor and fame, and my feat of valor in facing such an opponent and making him my mount would surely draw the attention of the Gods, perhaps even directly serving the God Odyn.

As I waited for those Vrykul who have the joy of directly serving the great God Odyn to open the door to his order, my dreams of honor and glory filled my heart with longing for victory.

-Although defeating him is my goal, I cannot be confident. That huge creature looks mighty, and defeat means the end of me. I cannot afford to lose, and even if I do not defeat it in combat, it should still last as long as it takes to gain some reward. But I will still seek victory, as the warrior I am, I will not give up.

Clenching my fist tightly, I gave myself courage.

-I will give my all in the confrontation and show him my strength.

*BRRROOOM*

The large doors opened and revealed to me the interior of the Hall. Large lights hung from the ceiling and illuminated the whole place. Around the hall, the mightiest and bravest Vrykul of all stood in position, carrying great weapons and armor. All of the brave warriors with titles of their combat exploits.

When one of them gave me the signal, I advanced with a firm step towards the center of the great hall. In the end, there was a huge throne towering over everyone and on it stood the great God Odyn.

The path to his throne was decorated with carvings and symbols. The whole place was carefully carved and arranged, demonstrating the power of the great resident of that hall.

When I was right in the middle of the great Odyn's hall, I stopped and knelt on one of my legs. With a fist to my chest and my head bowed, demonstrating my willingness to serve, the humility of my being, and my devotion to his cause. Then I stood up again and awaited his words.

(POV UNKNOWN)

On the Great throne, Odyn was seated comfortably, as he watched one of his followers, the one who was challenged and came for his blessing.

"I have heard that you have been challenged by The Dragon called Nighogg." (Odyn)

His voice echoed loudly in the great hall, even though he spoke calmly.

Lowering his head slightly, the follower nodded.

"That's right, Odyn, Father of All" (Bingvar).

"I understand, then why have you come?" (Odyn)

"I, Bingvar, have come to obtain your blessing and per and permission. The challenge that has been set before me will take time and my duty as a guardian will be interrupted. As a warrior, I will not refuse my opponent's challenge, so I ask for time to be able to carry it out." (Bingvar)

"I see... if there is no problem with you, Bingvar, I would like to hear the terms of the challenge and the story behind it."(Odyn)

Odyn listened to Bingvar's explanation calmly and the warriors around the hall, like statues, did not move from their position for a moment.

After listening to the story and the conditions of the challenge, Odyn spoke.

"You show courage in being able to face an unknown enemy, as a warrior I respect your bravery, but you do not know the strength of your opponent, nor his story. As Father of All, it is my duty to teach the way to all my children, so I will help you to defend your honor since the opponent you face is not just a simple creature and you may have been deceived by him. So you will get my permission, my blessing, and may help in this challenge, Bingvar. So listen everyone, I will tell you a little bit about this Dragon called Nighogg." (Odyn)

Odyn told a little of the history that the Guardians shared with this strange creature. He told of the experiences they had together and also of the power he possessed.

Although it may seem that Odyn is someone neutral, who does not show favoritism to anyone and respects above all the bravery of the warriors, it is nothing more than a lie. Odyn is someone who has great affection for his creations and shows favoritism throughout his history. He is no fool, so he will help and share the glory with those who help him, nor is he an ungrateful being, but like all living beings, he demonstrates his selfishness in his way.

Odyn told all the warriors that were in that room, events that happened and that were related to the Dragon Nidhogg. All to help one of his "sons" to confront "equality" his opponent. In the end, what Odyn wanted to demonstrate was the greatness of his creations, so now Bingvar knew a little of what to expect in his fight.

After Odyn said all he wanted, all the warriors seemed to stand up straight again. At one point, the scene looked like a grandfather telling stories to his grandchildren about his great accomplishments in life. Not that Odyn doesn't enjoy the praise and respect of his creations, though it's something he clearly won't demonstrate to anyone, as they say, actions speak more about a person than their words.

"Well, now that you know who your opponent is, it's time for you to choose one of my blessings." (Odyn)

After Odyn said that, some warriors brought different weapons and armor into the great hall.

"These weapons are powerful enough for you to hurt your opponent. These shields are powerful enough to defend you from their attacks and keep you safe, and these armors can help you withstand long battles. You can only choose 1, so take your pick, warrior." (Odyn)

The equipment Odyn presented was finely crafted. The swords were polished and possessed runic decorations and engravings. The shields were large and despite looking heavy, when lifted had an ideal weight. The armor was of various styles, from heavy armor to some light armor that was noticeably conducive to mobility.

All the equipment glowed faintly white, although it was not known if it was because of the magic they possessed or because of the reflection caused by the finely crafted objects.

Bingvar held up each weapon and each shield. He tested each armor, and like an experienced warrior made his choice. A medium-sized shield, circular and seems to reflect light perfectly, was his choice.

Bingvar placed the shield he originally owned on his back. It was an equally rounded shield, only slightly smaller than the one he had chosen.

Odyn watched all his actions with curiosity, and when he saw his choice, he asked.

"Why the shield, warrior" (Odyn).

After thinking about it for a moment, Bingvar said.

"I am a warrior, but I specialize in defense. I am always at the front of my team and have never allowed anything to get through me. I have protected my team with courage at all times. This time I am facing a fearsome opponent, and although the odds are against me, I do not fear my defeat. I am confident in my abilities and I know with certainty that I will manage to stand my ground. The shield is the best weapon I could choose, more than any sword and certainly better than any armor, and only with the shield will I manage to show my opponent the respect he deserves, by giving the best of my abilities." (Bingvar)

Bingvar spoke confidently and without any hint of arrogance. The story told by Odyn helped him to understand what he was facing, and as a warrior, he decided to confront his opponent with his specialty. The respect he instilled in everyone at that moment, including me, was great. Perhaps Odyn had never felt much admiration in defense before, but now I am almost sure that this warrior managed to convince him.

After everyone in the room nodded internally at the young Vrykul's words, Odyn spoke with barely concealed pride.

"Very well, warrior. You have obtained my help and my blessing, you also obtain my permission to absent yourself from your guard duty and instead let it be your honor as a warrior that guides you. Even if you are defeated, I want you to know that you will always be remembered. Go forth my champion, fight bravely, and may your battle be glorious!" (Odyn)

Bingvar, knelt and placed his fist on his chest, then took his leave and with a firm step walked out of the great hall. His pride at being called champion by Odyn and his happiness at being able to share with the greatest warriors, the stories of his God, was evident.

After a while, Bingvar bumped into someone, but before he could say hello, he heard.

"I want to help you, warrior. Let me tell you the position of your opponent. Before you refuse, let me tell you that he has hidden in a place to which you will not have easy access. So let me help you in this part of your challenge. In the end, he never said you couldn't get help.

The figure spoke quickly, preventing Bingvar from being able to say anything.

"Besides, from what I see, you've already been helped. My help won't amount to much in comparison."(?)

Bingvar then nodded.

Touching Bingvar's shoulder, the figure said.

"Trust me, I will take you to their location" (?).

Then both figures made their way to the location. Though one of them laughed lightly, imagining some things that only seemed to cause him amusement.

...

(POV UNKNOWN. Place: Forest. Time: Nights that can be forgotten)

By day the forest is a place full of life. Many living things awake early after a night's rest. Everyone sleeps peacefully, for they all share the same schedule... or so it used to be.

Now the nights are very lively, as much or more than the day. Beings that used to be able to sleep peacefully at night, now have to find a more suitable place to hide to sleep. Some gather in groups to have someone to protect their backs, others simply take shelter in the largest trees.

Those who now live at night were at first very scary. It was a sudden change in the forest, where the nocturnal creatures, whose red eyes glowed with hunger and some madness, moved almost erratically in search of food. At least that was the way it was at first.

Many of the nocturnal hunters adapted relatively quickly to the time change and the hunt for prey. All the animals in the forest quickly learned the new order that had developed.

As the night was so dangerous and with the prey coming together in groups, the hunters began to do so as well. One of them to begin hunting in groups was a brown-furred wolf. His name would surely be important at some point in history, wouldn't it...?

The truth is, the nocturnal hunters had it easy for a while and then everything found its balance.

Prey that used to feed during the day, now fed at night with the protection of hunters hunting their predators. Small creatures that could hardly run away during the day were able to find food more easily at night. And many eyes that once could not make out what lay in the darkness now could, glowing in different colors in the dimmest of lights.

Madness was the beginning of a change in a quiet forest. Fear has always been a trigger for evolution. Fear of starvation, fear of the unknown, and fear of the predator. Evolution is constant and only needs necessity to begin... perhaps magical creatures are some of the most susceptible to change, and only 1 is enough to initiate a trigger.

Evolution is inevitable, whether by hunger, necessity, or... fear.

Author's Note:

How do you like this chapter, if I'm honest I enjoyed planning and writing it. I have a few more things I want to explain and a few things I want to introduce.

The story is slowly following its course, I don't know if you've noticed.

In a few chapters, we will see the beginning of the MC's romance. As I "promised", the MC will have a relationship with Elune...

On the other hand, I hope you are catching on to some of the things I throw in. I also know that there are things that can only be understood by those who know the WOW universe at least a little bit. For now, I will be revealing things that are possible simply because of how this universe works.

I don't have more to say, I think I'll probably release another chapter today, I'm just too curious about what will happen next. Although I'm not promising anything... it all depends on how I decide to plan the chapter.

I invite you to comment and express yourself freely, but with respect for all who read. I appreciate the encouragement you all give me and your continued support. You don't know how many times you have made me smile and feel that even when I think I'm lost in the plot, it's worth continuing to get out of that difficult moment. Thanks to you for continuing to read and comment ^^

I wish you all a great day or a good night ^^