XIX. The Bolt

"Good morning, brother" said Magni

"Good morning, master" replied Dag.

"Let's go, your brothers and sisters will be ready for us"

Magni turned and started walking. Dag followed.

"So, Taya told me that you come from Earth. Is it true?"

"Yes, it is. The temporum said that my roots are here, on this planet. My blood is Viking blood" answered Dag.

"Good" replied Magni

"Did you ever fight against the Lies Of Loki Clan?" asked Dag.

Magni looked at him with a doubtful face:

"What? Why are you asking me so?"

"Brann. Did you know him?"

Magni stopped looking at him and looked forward.

"He was my mother's first love and my sister's true father. He died…"

"I knew him, yes"

Magni interrupted Dag.

"He was my first Master. The stronger warrior I ever met in my life" he continued.

"I want to revenge him. I want to kill the man who killed him and stole the Emblem" said Dag.

"Brann was a great fighter. The man who killed him was probably greater.

The members of Lies Of Loki Clan are very hard to find. They use advanced mimetic techniques. I saw one of them transforming his face to another's. Loki is the god of deception and illusion, and his adepts improve these arts" replied Magni.

"I don't care. I'll kill them all. They're evil to me and to my family, I want them dead, forever"

Magni was impressed by Dag.

He was just a boy but, when he talked, he radiated some dark aura.

His desire was to kill people that hurt his family, and he seemed determined to reach that purpose, even his young age.

"Well, you have to train hard then. You know, I'm Hammers Of Thor's Chieftain but I don't hold any Emblem, so… you need to grow stronger than me, at least"

Magni chuckled.

"I'm ready. I'll be a quick learner" stated Dag.

The Sun shined up in the sky when Dag and his new Master overcame Gronn Forest. After an expanse of trees, there were only mountains, some of them covered by snow on the top.

A small stream flowed along the valley.

"We need to follow this river to get to Mount Torden. When the sun goes down, we should be halfway" said Magni, keeping to move straight.

They walked on the riverside when Dag crouched to drink some cold water.

At that moment, while he was moving his hands to the mouth, Magni snapped in his direction and with his hand, grabbed an arrow direct to Dag's head.

Dag jumped up and screamed:

"Wha…what's happening? Who shot me?!"

Magni broke the arrow in his hands.

"Renegades. Stay behind me, brother"

He tensed his arm ahead of Dag.

On their left, from trees, a group of armed people came out. They were more than 10.

"Oh shit! We gonna die now! What the fuck those people want from us?!"

Dag was panicked.

"They live in these mountains, looking after the valley" said Magni

"Now look" he continued.

"Look wha…"

Before Dag finished to talk, Magni jumped towards the Renegades, extracting his hammer in the air. When he pulled it from his belt, a bolt of lightning slashed the sky and hit the hammer.

Then, Magni landed on the enemies releasing all the lightning power, that blew them up, burning and paralyzing their bodies.

Dag was astonished.

What a crazy power.

Magni put away his hammer and walked to one of the Renegades:

"Hey, you idiot!"

He grabbed the man from the ground, lifting him by his neck

"your masters didn't tell you who am I, right?"

The man was still paralyzed, he cannot move.

"Am I right?!" yelled Magni on his face.

"Y…yes, yes…I'm so…sorry"

Magni threw the man on the ground.

"It was a mistake…please, master, spare this humble man life…please…"

the Renegade was terrified by Magni. Each of his men died around him.

"Get out of my sight. Now!"

The man stumbled on his own feet, trying to stand up, frightened, and ran away, towards the forest.

"What was that bolt?!" asked Dag impressed.

"One of the skills you'll have the possibility to learn, brother. Now, let's move on, we're late"

Like it was nothing, Magni turn in the stream direction and started to walk again.

Dag followed him, looking at the men on the ground.

Their bodies were completely burned as if hit directly by a lightning bolt.

That power was amazing. It came out from Thor, the God of Lightning.

"Your hammer…is that a special weapon?" asked Dag

"I saw some iced aura coming from it, when we were in Jernhest" continued.

"It's an enchantment. Any weapon can be enchanted. We have one of the best sorcerers of Skjold" answered Magni.

"Sorcerer? Is he a kind of magician? On Earth, they told us that magic doesn't really exist!"

"Boy, did you see me against that forest rats? If not magic, what was it?" replied Magni.

Dag was amazed by his powers.

"Magic is the energy that links us to the Gods. They allow us to use a little of their power by magic. We only need to prove them we're loyal and faithful. This is our only purpose, the only reason for our useless life" he continued.

The Sun began to set.

Dag and Magni were still walking.

Dag was getting tired, his legs trembled walking on the rocky riverside.

"We will take a break" said Magni, moving towards a free spot though the trees.

"Can I ask you something, Master?" said Dag

"Of course, brother. Tell me."

"Why didn't we ride on horses get to Mount Torden? Maybe we'd bed already arrived."

Magni chuckled:

"Nature, boy. I love to walk. I feel all the elements, and this lets my spirit grow. Remember, sometimes the quickest option is not the best one".

"Thank you, Master. I mean, for the explanation. I didn't see things through this point of view" answered Dag.

He thought that Magni spoke truly: walking between trees, rocks, rivers, it may help the spirit. He never considered his spirit as part of his body.

Probably it is the reason why Magni could control magic powers.