Chapter 31: Discovered & Dismembered
(3rd person POV)
On a windy autumn day as the brown and golden leaves fell from the tree branches, outside the window of a little house a tiny green bird flew it's way inside and perched itself upon a young purple-robed woman's shoulder.
It had been 6 months that the familiars of Cliodna had been searching for the dark wizards, they took it in turns she never wanted all 3 to be in danger at the same time. In this time Fenris and Cliodna had grown closer but never took the next step. Fenris was having trouble with the thought of her passing and being alone after, wallowing in his own guilt and depression. This didn't make him distance himself but it did create a wall between the two, they were great friends but Cliodna had an urge to mount the beast, ever since the day he laid there as she stroked his black fur, she had begun to feel a deep connection between them.
When the little bird began to chirp and tweet, a mixture of expressions crossed her face; disgust, concern, anger and it finally set on worry as she gazed at the tall blond-haired man sat across from her. Fenris noticed this and was wondering what she had just been informed.
(Fenris POV)
"What is it, Clio? What has lucky found?" I asked with a slight smile, it always amused me what she had named her Familiars, Lucky was a bright green and yellow Green Finch, Merlin was, funnily enough, a Merlin a breed of Falcon with a golden brown speckled chest and grey-brown back, it was the biggest of the 3 birds she had. Lastly, perhaps the funniest, in my opinion, sunshine was his name and he was black! A dark black with a white beak it was a Rook.
"She's found them, all the dark wizards are meeting up to the south they've gathered a lot of house-elves and some other beings for something and they're torturing them as they move some have even resorted to killing themselves. There are about 100 dark wizards all moving in a group" when I heard the anger and disgust in her voice the slight smile on my face vanished and was left with unadulterated fury, driving someone to suicide with torture was as dark as it got in my book.
It reminded me off a dementor, a dark being that basked in despair and decay, feeding on hope something that these beings who are being tortured were losing rapidly. It was never mentioned how a dementor was made just that they multiply under certain conditions which these dark wizards we're creating.
Up to this point, I was all for slaughtering them all, I don't care what they are doing if it involves anything that can help multiply the numbers of dementors that are practically only loyal to the ones feeding them souls and are immune to most magic, they had to be stopped. Helping the hostages was a bonus now the fact that a group of dark wizards were making something even remotely close to the conditions they thrived in was a good enough reason to start a massacre.
Cliodna must have noticed the change in my demeanour cause she grabbed my arm and looked at me with concern.
"Fenris your eyes, I know it's disgusting what they are doing, but you need to think about what it is they're after," she said in a soothing tone that didn't abate my bitterness with the situation.
"I know Clio, did Lucky mention Orlando at all, when we duelled he mentioned collecting people for a sacrificial ritual maybe that's what they're doing? it is coming up to Samhain and I am guessing more dead on that day can affect a lot of things, if they've collected magical creatures like unicorns that represent purity, killing one for the feast of the dead could have untold circumstances I want to avoid, just killing a unicorn is said to make you live a cursed life, even if their blood would keep you alive" I growled disgustedly at the thought of something like that happening.
"A-actually Fenris, Lucky mentioned that they are being led by a Lord Orlando to a place just north of Waterford they are about a days travel away" Clio actually struggled to tell me this and I knew why Waterford was a Viking county and if dark wizards we're heading there it wasn't good, the "Fair foreigners" as they called us would be a target of what they would do with the ritual or after they gained whatever it is that it did.
"Fen let's go sabotage that smelly fuckers plans! I'll even help this time around I'll be the sneakiest squirrel to walk Ireland and my name will forever be known by my kind!" Ratatoskr shouted on my shoulder, I managed to calm down, I couldn't help but laugh at the thought of Toskr slicing throats while blinding people with his tail.
After I had calmed down, I looked at Clio and thought about what I needed to do.
"Clio can Lucky show me where they are? I've got to stop them doing this ritual" I asked calmly but Clio was still worried and she shouted,
"But fenris there's a hundred of them! You can't fight them on your own!"
"That's where your wrong Clio I'm not going to fight them, I'll slaughter them all! Even if they do notice me ill still be able to win" I declared confident in my ability, I could dodge any spells and counter with my own, if I was close enough ill just tear them apart.
"But fenris!" Is all she got to say before I interrupted her "Clio I'm going even if Lucky doesn't help me find them, I've got to stop them" the thought of my people becoming victims to dark wizards infuriated me, even if I had no idea who these people were, even if they had lived in Ireland for a hundred years they were still Norse in my eyes.
"Okay fine but you better be careful ill make some healing potions for when you get back" she sighed in defeat.
"I'll take some of what you have in stock for the captives" I announced as I got up and started rummaging through the shelves of labelled phials looking for calming draught and other useful potions.
After collecting everything and putting them into my pouch, I was about to set off but Clio gave me a tight hug, it was like she thought it was the last one she would ever get, I knew otherwise but still held on anyway.
"Lucky you go on ahead ill be right behind you" I announced as I released my grasp on Clio and looked into her eyes and went on to say "I'll be back before you know it Clio don't worry, come on toskr it's time to go"
"Good I want to try out something when we get there" I heard as he jumped onto my shoulder as I turned and left the house, not dwelling on what he meant I made my way out of Dublin without turning back, as I passed my Snail home I shrunk it down and put it in my pouch, it could come in handy for some of the prisoners.
After leaving Dublin and making my way into the plains I told Toskr to hold on tight, I could see Lucky circling to the south a mile or so away I'm guessing he'll do that to make sure I can keep up but I'm not going at human speed. With a burst of acceleration, I set off running as fast as I could the plains and trees went by faster then I thought they would, I wasn't transformed at all and I reached under Lucky in about a minute, 60 miles an hour, it should take me just under 2 hours of running to get to Waterford.
Lucky was actually slower than me so I had to slow down, unfortunately, but with our speed about 30MPH it should only double our time, Orlando and his men wouldn't be anywhere near as quick travelling with 100 wizards and God knows how many Prisoners.
We travelled a straight line I didn't care about the terrain, with my reflexes I weaved through trees and over hills without breaking my pace. 4 hours of running 30mph didn't tire me out at all, we stopped about 10 miles from Waterford still in Osraige county and Lucky landed on my shoulder, it was unfortunate that I couldn't understand her but she could understand me, so at least I could give commands.
After waiting around and setting up my house in the woodlands, it was a glorious green forest and in the future most woodland of Ireland would disappear in the 2000s there is about 1% of forest coverage compared to the 80% of this time is a drastic decrease. the potions id gotten from Clio were arranged in the house and I set up my weapons, tonight or tomorrow my axe would be quenched in blood, I really wanted to throw and retrieve it through some fuckers.
Thinking of the upcoming battle I had finally decided on the runes to fit into Lunars edge, (the axe), one would be a wind rune, it would cause a greater slicing effect and even push back enemies, the other would be a hardening rune just for that added durability, I did not want my axe to be broken in my first battle, I even fed magic into the Mjolnir pendant hanging from the strap, with the runes I carved into it, it kind of gave the weapon an electric effect it should slow someone down.
I told Lucky to investigate where Orlando and his men were, while I got making them, it wouldn't take that long fastening them so they wouldn't fly away. I just relaxed and got something to eat while I wanted for the news, Toskr was rummaging around and ended up rummaging through my pouch looking for something.
"Toskr what are you looking for?" I asked intrigued, "the bone I got you years ago I want it!" His shout was muffled by the pouch but I understood him but had no idea why he would want that disfigured bone, it was small enough for him but it was bent and twisted, it honestly looked brittle.
"It's in there somewhere I haven't moved that thing since you brought it back, what do you want it for though?" I told him
"If you break off the end and it's sharp ill blind them before they even notice! Then they might take each other out with spells! I would have used the little knife I brought back but it's more like a great sword for me it'd slow me down" his muffled shout came again while he was still rummaging, honestly, I had thought of teaching him guerilla tactics but he was a step ahead. I should really sort through that pouch, he'd probably put more stuff in while I hadn't noticed, I hadn't really used that little knife it was alright for crafting runes but I had gotten much better at the 'Hvittle' (carving) spell, I could adjust the depth and with visualisation, I could carve something in one motion without breaking the lines apart unless I had to.
"That's a good idea why didn't you do anything like that before?" I raised a question
"Cause you couldn't understand me what if we both went for the same target, I could have been killed even if I am small some of your spells would destroy me, Got it!" he shouted pulling out a bone that was about his height, it wasn't heavy though so he could still whiz around.
"Okay give it here ill make it sharp for you" I acknowledged holding out my hand and he put the bone in it, "so do you want it the same length of shall I break it in half?"
"No! Just the tip I don't want to get too close to them smelly gits!" He shouted and I couldn't help agree, remembering the smell from my encounter with Orlando. How he became Lord Orlando smelling like shit was beyond me, it was probably because of the ritual and what they could gain.
After snapping the end of the bone which was sturdier then it looked and removing some of the excess shards, Toskr now had a spear, it was thin enough to carry and just shorter than him now.
"How are you going to carry that and jump around without losing your grip?" I inquired worried he would fall onto the floor and be trampled on.
"I've got an extra limb, remember?" He droned on like I was an idiot, and when he mentioned it I felt like one watching him curl his tail around it and stand up on the desk I was sat at.
"Er, yeah okay but don't you use that for balance?" I asked tilting my head slightly.
"Only on thin objects like branches and twigs, on some idiots shoulder I should be fine if I lose balance or it gets stuck in someone's eye ill just leave it till the looting begins!" He chuckled rubbing his paws together, I forgot he was a kleptomaniac.
After an hour or so Lucky swooped through the window and landed in front of me, standing next to Toskr. I had an image pop into my mind of him riding the bird on a saddle, shame Lucky was too small if it was Merlin he could do it maybe not with the added weight I don't know something to think about in the future.
"Okay Lucky Half a day away raise your left-wing, a full day away from us, the right one" I prescribed as a means of communication and Lucky raised both, I'm guessing he means I'm between.
"Okay so in between? Left yes, right no" I asked again and his right was folded back up.
"Okay good that gives us about 15 hours or so, okay Lucky which direction just face it, " and she turned slightly to the left, my door was facing east so I'm facing west against the back wall so northeast, I'm guessing he's coming through Leinster county, Ireland doesn't really have towns apart from the Viking trading ports so he doesn't really have to avoid anyone.
I'd set off in that direction after a few hours sleep, I wanted to be well-rested for the battle, the sun was beginning to set anyway and I'm guessing they'll rest as well so I probably still have a lot of time to wait.
"Okay Toskr, Lucky get some rest we'll begin at sunrise," I said getting up and going to bed.
After a good nights rest just as the sun was peaking above the horizon I began to get ready I emptied my belt pouch and just kept some regular supplies like some cloth and a few potions to help any injured prisoners, I would sort the jumbled mess on my desk later, I didn't even recognise half of it, Ratatoskr was one sneaky squirrel.
I put my gear on, my hand axe hanging on my left hip, lunars edge in my right hand and my wand in my left, I even had my bottomless horn hanging on my right. My seax was in its sheath on my belt as usual with the pouch hanging below it, I wore my usual clothes, I wasn't expecting to transform fully maybe just my Noblesse form, my clothes shouldn't tear to pieces then, but just in case I told Toskr to keep an eye on my gear if I did I Shrunk down a bundle of clothes and put them in my pouch as well.
After a quick breakfast of vegetables and some deer meat I had stored, I was ready to venture forth. I sent Lucky to scout out ahead and circle their position widely to not draw attention to her. Toskr got into his usual position with the bone wrapped in his tail and we began to walk, the snail house was shrunken and put into my pouch couldn't risk it being raided and losing a lot of my stuff.
Following Lucky at a steady pace while she was a mile or so in front flying in what seemed to be an irregular pattern if you didn't know she was scouting out an enemy, was exciting I felt my body heating up and was raring for bloodshed. Toskr was going over strategy with me and honestly, he was smarter than I ever gave him credit for, he was talking about stealth ambushes and dropping unexpectedly on people and stabbing them in the eyes blind. I mentioned their cries of pain and he chuckled and blended away, I knew he was there cause I could feel him but seeing him disappear without my magic sight activated was another thing, he basically was invisible.
After jogging at a steady pace for four hours I noticed Lucky begin to circle around an area and get wider further away from us, I'm guessing he started at the head of the group and is showing us the line following. So I told Toskr to take for the trees when we got closer and start his ambush. I slowed our approach, why make your way to them when they're coming towards you? the forest supplied to cover and I activated my magic sight and my eyes for the improved perception, the canopy was making it harder to see Lucky but I could see a lot further now so I would spot them before they spotted me anyway.
After half an hour of skulking through the forest, I caught sight of them, every 2 wizards were dragging along someone bound in ropes with wands aimed at them, there were a plethora of species and people; human girls, house-elves, a centaur and as I guessed a unicorn. I could hear the abuse being shouted at the prisoners at the front was a little girl about 10 years old she had deep red hair and green eyes that looked blank, she trudged along with a blank stare. I could see she had a blue magic aura but it was frail and looked broken, it was probably to do with her state of mind.
Having enough of waiting I whispered to Toskr " circle around them and start taking them out from the back, be careful not to get any of the prisoners killed" he didn't reply, just shooting off up the tree I was behind, I'd give him a minute or so to get into position before I start my conquest. I haven't seen Orlando yet I'm guessing he's in the middle of the group.
After waiting for a minute as the line of wizards and captives reached closer I shot out of the cover of the trees and threw my axe at the dark garbed man on the right it tumbled through the air true and hit its mark, his head split open spraying blood all over the girl that just kept walking as if nothing had happened. While that was happening I aimed my wand on his companion's neck and cast a 'kljúfa' silently as I ran forward summoning my axe back to me, his screams wouldn't come as his mouth opened and closed as he gripped his throat.
My axe carried the man into the air before he fell down in a heap when it was in my hand again, spells had begun to fly at the back of the group as screams of pain resounded through the dense woodland, I swung my axe downwards at the approaching wizard who was just behind the man at the front and lopped off his head casting another spell to incapacitate the woman to his left, over a house-elf who popped away as she sprawled on the floor leaking blood.
"If you can pop away like that get the captives away when I've killed these sons of rabid dogs" I shouted hoping the house-elf would help out. Not worrying about the prisoners I continued swinging my axe as I sped through as fast as I could, my awareness of what was happening was like time had slowed down to a halt, I could see the dark wizards looking around slowly as their heads and arms fell in my wake, I was targeting the wand hands and necks with my spells and anything with my axe. Being cleaved open by an axe with a layer of dense wind covering the blade would be hard to survive, so I just continued on my path of mutilation and carnage.
After about 40 people and 20 prisoners, I came upon a group of 10 back to back, covering their blind spots but with my speed, it was easy enough, then I noticed him. Orlando was stood in the middle with shock on his face still wearing boots covered in shit and a dark robe with his horn buckled belt, I wasn't going to let him go this time so I put away my wand and wandlessly cast my most powerful spell as I circled around the group as fast as I could. He wouldn't escape this time I wasn't going to announce the spell so I just shouted it in my mind 'Þórr veðr spjót' using it wandless created a larger blast radius and me orbiting their position made it look like a ring of a violent storm was bringing doom onto them, I even threw in my axe horizontally towards their necks hopefully it would take out a few. This alerted the rest as more spells began to be cast in our direction.
"What's happening who's doing this?", " I can't see anyone", "argh my eyes" were some of the outcries I could here as I started to dodge spells aimed at the white lightning storm that encompassed their "Lord". Before the lighting hit anyone bits of hail and wind blades started to shred them into bits but when it did it created a chain of electric arcs jumping from one to another, smoke started to come out of their eyes and ears as they fell to the floor, when I noticed they had all been affected, I carried on with the slaughter.
Catching my axe out of the air as I summoned it I used the force and spun and released it again with the added momentum in the direction Toskr was doing his thing. Partially transforming my arms and hands into claws I blasted off again, starting to tear off limbs and clawing my way down the opposite side I through my axe, limbs and blood rained over me and the prisoners as I passed them, I drove my hand through a man's chest ripping his heart out and used his body as a battering ram, charging down and clawing at any dark garbed person in my path, my vision had turned red and my blood began to smoulder through my veins.
I was excited to tear them limb from limb, just basking in the blood that flew everywhere, I could taste the iron in the air as the blood began to create a mist I was moving that fast, ripping my hand out of the battering ram, I jumped over a centaur onto a woman that was lucky to have not died to my axe throw. Ripping her throat out with my claws I sprung onto the next one.
Casting the occasional spell that caused a neck to spurt blood, men crying tears of blood began to fall. After who knows how long I came to the end of the line, after stopping and turning around a savage toothy grin crept on to my face.
It was like time had begun again as the blood mist fell to the floor, decorating the bodies of the dead and prisoners still alive, they began to look around wearily at the carnage I had caused, some threw up what little contents their stomachs held, but most just absent-mindedly carried on walking with a blank stare.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Elzik
Elzik sorry for the long wait guys I've had work and writing as well isn't the greatest thing lol
anyway this chapter was longer I had the aftermath but decided to split it for you guys while I keep writing it.
not sure how this worked out let me know what you think.
anyway I've set up a Worldanvil to keep track of everything but it's honestly not very good on a phone so I'm going to get a new laptop payday lol
Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone