Chapter 108: Making Your Mark [3]
(A/N: just wanted to say, the reason a lot of time passes with Zack doing nothing between Eras is because Zack has no perception of time. Unless he has humans around and watches them as they age, Zack would have no idea that much time passed. If he stayed in a cave, centuries can go without him realising.)
"Well, this is boring," I commented as I kept making runes in the air with my wind element.
They would always light up and make fireworks. I would say I was probably the first person in history to use fireworks in this time, but you can never tell in the Nasuverse.
"Why don't you go visit Svend? It HAS been a while since you've seen him," Yggdrasil said.
"I know, but I figured he's okay since you can probably see him and didn't warn me about anything," I shrug while crossing my arms. "Though, that IS a good idea. When was the last time I saw him?"
"Around ten years."
"Oh, ten ye- TEN YEARS?!" I asked to make sure I heard her right.
"We really have to teach you how to keep up with time," Yggdrasil commented, making me feel even worse. "Anyway, you should go and pay him a visit. I'm sure you'll be in for a surprise."
Despite her wanting to sound teasing, she just sounded... tired. She's been sounding more and more tired lately, and every time I asked her she would brush me off.
"Well, alright. I guess I should visit the kid," I said as I started flying. "Where is he?"
"Head southwest and you'll see where he is. You can't miss it."
"Alright, thanks, Drasil," with that I started flying. I was definitely gonna ask her about what's going on with her, but Svend is my priority right now.
I kept on flying in the direction that Yggdrasil pointed me at. It wasn't long before I found something, but it was definitely not a village.
What I found was nothing short of a large city. Hundreds of wooden houses all lined together. Many people wearing leather or fur clothes were walking around. A lot of the buildings also looked like they were blacksmith workshops or armouries, giving the city a feeling that it was still filled with warriors.
However, what surprised me the most was the fact many of buildings had a mark on them.
The mark on my chest. The mark of Archtype Earth. "What in God's name is going on?" I asked myself as I watched from the air.
I turned just my head to my wood element and sensed around. Finding Svend's energy was easy considering I've had a lot of time to memories how his energy feels like.
It was coming from the building in the middle of the alrge city, which was the largest. It wasn't a castle, exactly. It looked like a town hall more than anything else.
I landed in front of the building and was honestly expecting the guards near the door and the people around to react like I'm a monster. They did jump in surprise and shock. But, as soon as I turned to my wood element, they seemed to relax and begin whispering amongst themselves. They all seem to say the word 'Skogvættir' one way or another.
"I'm looking for Svend. Is he here?" I asked.
The guards near the door, both wearing leather chest armour and metal helmets with horns, frantically nodded. "Y-Yes, Skogvættir! We'll get him right away!" They both ran inside after that.
The people around started gathering and a crowd was formed behind me. They were all whispering stuff and pointing at me like I'm some kind of... unicorn or something.
Come to think of it, unicorns should be normal in the age of gods.
"Meistari! You came!"
I looked at the source of the sound, and sure enough, Svend came out walking through the door, looking older and a bit different.
Svend's hair was taller and was tied in three braids on the back. He had a sideburns beard and a big mustache now. He was also large enough to rival two men in size. He was wearing a fur vest and som plain pants with Astrid strapped on his back.
He also had another new thing about him.
"Okay, I definitely never raised you to thinking tattoos are cool, kid," I groaned while looking at the tattoo on his chest, which was the mark of Archtype Earth.
"This is the Skogvættir of the great tree?" Someone asked and behind Svend came in a group of old men, all of which looked battle ready despite their age. They were all wearing fur and leather armours but each one had a different color.
"Kid, what the hell is going on? Not even a decade and you do all... this," I asked motioning to the city and people behind me.
"Meistari, you still call me that? I'm a king now and I have a wife."
He has a what?!
"Okay, explain, now," I said crossing my arms.
Svend chuckled and pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "Why don't you come in. We were having a meeting, so you showing up is a good coincidence."
A while after that, we were in a large hall with a big table that was shaped like a kite shield. Svend sat on the very top with the old men sitting on the sides and me sitting on the bottom, facing Svend.
"Talk," I ordered.
Svend chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "You see, Meistari, the village needed my help because they were ready to go to war. But I was hoping to avoid that, so I asked them to let me handle the situation."
"I can take it from here," the old man with blue fur coat said. "I was the leader of the village that they were going to war with. I was headed with my soldiers ready for battle, but only Svend showed up, and instead of fighting or making a declaration, he offered me a handshake."
Sleazy brat.
"He asked me that why fight in the first place, and I told him that, if he bests my greatest warriors, I would consider the option of peace. He did so in less than a minute," the old man finished explaining.
"After that, the Shield King came to us other villages, offering unity and peace," the only old guy wearing a leather armour took over the explanation. He was bald and looked the oldest. "Obviously, many of us took it as a mockery, but he still kept asking for peace despite defeating all of our best warriors yet refusing to kill any. We agreed and now we govern our combined villages as a council while agreeing that Svend is our leader."
The 'shield King'? That actually sounds pretty cool.
"Many times did Svend tell us that he was raised by a Skogvættir that lives in the great tree," another of the elders spoke, this one wearing a bear pelt over his shoulder. "But we've never thought we'll meet them ourselves."
"Ten years. I left you for ten years, kid. And you go ahead and do all this when you just was supposed to help a group of scouts," I shook my head. Svend just shrugged with a smile. "I see no loss in this situation, do you?"
"You're still getting an earful, kid." Svend's smile vanished as soon as I mentioned the scolding he's gonna get.
(X)
Later that day, I was flying back to Yggdrasil after Svend insisted that he throws a party for my visit. I even got to meet his wife.
Sweet woman if a little battle hungry.
"Drasil, I'm back," I said as I landed in front of the
World Tree, but I received no reply and I noticed that her light was also getting weaker. "Drasil?"
"H-Huh?" Yggdrasil's light returned to normal. "Oh. Sorry Zack. I... didn't see you there?"
What?
She... didn't see me? She can literally see the entirety of the Nine Realms, how can she not see me when I'm standing right in front of her?
"Okay, what's going on?" I asked.
"I told you, I'm fi-"
"No, Drasil. You're not. You've been acting strange lately and it got a lot worse. Tell me what's going on," I said, putting my foot down.
Yggdrasil went quiet for a few seconds before finally speaking again. "Zack... Ragnarök is happening."
"... What?" If I had any blood, it would have completely gone dry.
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