Chapter 23: Allies in the Ashes
The chill of Stockholm's twilight clung to Hadrian as he left Eldrun's shop. His new Yggdrasil wand, still resonant with the lingering energy of its creation, rested in the Fafnir-scale holster against his side. As the cool night air swept around him, Hedwig shifted her wings and Oryou coiled more securely around his wrist, her red eyes scanning the cobbled streets.
"Feeling a bit ominous tonight, don't you think?" Hedwig's dry tone echoed in his mind, a faint glimmer of amusement behind her wise, watchful demeanor.
"Very poetic of you," Hadrian replied, lips quirking. "Now, if I wanted to play tour guide, where would I start?"
With a shared, silent agreement, they set out, shadows curling around them as they slipped deeper into the Nordhavn Magisk Kvarter. The magical district was an oddity even at night—lamps flickered in hues of silver and emerald, and window displays showcased relics and talismans enchanted to cast shifting lights, creating an aura of surreal mystery. Conversations in low, tense voices drifted from doorways and alleys.
"—another disappearance… I'm telling you, it's dark magic! The city's not safe anymore—"
"There was a figure, cloaked in black, at the church last night. Not a human, if you ask me."
Hadrian picked up threads of conversation as he passed. It seemed like more than just rumor; beneath the facade, fear pulsed, a palpable undercurrent of dread woven through every hushed word and wary glance. His curiosity piqued, and he gathered up enough clues to point him in one direction: an ancient cemetery near an abandoned church at the edge of the city.
The wrought-iron gates of the cemetery loomed ahead, twisted and rusted, as the moon threw its pale, spectral light across the tombstones within. Hadrian's wand was in his hand, almost instinctively, as he felt the atmosphere darken, a sense of foreboding thick in the air.
As they moved cautiously through the cemetery, a sudden crash rang out nearby, the unmistakable sound of metal meeting bone, followed by an animalistic snarl. Hedwig took off, her silver-and-gold feathers a blur, while Oryou shifted from his wrist to coil protectively along Hadrian's arm, her gaze fixed ahead.
"Well," Hadrian murmured with a smirk, "sounds like someone's having all the fun."
"We could just watch," Oryou's voice hissed in his mind, feigning boredom. "Or… let's see if you can get your spells right this time."
They slipped around a mausoleum and halted at the sight before them. A lone figure, silver-grey hair flying wild, wielded a massive sword that was impossible to ignore. The blade was straight and double-edged, a gleaming silver-gray that glinted with a sense of power and restrained fury. The warrior had a slender yet muscular build, his skin slightly tanned, as though touched by fire. His long hair framed an intense face, and his blood-red eyes narrowed in concentration.
The warrior stood back-to-back with a dwindling crowd of Norse undead—Draugr, their withered forms still wrapped in bits of ancient armor, and Skogga, wretched, twisted little demons that looked like shadows come to life, clawing and snapping as they advanced in a swarm.
Hadrian's eyes gleamed as he observed the chaos. "Let's make an entrance, shall we?"
Without another word, he raised his wand and cast, "Lamina Alba."
An ethereal, piercing white lance shot forth, the silver light cutting through the gloom like a blade of judgment. It struck a Draugr square in its chest, and for a moment, its hollow eyes glowed brighter before it crumbled to ash, leaving nothing but the stench of decay behind.
The silver-haired warrior spun around, visibly surprised but wasting no time in taking advantage of the opening. With a swift movement, he cleaved through two nearby Skogga, his massive blade trailing a line of residual energy that crackled through the night.
Not to be outdone, Hadrian stepped forward, his wand slashing through the air as he cast "Protego Diabolica." A barrier of cursed flame erupted around him, blue and hungry, flickering like a spectral wall that allowed Hedwig and Oryou to slip through but burned any undead or demon that dared to approach. The Skogga shrieked as they tried to breach it, only to burst into shadowy embers upon contact.
"Nice sword," Hadrian called out to the stranger, casually deflecting an incoming attack. "Bit oversized, though, don't you think?"
The warrior shot him an unreadable look before lunging to take down two draugr that had tried to flank him. "And here I thought wands were toys."
Hadrian's grin widened, flicking his wand with a flourish to summon another "Lamina Alba" that cut through three demons in one go. "Toys? Please. That's a serious understatement for something that can turn a room full of nightmares into dust."
One particularly bold Draugr lunged at him from behind. Before Hadrian could react, Oryou, still wrapped around his arm, bared her fangs and released a sharp burst of dark energy at the creature. It froze in its tracks, stunned, just in time for Hadrian to dispatch it with a quick "Confringo," sending it into a splatter of charred remains.
After several minutes of intense combat, the last of the undead fell, leaving behind a scene of ashy ruin and flickering spectral flames. The silence returned, heavy and dense, as Hadrian and the stranger straightened, catching their breath.
Hadrian arched an eyebrow, still grinning. "Well, I don't know about you, but that was exactly what I needed tonight. Hadrian Redgrave," he said, offering a mock salute. "Devil Hunter."
The warrior's eyes flickered with a hint of suspicion, though he nodded. "Sieg Völsung, descendant of Siegfried."
"Ah, a descendant of the famed Dragonslayer. You have a lot to live up to." Hadrian shot him a challenging smirk. "Though, I suppose you did manage to keep up."
Sieg's lips quirked, almost a smile. "I'd say the same about you, 'Devil Hunter.' Especially if you think your fire tricks are anything close to dragon-worthy."
Hadrian chuckled, tossing his wand with a bit of dramatic flair before sliding it back into its holster. "Guess we'll see, won't we? I have it on good authority there's a demonic necromancer skulking around down there." He jerked his head toward the church looming behind them. "Care to join me?"
Sieg looked from Hadrian to the church, his expression hardening. "If it means putting a stop to whatever taint is festering here, then yes."
With mutual respect born of battle, they turned to face the shadowed structure, its rotting wood and stone seeming to pulse with malice. Without another word, they moved forward, slipping through the broken doors and into the darkness within.
The air grew thick, weighed down by the scent of rot and an unnatural chill. Shadows danced on the walls, cast by the dim light filtering in through cracked windows. They could hear faint whispers echoing from the catacombs below—a chorus of hushed, tormented voices beckoning them deeper.
Sieg's sword gleamed faintly, and Hadrian's fingers brushed his wand, ready for whatever lay ahead. The descent into the catacombs was filled with a charged silence, each step taking them closer to the heart of the necromancer's domain.
Together, they descended, shadows swallowing them whole as the final echo of their footsteps faded into the still, waiting dark.
Chapter 24: Eyes of the All-Father
Two ravens perched in the shadows, their sharp, beady eyes glinting in the dim light as they observed the figures below. Huginn and Muninn, watchers of the All-Father, had been tasked with an unusual mission, one they had little fondness for but took on with resigned acceptance.
"Look at them—the two mutts have teamed up," Huginn sneered, ruffling his feathers with disdain as his gaze followed the movements of Hadrian and Sieg.
"Shut up, Huginn," Muninn hissed, casting his companion a sharp glare. "Just do your job. We're on the All-Father's orders, remember?"
"I know, I know," Huginn grumbled, glancing toward Muninn. "But watching over this Cambion is one thing. Finding Siegfried's descendant alongside him? Now that's a boon. They may be more useful than expected."
Muninn let out a low caw, his gaze shifting back to the two warriors below. "Indeed. Just keep your beak shut and observe. Odin doesn't want us meddling—only watching."
With a flick of his wings, Huginn settled into silence, casting one last, disdainful look before returning his attention to the scene below, where the so-called "cambion" and Siegfried's heir were cutting a path through Helheim's minions with ease.
Below, Hadrian and Sieg moved in sync through the dark, winding catacombs, their path littered with the remnants of shattered bones and smoldering ashes from the endless stream of draugr and skeletal undead. Sieg took the lead, Balmung flashing with each precise, powerful swing that sent undead limbs and skulls scattering. His movements were disciplined yet relentless, each strike a testament to his dragon-enhanced strength and skill.
Meanwhile, Hadrian hung back, covering Sieg's rear, his wand flicking with sharp, decisive movements. With every gesture, he cast spells that radiated with deadly precision, dispatching any undead that managed to slip past Sieg's guard.
From her perch, Hedwig observed the battlefield with a mix of amusement and disdain. "Really, these undead are even more brainless than usual," she commented, her voice echoing in Hadrian's mind. "They barely even put up a fight."
"Honestly, it's almost disappointing," Oryou chimed in with a mock sigh, slithering around Hadrian's arm in her smaller form. "I was hoping for at least a challenge, but these bags of bones hardly qualify."
"Think we're on clean-up duty," Hadrian muttered, sidestepping a slow-moving skeleton that reached for him, only to be obliterated with a sharp "Incendio."
Sieg, unamused, swung Balmung down with enough force to cleave a line of draugr in two, his blood-red eyes scanning the shadowed walls. "At this rate, we'll be here all night."
Hedwig fluttered to Hadrian's shoulder, sending sparks from her feathers as she preened one wing. "If someone weren't so meticulous, perhaps it would go faster."
Hadrian chuckled, tossing a bolt of arcane energy at another group of skeletons. "Maybe it's time to try something a bit more… creative." He raised his wand high and muttered, "Atria Petrificus."
A chilling, rippling wave spread from Hadrian's wand, reaching out in a wide arc that enveloped a group of advancing draugr and skeletons. As the magic washed over them, their movements slowed, their limbs seizing up, and, one by one, they turned to stone. A dozen petrified undead stood frozen mid-lunge, their expressions locked in a haunting stillness.
Sieg glanced back, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Not bad," he remarked. "A fitting end for a group so lifeless."
"Glad you approve." Hadrian returned the grin, giving his wand a playful twirl. "You go for the stragglers—I'll take care of the left flank."
With an unspoken understanding, they moved in tandem. Sieg's strikes became a blur, cleaving through the remaining undead with precision, while Hadrian unleashed spells in quick succession.
"Fulmen Ignis," he incanted, sending a bolt of lightning-infused fire through a crowd of draugr. The flames seared their decrepit armor, lightning crackling along their bones as they crumbled to ash.
A trio of draugr lumbered toward Sieg, their skeletal frames illuminated by the eerie blue glow in their hollow eye sockets. Sieg didn't hesitate, stepping forward to meet them with a powerful sweep of his blade, the silver-gray metal flashing in the dim light. The blade connected, shattering the undead in a single, fluid motion.
From his shoulder, Hedwig watched with quiet pride, while Oryou added, "We could finish them faster if someone didn't take so long admiring the scenery."
Ignoring the teasing, Hadrian raised his wand one last time, his voice a low, commanding whisper. "Umbra Vinculum."
Dark chains erupted from the shadows, wrapping around the remaining undead, binding them in place with a vice-like grip. Struggling against the spectral bonds, the draugr could do little more than claw at the air before Sieg swept in to deliver the final blow, reducing them to dust.
Finally, they reached the end of the passage, which opened into a vast, shadow-filled chamber. The ceiling stretched high above them, dark and cavernous, with barely a hint of light filtering through the cracks. Their footsteps echoed as they advanced cautiously, senses on high alert. Sieg gripped his sword tightly, while Hadrian scanned the room, his wand ready for anything.
A low, chilling voice echoed through the chamber, breaking the silence with a sinister calm.
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