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.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone