Journey of an Einherji - The Sword of Summer

Running Up a Hill

The vala had said I was going to get impaled on my first day in the battlefield. I didn't want to go through that again. My friends herded me and Magnus towards the combat arena despite our complaints.

The battlefield was huge, to the point I couldn't process it. At least seven square kilometers with different places to die. In the centre of the field there were a few craggy hills, forests across the landscape. The outer rim was mostly rolling pastures, with a wide river snaking through. Several villages dotted the riverbank possibly for those who preffered their warfare urban.

On all four sides of the battlefield, rose the walls of the hotel. Cliffs of white marble and railed balconies of gold, some hung with banners, some decorated with shields, some had catapults. The upper floors seemed to dissolve in the hazy glow of the sky, blank white like fluorescent light.

From hundreds of doors in the walls around the field, battalions of warriors were streaming in, their weapons and armour glinting in the harsh light. Some einherjar wore full plate mail like medieval knights, others wore chain-mail shirts, breeches and combat boots. A few sported camo fatigues and AK-47s. One einherji wore nothing but a swimsuit, he had painted himself blue and was armed only with a baseball bat. Across his chest were the words COME AT ME, BRO.

"I feel undressed." - Magnus said.

"Armour does not make victory." - X said cracking his knuckles - "Neither do weapons."

"Easy for you to say." I muttered looking at the half-troll.

Halfborn Gunderson was taking the minimalist approach. He had stripped down to nothing but his leggings, though he did sport a pair of vicious double bladed axes. Standing next to anyone else, Halfborn would've looked massive, next to X, he looked like an overgrown baby with axes.

 T.J. fastened his bayonet to his rifle.

"Magnus, if you want more than basic equipment, you'll have to capture it or trade for it. The hotel armouries take red gold or they work on a barter system."

"Is that how you got your rifle?" - Magnus asked

"Nah, this is the weapon I died with. I hardly ever fire it. Bullets don't have much effect on einherjar. Those guys out there with the assault rifles? That's all flash and noise. They're the least dangerous people on the field. But this bayonet? It's bone steel, a gift from my father. Bone steel works just fine."

"Bone steel."

"Yeah. You'll learn."

I looked at the bow in my right hand and the arrow on my left. I hoped the arrowheads were made of this <<bone steel>> T.J. mentioned or I wasn't going to be much help. Not that I was going to be helpful anyway.

I looked to my right and saw Clara. She was twirling her walking stick in her hand nonchalantly. It was in that moment I realized that her walking stick was too short to reach the floor.

"What's that walking stick for?" - I asked.

"This beauty? It was a gift from my father. Before I came to Valhalla, that is." - she grabbed the handle with the silver crow - "You'll see soon enough what I can do with it."

"You're going to show off?"

"Yup." - she made a popping sound with the p - "Just like you will."

"Me?"

"Oh, come on. Don't tell me you aren't keeping things to show off." - she pointed at the ring on my finger - "Not going to share what does it do?"

"This? It's just a useless ring from my father. My biological father I mean."