Unworthy

A Light Against The Dark

The wooden door was flung open as Magni burst into the base of the lighthouse. All was dark, as was the outside world. Darkness enveloped all. Inside the tower, Magni could only hear the beat of the rain on the walls outside. He closed the creaking door, to lock out the tenacious wind. Beside his leg, Magni found a pile of torches. Grabbing on he then lit in with a flint and steel, even though he would be unable to use his greataxe properly with only one hand free. An orb of amber light shined around him, as the warm of the fire seeped into his frozen skin. Holding the torch aloft, Magni illuminated the tower. Above him a spiral staircase led into the darkness above. Then he looked down and almost jumped with fright.

At his feet lay a pile of corpses. Their pale faces were frozen in portraits of pure terror. Some were also mutilated like they had been thrown from a great height. Whatever had happened to them, one thing was certain, they had been literally scared to death.

Probing the nearest corpse with his axe, Magni was sure that they were not going to reanimate anytime soon. So he began the arduous climb up the spiralling stairs. Each step creaked, like it was warning him to turn back. But his iron will drove him onward. Magni had to restore the lighthouse. Countless lives had already been lost. But countless more could be saved.

Magni stopped. He was only halfway up the lighthouse when his blood ran ice cold. Faintly at first, but then it grew louder, he heard eerie sobbing. A woman sobbing. His knuckles turned white as he gripped his greataxe even tighter. It's weight was nothing to his powerful muscles, that were now fuelled by burning adrenaline. Cautiously he continued to climb the stairs. The mournful sobbing grew louder with every step. Slowly the stairs began to level off. Magni felt the freezing wind on his face as he neared the top. His torch began to flicker. An open door stood in front of him. Through it he knew was the bonfire that he had to ignite. But the sobbing echoed from within. Raising his trusty weapon, Magni passed through the threshold.

Every single nerve in his body begged him to turn back at the sight he saw.

Floating above the bonfire was an ethereal woman. She radiated a ghostly white glow that lit up the night around her. Dangling around her frail form was a torn white dress. Her elongated hands were cupped around her face as silvery hair hovered around her like she was under water. The ghostly woman sobbed bright crimson into her pale hands.

Moving as slowly as he could, so not to clang in his armour, Magni raised the torch towards the bonfire. His nerves did not fail as he reached towards the stack of wood. Stretching his arm to the limit as he tried to stay as far away from the ghostly apparition as possible.

Suddenly the woman threw her arms back, turned to face him, and shrieked a deafening otherworldly scream louder than the wind that tore through the pinnacle of the lighthouse. So strong it was that it pushed Magni back out of the room. Her screams were a wall of noise that assaulted his ears and his mind. Forcing him into a state of panic. His arms became numb and sweaty lumps as did his legs which stumbled out of the room. Magni did not even feel the stairs. All he felt was weightlessness as he fell backwards down the steps. At the first turn he bounced off of the wall and through the wooden barrier. Luckily his natural reflexes saved him at the cost of his axe, which he dropped only to grab onto the side of the stairs.

In a few short breaths, Magni composed himself as he swung his torch holding arm onto the steps. He kept the torch as it was his easiest way to light the fire. Before he could haul himself to safety he felt a cold presence behind him. Craning his head over his shoulder he saw the Banshee drifting towards him. Her face was angular and cruel, clearly not human. Pools of crimson flooded around her white eyes and dripped down her floating form. Crying out in rage she slashed a gnarled claw at Magni, who clung to the stairs with his legs dangling over darkness. Her aura of fear had the reverse effect on Magni. Instead of making him drop to his death it powered him to pull himself onto the stairs and to relative safety. Floating above the void, the Banshee wailed at him once again. Standing on the stairs, Magni grabbed the still burning torch and drew his longsword. Carefully he stepped close to the edge and swung with both steel and fire. As the Banshee drifted away from the roaring torch she left herself exposed as the sword slashed through her ethereal form. It's steel edge cutting away a chunk of ectoplasm. With the Banshee momentarily stunned by the attack, Magni took his chance and sprinted for the bonfire.

Screeching, the Banshee charged after him. It swiped with it's claw only to miss Magni as he reached the top of the lighthouse once again. He turned to find the Banshee right on his heels as it passed upwards through the solid wood floor. Waving the torch out before him, Magni tricked the Banshee again as he jabbed with his sword. The sharp blade severing another slice of ectoplasm. But these material attacks barely harmed the ghost as it unleashed a barrage of screams along with it's twisted claws. Which caught Magni off guard. With supernatural strength the blow smacked him in the chest with enough force to send him flying over the bonfire and out onto the platform at the otherside of the lighthouse.

Landing outside, in the biting wind and pouring rain, Magni crumpled into a heap. The Banshee's claws must have passed through his armour as he felt a necrotic wound spread across his chest. Poison seeped into his veins; sapping him off his strength. He lay on the cold stone as rain washed over him. Limply he looked to his left to see the torch laying inside, beside the bonfire. So close he came to purging the evil. Magni then looked to his right only to find his heart sink even lower. His sword was missing. It must have been thrown over the edge when the Banshee struck him. No need for it anyway. Steel was no match for a spirit.

At first he thought he had gone delirious, but Magni heard bells. He looked out over the ragin ocean and saw orange lights shining in the dark abyss of Ginnungagap. A ship was approaching. Just another meal for the crows. More souls for Hel. The cycle continues.

NO MORE the words boomed in his head. His thoughts dwarfed the screaming wind and roar of the sea. "No more." he growled as he pushed himself upright. Even though his legs ached with numbness, neck stung and his chest burned Magni stood to face the banshee. The entity loomed, protectively, over the bonfire as it watched Magni stand against the dark storm. Magni readied himself, despite not having any weapons, for the fight of his life.

Just as he was about to charge, he heard something. A loud caw echoed on the wind. Gazing into the starless night sky, Magni saw something shift in the darkness. Illuminated by silvery moonlight, a majestic raven beat it's wings against rain. It held something large in it's talons. Once it was over head it dropped the object. Magni caught it with ease. In his hand he held a large, elegant sword. It's blade was like a mirror and inscribed with mystical runes and the handle was ornate and masterfully carved. This was a weapon of the gods. The Sword of Odin.

On the sea the ship sailed oblivious towards the jagged rocks towards. The fire had to be lit. Magni held the Sword of Odin in both hands as he roared a primal battlecry. Boots pounding the stones slabs he charged across the lighthouse and brought the magical blade to bear against the Banshee. Odin's enchanted blade made contact with the vengeful spirit. The first strike opened a gnash across the Banshee's chest. With the second and third opening up more deep wounds up and down it's ghostly torso. Wailing in agony the Banshee backed away, as Magni pulled Odin's Sword back to his guard. He held it ready, twisting it to match the Banshee's movements. Which were a sudden blur as it charged. Magni raised the sword just in time to block the ghost's claws against the flat of the blade. Which he pulled back to prepare for another strike. Magni thrust out the sword and drove it into the ghostly monster that wailed before him. It's screams drowning out all other sounds and threatening to drive Magni mad. In it's frenzy the Banshee lashed out with it's claws. At the last second, Magni ducked as the claw passed overhead. As he rose, Magni brought the sword up with him and cleaved the Banshee in two with magical metal. Both parts of the Banshee exploded into wisps of ectoplasm as an almighty wail rang out across the night's sky.

With the Banshee defeated, Magni grabbed the dwindling torch and tossed it onto the pile of tinder. After a few nerve rattling seconds, the fire spread across the wood. Ignited, the Bonfire blazed warmth back into the lighthouse and light spread across the sky. A warning to all ships to turn back. Magni looked over the railing to find the ship on the waves turning back on itself and away from the cursed shore. Warmth flooded his body as the fire raged behind him. Raising the Sword of Odin high into the sky, Magnis Skrognison finally proved himself worthy.