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xp_logsThe Awakening of Skaldi and the God of Fear
After a couple hours of sailing North, the island finally came into view. The island of Haja looked like a normal island that no one lived on. The locals would say that it was cursed or that people who go there would never returned. The rocks that surrounded the place would make it difficult for anyone to navigate but if you knew what you were looking for, one could make it to the hidden waterway that lead inward.
The crew had obviously gone over the plan and studied the old maps of the island. They knew what they were looking for. The small size yacht continued on its slow approach and finally as if old magic was keeping the way sealed - parted and the river's mouth came into view from the old fog.
They continued forward. Soon they were surrounding on both sides with vegetation and in the distance one could see old ruins of buildings. At first there were spikes with deceased bodies but as they continued down stream the spikes seemed to increase until they were littered on both sides. A few of the crews men looked unease as they looked at each other. Soon they came to the end of the river way where a large temple laid in the distance barely visible by the overgrown vegetation. The small village that was here was long since abandoned and nature took over again. There was something heavy in the air but one couldn't put their finger on it. Though it was freezing in this part of the world - it was hot.
Tandy stood at the front of the ship dressed for the occasion. It seemed that her fashion sense didn't disappear since Dweller took over, keeping up her appearance for the sake of those at the mansion was easy enough. "I can smell their fears." Her eyes glossed over as she wanted to reach out and let them have a full taste of it - for them to become hers. But unfortunately, they needed the cowards. Finally the yacht stopped and preparations were made for leaving the ship.
Cindy wasn't immune to feeling the same unease that everyone else on the yacht felt. She just hid it behind the scientific curiosity that was consuming her. The journey to the island had been as depicted in the surviving bits and pieces of ancient text. They'd all been warned. She was standing close behind Tandy to get the best look at everything. Her eyes roved from one shore to the other, mentally cataloguing everything. She'd have to make time to write all her observations down at some point. They'd barely had time in the last several days. She'd had too many things to coordinate and throw into motion. She'd already stripped down to the light jacket she'd worn under the heavy winter gear they'd all been equipped with. She glanced at Tandy at her words then exchanged a look with Cullen.
Cullen barely noticed the others in the ship. He'd been reading the book on Asgardian legends and language from Tandy eagerly, thrilled to have this opportunity. For so long, he knew he wasn't at his potential, and this book only confirmed that. When the ship stopped, he looked up angrily from his studies, only to have an eager look cross over. His mercurial moods were starting to be come well known on this ship. When he came out, he saw Cindy and Tandy, and met both their gazes with a predatory smile. "Finally. Haja." His sharp eyes looked around, and he saw the path they were supposed to take. With a pointed finger, he focused on the waterway. "There. That is where we need to go, to get to the prison. You can see the markers." Obviously, he thought to himself.
Turning towards Cullen, Tandy couldn't help but give a smirk. Give a boy a bone and he would be content for hours. It seemed the mortals here all had was either forgotten or lost that was part of their history. Stepping onto solid ground, the fog seemed to move away from her as she looked around at their surroundings.
The path that Cullen pointed out, went deeper into the fog. She touched one of the markers before brushing it off and continued to walk down the pathway until the fog obscured her from view. It continued until they came to a small opening into the base of the mountain. Tandy pushed aside the vines covering the entrance and peered into the darkness. There was old fear here, whatever happened to the habitats of this island - it didn't end well.
On a one-track, Cullen led the way, pointing out all the places he needed them to follow. He didn't care if any of the guides got hurt, or if someone fell off the side of the mountain (though he did mourn the loss of the gear that went tumbling with the man) -- what mattered was getting to the tomb. After a long and arduous walk through the island, finally, he stopped before a cave. "This is it," he mumbled to himself, reaching out to touch the rock face. With his new knowledge of Asgardian, he could see the markings for what they were, see the runes. It only took the slightest bit of skill to follow the instructions and open the cave. Beckoning to Dweller and Cindy, he left the others outside and with a flashlight, walked in confidently. The hard part was finding the tomb but once there? It was a simple and before too long, they entered the chamber.
And there was the first hammer. Beautiful, cold, abandoned. Their lights danced around it, and Cullen walked around the room, lighting torches. "There it is," he said almost in awe. "Skadi's hammer..."
"It still looks like the day it was forged. You do know how they were forged?" Tandy teased and circled the room, no longer keeping an eye on the hammer but the people that were gathered. "It was after all, my suggestion." Her lips curled into a devilish grin. "There are eight hammers total forged by iron, magic, and the blood of the original wielder, as well as the blood of the God of Fear himself. You are right, Cullen, I recognize this one to be Skadi, the goddess of Winters, and Cul's very own daughter. There are eight total hammers from various warriors and gods who followed him to the end." Her eyes lingered on Cindy a little longer. "Only a Worthy can pick up the hammer and be granted with the power contained within." Her attention went to the nearby man. "Go on..try and pick it up." The demon urged.
The man licked his lips before stepping forward and trying to pick up the hammer. Yet it didn't budge. After a minute of struggling, a woman stepped forward and pushed the man out of the way. "She said it was a goddess's hammer." Yet the hammer remained in the same place. Tandy watched as a few more came forward. "It seems none of you are Worthy."
Cindy had dropped back slightly and let Cullen lead them. Fog drifted in front of and between them, shrouding every step they took along the pathway. After the first casualty to Cullen's breakneck pace through the difficult terrain, she'd glared at several of the other cultists who scrambled to ensure that no further lives or equipment was lost to the bracing drops that trailed beside them. She was the one that was bankrolling everything and none of it was cheap, personnel or equipment. The less they lost needlessly the better for her bottom line and for reaching the completion of this journey. She was immensely glad she'd tasked one of the cultists with cataloguing everything they were seeing. The fools that had doubted her intelligence because of her fascination with demons and the associated lore around them would be groveling at her feet for the new research avenues this expedition would open up.
Her gaze lingered on the markers and the markings on them. She'd love to spend additional time deciphering their language, a language which Cullen seemed to have developed a strange and immediate affinity for after Tandy had handed him the moment they stepped onto the boat. She would have to appease his ego later to understand where that uncanny ease had come from. She had to suppress the twinge of awe when it took barely moments for the mountainside to reveal the cave entrance at Cullen's urging then his unerring guidance into the tomb and their quick arrival at the chamber.
Cindy knew the lore by heart and Tandy's recitation only confirmed all the research she'd already done. Her eyes remained glued to the hammer in the middle of the chamber. "Magnificent," she murmured to herself as she paced slowly nearer. It was like something was drawing her, calling to something in her soul. It felt like the air was singing with the promise of power, potential, and all the answers to all the questions she'd ever had. Inside her was a rising sense of possessiveness that grew every time someone touched the hammer and was unable to pick it up.
Until suddenly she was in front of it herself.
A hush descended over those that had followed them into the chamber as they watched Cindy slowly reach out a hand to grasp the leather wrapped handle. The moment her hand wrapped around it a wind whipped around her, raising dust that obscured her from view.
Cullen should have been happy. This entire time, he'd kept Cindy around for her obscure knowledge, but he'd never kidded himself into thinking she was actually useful . Now though, as the dust whipped up, he could tell, almost feel, that something was happening.
It felt like eternity but really, only moments passed before the air cleared and Cindy stood in front of them.
No.
Not Cindy. Skadi. A stream of jealousy erupted from within, and Cullen almost felt like shooting Cindy himself, just to get her paws off the hammer. How dare she be worthy of this? She was a mousy little thing, with no backbone and yet she could carry this? He could feel this pain right into his gut ...or was that the floor moving? Frowning, he looked down and realized yes, it wasn't just him. Everything was moving, even though it looked like Cindy was still standing still.
The floor cracked directly beneath him and yet he felt no fear. His eyes, which previously were downturned suddenly shot up -- instead of his brown eyes, there were piercing blue ones, and an even more sadistic look to his face. Cullen may have had things to hide but not Cul. "Finally," he breathed out, laughing. The cultists were still running for shelter, crying out and Cul soaked in all that delicious fear. "It's been far too long, my dear."
"Well, this is an interesting turn of events." Tandy stood the closest to Skadi but was looking at Cullen who was now Cul. "I had thought that Cindy was Worthy enough to be Skadi's chosen but Cullen? Really?" Tandy was sure that he was a mutant, maybe that helped. She didn't care much for him personally, arrogant and annoying. Two traits that Tandy hated. But if Cul decided he was a good enough avatar then so be it. "Cul, you've seen better days. I would also refrain from destroying these cultists...they are allies after all. You'll be needing them if you wish to find all of the Hammers. Help is hard to find and the world is very different."
Skadi stretched and shook out each of her limbs to settle further into the body she now inhabited. She was clad in her familiar battle gear, the smell of leather a comfort, while a dark green fur lined cloak draped across her shoulders. The cold invigorated her. Yes, she felt alive again and the promise of the future was heavy in the air. She traced her fingers down the forearm that contained the markings of the other Worthies. Their leashed presences thrummed under her skin. "Mmm, yes, indeed. I did not realize you were here, Father. There is much to accomplish."
"That there is, daughter." It had been a while since he had physically seen Skadi, and while the body wouldn't have been his first choice, he was pleased to see his child wear it well. As for his own body...he could feel it re-creating itself, fixing all the tears and cuts and strain that his soul was putting on it. Any other body would have collapsed under the sheer power and weight of Cul's powers but this one? An unexpected healing factor, but one that was greatly appreciated. With a snap of his fingers, the shuddering rocks stopped and there was a sudden stillness in the room. The cultists were still scared which fed him, but at least they had stopped screaming. Although it was always pleasant to hear, too much power and he would tear this body apart, the regenerating notwithstanding. He wasn't going to let them know that though. He'd let them think he was merely allowing them to be in his presence, instead of the reality: each and every cultist was simply a human shield for him -- completely expendable and necessary for his protection until his full powers returned. Turning towards them all, he smiled a malevolent smile. "It is time to reclaim my throne. This realm has been left alone for far too long. Let us go."
After a couple hours of sailing North, the island finally came into view. The island of Haja looked like a normal island that no one lived on. The locals would say that it was cursed or that people who go there would never returned. The rocks that surrounded the place would make it difficult for anyone to navigate but if you knew what you were looking for, one could make it to the hidden waterway that lead inward.
The crew had obviously gone over the plan and studied the old maps of the island. They knew what they were looking for. The small size yacht continued on its slow approach and finally as if old magic was keeping the way sealed - parted and the river's mouth came into view from the old fog.
They continued forward. Soon they were surrounding on both sides with vegetation and in the distance one could see old ruins of buildings. At first there were spikes with deceased bodies but as they continued down stream the spikes seemed to increase until they were littered on both sides. A few of the crews men looked unease as they looked at each other. Soon they came to the end of the river way where a large temple laid in the distance barely visible by the overgrown vegetation. The small village that was here was long since abandoned and nature took over again. There was something heavy in the air but one couldn't put their finger on it. Though it was freezing in this part of the world - it was hot.
Tandy stood at the front of the ship dressed for the occasion. It seemed that her fashion sense didn't disappear since Dweller took over, keeping up her appearance for the sake of those at the mansion was easy enough. "I can smell their fears." Her eyes glossed over as she wanted to reach out and let them have a full taste of it - for them to become hers. But unfortunately, they needed the cowards. Finally the yacht stopped and preparations were made for leaving the ship.
Cindy wasn't immune to feeling the same unease that everyone else on the yacht felt. She just hid it behind the scientific curiosity that was consuming her. The journey to the island had been as depicted in the surviving bits and pieces of ancient text. They'd all been warned. She was standing close behind Tandy to get the best look at everything. Her eyes roved from one shore to the other, mentally cataloguing everything. She'd have to make time to write all her observations down at some point. They'd barely had time in the last several days. She'd had too many things to coordinate and throw into motion. She'd already stripped down to the light jacket she'd worn under the heavy winter gear they'd all been equipped with. She glanced at Tandy at her words then exchanged a look with Cullen.
Cullen barely noticed the others in the ship. He'd been reading the book on Asgardian legends and language from Tandy eagerly, thrilled to have this opportunity. For so long, he knew he wasn't at his potential, and this book only confirmed that. When the ship stopped, he looked up angrily from his studies, only to have an eager look cross over. His mercurial moods were starting to be come well known on this ship. When he came out, he saw Cindy and Tandy, and met both their gazes with a predatory smile. "Finally. Haja." His sharp eyes looked around, and he saw the path they were supposed to take. With a pointed finger, he focused on the waterway. "There. That is where we need to go, to get to the prison. You can see the markers." Obviously, he thought to himself.
Turning towards Cullen, Tandy couldn't help but give a smirk. Give a boy a bone and he would be content for hours. It seemed the mortals here all had was either forgotten or lost that was part of their history. Stepping onto solid ground, the fog seemed to move away from her as she looked around at their surroundings.
The path that Cullen pointed out, went deeper into the fog. She touched one of the markers before brushing it off and continued to walk down the pathway until the fog obscured her from view. It continued until they came to a small opening into the base of the mountain. Tandy pushed aside the vines covering the entrance and peered into the darkness. There was old fear here, whatever happened to the habitats of this island - it didn't end well.
On a one-track, Cullen led the way, pointing out all the places he needed them to follow. He didn't care if any of the guides got hurt, or if someone fell off the side of the mountain (though he did mourn the loss of the gear that went tumbling with the man) -- what mattered was getting to the tomb. After a long and arduous walk through the island, finally, he stopped before a cave. "This is it," he mumbled to himself, reaching out to touch the rock face. With his new knowledge of Asgardian, he could see the markings for what they were, see the runes. It only took the slightest bit of skill to follow the instructions and open the cave. Beckoning to Dweller and Cindy, he left the others outside and with a flashlight, walked in confidently. The hard part was finding the tomb but once there? It was a simple and before too long, they entered the chamber.
And there was the first hammer. Beautiful, cold, abandoned. Their lights danced around it, and Cullen walked around the room, lighting torches. "There it is," he said almost in awe. "Skadi's hammer..."
"It still looks like the day it was forged. You do know how they were forged?" Tandy teased and circled the room, no longer keeping an eye on the hammer but the people that were gathered. "It was after all, my suggestion." Her lips curled into a devilish grin. "There are eight hammers total forged by iron, magic, and the blood of the original wielder, as well as the blood of the God of Fear himself. You are right, Cullen, I recognize this one to be Skadi, the goddess of Winters, and Cul's very own daughter. There are eight total hammers from various warriors and gods who followed him to the end." Her eyes lingered on Cindy a little longer. "Only a Worthy can pick up the hammer and be granted with the power contained within." Her attention went to the nearby man. "Go on..try and pick it up." The demon urged.
The man licked his lips before stepping forward and trying to pick up the hammer. Yet it didn't budge. After a minute of struggling, a woman stepped forward and pushed the man out of the way. "She said it was a goddess's hammer." Yet the hammer remained in the same place. Tandy watched as a few more came forward. "It seems none of you are Worthy."
Cindy had dropped back slightly and let Cullen lead them. Fog drifted in front of and between them, shrouding every step they took along the pathway. After the first casualty to Cullen's breakneck pace through the difficult terrain, she'd glared at several of the other cultists who scrambled to ensure that no further lives or equipment was lost to the bracing drops that trailed beside them. She was the one that was bankrolling everything and none of it was cheap, personnel or equipment. The less they lost needlessly the better for her bottom line and for reaching the completion of this journey. She was immensely glad she'd tasked one of the cultists with cataloguing everything they were seeing. The fools that had doubted her intelligence because of her fascination with demons and the associated lore around them would be groveling at her feet for the new research avenues this expedition would open up.
Her gaze lingered on the markers and the markings on them. She'd love to spend additional time deciphering their language, a language which Cullen seemed to have developed a strange and immediate affinity for after Tandy had handed him the moment they stepped onto the boat. She would have to appease his ego later to understand where that uncanny ease had come from. She had to suppress the twinge of awe when it took barely moments for the mountainside to reveal the cave entrance at Cullen's urging then his unerring guidance into the tomb and their quick arrival at the chamber.
Cindy knew the lore by heart and Tandy's recitation only confirmed all the research she'd already done. Her eyes remained glued to the hammer in the middle of the chamber. "Magnificent," she murmured to herself as she paced slowly nearer. It was like something was drawing her, calling to something in her soul. It felt like the air was singing with the promise of power, potential, and all the answers to all the questions she'd ever had. Inside her was a rising sense of possessiveness that grew every time someone touched the hammer and was unable to pick it up.
Until suddenly she was in front of it herself.
A hush descended over those that had followed them into the chamber as they watched Cindy slowly reach out a hand to grasp the leather wrapped handle. The moment her hand wrapped around it a wind whipped around her, raising dust that obscured her from view.
Cullen should have been happy. This entire time, he'd kept Cindy around for her obscure knowledge, but he'd never kidded himself into thinking she was actually useful . Now though, as the dust whipped up, he could tell, almost feel, that something was happening.
It felt like eternity but really, only moments passed before the air cleared and Cindy stood in front of them.
No.
Not Cindy. Skadi. A stream of jealousy erupted from within, and Cullen almost felt like shooting Cindy himself, just to get her paws off the hammer. How dare she be worthy of this? She was a mousy little thing, with no backbone and yet she could carry this? He could feel this pain right into his gut ...or was that the floor moving? Frowning, he looked down and realized yes, it wasn't just him. Everything was moving, even though it looked like Cindy was still standing still.
The floor cracked directly beneath him and yet he felt no fear. His eyes, which previously were downturned suddenly shot up -- instead of his brown eyes, there were piercing blue ones, and an even more sadistic look to his face. Cullen may have had things to hide but not Cul. "Finally," he breathed out, laughing. The cultists were still running for shelter, crying out and Cul soaked in all that delicious fear. "It's been far too long, my dear."
"Well, this is an interesting turn of events." Tandy stood the closest to Skadi but was looking at Cullen who was now Cul. "I had thought that Cindy was Worthy enough to be Skadi's chosen but Cullen? Really?" Tandy was sure that he was a mutant, maybe that helped. She didn't care much for him personally, arrogant and annoying. Two traits that Tandy hated. But if Cul decided he was a good enough avatar then so be it. "Cul, you've seen better days. I would also refrain from destroying these cultists...they are allies after all. You'll be needing them if you wish to find all of the Hammers. Help is hard to find and the world is very different."
Skadi stretched and shook out each of her limbs to settle further into the body she now inhabited. She was clad in her familiar battle gear, the smell of leather a comfort, while a dark green fur lined cloak draped across her shoulders. The cold invigorated her. Yes, she felt alive again and the promise of the future was heavy in the air. She traced her fingers down the forearm that contained the markings of the other Worthies. Their leashed presences thrummed under her skin. "Mmm, yes, indeed. I did not realize you were here, Father. There is much to accomplish."
"That there is, daughter." It had been a while since he had physically seen Skadi, and while the body wouldn't have been his first choice, he was pleased to see his child wear it well. As for his own body...he could feel it re-creating itself, fixing all the tears and cuts and strain that his soul was putting on it. Any other body would have collapsed under the sheer power and weight of Cul's powers but this one? An unexpected healing factor, but one that was greatly appreciated. With a snap of his fingers, the shuddering rocks stopped and there was a sudden stillness in the room. The cultists were still scared which fed him, but at least they had stopped screaming. Although it was always pleasant to hear, too much power and he would tear this body apart, the regenerating notwithstanding. He wasn't going to let them know that though. He'd let them think he was merely allowing them to be in his presence, instead of the reality: each and every cultist was simply a human shield for him -- completely expendable and necessary for his protection until his full powers returned. Turning towards them all, he smiled a malevolent smile. "It is time to reclaim my throne. This realm has been left alone for far too long. Let us go."
