Hammer of Darkness Ch. 01

Oleg stared from Kor to Logain in surprise. The three Warriors hadn't heard the conversation between Kor and Oleg, and had apparently been told by Grym to prepare to fight in his name. The three warriors had fanned out, not using the bottleneck, and were beating their weapons on their shields and chanting Gryms' name. The first soldier of the enemies army came howling down on the three sons of the Gods. Tyl and Kain fought back to back, covering each other, stabbing and smashing a path through the enemy. Anyone that Kains mace didn't smash to death was cut down by Tyls sword. The sun shining against the bright steel of their weapons and armor was a blinding sight to enemy and watcher alike. If anything, they looked more like children of Mor-Thain, Bringer of Light than children of the Dark Eyed Lord.

Logain was a different story. He actually looked a son of the Dark God. Covered in his darksteel armor, the black cave bear cloak, his black hair and black beard, and the gore-covered darksteel Ryne, the only color on him was his glacier blue eyes and his skin. He had a simple circle shield decorated with the Battle Bear, and it already resembled a giant target, and Logain broke the shafts off the countless spears and arrows in it with the axe head of Ryne many times. He slaughtered dozens of men, smashing and slashing them in turn like his Blood-Brothers until no servant of the New God stood to defy him. When his last enemy fell, a centurion in the enemy army, Logain roared up to the sky, pounding the haft of his weapon on his shield screaming Gryms' name to the sky and the other Gods in Heaven. When a priest of the New God began making the signs of his Jaynus against Logain, Logain walked over to the wounded man and began to take Ryne and pound the hammer side into his body. He began by breaking the legs and arms. Then he crushed the mans ribcage. As the bloody froth of the Priests last breath rattled free from his lips, Logain sliced his head free from his neck with one stroke. Scooping the head of by the hair, he turned and offered the head to Grym, the Dark Eyed God.

Oleg heard a sigh. Turning to look at Kor, he seen sadness in the Gods eyes. "What's wrong Kor?"

The Storm Shepherd sat silently for a moment, thinking. "You know what kind of God I am Oleg. I am a God of Storms, Of Battle, of Honor and Strength. Grym handles the senseless bloodshed and death aspects. My brother has always relished in the blood that is shed in his name, while I have always thought it left a bitter taste. Look at Logain. He is my son. Whether he likes it or not. But you would think he was Grym reborn, the way he gets covered in blood and gore and treats it as a sweet perfume. My nephews at least, seem to know that not all in life is Bloodshed, while Logain hunts for wounded to kill, they give thanks to Grym for letting them fight hard. Come Oleg, now is the time to claim the children of the Gods."

Grym watched his dedicated with a gleam in his Dark Eyes. His two blood sons, they worried him not. They could kill proficiently, had sent dozens if not hundreds to his hall, and that was good. Now Logain was a different story. Dedicated to him, son of his older brother, and a ruthless killer, slaughterer, mangler, destroyer of what the Gods had created in the bodies of men. Grym had named him Logain the Unmaker in his head, for that is what Logain did. He UN-made mens bodies, like the Forge of Andro had made them in the beginning. His sons gave thanks, Logain looked for more Blood to shed, more blood to paint the steps to Gryms' Hall. He loved it. He watched Oleg and Kor come down the side of the hill on foot, and Grym teleported to them, with his mouth open as soon as he appeared.

"So the Grymsborn save the day for the Dragonbane Clan again. I saw no Wolves of Kor on the field at this last part of the battle. Mayhap they walked back to their Warrior Hall, tail between their legs?" Grym gloated at his brother, who bared it with a remarkable patience, "Ah, but it does my heart good to see my warriors kill so well. There will be plenty of slaves to feed my Warriors in my Hall tonight."

Logain and his brothers went to one knee and bowed their heads. This was a moment they had never thought they would see, their God praising them and they still alive. Grym walked forward and placed his fell hands on Tyl and Kain's heads. Patting them gently he spoke.

"My two sons. Not just orphans of the Grymsborn, but sons in truth. For it was I, Grym, the Dark Eyed, the Fell Handed, Flesh-eater and Blood-Drinker, who made your mother pregnant and created you. You are my sons, and I will have you in my hall, at my high table."

Tyl and Kain looked at each other. A Demi-God had not been born in many years, but it was no so uncommon in those times. But to be Gryms son, to have to live in his hall.... They did not want this honor. Before they could speak, Logain looked up. "What of me Lord? I do not want to be separated from mine brothers, and I have sered you well."

Grym leered at Logain. "Aye boy, you have killed well. But your father here, he says he has claim on your blood for his hall, not I." Kor looked at Grym. "I wanted to tell him, not you. You knew this Brother. You overstep your bounds." "I have no bounds, and will talk as I wish. I am no dog to be muzzled, Brother," Grym said, his voice dripping acid.

Logain looked to the other God. He was tall, and muscular. He had red hair and beard, unlike Logains own black. But he had the blue eyes that Logain had, and he said he was father. The only God Logain knew that carried a hammer and was Gryms brother was Kor, The Storm Shepherd, father of the Wolves of Kor, a Warrior sect the Grymsborn fought with many times. This was not possible! His mind cried. He heard sounds and snapped out of his thoughts. Kain and Tyl were telling Grym they would not leave their brother behind. Logain didn't want them to leave either, they were truly all he had. He stood and faced Grym, his God, who he had killed and faced Death for. Gripping Ryne tight he commanded the God.

"Let go of mine brothers Fell-Hand!"

Grym chuckled. "Only a moment ago, you were ready to accompany them. I will take my sons, Logain Korsson, little wolf pup, not a bear cub as thought. This is mine right, and you will not stop me."

Logain cried out as the ground opened up, and the Vargskilli, Gryms darkest servants, dragged his brothers into the Earth to Gryms Hall. He could not wrap his mind around his brothers being gone. Lifting Ryne, with a savage howl, Logain ran at Grym, not heeding Oleg and Kor's cry to not do anything rash. He swung Ryne with all his might at the Dark Eyed God, and then as it struck, knew nothing.

Kor and Oleg watched helpless. Kor knew what would happen. Grym would let Logain strike and the resulting power unleashed from Gryms magic shields would cause an explosion of power. When the weapon struck, it happened exactly like that. Logain lay on the ground, and Kor was sure he was dead. Then they watched, in shock, as Logains chest moved in life.

"Well Kor, I believe your little boy has tricks up his sleeve. Bah!" Grym spat on the ground, and cloaking himself in shadows, disappeared to his own dark realm.

Oleg looked from God to son. By all rights Logain should be dead. HE should have been laying in his own blood, bones broken, not merely passed out and not breathing. Oleg looked to Kor as he sighed.

"Well Oleg this isn't good." "What isn't good? What is going on here? HE should be dead! Or at least dying! Surely not breathing."

Kor walked over to his son and looked down at him. "It is because he is not mortal. I feared for this. Logain is not a Demi-God. He had no mortal parent. Logain is a full god, and him attacking Grym has unleashed all the powers and immortality inside him that the Smith God locked away."

Oleg hit his knees. This was so shocking, so different from anything he knew. He felt a great pain in his left arm , and then the pain spread to his chest. HE choked out a cry and Kor ran to him. Looking into Oleg's eyes, Kor felt the heart attack. "Ahh mine Brother. You join my Hall soon. Peace Brother, there is a place for you there."

With that, Oleg, one of the last great Warrior-Priests, passed into the next world and ascended to Kor's Hall high in the Thunder Clouds. Kor looked at the body of the great mortal he had named friend and brother. This was why Kor hated the love he had for the mortals of this world. They would die and he would not, they would die and be stuck in a Gods Hall until the end of the world. He sighed heavily, making a storm cloud carry Oleg's body away to peace. He then turned to deal with his newest problem.

A son. Kors last son had been born three hundred years ago, and had turned out to be a weakling unworthy of anything, an Oath-Breaker and Murderer. When he had died, Kor had personally escorted him to the Hall of Arathrak, the Torturess. The boy had deserved it, but he swore vengeance on Kor when they fought at the end of time. Hopefully this son wouldn't turn out like that. Then again, this son was pure God, even though he didn't know it. What would he be a God of, Kor wondered. There was no telling, and no way to know unless Kor asked Wotan his father, the All-Knowing and All-Seeing. Kor started to study the boy. He was tall, fair of face, with a coal black beard and hair, filled with braids and free-flowing hairs in both. Kor could see tattoos on his body as well. The weapon the boy had created, his Ryne, lay in small fragments from striking the Dark Eyed Gods mail. It was fine. Kor had just a weapon for this boy, if he would take it. Leaning down, he started patting Logains cheek.

"Come on boy. Wake up. You can do it."

Logain's eyes never opened. He grabbed Kor, his fathers arm, and threw him over. Rolling with him, he planted his knee in Kor's chest and raised the shattered handle of Ryne.

"WHY!?!?!?!?! WHY DID YOU LET HIM TAKE MINE BROTHERS?!?!?!?!?!"

Kor looked up at his monstrous son calmly. HE reached up and broke Logains grip on his mail and threw his son to the ground. Sitting up he looked at the boy.

"Look here. First things first. I am Kor. I am your father. You are Logain. You are my son. Now. Be quiet so I can explain things to you, where you stand in the world, how you came to be. Agreed?"

Logain desperately wanted to here these things. Even if he did not believe either God about his this whole thing, it still felt good to the orphans heart to be called son by someone. He settled down at looked at the God. He removed his bear fur and placed is down on the gravelly ground as a seat, and sat himself upon it.

"Well, are you going to tell me or what?"

"You're an arrogant bastard aren't you?"

Kor looked at his son and smiled. He may be arrogant, angry, and a crazed warrior, but Kor already liked the boy. Reminded him of himself when he was younger, before he had been raised to a God by his father.

"Well, here is the basic story, for I know the Grymsborn are not taught religion other than that of Grym. Eons ago, when Wotan, your Grandfather, walked across the stars..."