Episode IV: "To Run"

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She was taken...Freya, I mean. Esther's 'sister' came for her cause she sensed her power, which I sensed aswell. Mikael was out of the village when she was taken...so this is about the time he learns Freya, his first-born child died from the plague. This is gonna SUCK when he recovers from this 'loss'.

Currently, I am chopping some firewood with my Handaxe. Mikael gave it to me when I finally landed a proper hit on him...I didn't win, but he was proud his three year old son landed a solid hit. The axe isn't anything special, but cause Mikael gave it to me for making him proud as a Father, I've gotten attached to it.

It is crude, with a simple iron head and solid oak shaft. Recently, though, I carved my name into it. Eluf Mikaelson, written in Elder Futhark Runes, like this [Eᛚᚢᚠ ᛗᛁᚲᚨᛖᛚᛋᛟᚾ]...I make sure to sharpen and maintain it when I can, so its in good condition.

So, the wood...It took me about three hours, but I chopped down this oak tree. By the rings, I determined it was fifty-four years old. So, yeah...most of my day has been spent robotically chopping up this tree for fire wood. There is about an hours worth of chopping left, but I am exhauste-...

-Wolves howling in the distance-

Shit! That does not bode well...

"...no...no no...Mother is with child...Father is away, along with most other men...they are unguarded!"

Gotta run fast! The Sun is setting, so there isn't much time!

Must!...Focus!...All conscience thought!...On my underdeveloped brain!...Ahhh!!!

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"Ahhh!...Must protect the village!" Turning around, axe in right hand, I launch off my left foot and move into a full sprint for my village.

"Hah...Hah...Hah..." Fighting through the fatigue, I keep sprinting. I jump over fences that surround the farms of our village and finally, I see our families cottage in the distance.

-Wolves howl in the distance-

They are closer, much closer. From their barks and the echos of their movements, there are atleast four. Four wolves at the very least...and they are coming to our village!

Finn, while slightly older, isn't equiped to defend himself or others, not yet. He is Mother's favorite, making her extra protective over him and by default, sheltering him from our Father's teachings until he is older.

The Mikaelson cottage is about fourty feet away, but the wolves are nearby. Turning my head left, I can see them at a treeline over two-hundred feet away. I can see five adult wolves...so far...

"Hah...Hah...Hah...huh, they are studying the village?" Watching them, they just stand there at the treeline...waiting?!

"...What are you waiting for?..." Looking around, I can't see anything to wait on.

-Roar in the distance-

What?!

"...Is that...a bear?" Looking in the direction opposite the wolves, I can see it...lumbering from another treeline. While over five-hundred feet away, I can still make out some minor details.

From what I can see, this is definitly a bear...a REALLY big bear. The thing that shocks me though isn't it's size, oh no...what shocks me are it's scars. There are scars everywhere! The right side of it's faces looks clawed to shit, I wouldn't be suprised if it is blind in that eye. The left shoulder has scars from several bite wounds, probably made by other bears. The thing's hide is greyed, more than likely from age, and there are clumps of fur missing all over it's body...

"...Is that it? A challenge? Pact versus King?" Well, damn...but, does this have to take place at the village?! I can't stop this...but I can try...something?

I've...thought up ways to use Runic Magics, but I haven't tried any of it. If I am right and this works, I am...gonna go insane. This would be too simple to work, easy even...too easy, but I will try.

[Tᚨᛗᛖ]

Using my axe, I carefully carve these Runes into my left palm while focusing on what they are supposed to do. As soon as I finish carving the final Rune into my skin, I connect the entire Runeword to a 'book' in my 'Spiritual Library'. This 'book' is labled with the Runeword's translation, which is 'Tame'.

The very moment I fully connect the Runeword to this 'book', my left hand feels like it froze solid!

"Ahh!" Droping my handaxe, I tightly grasp my left wrist while opening and closing my hand.

"Why..." What went wrong?...the Runeword seems to have taken hold, but my body isn't a proper catalyst for this type of magic...atleast for now.

"...Shit...the Runeword...required a sacrifice..." My left arm has lost all feeling. Almost seems like its not even there, but I can still move it around...

Looking closely, it almost seems like...roots are growing from the Runeword!? Like...green vines are slowly branching out through my veins? At this point, it has grown down to my elbow...and the word itself, its just there...carved into my palm, it even stopped bleeding? If I could still feel my left arm, I would have collapsed onto th-...

-Really loud roar, really close to me-

SHIT!!!

FOCUS! AHHH!!!

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"AHHhh, Shit! My Axe!" Quickly kneeling down and grabbing it with my right hand, I look to the bear.

I fucked up. Not even ten feet from me is the bear. Even on all fours it is atleast a foot taller than me!

"Hah!" Leaping out of the way of it's charge, I side roll on the ground and stop in a squating position.

Looking to where it is still charging, I can see eight wolves coming straight for it.

"Oh for Odin's sake!" Still squating, I raise my left palm towards the bear.

'Focus'

"Ohhh, please work!...(Tᚨᛗᛖ)...HAAA!!!" A green pulse goes straight for the bear, rippling the air around it as it moves. Briefly, I notice an abnormal amount of blood flowing down my face, but I choose to ignore it for the moment.

The moment my focus goes back to the bear, I fear for my life. What that green pulse is suppose to do is connect the Spirit and Will of the targeted creature to my own...Binding one creature, even an ant, is suppose to fucking HURT! I never intended for the Runeword to create an AOE...

"NO NO NO NOOO!!!" It hit the bear and eight wolves...shit...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!" TOO MUCH PAIN!

-The unnerving yelps of both wolf and bear echo throughout the villiage-

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