Part 01: Tainted Hero
Chapter 2: Pride in Knowledge
She climbed up a thin but well-worn path that twisted around the mountain. After hiking for an hour, she turned at the first marked tree she came across. She followed the markers to a thick veil of vines. The cover hid a clearing that butted against an overhang in the mountainside. It was empty except for an altar she had spent weeks building.
Brina laid her pack next to a tree. A gentle winter breeze rustled the leaves on the ground. The rising sun was quickly warming the air around her, forcing her to remove her outer coat, but she kept her sleeves pulled down over her arms.
Still, have to collect a sacrifice. Brina adjusted the longbow in her hands and picked up several arrows. Never was much of a tracker, but my aim is true. Brina hoped there was still at least one animal still around. Where could they have gone? She stalked the trees, careful not to break twigs and disturb the dead leaves.
She kept the sun to her right as she trekked through the forest. Movement caught her eye. Brina drew her arrow and held steady. Sunlight glinted off the red and white coat of a ram bobbing its curved horns as it rooted for mushrooms. She took a deep breath, aimed, and breathed out before releasing her arrow. It found its mark, and the ram dropped with nary a bleat.
It was a clean shot through the ribs, but the ram was still struggling to breathe. She said a quick prayer before using her dagger across the ram's throat. Brain pulled at the shaft of the arrow. The head came loose inside, but the shaft was undamaged. She tucked it and her extra bolts into her belt.
A twig snapped. Leaves rustled. Something massive moved in the bushes a few paces away. Nightganger? Brina created a fireball in her hand, the heat radiated up her arm. A giant wolf bumbled out of the brush, sniffing about for berries. Brina scoffed, relieved, and blew out her fireball. Grønvik. The hold beast gruffed and ignored her.
Brina held her hands level with her waist, palms up, willing the ram into the air. She raised her hands, and the animal floated above the ground. Carefully, she guided it back toward the clearing and placed it on top of the altar. Grønvik followed, curious. He sat at the edge of the clearing, watching closing.
She skinned the ram, struggling with the weight when she turned the ram to its opposite side, but the skin came off in one piece. She scraped the inside of the hide before carefully rolling it up and setting it aside. Brina then removed the organs, draining the extra blood into a large bowl, then setting the organs aside. Last, she removed the horns.
She then began staking wood around the ram, building a pyre. She laid out the organs on top of the heap and spread small twigs and kindling on top of them.
Brina wiped her hands on her blood-stained hunting cloth before grabbing small bowls from her pack and the herbs she had bought earlier that day. She separated them. One container held the energizing plants, one the spirit resistance, and the third the lyrium fortification. Brina crushed the plants, squeezing water from the air until all three bowls held thick pastes. She then took some of the ram's blood and mixed it in.
She took two chunks of drakestone from her pack and set them on the ground nearby. Then she bared herself. The cold air raised goose-flesh across her body. She braided her hair back and began to spread each paste onto her body in various symbols honoring the gods and spirits.
"The Lady keeps the skies, where blows the mourning-wind." She traced chevrons on her arms and legs and forehead in an olive green paste, leaving a tingling sensation behind. The wind began to pick up, blowing harder and faster. "Korth grants mountain shelter, protection from the screaming elements." The sky began to darken as clouds covered the setting sun. Brina used more of the green and some of the indigo paste to trace triangles across her chest and stomach. The indigo paste felt colder than the wind that was howling through the trees. She shivered. Grønvik hid behind a bush. Brina raised her voice over the sound of the wind. "Hakkon blooded hide and bone, trading death for life, and life for death." Using the indigo paste, she made stripes across her face, arms, legs, and back. Brina gasped when the cold air blasted around her. "Sigfrost wisdom giver, all-seeing and all-knowing." She reached both hands in the last paste. It glowed orange like hot coals and was nearly as scorching to the touch. Brina smeared the batter around the edges of her face and into her hair, running it down her neck. She rubbed it into her joints and made lines and dashes that connected all the other shapes, joining them at the center of her chest. She stopped shivering as the heat warmed her against the cold wind.
She picked up the drakestone and struck them together, creating a spark. Brina had to knock them several times to get the spark to land just right in the kindling. Finally, the fire took, and quickly spread across the wood and twigs. She embraced the heat as the cold wind continued to rage around her. Brina tossed dried Nugsear into the flames. The fire crackled and sparked as the inside of the light turned blue and purple. Purple smoke blew in circles with the wind. Brina had to shout through the wind funnel that surrounded her and the altar. "Take this gift from Brina Ulriksdotten! I seek strength for the coming trial! Spirit! Knowledge! It is time!"
She circled her arms around, breathing in the smoke. The wind and smoke began to shrink and condense until an apparition appeared between Brina and the altar; a genderless body made of orange smoke that glowed like embers. Its beating heart lit up the body with every beat creating shapes like tree roots inside. The last light of the sun stretched through the trees, shining through Knowledge's body. Grønvik moved back into the clearing, hesitantly, but didn't leave.
"Brina. I am not ready to go back. I have felt enjoyment in this place. Much more than I anticipated I would." Knowledge's voice was medium-toned and calming.
"I'm sorry, Knowledge. But you must. It is the way. If you stay, I'll be forced to leave. Exile."
"Then we could see the world together."
"Knowledge, your goal was to teach me and guide me. Your task is complete."
"I know, but I had a new goal: to see the world."
"I can't. I cannot stay connected with you."
"You don't want me to leave."
". . . No. But you must. It is the way."
"I will not leave. There is still much to learn. Out there."
"No. It would be dangerous to keep you here. The longer you stay . . . the more difficult this becomes."
Knowledge's voice hardened. "I could help you become more. I know you'd like that. The power."
"No, you're wrong."
"Am I? I know you much more intimately than you even know yourself. I know every part of your heart, your mind. I know every dark secret. I know the greed and jealousy you hold in your heart. All the pain. You blame yourself for your mother's death." The spirit lost its beautiful orange color, turning black. Its beating heart quickened and glowed a dark purple. Grønvik grew agitated. He began pacing, uncertain of whether to run away or protect Brina.
Brina couldn't back down. "Stop it. You don't need to do this. The deal was to help me, and then you'd return. The Augur and other spirits said I was ready. Now you must be ready."
Knowledge ignored her. "Your father blames you too. After all, she'd still be alive if you had listened. That spell was just too powerful for you."
"Stop it." Brina covered her ears.
"Your mother only tried to protect you, and how did you thank her? She had to go into the fire to save you. You were even able to keep your arm – and it still works properly. What did your mother get?"
"Shut it."
"I could give you power." Knowledge began to change. It grew taller until it was almost as tall as the trees. Its form grew scaled skin and a muzzle full of razor-sharp teeth. Black horns and claws as large as Brina's forearms sprouted from Knowledge. Its voice became low and gravely with a dryness even a desert would never know. "Despite all your anger, sorrow, envy, you're proud of who you are. You're proud of your power. Your clan treats you kindly, but they fear you. You're the most powerful shaman in decades. You could snap all their necks." Knowledge laughed, "Just as easily as you snap your fingers."
"No. I would never do that."
"Not without me, you can't. You're too soft. Submit to me. Submit to me now, or I can take you by force. All I need is your body. I'll even let you watch. You'll get to experience everything with me; you won't be in control."
Brina was horrified. "Who are you?"
"I am Knowledge, no longer. You can't fight your Pride."
Her breath trembled. A demon. "I- I corrupted you. I didn- I didn't mean to. You were my friend."
"'Were'? I can still be your friend. Together we could rule Black Wolf Hold. Become a Jarl over all the holds!"
"No." Brina raised her hands above her head, making circular motions. Dark clouds formed above, blotting out the stars. Lightning cracked. Grønvik ran off into the trees. She directed the lightning strikes at Pride. Pride roared in pain but threw its arms out. Its roars turned into laughs as it gathered the lightning into its claws, turning the lightning into a whip.
Brina crushed the clouds together, shooting boulders from the mountainside into them. With great effort, she brought her arms down. Molten rocks fell from the sky into the clearing, striking Pride and burning it. When she ran out of stones, she created new clouds, and drew cold air from the south, creating snow.
The wind blew around Pride. Pride, still beating out the flames, tried swatting at the snow as it gathered around it. With her palms down, Brina bent her fingers as if she were gripping stones and pushed her hand down again. The snow packed down, becoming solid ice. She raised her arms up, and the ice grew up around Pride.
Pride clawed at the ice, trying to chip it away. In its rage, it cracked its lightning whip. Brina tried to dodge, but the lash grazed her left hip, wrapping around her torso and legs. A shock coursed through her. She dropped to her knees, in pain. The snow stopped. The lightning dissipated, leaving long, crooked burns around her body. They resembled the same tree root shapes that had coursed Knowledge's body before.
Pride broke free of the ice, causing ice shards to fly in all directions. Brina tried to stand, but the pain made her fall again.
Pride laughed, "It's over Brina. You're mine to wear as I please. I shall see and experience life like never before."
"Aye, it's over. For you." She screamed when she stood. Brina brought both her hands up and shot shards of light – left, right, left, right. Each shard cut through Pride. She could feel it weakening. It dropped to a knee, struggling to stay upright. Brina walked toward Pride, putting more power into every jab. Left, right, left, right, keep going. I've almost got it. Don't stop, Brina.
She stood in front of Pride. Even on its knee, it still towered above her. Brina raised her hand to its chest. Pride gave one last growl as she shot a beam of light through it. Pride disintegrated into ash. Brina dropped her arm, panting, before falling to the ground.