Chapter 9: Let the Game Begin
The moose was leisurely trudging through the forest, uncaring of its surroundings. A multitude of horns, thick and sharp enough to skewer grown men, twisted around its head like a jagged crown. Cloven hooves ended in razor sharp claws that looked like they could cut through armor. The powerful muscles all across its body bulging to such an extent that pieces of skin had been torn open to expose the iron-hard sinews beneath. It walked on, undaunted and unafraid, for it defied the laws of nature by being a fearsome predator in these parts of the wood.
Which was why it failed to note Raven and her guardian laying in ambush, a hunting bow in the girl's hands with an arrow already nocked and drawn back. Her arms visibly trembled as she struggled to keep the bow drawn, breath growing more and more labored with each second that passed.
"Should I take the shot?" Raven whispered, praying for an affirmative. But her guardian merely gave a minute shake of his head, and Raven barely managed to stop the groan that threatened to slip out.
"I'm barely holding it as it is here," it was a monumental effort to keep her tone down as she all but snarled the words out, now feeling her whole body trembling from the exertion. Bastard had made her draw and hold this position for minutes now, well before the prey had even wandered into their field of fire.
By now, the moose seemed to sense that something was wrong, its bloodshot eyes scanning the snow covered foliage for any threats. And yet still the bastard did not give the signal.
"Dammit, Bob, I can't keep this up for much longer," she was so close to pleading with her tone, tears gathering in her eyes as her muscles were now on fire and the arrow barely staying aimed at the target. Slowly, Bob raised a hand, making ready to give the signal. But it was too late. Before she could stop herself, her grip on the bowstring slipped, and the arrow was released.
Raven herself had barely even reacted to her own slip-up before Bob burst out of the foliage, twin swords in hand as he charged at a now very much startled moose. It lowered its head for a charge, but Bob was faster as he closed the distance, one blade severing a leg while the other went straight through the throat. As the beast toppled over with a gurgling bray, the sword that severed the leg came up and plunged deep into its chest, piercing the heart and bringing its struggles to an end.
It was over in just a few heartbeats, leaving Raven to clumsily stagger out of her hiding spot as whatever joints that were not burning with painful exertion instead protested over being moved at all after being stationary for Azar only knew how long. Bob said nothing to her, he just looked at her the same way he always did when she messed up. How she could even differentiate between his looks with that bloody helmet of his was a mystery she never felt like solving.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold it," she mumbled, struggling not to lower her head in shame like a scolded child. She still had some dignity, after all. No words came out of her guardian, but the look he gave her said it all. Don't be sorry, be better.
"Still, you think we should drag it somewhere else?" she asked, already looking around for potential threats. Though the exact amount of time she had now spent in this frozen hellhole was something that still eluded her, she had been here long enough to pick up quite a few lessons from her silent friend. Chief among those was that anything that could be fought over would be fought over, even something as simple as a day's meal. But Bob showed no signs of worry, and instead merely handed her a knife whilst he began cleaning his swords.
"Of course, making me do the back breaking work after making me take the shot," she grumbled with a mock pout. Truth be told, he had made her skin so many animals of all shapes and sizes that this kind of work was now second nature to her. Though the faint scars on her fingers and palms stood as testament to those skills being earned literally through sweat and blood.
"Let's just hope this bugger isn't too twisted," she mumbled to herself as she began her work. Whatever dark magic that saturated this land was, it had a nasty tendency to mutate the local wildlife. Most were still edible. Some though… best not dwell on that. And as she methodically peeled the skin away, she nodded to herself in satisfaction upon seeing largely unblemished flesh.
"Looks like we'll have food for days ahead with this one," she called over her shoulder, where Bob was already at work setting up a fire. Thank Azar for that, my toes were starting to go numb in this cold. It did not take long to get the fire going, at which point Bob joined Raven at the carcass.
"Finally took pity on me, did you?" she japed, and was only met with a slight tilt of his head before he set about cutting the beast up. You'd think I would have grown used to that by now. Guess not even I can live comfortably in long periods of silence. Working together, they soon had the entrails and useless bits discarded, the little skin usable salvaged and the flesh cut up to be either dried or cooked. And hours later, the duo sat around the fire with Raven devouring her meal of roasted meat with a gusto that most would have believed impossible of the usually reserved girl.
"What I wouldn't give for some salt and pepper right about now," Raven bemoaned between bites. Her companion, who had not so much as even touched the food, merely stared at her.
"Don't give me that look. When you've grown accustomed to the comforts of modern society, it's hard to go back," she protested, and was met with only silence. Guess this is how people usually feel when talking to me. A sobering thought, one that made her remember her friends again and sent her mood plummeting. Beast Boy's goofiness, Starfire's kindness, Robin's determination, Cyborg's strength. Without realizing it herself, her free hand ventured inside her clothes to grasp her communicator. How I miss you all.
"You have anyone you care about? Anyone you miss terribly and wish you could be with right now?" she suddenly found herself asking of her compatriot. Why she even bothered, she could not say. But as expected, her question was only met with silence.
"Figured as much," she added with a yawn, feeling her eyelids grow heavy. Without even asking who should take first watch, or if they should relieve each other during the night, Raven began making herself as comfortable as she could on the ground. She had tried in the past to share the burden with her travel companion, but the guy never slept nor ate, instead standing guard throughout the nights with no complaint or even sign of fatigue. By now, Raven had given up trying to argue the point and simply allowed him to act chivalrous. Besides, he always made up for it through his hellish training.
"Wake me if you need to switch guard," she still commented, just on the off chance that he actually needed to take a rest. With a tired body and a full belly, it did not take her long to drift to sleep, her last thought going to her home and family. I'll make it back, I have to.
As always, her dreams were haunted by pain and terror, watching the world crumble around her as her beloved friends screamed for mercy in the distance. Because of this, it was almost a relief when someone shook her awake. Startled reflexes had her drawing a hidden knife and taking a wild stab at whoever it was. The blade was stopped mere inches from soft flesh by an ironclad grip on her wrist. When her groggy mind finally returned to full lucidity, she found Bob kneeling next to her, one of his hands holding her attack at bay.
"Sorry," she mumbled as her muscles relaxed, prompting him to relinquish his hold. Happened nearly every time these days, but he never made any attempts to correct her or to be more cautious when waking her. Then again, considering that one time when the one who woke her was not him… maybe it had been her imagination, but he had seemed almost proud of her after he had disposed of the body. Not that he had done anything for the blood. The warm, sticky fluid that had soaked her hands and face, mixing with her tears as-
She quickly pushed those thoughts aside, grasping her hands together to make them stop trembling. If Bob noticed any of this, he gave no indication of it as he simply handed Raven her backpack, already packed for her. As usual, he had already prepared everything in advance before waking her.
"So, where to now?" she asked of him once the backpack was safely on, and Bob pointed towards the mountains in the distance.
"You sure?" she found herself asking with skeptical eyes directed towards the mountains. Those places generally attracted trouble she had learned. But Bob was already walking in that direction as if he had never heard her to begin with.
"Gee, thanks for taking my concerns into consideration," she grumbled as she set off after him. Together, they trekked through the savage wilderness, traversing over rivers frozen solid all year around, passing under the gnarled branches of ancient trees marked by the scars of war, and walking past many a grizzly site of battle. They skirted around territory claimed by local tribes, their borders often marked by the bleached bones of previous interlopers nailed to trees and rocks for all to see. And to think, there was a time when Raven would have desired to find intelligent life in this barren wasteland.
For days, the journey continued like this. Walking from early morning until late in the day, spend a few hours scavenging for food and wood to make a somewhat decent meal, then sleep for a few hours to repeat the whole thing the next day. Finally, as they neared the foot of the mountains, Bob came to a sudden stop.
"What? Is something wrong?" Raven asked, already tensing up for a possible attack. But Bob made no move to draw his swords, nor did he give any indication of there being danger nearby. Instead, he simply stepped aside and pointed ahead.
"I assume we're going that was then," Raven commented as she started walking in the direction pointed out. She quickly came to stop however when she realized one particular detail.
"You're not coming?" she asked over her shoulder to her companion, who had not moved an inch from his position and instead continued to point in the same direction.
"Okay, what's going on here?" she asked of him, unease growing in her belly. He had stayed by her side for so long now, why stop now? But that question finally got him moving, as he walked over and took a seat on a nearby rock. Raven looked at him, then looked at the path he had indicated, and then back at him.
"I'm supposed to go wherever I'm supposed to go alone," she deduced. A shallow inclination of the head was all the confirmation she needed.
"Very well then, see you later then I guess. Try not to get killed while I'm away," she hid her growing unease behind her tried and true snark before setting off on her own. The instant she lost sight of her compatriot, her pace lessened and the façade slowly crumbled. Memories of the last time she was lost and alone came back to her, and the shadows seemed to come alive with movement to her eyes. Her hands were trembling again, despite her best efforts to make them stay still, and frantic eyes darted all over the place in fear of danger lurking in the darkness.
"Get it together, girl! You're not some pampered little brat scared witless without her nanny nearby, you're a Titan!" she hissed to herself, firmly locking eyes gaze forward and refusing to let it stray anywhere else. Then, with a deep and calming breath, she began marching onward again, willing her steps to continue in a strong and steady pace. Her heart beat like a frantic war drum, but she refused to allow any of her anxiety to slow her down now.
Gradually, the foliage began to grow scarcer around her, until she found herself standing in a clearing. The borders of this clearing were marked out by crude and grotesque totems made out of wood and bone, the sight of which made Raven nauseous. Dominating the center of this clearing was a solitary pillar of stone, one inscribed from top to bottom with the same manner of runes she had seen all over this blasted land. And no matter how many times she saw them, they always made her feel more than a bit queasy.
"Well, no point dragging this out any further," with that little pep talk, she took a deep breath and stepped into the clearing, doing her utmost to ignore the pile of… things lying at the base of the great rock as sacrifices. Even bereft of her powers, she could still feel the air of wrongness that clung to this place like a persistent odor. She could all but smell the stench of daemonic worship here. Cautiously, she began circling the great stone, looking for whatever it was she was supposed to look for here. That was when a sudden caw from above her nearly sent her leaping out of her skin with a startled yelp. She hastily stumbled back and cast her eyes upward. Finding a most peculiar sight.
"You're… not what I was expecting," she commented to the snow white bird perched atop the great stone. And as she looked up at the bird, it in turn looked back down at her, it's pitch black eyes containing an intelligence far beyond that of a mere animal. It had Raven on edge in an instant.
"You know why I'm here?" she asked, for a lack of any other leads. It answered with another caw before taking flight, gliding through the air before vanishing straight into the mountain cliff. No, that was not entirely correct. Now that Raven looked closer, she saw it had flown into a cave opening previously hidden from sight. She heard it caw at her again from within, beckoning her to follow it into the darkness. Why do I suddenly feel like a fly about to enter a spider's web?
Her gaze returned to the path she had walked to reach this place, and she pondered about turning back and forgetting this whole venture. It was a feeling she could not explain, or even fully understood, but something told her that nothing good could come from continuing onward. Perhaps it was then best to turn back. And go where? Back into the wilderness? Back to just scraping by day by day? Back to aimlessly wander the land crying for help?
Where those thoughts her own, or someone else's? Raven honestly could not say. But something in those words struck a chord within her, and so she resolutely turned back towards the cave entrance, steeling herself for whatever may come next.
"No point turning back now," she declared to herself before she advanced into the darkness. Barely had she set foot inside before the urge to flee came to her. Memories of that fateful day came rushing back to her, of the day her powers abandoned her and left her at the mercy of-
She stopped herself before she could even think of that name again, and forced herself onward with greater determination. She was Raven, and she would not be intimidated by a few measly dark tunnels, dammit! But it seemed like they would not remain dark for long, as she soon spotted a light up ahead.
"Hello?" she called out, but received no answer. With a firm grip on her knife, she advanced onward. And as she rounded a final corner, she found herself standing before a small fire with a solitary figure seated before it.
"Ah, you've arrived at last. Come, sit. Warm yourself by the fire," the stranger invited with the voice of a friendly but old man, speaking in that weirdly accented German she had heard before. Hesitantly, Raven approached, and found her suspicions confirmed when she finally looked upon the aged and graying visage of an obviously elderly man. If Raven had to guess, he looked to be in his final years.
"Who are you?" she demanded, still keeping a healthy distance between them.
"Why, I'm but a humble old man, one who has served as an advisor for many lords and chieftains in my long life," the stranger answered with his gaze held by the flames dancing before him. Raven took a few more cautious steps forward.
"You were expecting me, then?" she asked, to which she received a light chuckle.
"But of course. Hard not to, when dealing with royalty," only now did he turned his face to fully face Raven, his milky white eyes staring into Raven's violet eyes.
"You're blind, and yet you've survived in this forsaken land," she observed warily.
"An astute observation, your highness. The gods took my eyesight, but they gave an even greater sight in return, something even the denizens of this land sees value in," the old man explained, and it created a frown on Raven's brow.
"Please don't call me that, I'm no royalty," she admonished, but those words only seemed to amuse the old man even more, judging by his toothy grin.
"Dear child, it takes more than a human visage to fool me. The blood of royalty not of any mortal world flows through your veins, Gem of Scath," his words had Raven recoiling as if physically struck.
"Do not call me that!" she hissed at him, fists clenched at her sides. But the old man was unperturbed by her behavior.
"Denying your true heritage will not make it go away. I would have thought someone like you would have learned that lesson by now," he calmly lectured.
"It is a heritage that was forced upon me. I never wanted it, and I certainly never wanted to be acknowledged by it," she pat back at him, to which he merely shrugged his shoulders.
"Whether you wanted it or not is irrelevant, it is yours now and forever. Now will you join by the fire, or do you prefer to skulk out there in the shadows?" his inquiry made Raven hesitate, but eventually she stepped forward and seated herself opposite the old man.
"Much better, wouldn't you say?" but Raven cared not for his jovial attempt at conversation. And instead cut right to the chase.
"Why am I here?" she asked, and the old man cocked his head to the side as a sign of inquisitiveness.
"Because you walked into this cave and took a seat at my fire," he answered, and Raven already felt like punching him.
"I'm in no mood for games here, old man. I was led here by my companion, who then sent me alone in here where you previously admitted to having expected me. Clearly, it wasn't some stroke of coincidence that brought me here, so I'll ask again: why am I here?" at her tone of voice, the old man grew far more stoic.
"Very well then. You are here because the Gods want you here," he answered, though it did little to answer Raven's question.
"And who are these Gods you mentioned? More importantly, why do they care about me?" she questioned. It served to bring some of the old man's good humor back.
"Oh, that is a topic that would take years to unravel, and I dare say that neither of us would like the answer at the end," he joked, or at least Raven hoped that he joked.
"That really doesn't help me here. Why did your so-called 'Gods' want me here?" now she was no longer questioning, now she was demanding.
"To tell you the truth, I do not have the answer to that. The Gods work in their own mysterious ways, with their own agendas beyond the scope of us lowly mortals. This meeting between us? Probably just another stepping stone on some grander design. Like when the Gods took your powers away," he revealed. And at that point, Raven did not care that the old man somehow knew of her missing powers, for only one thing stood out to her in that entire explanation.
"Your Gods stole my powers?!" she exclaimed in outrage, already on her feet again with fury etched all over her face.
"Indeed they did, my child. I guess they felt it was a bit cheating for you to have such great power so early in the game," the old man continued, completely untroubled by Raven's sudden hostility.
"Game?! They think this is just some game for them?! Screw that! I'm nobody's plaything, and I won't have my life be toyed around with by a bunch of arrogant twats who think themselves gods!" she all but screamed, only to have something fly right past her face with a caw of outrage. Arms flailing about, Raven frantically backed off before whatever was assaulting her ceased its actions and withdrew.
"You'll have to forgive my friend here, he's quite devoted to the Gods," the old man apologized with a nod to the snow white bird that was now perched on his shoulder, which was even now giving her the stink eye. A gesture she was more than happy to reciprocate.
"Charmed, I'm sure," she drawled, her glare moving between the bird and the old man.
"In any case, I can understand your outrage. It is always a daunting experience, to know that the Gods have taken such a dangerous interest in you," the old man continued. The look he received from Raven was wholly unimpressed by his reasoning.
"If you know even half the things I've been through, you'd know that I have quite the high threshold for what counts as a 'daunting experience' for me," she stated, hands on her hips.
"Indeed I do. And trust me, that threshold will be severely tested in the coming years," the old man replied. It brought out a growl from a very much irate Raven.
"Years? You think I plan to stick around for years, being yanked around like a chew toy by your gods? Well, you're dead wrong. I'm getting back home, and I'm getting my powers back. If that means trampling over your precious gods, so be it," she snarled out, any form of civility gone from her tone at that point. But the old man merely let out a deep laugh, to Raven's growing frustration.
"Ah, the boundless energy of youth, coupled with the naiveté of ignorance! It has been so long since I've been in its presence!" he exclaimed with great joy.
"I'm happy that you're happy, but I've had enough to this conversation. Now either tell me how to get my powers back or this conversation is over," Raven finally declared, thoroughly fed up at this point.
"You sure you want the answer to that question? You may not like it," the old man explained with an eerie smile, one that made the hairs on Raven's neck stand on end.
"Try me," she challenged, arms now crossed over her chest.
"Very well then. You want your powers back? Then you have to play the Gods' game,"
"No," the old man had barely even finished his sentence before Raven's one word reply was spat out, but he showed no signs of even caring about her opinion as he continued.
"Denying the Gods is an act of futility, my child. Whether you play along or resist them, they always get what they want in the end. You can fight them if you please, but it will change nothing in the long run. Best you can do is play along and reap the rewards for being a good servant in the end," his entire explanation had Raven scowling in fury. All this talk of inevitability and the futility of resisting, it stank too much like the lies she had been force-fed about her father and her destiny.
"And if I don't want to play this game of theirs? If I just want to be rid of them?" barely had those words left her mouth before a knife was suddenly planted between her feet. She instinctively jumped back with wide eyes. By Azar, I never even saw him move!
"There's your only other alternative, child. Slit your own throat, deny the Gods their plaything, and be free of their influence forever," he stated, and Raven felt a lump form in her throat.
"What?" she hated how weak her voice sounded like, but there was no stopping it. The old man meanwhile just shrugged shoulders.
"I did warn you that might not like the answer," he offered as an excuse. Something in those words however lit a fire in Raven's soul, and her previous unease vanished in a wave of indignant fury.
"I've heard that song and dance before. It's inevitable, you can't fight your future, either give in or lie down and die. I had similar bullshit spoon fed to me since I was a babe about my father. Since the day I could walk, people told me that my father couldn't be stopped, that I was destined to end the world and that nothing I did could change that," here, she threw her arms wide to gesture at both herself and everything around the two of them. "Well, take a good look at me! I'm still here, and so is the world, but father is long gone! I fought against the inevitable, and I won!"
Then, she stormed up to the old man until she was towering above his still seated form, eyes all but alight with fury. "So don't you dare tell me that those are my only options! I beat the odds once before, and you bet your ass that I'll do it again!"
For the first time, Raven saw something truly different on his weathered and wrinkled face. It lasted only for a short moment, and it was barely visible in the dim light. But when Raven had finished her declaration, and as he looked upon her, Raven saw what could only be described as hope blossoming across his face. Hope that she was right, that it was possible to defy the Gods. But as quickly as that expression appeared, it melted away and was replaced by the idle amusement of an elderly man humoring the delusions of a child.
"Bold words, child. I suppose it will be interesting to see how long you think you can live by them," he commented, accompanied by a series of caws from his albino companion that Raven could not help but interpret as laughter. Cheeky featherhead.
"If that's all, then we're done here," Raven did not even wait for an answer before she began storming towards the exit.
"Whether you want to play or not, the game has already begun," the old man suddenly called after her, an act which made her stop in her tracks. But she still stood with her back firmly turned towards him.
"The board has been set up, the pawns are in motion, and the Gods watch to see the outcome. If you want to survive, learn the rules of the game. But beware of playing it, for the Gods know the game better than you ever will," he warned. There was silence at first, broken only by the cracklings of the fire.
"Maybe, but they don't know me," Raven finally answered before continuing her march. As the old man vanished into the darkness of the cave, she heard his laughter again.
"We all think that at first," came his mocking words, whispered into her ear the same time as she stepped out of the cave, even though he was nowhere to be seen. Raven forcefully suppressed the shudders that threatened to dance up her spine and made her way back the way she came, towards where she hoped her companion was still waiting for her. To her relief, she found him there still, seated in the exact same position as when she had left him.
"Well, that was a waste of time if you ask me," she dryly observed, and received no response beyond Bob standing back up again.
"Glad to see you approve. Now, where to?" but instead of leading the way in whatever direction he chose like he usually would, Bob remained standing where he was, silently looking at her. It took her a moment to realize what he was waiting for.
"You want me to pick where to go?" she asked, and received a miniscule nod. Huh, that's new.
"Okay," she began hesitantly, before her eyes settled on a small trail leading deeper into the forest. Probably would not have noticed it if not for the bone-white stone resting next to it.
"Let's be off then, though I do trust you to correct me if I do anything wrong here," she commented as she hauled on her backpack and set off, her companion following close behind. Above them, high in the treetops, the white bird watched their departure. And once they had vanished down the path, it laughed before taking flight again, vanishing into the winds.
Like ghosts in the night, the vaunted hunters of the Shadow Warriors moved silently through the Norscan wilderness, leaving naught but the faintest of traces in their wake. Neither the foul beasts nor the even fouler humans that infested this frozen cesspool of vile corruption were made aware of the Warriors' passing, not even as these silent killers passed by in such proximity that a stray brush of a hand would have revealed their presence. To the mortals, such skill was near divine, a sign that greater powers than themselves had a hand in shaping them. To the Shadow Warriors, it was merely routine.
"Anything yet?" one of the Warriors inquired, his whispered word audible only to the keen senses of his kin.
"Nothing yet. Our quarry is a most elusive one," another remarked, the faintest traces of bitterness coloring his tone. None begrudged him that, for they all felt it. Every day wasted in this backwater wasteland was another day that allowed their most hated of enemy to roam unopposed.
"Patience. One human, regardless of what foul magic she may wield, can not stay ahead of us for long," he spoke in encouragement, to remind them who they were. They were the disciples of Alith Anar, the true children of Nagarythe, the bane of all those who had forsaken their honor by serving the usurper and kinslayer Malekith. Hunters and assassins without equal on this world or any other. Once they had been given a target, there was no place safe for them. Any attempt to save themselves would only delay the inevitable.
"Scouts returning," the warning suddenly went up, and he crept forward to greet those now returning to camp.
"Report," he ordered once they were arrayed before him.
"We think we found something, deeper in the forest," one of them explained.
"You think?" he echoed with a raised eyebrow. His sharp eyes told him of a sense of nervousness from the scouts.
"Forgive us, but we were unable to advance closer to get a clearer picture. Something beyond mere mortals blocked our path," the scout answered, and it made him uneasy. Few things to stop a Shadow Warrior once they were on the hunt.
"Nevertheless, it is the best we have received so far. Lead the way," he commanded. Less than a minute later, they were off again, the scouts leading them deeper into the eerily silent forest. He momentarily stopped though, feeling eyes in his back. When he turned around, he found a white bird observing him from high up in the branches, its eyes locked onto his with an intensity far beyond that of a mere beast. He could feel the grip on his bow tighten, while his free hand was already moving towards his quiver of arrows. The bird only cocked his head in what he could only interpret as amusement.
"We've found, tracks ahead, my lord!" someone called from further ahead, and he was momentarily distracted as he turned to see where they were waving from. And when he turned back to his target again, he found the bird gone, with no trace of it ever having existed.
"Then let us continue," he commented as he lowered his bow and continued the march, leading his men onward on a narrow path mark by a lone stone as white as the snow surrounding it.
"Keep moving!" Ragnar barked at his men, urging them ever onward.
"Why the sudden rush?" one of them asked, but was quickly silenced by a murderous look from Ragnar.
"We're close to my prize now, so close! And I will not let it slip away because you lot were too slow!" he growled out in answer while his eyes went to the skies. There, high above them, a white bird was guiding the way for him, leading him towards glory and immortality.
"Now onward! We've got no time to waste!" Ragnar ordered as the band marched on.
"But where to?" another asked. And before Ragnar could answer him, the bird dived low and disappeared down a path marked by a solitary white stone.
"Follow the path! Now get moving!" with that, Ragnar led them onward, hunger burning in his manic eyes. Soon, very soon.