Part 2. To Bladehenge!
(On the southern edge of the Brütal Land)
(Eddie's point of view)
"Wow!" Was all that I could say as I got out of the deuce and looked out on the land in front of me. Just ahead was a large chrome skull that formed a tunnel over the road, probably intended as a gateway for the now collapsed bridge. Further on, I saw large statues of swords, axes, pentagrams.
Off in the distance, I saw mountains and an anvil shaped building with glowing eyes and chains reaching up into the sky, disappearing into the thunderstorm looming above. "What is this place?"
"We call it the Brütal Land." Ophelia answered. "But, to me, it's just home. I live in a town called Bladehenge."
"Really. Well we should keep moving." I got back in the car.
"We should be safe in Bladehenge." Ophelia suggested. "Here take this map." She handed me a map.
"Guess you don't have GPS here, huh." I examined the map.
"GPS?" Ophelia asked.
"Nevermind. Anyway, what's in Bladehenge?" I asked.
"Well besides being my hometown, Bladehenge is the centre of the human resistance movement. As well as a refuge for those who lost their homes to the Tainted Coil and their allies." Ophelia explained.
"Aha! Army headquarters huh?" I said.
"Well… Right now our 'army is just Lars Halford, his sister Lita, Mangus and me." Ophelia said.
"What?" Yeah, I was a bit surprised at the, heh heh, current size of the resistance. "Come on." I mean that's not an army, I oughta know.
"Lars is a great leader." Ophelia replied. "Truly inspirational. But we had a few, um, practical setbacks."
She let out a tired sigh and shook her head "Let's face it. An army needs warriors, food, shelter, transportation, sigh, so many details to manage."
I knew that the current problem with this resistance was simple logistics. Something that my skills as a former marine engineer and a chief roadie can fix.
"Sounds like what you need is a ROADIE." I suggested. "Which I just happen to be when I came here."
"Um, what's a roadie?" Ophelia asks, looking a bit confused.
"Um, It's a long story." I replied.
"Tell you what, Ophelia, how 'bout we get to town, have a big pow-wow with Lars, Lita, and Mangus? We'll have a campfire, and I'll tell you about what I do and where I come from over a big flagon of mead." I suggested.
"Afraid not. All our mead breweries were taken over by Lionwhyte." Ophelia shook her head. "We only have beer. But you can have as many kegs as you want."
"Fair enough." I pressed on the accelerator, putting the deuce into motion. "TO BLADEHENGE!" I shouted as we passed under the chrome skull and enter the Brütal Land…
(An hour or so later)
"I see you're in no hurry to meet Lars." Ophelia said while I drove slowly along, looking at the awesomeness of the countryside. As well as the strange wildlife that included carnivorous deer and porcupines with steel quills.
"I'm not afraid of him." I replied as I stopped to look at the large Maltese cross statue.
"Afraid?" Ophelia cocked her head. "Who said you were afraid?"
"Nobody. Cuz I'm not." I replied as he started driving again.
"Well good." Ophelia said as we drove past a long abandoned cathedral. "When you summon the courage to meet Lars, All you need is to head towards that sword statue over there." She pointed at the large illuminated sword surrounded by a large Stonehenge-like structure in the distance.
"Hey, I got plenty of courage." I replied.
"But I also got a whole bunch of stuff I wanna do right now." I pointed at a nearby axe statue. "Gotta do a backflip off that thingy." Then I pointed at a gorgon flying overhead. "Gotta fight that double headed gorgon."
"You'll get turned to stone." Ophelia warned. Wonder if I'll leave a good looking statue?
"Seriously, it'll blow your mind, the stuff I got on my plate." I said as we continued to drive along the highway.
"Uh huh." Ophelia looked back t me, looking unconvinced.
Eventually we arrived at the southern gate of Bladehenge. As I parked the Deuce, we were met by a woman with short blonde hair, wearing black jeans and a top that showed off her well built abdomen and her well toned tattooed arms, and wielding a halberd.
"Ophelia, what demon have you allowed to fallow you home this time?" She asked, pointing her halberd at the Deuce. Then she noticed me. "Oh, hello."
"Don't mind Lita." Ophelia said. "She a little high strung."
High strung huh. Kinda like that Sodia knight I met on Terca Lumireis.
"Really, Ophelia." Lita glared back. "Who's this guy?"
"Name's Eddie." I greeted, offering my hand to Lita. "Eddie Riggs. From Earth."
"Earth?" Lita asked. "What land is that?"
"I'll explain later, once we meet Lars." I replied.
Ophelia approached a phone booth inside the gateway. She picked up the phone and pressed the button marked 'top of sword'. "Lars!" Ophelia spoke into the phone. "We have a visitor. Southern gate."
I looked up at the top of the sword and can just a man standing watch. The man waved down at them and begins to climb down the ladder.
Several minutes later, he arrived at the south gate. I notices that he kinda looked a bit like Fabio. Only 20% cooler. And was wearing a studded leather vest, jeans, leather boots, and had a battered sword strapped to his waist. And, like Lita, His muscular arms were also tattooed.
"Welcome to Bladehenge. I'm Lars Halford." Lars introduced himself. "And you are..."
"Eddie Riggs." I introduced back. "From Earth."
"Earth?" Lars asked.
"It's a long story." I replied.
"Well, this I'd like to hear." Lars scratched his chin.
"I figured you'd might." I said….
(A few hours later, sunset)
So for the next few hours or so, I told Lars, Lita, Ophelia, and Mangus about my recent tour over a keg of beer and a roasted beast. Before long, the sun was setting.
"So let me get this straight." Lars said. "These performers. They don't even have to tune their own instruments?" He asked me about my job.
"Nahh. that's our job; the roadies." I answered. "The rock star's job is just to deliver the audience to the promised land of rock'n'roll." I added with good deal of reverence and respect.
"Fascinating." Lars replied. "As fascinating as all those worlds you've visited."
"I kinda liked that Julia person you were talking about, Eddie." Ophelia added. "She was kind of interesting."
"And That part where you and your friends were juggling around those plates and stuff, freaking out that Margaret chick." Mangus said. "Man that was funny."
"Heh heh heh. Yeah, you could say that." I agreed.
"Um, can we get back to the part about how you were summoned here from the realm of the gods, Panem?" Lita asked.
"Oh yeah. By this little guy here." I pointed at his my buckle.
Lars, Ophelia, Lita and Mangus all look at one another before turning their attention back towards Eddie.
Lita replied first. "You were brought here by Ormagöden? The Eternal Fire Beast!?"
"The Cremator of the Skies." Lars added, looking upward at the sky.
"Destroyer of the Ancient Worlds." Added Ophelia.
"Slayer of Gods And Demons." Mangus also added.
"Yeah, I accidentally got a little blood in its mouth and it totally went nuts on me." I explained.
"Then everything went completely bright and the next thing I know, I was in this altar that looked like my last stage and there were three druids trying to turn me into steak tartar." Then I showed them the Separator. "That's where I got this guy, by the way."
"The Separator?" Lars replied. "So, you've claimed the sacred axe and brought it from the demons of the Coiled Remains."
"Guess that's what I did." I replied. "Until now, I never realized how good I was with an axe. Not to mention..."
I showed them Clementine. "That my guitar can now shock demons, set 'em on fire, cause earthquakes, And I can now do some crazy badass moves."
"I see." Lars said. "There are those who speak of a day when Ormagöden the Fire Beast shall bring a warrior to this world."
"To destroy us." Lita warned.
"To deliver us!" Ophelia corrected.
Lars held up his hand to interrupt the impending argument. "There is some dispute about the translation. But having met you, I can tell that you're here to help us. To lead us."
"To wage war against the demons and the gods that long ago summoned them!" Ophelia stated. "To liberate humanity from under their yoke!"
"HELL YEAH!" I enthusiastically stood up Fists pumping. "Um, I mean, hold on a sec. It's been a while since I served in the Marines, but, uh, I'll tell you what I do know from my days as an engineer." I looked at Lars. "I know from meeting you, Lars, that you are the true leader here, not me."
Lars nodded.
"What I know is how to put a crew together, hot to keep it organized, and how to take it on the road." I explained.
"That, my friend is exactly what we need." Lars places his hand on my shoulder.
"But I'm sure you must be longing to return to your world." Lita said.
"Pffft." I replied. I kinda feel like I belong here on this world for some reason. "Alright, so where's your army, Lars?"
"We, um, have none." Lars sadly answered.
"I already told you." Ophelia added. Oh yeah, We need to put one together.
Lars continued. "You see, the traitorous general Lionwhyte has taken away most of our young men to toil away in his mines."
"And he's taken our women as slaves in his decadent Pleasure Tower." Ophelia added as she stood up.
"Not to mention he took all the mead." Mangus added.
"So that's why I've been seeing mostly kids and old folk around here." I said, looking down into the town below and seeing only children and elderly.
"All the folks in their prime are all enslaved! Well what are we waiting for? Let's go get 'em back!" I declared.
Ophelia nodded in agreement.
"No, Ophelia, You are not to go near general Lionwhyte again." Lars worriedly said. "You were almost impaled the last time!"
"But, Lars..." Ophelia objected.
"I mean it." Lars stated.
"Hold on." I interrupted. "Let's compromise. We'll spring the dudes first, then they can help us get the ladies." He suggested.
"But..." Ophelia tried to object.
But I enthusiastically interrupted. "TIME TO BREAK THE CHAINS!" And I did a chain-breaking gesture.
Lars was quiet for a moment before he gives his answer. "I'll show you the mines." He solemnly said. "But I think you'll find these chains very hard to break."
End Part 2
Author's notes:
A bit of a short chapter I'll admit. Hopefully The next chapter will be a bit longer.
Speaking of next chapter. Eddie And Lars head up north to start themselves a revolution.