Chapter 9

It had been a long journey over the water. Every so often the men would steer the ship around glades of ice. Throughout the nights they would rotate shifts keeping watch, Lükas as well. While resting he curled up under furs and blankets with his friends the three of them discussing their plans underneath a late night early morning sky.

"So you have been to Iceland before?"

"Many times." Lükas nodded.

"What's it like?" Tino smiled back. The mage noted the curiosity and excitement in his eyes. And who wouldn't be? No man, woman child or beast outside of Norway have seen the mysterious island hidden in the mists.

"I cannot describe it." He answered regretfully with a small smile watching his friend slump some in disappointment. "It is something you must see with your own eyes."

"Unidentified object at the bow!" Someone called out. Lükas perked his head though not too concerned. It was then the boat passed a still bit of thick ice floe with a large man made worn wooden carving depicting a god of sorts. A totem maybe, standing a good 10 feet or so before they passed it by.

"What was that?" Tino's head whipped around to watch with wonder as it passed.

"A sign that we're nearing the island. In ancient times people feared the power of the gods unlike today where we learn that they protect us. The statue among many others surround the island out far in the waters. They were meant as warnings that any traveler or intruders were to be struck down for going any further. Of course now they're meant as checkpoints, so the Norwegian ships know they are going the right way."

"Oh wow…"

"It won't be much longer. We will be reaching our destination momentarily, I had better guide them proper lest we crash among the rocks and ice." That soon huh? Lükas stood up, turning to meet with the men at the bow.

"Oh Lükas wait!" Tino suddenly gasped. Lükas turned back, just a bit of mild surprise in his eyes. "Since you mentioned it, before I forget I wanted to thank you for um, you know, saving us back there when we were falling." The surprise turned into confusion as he tipped his head to the side some. "You know, back in Russia."

"I didn't save us." He furrowed his brow in puzzlement. "I was drained of all magic."

"You…what?" Tino blinked.

"I really must go now. Don't overthink such things Tino. Think of it as an act of a kind god." He turned back, his cloak billowing as he began his final shift. Sounds of the swishing water and soft boot clips were lulling in a sense, that along with the soft snoring of his friend. Deciding to take Lükas' words to heart he let the unexplainable phenomenon slip away as just that, a kind act from a kind god. He smiled and turned around pushing at the bear.

"Mmh."

"Wake up Behr, we're almost there." The Finn whispered.

"Then wake me up when we are there." He grumbled curling up tighter to save warmth.

"Lükas said any moment now." He tugged on the bear again, this time succeeding in making him stretch out and sit up. "Besides you've been asleep all night."

"And you've been asleep all day."

"So I have, but lucky me. I would have overslept for sure!" Once again true enough. The two of them sat up side by side up against the side of the boat watching the stars fade into a slowly brightening sky. A dark blue, purple and pink replaced the black of the night slowly illuminating the entire ocean around them. "So…what do you think we're going to do when we get there?"

"First we have to warn the capital." Behr yawned. "And then we'll see what happens next."

"Oh…oh!" Tino gasped suddenly as something rapped against the side of the hull. He turned around standing up to look over the water, his jaw dropping in shock. "Behr…" He whispered, the Swede hopping up on two legs to look over the side of the vessel for himself.

"What the?"

"A-All this ice…" His purple eyes darted back and forth in the water. Some smaller chunks but bigger bergs of ice bobbed and sailed in the water; the smaller ones scraping against the side of the boat doing nothing more than just making sounds thank the gods. Even then the sounds became more and more apparent; scraping, knocking and crunching now. "B-Behr."

"Don't worry, the boat is strong." He grumbled to the Finnish boy.

"Fog!" Someone called out. Again someone called it out until everyone onboard was aware. Tino looked up ahead to see they were sailing straight into a fog bank.

"There's no way we can navigate in fog…Behr?" Tino at once showing a sign of hopelessness had released the tension in his shoulders when he felt the bear brush against him.

"It's not fog. It's the mists that surround Iceland. We should be docking the boat soon." Silently the small fishing boat sailed on, swallowed up by the white dense mist. There at the bow stood Lükas. He turned his head to the captain who stood beside him.

"On my order, I want your men to steer the vessel in the direction I tell them to." He murmured. "I will take care of the hard part." He nodded and turned back to shout at his crew to be ready. Lükas' eyes darted to and fro. "Left." Behind him the captain bellowed on the mage's command. "Right…forward." He continued giving commands, the crew following up on them precisely. Through the fog Tino could make out towering sheets of ice that they barely missed colliding into. A few more moments of guiding the boat all sounds of the ice scraping came to a halt. Not a sound could be heard save for maybe their breathing. From out of nowhere the deep sounds of chanting resonated from the bow of the ship, from Lükas.

"What is he doing?" Tino whispered.

"I don't know…" The Swede watched the mage closely. How he'd wave his hands and the mist swirled aside for him. A good few more minutes Lükas kept chanting in that strange language before Behr perked. "It's Icelandic, he must be praying." Without warning more voices joined in around them. Men, women, it was harmonious.

The crew looked around in confusion. What was this? Lükas' chanting with the voices sounded like a song. It was uplifting but so soft at the same time. Off in the water soft splashes and plops were heard earning Tino's attention. Through the fog he could barely make out a shadow or two. "Behr." He grabbed the fur of his Swedish companion. "I think I saw something."

Lükas continued waving his hands whimsically and soon enough the singing was heard all around them. One more great wave of the hand and all at once the mist rolled away with a burst revealing at last the fabled mythical nation of Iceland. The men's jaws dropped in awe of the splendor that could only be seen with human eyes alone. Great birds soared overhead in the waking morning sky. Ahead past the harbor was a village bustling with life and behind that was a great towering castle right out of legends of fancy.

The mage smiled and turned to face the crew who were still struck with awe. "Welcome to Iceland." Then he spun around to face the outstretching piers and ice cliffs where a few men and women were perched donning ceremonial armor and cloaks. They must have been sentries, or guards, or something. Whatever they were they were just as surprised as the men onboard the obviously not Norwegian vessel. The words to come out of Lükas' mouth no one onboard could understand but then the words weren't meant for them anyway, greeting the natives in kind. There were tales told to Tino by his father that he in turn had heard from many people in his travels. But to see for one's self this close was a whole enlightening experience. Tino stared behind him and over at the piers to note that his father had been right. From this distance he could see the violet of their eyes and stark white hair, white as the snow. The natives leaned in to whisper to each other, one breaking away from the line rushing away from the docks and into the village.

At last the boat settled next to the pier with a creak, the crew moving to tie down and lower the mast. Lükas stepped out of the boat quickly followed by Tino and Behr who stuck close behind. "Oh land, I thought I'd never see it again." Tino whimpered, overjoyed that the ground beneath him didn't sway and wobble.

"We haven't much time, we must seek council immediately." The Norwegian turned on his heel to walk, Tino and Behr walking behind closely.

"So Lükas, what was that?" Tino jogged up beside him.

"What was what?"

"That singing back there!"

"Singing?" Lükas chuckled. "I suppose it sounded like it didn't it?" He looked over the nodding Finn's head to see the fishermen tying the ship down and looking around in earnest, the Swede making up the rear. "Remember the history I shared about the carved wooden monuments surrounding the city?"

"Yes, but what does that have to do with the singing?"

"Patience Tino." Lükas smiled urging Behr along who was also curious. "Long ago people who feared the gods also feared an unfavored voyage if a chant was not spoken of offering in their language. Days of old have passed and just as the carvings now serve as checkpoints, the spoken chant from both ends: the receiving party and the vessel now serve as a greeting that Iceland is to receive visitors. No doubt we surprised them more than they surprised us." He chuckled some with a bit of a teasing smile on his lips. "To think they were going to greet a grand Norwegian ship when instead they receive a Finnish fishing boat. We best move on to clear up confusion, knowledge of our arrival has probably already reached the guild by now I'd gather. Come along Behr."

"I can hear you know." He sighed, lumbering behind the others.

"We'll be waiting here!" The captain called, eager to get a look around. Smiling, Tino turned about to wave at them shouting a grateful thank you before jogging to catch up to his companions.

Harmonious sounds of chant and meditation spilled down from the hills. Monks and clerics patiently walked in the dimness of the temple with only shimmering candlelight to guide them down darkened hallowed hallways and the rising light of the morning sun slowly spilling in from the rafters high overhead. As the day got its start, the high priest sat with a little difficulty before the altar bowing his head. Next to him a young boy with snowy hair too bowed his head paying no heed to the growing tapping of quick feet running up the temple stairs.

"High priest!" The doors burst open loudly immediately flooding the darkened room with light. A few monks and clergywomen gasped in surprise as the dock sentry rushed in panting for his breath and bowed before the head of the temple falling down upon his knee. "High priest…" He repeated. "A ship, no, a boat has docked down at the village port."

The old man kept his back to the sentry, eyes closed still in prayer. Otherwise he was silent, as was the young boy seated next to him.

"Sir…"

Slowly his old eyes opened, lips trembling with a quiet mutter, his stark white beard spilling near all the way down into his lap. "A boat?"

"Yes sir…a Finnish fishing vessel." The sentry took in another deep breath. "It harbored the grand sage Lükas Bondevik."

The boy perked up, turning his head to look over his shoulder, violet eyes glued on the sentry. "…Lükas?"

"This place is amazing…" Tino gasped having to turn around a full 360 as he walked to capture everything in his sight. Villagers both at their booths in the market or passing by in the streets gazed on in awe of the outsiders, some of them murmuring amongst themselves. "I've never seen such mountains before!" He exclaimed once his eyes caught sight of the blue hills beyond the village.

The mountains Tino were admiring were far off into the distance, a wide range of jagged peaks tinted blue. "They are called Bláfjöll."

"Bláfjöll?"

"In the Icelandic language it means, blue mountains." Blue mountains. Yes Tino could certainly see it. It was a sort of majestic sight for something as plain as mountains. Perhaps it was the fact they were mountains no other man save for Icelanders or Norwegians have seen.

"The Icelandic language is so different from ours." The Finn mused. "So pretty…"

"Indeed so." Lükas nodded and sighed breathily turning to admire the mountains with Tino. "Yes, it is a sight to behold. Where we are now is called Reykjavík, the largest village in the land. The village covers most of the shores and centers around the castle and temples." Noticing Tino's confusion, Lükas gestured to the tiers of ancient buildings. "The temples; places of worship house the acting rulers of Iceland, the guild."

"Acting rulers?" Tino fixed the Norwegian with a look. "Doesn't Iceland have a king or queen like Sweden and Norway?"

"Not for a few hundred years. The royal bloodline died out long ago leaving no heir to the throne. This brought about a guild of shaman who chose the burden to oversee the land with Reykjavík as the central pillar. By all respects, religion founded this village where the old kingdom once stood. Even the castle has been long abandoned now."

"Shaman…" The Finn murmured in awe. "So are there shaman around today?"

Chuckling softly Lükas gazed out to the temples. "The art of practicing such magic is almost lost to the people of Iceland. Honestly shamanism is nearly extinct. It is just the priests and clerics that inhabit the temples of today. They in turn are headed by the high priest. That is who we will be seeing today."

"Have they no need for a fort? For weapons?" Behr interjected slipping up between the two as they walked.

"No one outside of Norway can make it here." Lükas gazed down, voice ever soft. "Iceland is a peaceful nation. They wouldn't have any need for those things."

This just made the Swede grumble as he lumbered along looking up at their mage companion. "What if someone forces a Norwegian to guide them here like you guided us? Take those bastards into consideration. The Icelanders would all come under attack too easily."

"This is true…" Tino muttered in agreement.

"Not so easy." The Norwegian paused in his walking and shifted his cane to his other hand, tapping it gently against cobblestone at his feet. "Not just any Norwegian can guide a vessel into Iceland. As a matter of fact…I am the last of my kind able to guide Norwegian ships to Iceland."

Tino turned to look at him sharply. It wasn't too hard to miss the saddened look upon his face. The last of his kind? "What do-"

"Come now, we mustn't dawdle." Lükas nodded to the villagers whispering amongst themselves. "We've made quite a commotion already." As they turned to continue their walk sounds of rushed footsteps and clanking armor came from further up the road hurrying past street vendors. A handful of men dressed in the same garb as the dock sentries hailed from the temples gathering in an enclosed circle around the group leaving Tino and Behr confused, Lükas however just about expected this. "See?"

"Grand sage Lükas Bondevik!" One man called out stepping forward. He pulled a scroll from his waist with a practiced near pompous hand reading from it aloud. "You are in violation of the treaty laws of Norway-Iceland coexistence! In accordance to the pact agreement, 'guides are under no circumstance'-!"

"'To grant passage for any other land for any reason or use such abilities for purposes other than for trade and diplomacy.' Yes yes I know, I wrote the damn thing." Lükas frowned.

"Y-Yes…well…" The man stuttered looking back and forth from Lükas and the scroll not knowing if he should continue reading or not.

"I'm well aware of the crime I committed." Lükas sighed with annoyance. "But this is a serious matter. I wish council with the high priest."

"I cannot just-"

"Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. This is a matter of life or death. Now please stand aside or walk with us." The Norwegian frowned hard, eyes icing over.

"Y-Yes sir…men fall in!" Putting the scroll back at his hip he waved for the rest of the detail to join in escorting the group along ascending the old steps to the temple. Tino frowned to himself rubbing his head in thought before looking to Behr whispering to him.

"Behr…Lükas said he wrote the treaty. I thought it was made a long time ago…"

"It was." Behr nodded. "I'm curious as well…If we're going to get answers I think it would be best to ask Lükas himself."

Nodding, both Finn and Swede followed their friend up the stairs leading to the main temple standing back as the sentries opened the doors for them only the self elected leader of the sentries walking in before them.

"High priest. Grand sage Lükas has requested council… …very well." He turned back to Lükas bowing his head respectfully. "The high priest has accepted your proposal, you may enter."

"Thank you." The Norwegian too nodded his head in acknowledgement then continued walking forward into the temple. "Come along Tino, Behr." Tino gave a smile and wave to the sentries. As he passed they too smiled but stood back in shock as the grumpy looking bear took up the rear. Shaking their heads they muttered something about 'strange outsiders' and shut the doors to the temple returning to their posts.

"Another dark room…" Tino murmured before he heard footsteps on either side of him, monks turning to light the lamps illuminating the room. Upon the sight of the seated elderly man he clammed up staying next to Behr.

"High priest Magnús." Lükas sat bowed his head before him. "It has been a while."

"Indeed it has, grand sage Lükas Bondevik." Magnús' voice rasped with age. "Ten years has it been?"

"That would sound right, yes." Musing softly, Lükas nodded to himself then uttered tenderly. "Has he been well?"

"You should ask him yourself." Lips trembling with a silent mutter, the elderly priest turned his head to the nearest attendant. "My dear, send in the boy." Quickly the woman broke from her post walking briskly down the hallway. "We were getting worried. It had been days since contact with Norway had been cut off. The ships of medicine we waited for never made it."

"There has been trouble I'm afraid." He sighed wringing his staff in his hands. "Strange men have invaded our land. They're monstrous, the power they yield is even more frightening. It is a black magic I have not seen the likes of before. And it's because of that power, I am saddened to say, that Norway is no more."

"No more?" He rasped, old eyes widening through the wrinkles.

"My king, my queen, they are dead. The other sages have been slain, I am but the last. A group of the kingdom's survivors were bound to Sweden but those men are well on the way there as well. That is why we are here. They have closed off entry into Sweden completely by both land and sea."

"This is serious." Magnús wet his lips, eyes misting in thought like he was putting two and two together.

"So without a choice we came here in hopes of finding another path. With Finnish-Swedish checkpoints being watched and closed off, and black magic storming the seas we are left few alternatives."

"And you are in need our help. Hm?" A set of footsteps hurried into the main hall to stop at the altar, before the head priest and Lükas.

"Emil." Lükas smiled. The boy with the down soft white hair and violet eyes stayed where he was surveying Lükas as if judging if he really was who he said he was. "I promise. It's still me."

"Who's that?" Tino whispered to Behr who just shook his head, just as lost as Tino was.

"I have no idea."

Extending a hand out Lükas ushered the boy over who looked to be a few months if not years younger than Tino. "Tino. Behr." He began, turning around to show them properly as he proudly rested his hands on the boy's shoulders. "This is my little brother, Emil."

Smiling Tino reached his hand out. "I'm Tino, it's very nice to meet you!" There was a little hesitance as Emil gazed at the hand before he too reached out taking his hand in a slow gentle shake. "I never knew Lükas had a brother. Then again I've only known him for a few days." Tino laughed.

Chuckling, the mage pulled away from Emil holding him out at an arm's reach sizing him up. "Let me look at you…you've grown so…" He murmured almost sadly but there was a twinkling of pride still in his eyes that seemed to bring them to life.

"It's been ten years." Emil uttered back.

"Sixteen winters old are you?" The Icelandic boy nodded. "How about your studies? Are they coming along as well?"

"Yes…"

"Very good." Lükas smiled patting his head. "We will talk more but right now there is business I must see through first, alright?"

"…very well." Emil sighed looking away. It was almost funny how he seemed embarrassed by the display of affection the elder was showing.

"Magnús." He looked back up addressing the elderly man as he stepped around his little brother.

"Do you intend to use Emil then?" He muttered bowing his head some. This somewhat startled the monks around them as Lükas kept his gaze steady on the priest.

"No." His voice devoid of the tender emotion it once carried as when he greeted his brother, only full of sovereignty and confidence. "That isn't what I came here for. Besides that is what we were protecting. Isn't that right?"

"It is so. And I understand your predicament and can even appreciate it. The truth is we too have been having troubles of our own." Magnús rasped folding his hands in his lap. "As much as I would like to help, we just haven't the resources in our power to. I hope you understand."

Tino frowned stepping up beside Lükas. "What kind of trouble?"

The priest nodded. "It had started but a few days ago. In fact, our troubles may coincide with the visit of these men you speak of. The ancient mountains began to scream." The Norwegian's eyes grew open a little wider. "Fire rained in the valleys. And the souls in the land began to stir, Emil himself sensed them. Something is coming but we do not know what."

"Bláfjöll houses the original caves of the guild." Lükas mused to himself rubbing his chin, the cogs in his head beginning to turn. "If something is disrupting near the mountains…"

"And we did encounter the skuggar helvítis in Russia." Behr reminded.

"Yes, the dark matter demons." It wasn't the priest, but Emil to speak up. His voice level but his brow creased with worry. "I have heard them rampage in the mountains too. Every night they come closer and closer to the village."

"Yes, that would explain why we did unfortunately meet with the demons and from so far away from here at that." The mage seemed to be thinking. "Head priest, if I may. .."

The priest furrowed his wrinkled brow, lips muttering silently before he tipped his head up to better gaze at Lükas. "What is it?"

"What if we go to Bláfjöll and exterminate the demons for you?"

"What?!" Tino gasped.

Author's Notes: So sorry for the long delay! I took a bit of a hiatus without notification. Inspiration ran dry for this fic but I suddenly got a burst of it and was able to push this chapter out of the press. Work squeezes me dry, and friends and rp take up so much of my time.