In a land far, far away lies the kingdom of Fiore. A small peaceful nation of 17 million and a place filled with magic... but that is not where our story begins. Our tale begins in the far north of Earth Land, in the land of Seiðrvegr. This is a land far more rugged than Fiore, with harsh conditions that many try and fail to brave. This is the ancestral home of the Meikari, a fierce warrior race of magic users. Sadly the Meikari are few in number. But there is one surviving member who is determined to keep the memory of his people alive. His name is Halvard.
Halvard Asger breathed in and out deep, his eyes shut tightly as he listened to the hum of the world around him. He was a seventeen-year-old man standing at 6ft 2 and weighing 225 pounds with a bulky frame. His bronze-colored skin shone in the sunlight. His silver and black hair reached past his ears with the sides braided. His pierced ears boasted a sun pendant hanging from his right ear and a moon pendant from his left ear. The words Sól and Máni are carved into their respective pendant. His nose was sharply hooked with a square jaw and chin.
For clothing, Halvard wore thick black bear armor with gauntlets. He wore a hood made of black wolf fur depicting a snarling wolf. He wore no shoes, and around his neck was a pendant of a stainless-steel Nordic hammer.
The birds singing, the squirrels foraging to prepare for the coming cold season. He could hear the roar of the ocean and the song of elk herds. The cold weather didn't bother him; all he had ever known was the cold. After a few more minutes, he opened his green eyes and stood.
He was in the middle of a forest clearing, surrounded by tall pine trees. The smells of lavender, pine, and honeysuckle were heavy in the air. Halvard took one final deep breath as he looked at the blue sky thick with storm clouds before nodding.
"Right. Let's do it," he said aloud in his harsh, grave tone. He looked back at the ground and held his hands up, palms facing upward. The earth shifted as dirt, rocks, and mud rose into the air, forming large spheres of soil as if on a silent command. Once twenty hovered in the air, Halvard dropped into a defensive stance, eyes narrowed. A dark green magic circle appeared under Halvard's feet.
I wonder how long I can last in ten times normal gravity, Halvard thought to himself. He was brought down to one knee a second later with a grimace. The gravity magic was potent; his body felt too heavy to move. He felt heavy enough to sink to the center of the Earth. But he was able to force himself to stand on both feet. Let's do this. Halvard dropped into a defensive stance, eyes narrowed.
" Come," he ordered. The orbs each raced at Halvard in blinding speed, one smacking Halvard in the left shoulder when he failed to dodge out of the way. He snarled and ducked out of the way for another sphere that sped towards his head. He managed to jump in the air, feeling like he had jumped up underwater. A cry of anguish escaped his mouth when another orb rocketed into his back. Gritting his teeth, he bridged his fingers.
"Path of Mufura! Wooden Serpent Strike!" From under his feet, a ten-foot wooden serpent exploded from the ground. Roaring, it smashed through two orbs before allowing Halvard to land on its head. He extended a hand towards another sphere rocketing towards him. Another dark green magic circle appeared, three stone tendrils emerging from his palm and crumbling the orb into dust.
Halvard cursed as he was knocked off the serpent from a sphere that had rammed into his ribs. Rather than panicking, he remained calm as he began to fall towards the ground. Once more, a dark green magic circle appeared on the ground, and a pillar rose to meet him. Landing on his feet, he watched as all the spheres raced toward him simultaneously. He waited as they closed in before throwing his hands in the air, pushing a lot of force outward.
The spheres disintegrated, turning into dust as the clearing Halvard had been standing in turned into a crater. On the pillar, Halvard stood atop remained intact. Sudden loud applause caused him to look down to see a small impish old man standing at the foot of his perch.
" Well done! Oh yes! Well done indeed!" he called up.
" Biro," Halvard said, jumping down in front of him. "What do you want?"
" Greetings, Halvard," the old man said, wearing a billowing cloak that was too big for him. "I have news for you."
" If this like the last time you had news for me, I think I'll pass," Halvard told him gruffly. "I still can't look at cows the same way." Biro let out a derisive snort.
" If that is how you want to be, maybe I'll go on my way without informing you of what Master Cortez learned about Fairy Tail." That got Halvard's attention. He crossed his arms and stared down at him. Master Cortez was the leader of Cardinal Wing, a dark guild Halvard sometimes worked for as a bounty hunter. Not that he cared about their guild status; he only worked with them as they helped keep nosey outsiders away from his land.
" I'm listening," he said. Biro gave him a smug smirk and leaned in closely.
" We have it on good authority. A few Fairy Tail wizards will be heading to Seiðrvegr soon in the hopes of treasure hunting." Halvard towered over him, a look of fury on his face.
"What?!" he demanded. Biro shrank away, holding up his hands in a plea for mercy.
"Please, do not be upset! I am only the messenger!" he whimpered as he cowered. Halvard gritted his teeth but backed away, once more folding his arms.
"You're sure?" he asked. Biro nodded and regained his composure.
"Our information was verified by the spies we have in place. Master Cortes instructed me to inform you as soon as we knew. After all, they have already put you through enough Halvard. It'd be a shame if they poured salt in the wound." Halvard clenched his fists. He wanted to explode in anger but held himself in check. It will do no good to erupt at this old timer. Steady yourself.
"How long?" He asked once he was sure he wouldn't yell. "How long do you expect it will take them to arrive on my shores?"
" If our calculations are correct, three months." Halvard furrowed his brow as he thought. That gives me plenty of time to prepare.
"Thank you, Biro. And thank Master Cortes on my behalf," he said.
"I will. But Master Cortes also asked me to give you this," the old man said, handing Halvard a pink envelope. "The details of a job we would like you to do." Halvard grunted as he accepted and opened the envelope.
"Penumbra?" He asked in surprise, looking at Biro. "The wife of Master Cortes? Why is she my target?"
"Allegedly, she stole something from Master Cortes," was the response. After repeatedly reviewing the contract, Halvard set it to the side.
" I'll handle it, but it'll have to wait. I have to train. The day I have been waiting for so long is arriving, and I must prepare. Tell Master Cortes I cannot assist in any way until I handle this."
"I'll do that. Best of luck to you, Halvard," the weaselly old man said with a blow bow before seemingly vanishing in thin air. Halvard closed his eyes as his mind drifted back to a painful memory.
Bodies were strewn everywhere. The smells of fire and smoke filled the air. The burnt remnants of a village as if a mad god has just finished rampaging. The emblem of a particular guild was boldly shown for all to see on the clothing of those who had committed this atrocious act, almost mocking Halvard as he wailed his grief aloud.
Halvard opened his eyes and, with an angry yell, began to power up. The promised rain began to fall as Halvard became engulfed in the glow of a dark green magical aura. The ground trembled in response.
"Hear me, Fairy Tail!" Halvard bellowed. "I will make you suffer as you made my people suffer, and I will cut each and every single one of you down, just as you did to my people! You will fall at the hands of Halvard Asger! The Ghost of Seiðrvegr!"