The hunters turned, they were moving towards him now. A grim countenance settled on the Viking, these people were becoming a hindrance to what Kolskegg needed to do. Standing with the tree shielding his body from the wicked little creature, he focused on the woman headed towards him.  Behind her another followed suit, they carried those nasty fire rods. 

[color=f7941d]“Come children of Huginn and Muninn, lend me your protection. Shield my movements to mine foes.”[/color] The Viking murmured as he waited a moment longer. Once the swarthy woman was beneath the outer most of the black birds, he moved. The swirling chaotic motions of the birds descended around both he and the woman, obscuring them from even the keenest eye in a flurry of large, winging bodies.  Nearly 10,000 of the cawing black birds spun and wheeled around them. The flurry and speed creating a veritable cyclone of darkness centered on Kolskegg. 

The woman paused, confused as the birds surrounded her. It was clear this was not something she was used to. Kolskegg moved with determination as the black birds darted between him and the woman, extending their circle until both women were now surrounded in the maelstrom. 

Shield before him, he moved low and fast until he rose before the women like a spectre. She fired, emptying her magazine into his shield which pinged and ricocheted bullets in all directions, some hitting the women herself. Firing and backpedaling she tried to get away, but with an inhuman roar and a dash, the larger man plunged Alyward through her midsection, bisecting her spine as it exploded through her back. 

Kicking her off his blade he spotted the other woman amidst the dark mass of birds.  She had come upon them, she was speaking rapidly, her voice rising. Her eyes were wide in fear as she raised her weapon and fired, and fried again, with anger evident she was moving forward to meet him. The end of her fire rod blossomed as impact after impact hammer his shield. Some managed to hit him in the chest again, stopping his movement as the impacts caused him pain. So far the armor held but how much of this could it take? 

They were a scant few feet apart when the woman reloaded her weapon, and at that moment the shield came up in a wicked motion, striking her in the throat, crushing her windpipe. Dropping her firearm, she reached instinctively for her throat. As she did so a wicked kick to her knee, breaking it, followed by a vicious slash that removed her head from her body. 

The heavy metallic ripsaw of the turret filled the air, dropping hundreds of the black birds in great swaths. Dozens of bullets hammered the shield, forcing Kolskegg to his knees, huddling behind the shield. Each of the bullets striking the shield was jarring him, hammering his shoulder and arm with their punishing impacts. 

Touching his bag he muttered a curse and drew forth the next set of runes, tossing them into the air. Rising he tried to move only to be knocked down again by the blows.  Muttering prayers to the All-Father he made his peace, hoping that the Valkyrie would see him and honor him. Bullets ripped past him, smashing the dirt. Around him hundreds of black birds fell, their blood and bodies covering him.  

Forcing himself up, he roared, putting his weight behind the shield rising to his feet. He had to kill that beast, it was too much. Around him the birds continued to fall as they swarmed into the path of the bullets, obscuring the Viking, giving their lives to protect his.