[center][color=ff9666][b][h1]Sam Jester[/h1][/b][/color] [i]Kenaz Algiz Raidho [/i] Those were the three runes burning along the body of Sam’s magic guitar, which generated a respectable supply of heat, like a very large hand warmer, or a torch that’s hotter than usual. [b]“Well done,”[/b] said the god in the drifter’s head. Bragi, bard of the Aesir tribe and the first mortal musician of the nine lands. Sam held the guitar up over his head like a lighthouse to shine through the snow that whipped through the air. He had two layers over his chest, and a pair of jeans and boots, he wasn’t exactly miserable thanks to his magic, but on the downside, the runes made the snow just ever so slightly blinding. If anything, he stuck out like a sore thumb while being somewhat warmer than anything else that was probably making its way through this slog of a storm. Anything could easily see the warm, orange glow between the snowflakes and sneak up on him no doubt. The howls of the wind were deafening, but Bragi seemed to know the way. [color=F99666]”Damn...how much further?”[/color] Sam called out in a raised voice, as if Bragi wasn’t between his ears already. [b]“Just keep moving and remember what I said.”[/b] And keep moving he did, for what felt like an eternity. The mountain was cold, but thanks to the half-baked magic Sam still didn’t exactly know like the back of his hands, it was manageable. If you had told Sam he’d come here, to a frigid mountain in New Hampsire, a few months ago then he’d look at you like you had two heads. Still, it’s not like he hasn’t been to cold places before, but usually this amount of wind isn’t present. God, that damn wind. [color=ff9666]”Shoulda’ brought a hood.”[/color] Frankly, Sam couldn’t see shit. Bragi had to call out like the ground was on fire once or twice to stop him from veering off a ledge. To make matters worse, the light was starting to dim. Rune magic only lasted a while, not permanently. It didn’t matter anyway, Sam was warm enough for a while. Once it faded, he flicked his wrist, and if anyone saw it, it would be like the guitar defies reality and vanished. Which it did. [b]“Sam, continue on. There is a passage way out of the storm just ahead of you. Yet be ready for danger.”[/b] [color=ff9666]”Why?”[/color] [b]“Spiders, large enough to ride as a horse.”[/b] [color=ff9666]”You're shittin’ me.”[/color] [b]“I am not.”[/b] [color=ff9666]”Well, fuck...Ay. Bragi. The dead guys are up ahead.”[/color] Draugr. Scandinavian warriors who never had the chance to find peace, cursed to wander Midgard until they can exact vengeance upon some figure in their lives. In the haze of the snow, Sam made out the look of one covered in an animal skin cloak, with an axe dragging through the snow as it stood with the stance of someone with dementia. Bragi told him about these things, said that lots of things guarded the entrance to the castle, or palace, whatever. It didn’t see them just yet, meaning it wouldn’t take Sam by surprise...meaning he could just walk up to it. Sam stared at the poor zombie motherfucker for a moment before waking slowly forward. [b]“Do you recall what I said?”[/b] [color=f99666]”Yep.”[/color] Finally, the Draugr laid eyes on Sam, and stared at him with cold, dead eyes. Sam stopped dead in his traps with the most deadpan, unconcerned look he could give. It wore armor made of hide and leather, a rusted knife plunged deep into its throat, and an arrow in it’s shoulder, it had clearly never been one to care for pain, and could easily fold Sam like a lawn chair with or without the axe it weakly cling to. Still, Sam maintained a look of apathy. That was the trick to dealing with Draugr: Never show fear. The Draugr simply grunted and lost interest in Sam as it turned to hobble away, Sam simply slowly strode past it as he reached for something in the winter air in front of him, a weapon. Or an instrument? No, both. [color=ff9666]”Fuck you-“[/color] In a flash, the untreatable guitar materialized in his hands as he swung it into the side of the Draugr’s decayed skull. A wet, stiff [i]crack[/i] filled the air before it made a loud thud in the snow. Surprisingly, nordic zombies don’t go down that easily, so with a hiss and an angry attempt to get up, the Draugr’s grip cling to its axe tighter, before a musical sound followed suit. A glowing symbol lit up in between the two. [i]Isa[/i] Suddenly, the cold became much colder for the Draugr’s whose movements became much slower until rime encased its limbs. The rune had frozen it solid. Sam followed this up with a shattering stomp of his guitar into it’s body. Now the dead fighter was just a pile of ice. [color=ff9666]”Bastard.”[/color] [b]”Back to the hall of the Wave Mother with you, creature.”[/b] [color=ff9666]”Where’m I going?”[/color] [hr] A short while later, Sam found the entrance of a cave. It was quiet, which was good. Dark, wet, and cold, but still better than out there. Sam strung the torchlight runes again to light the way, emitting enough light to see much more clearly from his instrument. Several minutes of walking showed little resistance as his footsteps echoed off the walls of the cavern. For a spider cave, there weren’t any spiders, oh wait, there’s one. Dead. Cut in half? Damn. Sam stared at the half dead corpse for a moment, someone else was here besides him. Other communicators, maybe? [color=ff9666]”Man, this one got- what’s that?”[/color] Sam could hear voices. That was people! [color=ff9666]”Well damn, hello?”[/color] He called out as he kept moving onwards, seeing a bat in a cocoon, and eventually coming to a wall, there were people here trying to get past a wall. He stood a few feet away from them shining light from his guitar against the wall like a floodlight. A man and a woman, the man held a torch, the women held a sword. [color=ff9666]”Hey, god people?”[/color] When the wall actually opened, there was a snake in the way. Shit. That’s a big snake. [color=f99666]”I’m guessing I picked a bad time to show up...”[/color] Sam raised the guitar overhead like a baseball bat in case the snake lunged at them. [color=f99666]”Uh- YEAH we should kill it!”[/color] [/center] [@King Cosmos][@Hitman]