Uthrenden

Chapter 1

The Trickster

Lenar sat upon his mighty throne made from the swords and shields of his defeated foes which piled so high that they would rise higher than the tallest of towers. The fallen, Lenar’s companions, the great warriors of the lands of Telethaar fell silent as another god entered Lenar’s realm. Helthar dressed as a jester, a jingling bell atop his hat, floundered into the room. He was spinning a cane in one hand as he summersaulted on top of one of the tables and pierced a large apple biting into it to enjoy the juicy flavours within. The god looked ridiculous, Lenar thought, Helthar wore tight fitting clothing that showed his lack of muscle definition the patchwork of the jester patterned its way across him.

‘The mighty Lenar’ The Jester began and bowed deeply taking in the room around him, he did not feel fear as many men and even gods did in the presence of Lenar. He did not feel fear as he knew not of that emotion, he knew not what fear was. ‘and his army of the glorious damned. Dead, sorry’ he giggled pointing his cane toward the silent rows of fallen warriors surrounding him. Lenar sat forward in his chair, his godly muscles flexed in the glint of the sun through the large windows that shone Edis’s light down upon him.

‘What do you want Jester?’ Lenar spat, his voice booming through the hall.

‘Only to see you claim what you have always wanted’ The Jester replied, Lenar raised an intrigued brow ‘to see you, the true mighty god that you are’ Helthar leapt onto one of the tables nimbly avoiding clattering any of the plates and food scattered across it.

He picked up a jug of wine that lay in front of one of the motionless warriors. ‘Only to show the mighty Edis that you are still the same mighty god that you once were. Maybe even to prove to Edis that your son has some worth. Although I doubt it’ Helthar goaded, he knew that Lenar was far too proud to let such a slight pass.

‘Hush your plans fool!’ Lenar yelled, his voice shaking the walls around them, Helthar feigning fear and then giggling as the trembling began to fade. ‘my son is more worthy than any other’ A wry smile pulled its way across Helthar’s face.

‘Worthy of a task that even you, the mighty Lenar would struggle to complete?’ Helthar looked to Uthrenden who sat beside his father. Uthrenden was huge, much like his father and handsome. He had unquenchable courage and would fight Dujun himself if he was but challenged to do so. Helthar could see the love in Lenar’s eyes for his son Uthrenden, the pride that burnt within Lenar was a powerful thing. A powerful weakness, Helthar thought. Helthar tipped the jug and glugged it in one huge sip before throwing the jug to the floor beside him and sending it scattering through the hall of warriors. He then picked up another.

‘Uthrenden is more than worthy of your foolish tasks’ Lenar said sickened by the presence of this jester.

‘Then let him prove it’ Helthar smiled, he looked to Uthrenden who was now leaning forward in his seat too, ‘would you prove your strength to your father?’

‘I will prove that I am a greater god than you will ever be fool!’ Uthrenden replied, Helthar blushed unsure whether Uthrenden knew that Helthar was a god where Uthrenden was but a demigod.

‘Harsh words, I fear you are becoming like your father’ he began sipping the jug of wine ‘the task I have for you is simple. Well, simple for a being of your…’ he looked Uthrenden up and down ‘particular talents’

‘Why make it so simple?’

‘It isn’t simple’ Jester shook his finger ‘oh no, not simple for someone who does not fight. And the fight will not be easy, but I thought simple mind simple task’ he tapped the side of his head and laughed at his joke although it was greeted with iron stares. ‘There is a sword, deep within the centre of the labyrinth of my creation. Collect said sword. Then return the sword to the city of Halindras, and then…’ he slapped his lips ‘you will have completed my task!’ he clapped his hands excitedly at the prospect of the fight ahead, and the task ahead.

‘A task so simple isn’t worthy for my son, leave here now’ Lenar pointed to the door past the rows of the fallen warriors shields that lined the walls, and the large hearth burning in the centre of the room ’do not insult me with these petty tasks any further!’ Lenar stood and lifted his spear from beside him.

‘Woah!’ Helthar took a step backward ‘sheath your weapon. Don’t be too hasty to send this trickster to an early grave, I would prefer to live my days drinking wine and enjoying the company of women. Let me make this more interesting for you’

‘How?’ Uthrenden said from beside his father, Helthar could see the demigod was hooked by the idea of the challenge. Helthar smiled.

‘The sword in the centre of the Labyrinth will be the Gods sword’ Helthar giggled with glee at the reaction from Lenar. The huge god of war pricked his eyebrows and his muscles tensed at the mention of the most powerful weapon the gods had ever forged. The God sword had the ability to begin a war on the material plane that the gods could join. It could create a god war.

‘You would suggest that I would gift the most powerful weapon to one of your games?’ Lenar said, his voice filled with rage. He was the keeper of the blade and it was locked deep within his vaults inaccessible to anyone but him.

‘I am simply imagining that you have enough faith in your son to collect this wonderous item and return it, with such a simple task surely you don’t have such little faith in him’ Helthar grinned, the bells at the end of his hat jingling as his head nodded.

‘I can do this father, as the fool said, it is a simple task’ Uthrenden said, Helthar winced, he did not much enjoy being called a fool. I will show you the fool, he thought. Lenar nodded his reply to his son,

‘So be it’ the booming voice of the god of war spoke.

‘To make it interesting I will start a sandglass. You have six months’

‘Six months?’ Uthrenden roared, ‘I can do it in half that time’

‘Then let us compromise, four months’ Helthar smiled and lifted four of his fingers counting them off.

‘Why such a simple task? Uthrenden asked, his eyes scanning over Helthar a god that he didn’t trust and never would.

‘The task is so simple, yet If he fails the consequences will be devastating. It’ll be good fun’ Helthar said, he chuckled spun his cane between his fingers and said ‘the game is on’

Chapter 2

To the Depths

Fear was not an emotion that Uthrenden felt, not he the demigod, son of Lenar the mighty god of war. The door to the labyrinth stood below him, he could feel the air change as he came closer. The sound of his feet crunched on the winter snow, then slowly quietened into silence. The air grew cold, so cold that it would kill a man, but Uthrenden was no man.

He continued.

The door was huge when he stood beside it, it was a tall as five men and could fit eight men abreast to its width. Outlining the grey stone door was a glowing blue pattern, the pattern almost sent Uthrenden into a trance, it was the first of the tests. It glimmered in the moonlight which shone over head as clear as the sunshine and spoke in a language only Uthrenden could understand.

No man will pass this gate.

‘I am no man’ Uthrenden spoke, his voice deep and rich, unaffected by the extreme cold and unfailing although mere men would die of the fear. He placed his hands against the ice cold slab of rock which was separating him from the task at hand, his destiny, and he began to mumble a low rumble that came from deep within him.

‘Kaes Do, Dai Vi Kaan’ he spoke, the words that his father Lenar had taught him.

The door stood still, the silence taunting him and echoing through his mind as he stared in disbelief. He was sure he had spoken the words correctly, or were they not the right phrase?

But as his disbelief started forming into shame there was an almighty crack, a sound like thunder emanating from the rock face and shattering through the crack in the door. There was a boom and Uthrenden was thrown backward and collapsed into the snow and skidded to a halt.

The door began to open.

The sound of stone scraping on stone screeched over the silence that had fogged Uthrenden’s mind. The magic here is strong. The doors parted and glided until they halted showing the inviting darkness behind them.

Uthrenden stood and shook the snow off his shoulders and back, he tried to groom some of it out of his beard. He took a deep breath enjoying the last moment of fresh air he would have for a while, and then he stepped forward and through the doorway into the labyrinth.

The air closed in about him, the darkness clinging to him like a barnacle upon a rock. Any man would crack under the fear and run for the light of the moon from the moment they walked through the door into this magical darkness. But Uthrenden is not a man.

He lengthened his stride, his eyes beginning to adjust to the pitch blackness until it turned to a purplish haze, he was able to outline the walls and the floor. He ran his hand across the wall beside him, the stone was smooth, he smiled happy to know he was unlikely to trip over on the jagged edges of the labyrinth floor.

The first cornerstone of the labyrinth began to emerge from the way in front, it split into two. One of the paths lead downwards, a staircase that spiralled into the abyss below.

Would Dujun the enemy of the gods, the god of all things evil, be waiting at the bottom of the path, waiting to engulf me and haul me into the underworld for the rest of eternity? Or is it the path I need to follow? The path that will complete the task.

He looked to the path on his left, it was straight and long. Uthrenden couldn’t see the end, even once his eyes had adjusted completely to the darkness of the labyrinth.

Uthrenden thought back to his coming to the earth, the pain he felt as his body was catapulted toward the planet that grew ever closer. He was engulfed in flames as he picked up speed before he collided body against stone, a catastrophic boom shocked through the system and shook the earth beneath him.

From the crater he was lifted by an old man and his wife. It was the first time Uthrenden had seen a human so close. They were small, very small, Uthrenden stood at double their height and double their width. They cared for him for weeks and he grew stronger, finally being able to hunt and gather food for them. He told them if they ever needed it, Uthrenden would return the debt he owed them, a debt of life.

He stood in the darkness of the Labyrinth now and it all became clear. Downwards was the way, his entire life had been a lesson on how he could defeat this labyrinth. All gods had a foresight even if they could not tell truly what it was showing them. He would defeat this labyrinth, this task that Helthar the trickster, the fool, had set before him. Uthrenden would should them all that he was worthy of becoming a god.

He took the path that lead down.

The spiral staircase was long, but with a god’s blood running through his veins Uthrenden did not feel the fatigue of man. His feet began to echo through the pitch-dark corridors as the stairs finally flattened out into another corridor.

‘What is my destiny father?’ Uthrenden asked. He was surrounded by the huge great hall of his father Lenar, the god of war. The shields of all the fallen warriors lined the walls, the great fire burning within the hearth in the centre of the room and the glorious cheers and songs of the fallen echoed all around them.

‘Destiny has no clear path child’ Lenar replied, he sat watching his son, his eyes filled with the love he felt for his child. ‘Only you can draw the path that you will follow, but remember to mark your way, never let them forget who you are’

The vision faded and Uthrenden looked back at the steps behind him. ‘I need to mark my way’ he spoke to the darkness. He ripped the shoulder off his armour and pinned it to the staircase by twisting the metal into a spike. He retraced his steps and did the same all the way back to the door before finding himself back to the bottom of the staircase where his armour was still pinned.

He continued into the depths making sure he pinned armour plating and clothes at every junction or different pathway in the labyrinth. Any choice he had to make he would place armour there to show him what was decided.

The twists and turns began to become shorter, and he realised he was getting closer to the centre, closer to his goal.

He twisted and turned, each step bringing him closer to his goal, every turn he got wrong he would unpin his armour and replace it where he was right. He had walked for days, a man would have died from hunger, or thirst or even exhaustion. Any man’s feet would have been bleeding from the exertion the walking had caused. Uthrenden was now bare footed, he wore nothing. Every shred of his clothing had been pinned to walls to show him the way out. And now, as naked as a baby, he had come to the centre. His destiny.

An archway stood between him and his ultimate prize. When the god-sword came into view Uthrenden was suddenly blinded by light. Braziers suddenly lit in flame either side of the arch and all through the room within. They all emitted a blue light, mimicking the light that Uthrenden had seen upon the door before he entered the labyrinth. And there, in the centre of the circular room, was his prize.

The God-sword was more beautiful than he imagined it shone brightly in the blue light its gold handle glinting as if it were holding the heat of the sun, the sword itself decorated with stories and victories of all the Gods and their great achievements. He took a deep breath. This was it. This was his victory. My story will join the stories of my father.

A roar erupted from a dark passage at the far end of the room, a roar that was so terrible it would break the will of the strongest men. But Uthrenden was no man. Uthrenden looked down to his sword belt and found he was no longer wearing it; he remembered the exact spot where he had ploughed his sword into the wall of the labyrinth.

He looked up to see the monster emerge. It was large, much larger than Uthrenden, its claws were the size of Uthrenden’s arms. Its head the shape of a ram’s, its feet cloven, sharp teeth protruding from its hideously deformed face.

But Uthrenden felt no fear.

The beast leapt forward, one mighty leap toward Uthrenden. Uthrenden met the beast, leaping to collide with this hideous foe. A rain of fists claws and blood streamed through the room as the two titans fought.

Claws scraped across Uthrenden’s stomach and he was thrown back by a vicious headbutt from his foe. The beast began to circle the demi god.

‘You are weak Uthrenden’ it said, its voice harsh, untrained. A strange accent resonating from its mouth, it sounded like an imitation of someone that Uthrenden knew but he couldn’t put his mind to whom. ‘the sword is too powerful for you; a God like you would put its people to shame’

‘I am no god, I serve my fathers will’ Uthrenden replied, as he began to rise to his feet. ‘the sword is not too powerful, it is but a sword’ He then looked the beast in the eye ‘I am not weak, I will crush you and return you to the court of your father!’ he leapt forward once more raising his fist and bringing it down as a mighty blow on the creatures head, teeth splattered across the floor as Uthrenden then grappled the creature his arms tightening over its horns.

‘I am not weak, I am power’ He said as he began to rip his arms apart, the beast screaming in pain as its horns began to tear away from its skull. The beast writhing attempting to shake Uthrenden off, but its attempts were in vein. ‘I am the son of Lenar!’ Uthrenden yelled pulling harder and then with all his might one final attempt ‘I am Uthrenden!’ he pulled as hard as he could, and the horns separated. The beasts head split in two, a grey mass falling out from it splatting on the floor the creature toppled and lay still.

Uthrenden tumbled off regaining his balance. He had won. He stood a moment. He had proven himself to all the gods, he was capable, he was the strength that his father believed. He didn’t need the armour crafted by Avdos, the god of the sun, or the sword made by Iorr, the god of the moon, nor the enchantments put onto him by Ittris, goddess of the sea. He had defeated the creature naked, and now he was to reclaim the sword and complete the task laid by Helthar.

Chapter 3

A Debt of Life

With his armour bent out of shape and no longer useable, Uthrenden wore only his ripped tattered clothing. The god-sword was strapped to his back using one of the sleeves of his ripped shirt. He wore nothing on his feet as they got themselves more and more bloodied from his trekking through forests, across rivers and over mountains. But finally, he returned to the crater that he was first found within.

He knew the way from here and found himself at the tiny thatched household of the old couple who had brought him in and cared for him. There, standing by the door was Peter, the old man who looked at him with a caring smile as a father would do, proud of his son. behind him stood his wife, Gwenda, she opened her arms and embraced Uthrenden who lifted her up so she could hold him around the neck.

‘What a glorious sword’ Peter said.

‘It was a difficult fight, but the beast is slain, and I have almost completed the task that was set before me. I thank you for what you did for me, for caring and nurturing me. I once said I owe you a debt of life, and I have come to ask what it is you would like of me?’ Uthrenden placed Gwenda down.

Peter smiled, a loving caring smile a smile that Uthrenden felt he recognised put could not place where from.

‘There is something that we would ask, as long as it is not too much’ Peter said Gwenda stepped beside him and he drew her in close. ‘it has been long since we have been to Cathigan. The city that holds such wonders, it is not too far, but we are both too busy and too old to travel there’ Uthrenden looked to Peter, his back was bent with his age but Uthrenden though that Peter held a strength that he did not show. Peter looked to Gwenda his smile growing wider ‘I would ask that you bring this note to our daughter, and once you are there buy a wagon of wine enough to fulfil us for the rest of our days. But the wine must come from “The Golden Winery” as they have the best wine and it fills our heads with not only glorious taste, but the very best of memories. Once you have done this task, I will not ask anything else of you’

Uthrenden smiled, these people had raised him and nurtured him but they did not understand the power of a debt of life, they did not understand the power that Uthrenden held. They lived such simple lives and they wanted such a simple task to be done, and Uthrenden bowed and accepted.

‘I will get you your wine, and I will deliver this note to your daughter’

Chapter 4

The Golden Winery

The city was brimming with life, men shouting from behind their market stalls priests offering prayer for people here and there, beggars asking for any scrap of food, drink or coin they could possibly get. Uthrenden gave money and food to whomever he could, trying to be generous and make a name for himself as his father had told him.

The city was in a valley, the city itself built in a large circle looking like an amphitheatre working toward its centre point which was a glorious cathedral. The cathedral spires reaching for the sky, statues and sculptures of all the great men of the world and of the humans’ depictions of the gods. Uthrenden laughed at some of them, the humans had made Iorr much prettier than he was in the flesh, and he was surprised by the accuracy of others.

‘One day I want a cathedral built in my name’ he said to himself whilst looking at the sculpture of him. They had built the statue to be the same size as a human, so they were already wrong. They had also made him skinnier, less muscular, a pale imitation of the true glory of Uthrenden.

Uthrenden walked around the cathedral marketplace, people’s eyes were drawn to him and he revelled in the stares of the thousands of onlookers. Uthrenden stood double the height of the humans and his muscles were large and trained, the women wanted him, and the men wanted to be him.

Finally, he came to the place that he was looking for, “The Golden Winery”. It stood before him, the rickety building that looked out of place in the cathedral court. All other buildings surrounding him were wonders and built up to suit the square they had been placed within. But The Golden Winery was three stories tall, thin and looked as though it could topple over in a strong wind. A woman stood outside of the tavern she was curtsying and eying up all the men who walked past, the wives of the men hurrying as they walked past her and dragging their husbands behind them.

Uthrenden walked toward the door and the woman caught his eye, he noticed a twinkle of delight and anticipation come across her face. She wanted him.

‘Anything I can do for you?’ she said, her accent of the city strong and her breath smelt of the wine from the venue behind her. She leant forward exposing her cleavage to him and winking.

‘I have come to buy a wagon of the finest wine and deliver this letter to my friends’ daughter who works in this very establishment’ he showed the woman the letter. She looked it up and down and then took a second look at the signature at the bottom.

‘Funnily enough, I think you have delivered the letter to the right person’ she took the letter and placed it in her dress in between her breasts. She giggled childishly, ‘you are very handsome. Maybe you should come in and try the wine. My father would love it if you did’ Uthrenden smiled, he knew that she was trying to seduce him, but how could he blame her, and as she said, her father would have wanted it.

She led on in, and Uthrenden followed.

The winery was different to what he imagined. There were women wandering around with their tops off and men being dragged into different rooms with different women. Uthrenden couldn’t believe his eyes, what was he witnessing here? He was entranced, and he wanted more.

The woman took him by the arm and said, ‘follow me’ and he did so without hesitation, she was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the people of his home, but she had a different kind of beauty, a beauty that made him want nothing else. He wanted her to have his children, a feeling he had never felt before, but now it grew inside him, it began spreading like a plague until he was completely enchanted by the idea.

When they got inside the room, he threw her on the bed parted her legs and fucked her, he felt an animalistic sense of victory and domination, the same feeling he felt when he ripped the beasts head in two. She cried out and so did he then finally he was finished, he had planted his seed, and the seed of a god is strong.

‘You will have my children’ he whispered in her ear as he embraced her and pulled her into his chest.

‘Me and many others I imagine’ she giggled and traced her hand across his chest. She planted a thought in his mind that had never occurred to him before this day. Women wanted him, and he wanted children with these humans, imagine how fantastic his children would be.

‘Yours will be my first, my heir’

‘And you better have a throne ready for him to sit upon’

‘I will give my son the world if he wants it. My son will be mighty and strong, handsome and fierce and he will have all the women chasing after him’

‘Much like his father’ she smiled, a smile that Uthrenden thought he recognised once more but didn’t know where from, he let the moment pass.

Uthrenden smiled ‘yes, much like me’

Uthrenden left The Golden Winery with his cart full of wine and a letter to deliver back to Peter and Gwenda. He kissed the woman, Peter and Gwenda’s daughter on the head, ‘thank you’ he said ‘when I return, I will see our son grow to a man’ then he took the reins of the horse pulling the cart and he left.

Chapter 5

A Voyage

After returning to Peter and Gwenda, Uthrenden said his goodbyes and set off to complete the task. He needed to return the god-sword to the city of Halindras where he would then be seen as a true champion in the eyes of the gods and will have a story carved within the halls of his father and upon every church and chapel.

The journey was long, it took months. He travelled across expansive grass plains, mountains, rivers, then he finally came to the ocean. It surprised him to see the natural beauty of the world around him, but the ocean was one of the most amazing things he had ever seen. A large water mass that was connected to everything in the world. But what amazed him more was a new feeling worked inside of him. A feeling that resonated from his mind, but he felt it within his stomach. Fear.

He had to cross this obstacle.

How do you cross such a mass of water? Uthrenden had seen some of the creatures that lurk in the darkest depths of the ocean. He knows what they can do to a man, he knows what they could do to a demi-god. They may not kill him, but they could trap and torture him for the rest of his days. Uthrenden would never drown, he would suffer.

Uthrenden found himself in a small seaside town. The place stank of dead fish and overworked humans. Seagulls called overhead and there was the feeling of constant business that there seemed to be in all human colonies. Uthrenden found his way to the docks where he spoke to the first person he could find.

‘I need passage to Halindras. Do any of your boats travel there?’

‘Aye’ the sailor said, ‘but not many boats fit a man of your size on for such a journey. I have heard tales of giants like you, but I thought they were bedtime stories told to scare the kids from running away’

‘I am no giant, I am Uthrenden son of Lenar’ Uthrenden stood straighter and the man cowered away, he was unnerved, scared that he may offend this large man who stood before him.

‘I meant no offense sir’ he said, ‘the boats go in the mornings. Find yourself a place to stay for the night and I will find you a boat to travel on’ he began walking away when Uthrenden stopped him.

‘Where is a good place to stay sailor?’ Uthrenden asked, the sailor smiled a smile that Uthrenden thought he recognised, but once again he couldn’t put a face to it and pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

‘The Glorious Retreat is a good place, treat you well they will’ the man said.

‘Thank you’ Uthrenden replied and walked away hunting for “the glorious retreat” it was nightfall by the time he found it, but he ducked under the doorway and walked inside. It was dark inside, only a few candles lighting the room, he looked about him and saw it was filled once again by women. This time it was not one woman who offered herself but all of them, they were crawling all over him. He knew of a woman’s lust, but he had never experienced anything like this.

He was pushed onto the bed and one by one he fucked them, all night, one by one. He was fed wine and women kept coming to him in flocks. All they asked for, much like the first was some coin. A strange obsession that humans had of gold, Uthrenden gave them all double what they asked when they said they would carry his children.

Uthrenden was still dizzy with drink when he left The Glorious Retreat in the early hours of the morning. It was time to sail, something he was not accustomed to and he was hoping they had plenty of drink on the boat.

The boat was pushed from the docks and sailed expertly into the open ocean before them. The boat rocked and shifted over the waves that crashed into the sides of it, Uthrenden found that he couldn’t hold his drink, he could barely stand on his own two feet. He clung to the sides of the boat and emptied his stomach over into the ocean below.

Even when the waves were settled, and the boat sat still Uthrenden found that he was still throwing up into the ocean below them.

How can people live in such conditions? He thought. He looked around the boat at the sailors who seemed as though they were at home on this strange surface. Back on land there is women who will do anything for gold, and you are happy to stand on this surface with no women for the remainder of your days? The idea of it confused him and made him throw up once more. He didn’t speak to anybody simply let the sailors do their job.

But then one of the sailors shouted a different call that pricked Uthrenden’s ears ‘pirates!’ the man yelled, fear ringing in the man’s voice. Uthrenden looked up from the stained patch on the side of the ship and saw the black sails coming toward them. The boat was moving quickly in their direction, the wind was in the Pirates favour. They were going to have to fight.

Uthrenden drew the blade from his back and sat on the boat waiting for the other to get close, too afraid to get to his feet in case he fell off the side of the boat and into the ocean below.

‘Grapples!’ the captain shouted, and a grappling hook crunched into the timber beside Uthrenden. Uthrenden stood and turned a man was crawling across the tight rope from one boat to the other, the pirate ship was getting closer and the men on board were preparing to jump across. Uthrenden cut the rope in front of him and the pirate plummeted into the sea below. He watched as the two boats got closer together and the pirate who had fallen into the sea slowly got crushed beneath them. He screamed as he died, coward.

The pirates began to board. One man jumped across straight toward Uthrenden, a foolish move. Uthrenden swung the gods blade that sung as it moved the man was chopped in two as Uthrenden moved and struck the next man’s throat opening it up and showering the deck in a shower of blood.

Uthrenden was quickly transformed into the war dance, and he was embodying the man he was made to be. He cut down two more men without them managing to swing their swords. He sheathed his sword, stepped aside as a pirate lunged for him lifted the man by the head and pulled at his legs, the man split in half from the waste. Uthrenden threw one half at one pirate and the other at another. But Uthrenden knew there was one man he needed to kill. The captain.

He ran across the deck seeing the captain break his way into the living quarters of Uthrenden’s boat. Uthrenden jumped at the door as the captain tried to close it and kicked it with all his might. The door shattered as if it had been cracked by a huge hammer. The captain flew across the living quarters and landed at the far end cracking his head against the wall on the far side of the boat. He was dead. Uthrenden grimaced, it was not a satisfying kill, he wanted the man to know he was going to die.

Uthrenden turned to see the final remanence of the pirates surrender or try to escape back onto their boat in a futile effort.

‘I am Uthrenden!’ He shouted his voice carrying across the ocean.

Chapter 6

Fate

The sun was rising in Halindras when Uthrenden and the crew of the ship arrived at the docks. The city was huge, Uthrenden couldn’t see the other side of it. The docks were bustling and around every turn another boat would appear that was larger than the one before. Uthrenden was in awe.

The boat moored in at the docks and Uthrenden was overjoyed by the feel of solid ground under his feet. He looked around him, looking over the heads of everyone at the docks, he wanted a woman and a drink. A welcome end to this voyage.

He walked straight and true into the centre of the city hoping to find a woman that would offer herself as all the others had so willingly, and it didn’t take too long before he did. He was grabbed by the arm ‘you look like a strong man’ the voice said, he didn’t even speak to this one he simply grabbed her by the arm took her inside and spread his seed, once again giving her double what she asked. He was brought wine by another pretty girl, she was shy unlike the other, she held her head toward the floor.

‘Come here’ he said, he was full of confidence and he pulled her toward him.

‘You will have to pay triple for your time with her’ the woman who he had fucked said, ‘she has never done it before’

‘I will give you the strongest child the world has ever seen’ he pulled the girl closer and slammed the extra coins on the table once again doubled. The girl’s eyes lit with delight, and the older woman said she would leave them to it.

After Uthrenden was finished the first woman returned ‘I have brought you wine warrior’ she poured some for herself and then gave him the jug. He took it gratefully and glugged it down as he had not drunk in days, the taste of the wine filling him with warmth.

Once finished he pulled the woman back into his arms and he fucked her again ‘you do have an appetite’ she said and she giggled once he was done, ‘I have something to show you.’ She offered her hand and lead him naked through the establishment. Men, women and boys looked at him in awe as he was taken through and up to the top floor of the establishment.

At the top of the stairs there was a single door. It was shut and a light shone from underneath it Uthrenden could see the flickering dance of the flames and the moving of shadows within.

‘Who is in there?’ he asked the woman.

‘All the pleasure you can possibly imagine’ she led him to the door and they both stood outside of it. He could hear giggling laughter, the pouring of wine and the spilling of goblets and its contents. He looked about him and remembered what he was sent here to do, he was sent here to deliver the sword. The god-sword. Hesitantly he looked back to the room where he had just spread his seed.

The woman pushed the door open.

He stared into the room, amazed. Without further hesitation, he entered, and the door shut behind him.

Weeks past, Uthrenden had lost track of days, time didn’t matter. Women kept flocking before him asking him to give them his children, and he kept giving. Never had a man been as successful as him, he was the greatest being to ever walk upon this planet.

Thank you, the women would say as they left him, they had his child in their bellies, and their hands were filled with the coin they so loved in this world.

Then one day after he had finished, he heard a clapping from outside, the door swung open and standing in the corridor was a strange looking man. A smile spread across his face, a smile that Uthrenden immediately recognised, and immediately began to fear.

The smile looking down at him was that of Helthar the smile that he had seen on the face of so many others throughout his time here, Peter, Gwenda, their child, the women, the sailors. Helthar clapped joyously and stepped into the room, his strange jester costume looking alien in this room that was filled with no colours but brown and maroon.

‘Well done, well done’ Helthar said as he walked into the room. Uthrenden sat up and the girl who was laying on top of him ran out of the room frightened of the atmosphere that was building within.

‘You are just as stupid as your father’ Helthar giggled clapping his hands again. He stopped and leapt onto the footwell of the bed, ‘a fucking fool as he would put so elegantly, in fact he did put so elegantly when I last visited him before coming to see you’ he cocked his head to one side, ‘you have forgotten what you are here for haven’t you?’ Helthar delved into his pocket and pulled out a large timer, it was way too large to fit in the pocket where he had it hidden.

‘Times up’ Helthar said and slammed the timer onto the floor beside him before balancing on top of it. ‘and you failed’ he cackled, his laughter a hideous screech that tore at Uthrenden’s ears. But worse was knowing that Uthrenden had failed. He had failed his father he had failed himself.

‘But I collected the sword?’

‘You needed to return the sword you fool. Your vanity was your downfall. Lenar will frown upon you for eternity, that is if he doesn’t kill you during the war’

‘The war?’

‘Yes, the war!’ Helthar laughed ‘you have brought the gods war to the mortal plane. You have brought the flattening of the world. You, single handily have ruined this land.’

Uthrenden looked at the Helthar in disbelief.

‘No words? Not from the glorious Uthrenden? I have silenced the most magnificent creature on this earth, have I?’ Helthar jumped from his perch and stood beside Uthrenden, he put his head close. ‘then I will tell you more to this tale’

‘The women you fucked will die, they cannot bare the child of a demigod, it will be too much for them. They will give birth to men that are larger than man but smaller than you, they will be outcast, pushed away as they killed their mothers. They will be hated, they will be barbaric, they are your heirs. Your promises to those women will be lies’ He stood and looked Uthrenden up and down. ‘You Uthrenden are failure. You Uthrenden are shame. You Uthrenden will be banished by the gods as your sons and daughters will be banished from man’

Uthrenden left the city at night, he left when nobody could see him, and he hid from all who looked. He found the largest chain and the heaviest boulders. He made his way to the docks where he found a lowly rowboat.

Uthrenden rowed into the middle of the ocean, he tied the boulders to his feet and wrapped himself in chains. He looked up to see the rising sun. He drew in a deep breath enjoying his last moment of fresh air. Then he threw himself from the boat, his body sinking into the depths where he would spend the rest of eternity.

Helthar was banished by the gods to the plane of Dujun, the plane of evil and that is why he is not one of the nine that are worshipped by man. Uthrenden’s children became the Valkern, and as Helthar explained, they killed their mothers at birth and were banished to Norslandia where they would war amongst themselves.

The Valkern know the story differently, the Valkern believe Uthrenden was a hero and did not bring the god war to the planes of man. They believe Uthrenden was a hero and he dived into the sea to keep the oceans safe, to slay the huge monsters that lurked in the depths. The Valkern believe that Uthrenden still lives and there is a chance that he may one day be found.