Chapter 1
Winds crackled the sails as they waved violently above the seabed.The sun reflected shining remnants of itself across the ripples of salt water.The wood from the mast that Harry clung to creaked and moaned along with the rest of the vessel.A rush of burning liquid rose to his mouth, where he tried to swallow, but the rocking of the ship told him otherwise.
Harry glanced around the ship, admiring people he had known for months now extending their arms and quickly pulling the oars close to their chests.The oars they wielded reached far out from their ports, rolling up and down the circular opening.
Harry’s legs shivered uncontrollably in the cold of winter as water continuously splashed him like a whip.Everyone around him sat on their coral-infested sea chests, but Harry had none.It was thrown overboard when he refused to comply with the rules.The voice of his mentor still rang in his ear, telling him how he would be the first to cross over.His chest reached away from him and pushed itself back into itself.Harry’s ribcage would be showing if he weren’t wearing his blue tunic.They took medications away from everyone when they arrived, and Harry wished he still had his inhaler.Harry couldn’t get the action away from his mind as he breathed more heavily and rapidly.
A loud horn bellowed, its soundwave vibrating every individual on the ship.Harry held on tightly to the mast, becoming more unsteady after the blast had passed.His eyesight blurred as he tried to make out the details in front of him.Something was closing in on the ship from a distance.Harry guided his arm around the mast to get a clearer view.It was another vessel.A longship donning red and white stripes along its sail.Another horn shouted from across the ocean, communicating with them.
Time was running out, and both ships were getting closer by the second.The captain paced back and forth across the boat, yelling commands that no one could understand.The subjects he groaned at had to pretend they knew what he asked as they all hurried with their tasks.The deck of the ship washed up all sorts of debris and slippery molecules, making it harder to navigate.Everyone noticed how the captain walked straight, even when the ship twisted and curled to the sea.It was as if he were in zero gravity.
The two ships joined together with their sails raised.Everyone from Harry’s ship rushed to their feet, grabbing their shields from the side of the hull and readying themselves with the gear they pulled from their sea chests.The participants from the other ship had already put on their gear.The captain began spelling slurs, or that’s what it seemed like.Harry could only assume it was because not a single person on their ship was battle-ready other than himself.After the captain had made his rounds, kicking and shouting, he passed by Harry, giving him an uneasy smile and a pat on his shoulder.Harry was pleased with himself for having done something right on this trip until he witnessed the sour faces of his colleagues.They looked like lunatics, as if they all wanted to murder him.That made his pleasantness slip away and sink back down to the black pit from where it was before.
Great, two ships against me.He thought.
The captain began spitting his words in the other ship’s direction, waving his hands like a lunatic who had just broken free from his straitjacket.The captain on the other ship started doing the same.The participants on the other ship started slamming their swords and axes against their shields.Fear struck Harry, not knowing how he could fight such an onslaught of enemies.Then the participants on his ship did the same, banging their shields with their weapons.It became louder and louder before the shouting began.It was like being at a concert late at night, but with the added elements of strong wind and bouncing waves.
Grappling hooks flung across both ships as they reeled in closer to each other, and the banging and shouting continued.The participants on Harry’s ship worked their way away from the other, and he found himself staring at the other force to fight them on his own.The shouting stopped, but the thumping didn’t.Participants from the other ship stepped aside to allow someone to move through the small crowd.He was large, burly, and sulking in the water.He was at least a foot taller than Harry.He donned a silver helmet, along with a sword, shield, and chain mail.Harry didn’t even have chainmail.His anxiety rose through an unforeseen roof.It would have blown his helmet off from a streak of grey steam shooting out from the top of his head.
The man placed his leg on the edge of his ship and jumped over to the other.He rocked both ships with his weight as everyone tried to keep their balance.
“So, you are the one they asked me to kill.By the looks of you, this is going to be easy.”The man said.
Harry couldn’t find any words.The man could tell Harry was incredibly intimidated.
“Well, if you have nothing to say, scoundrel, let’s get this over with.I don’t have all day.”
“Wait, they didn’t tell me I was supposed to fight you.They only said I was to be in the front of the group when the fighting began.”
“You clearly didn’t listen closely, scoundrel.They wanted us to fight to the death.You can sacrifice yourself for your group, or you can have us all fight, and more lives will be lost.Their blood will be on your hands.”
They began pacing in a circle around each other.Harry wasn’t sure if or when the man would take a strike.Then he spoke again.
“Do you accept this Holmgang?”
Harry wasn’t sure why he was chosen.He clearly wasn’t the best warrior to fight this man.
Was this a punishment, or did my mentor truly believe I could handle this man?Harry thought.
“Speak!Or have your group bleed for you.”
Harry couldn’t get himself to speak.He shook uncontrollably, gripping his axe and shield.The man’s beaty eyes squinted with distaste.
“So be it.”
The man turned his back and headed back to his ship.Harry breathed heavily and couldn’t think of an answer to give.He didn’t have enough time to think through all the consequences or how he could manage to kill this man.Deep down, he knew what was right; he knew what he had to choose, but denied it.A significant surge of energy was needed for him to say:
“I accept.”
The man stomped his foot and halted his pace.He slowly turned his body to face Harry.
“There is some courage in you after all.I’m impressed.”
He stepped forward, his weight manifesting in thunderous echoes.With a man taller than him and probably three times his weight, Harry was terrified.The man brought down the sword from his shoulder and held it close to his waist.He raised it in front of his shield and began sliding down, repeatedly giving an unnerving crunching and creaking sound.Harry continued to shake, wishing the weather was more tolerable.
The man broke the silence.“I, Joseph of Massachusetts, will slay you on this day so you may enter the halls of Valholl.”
Harry glanced at the idea of returning a slur at Joseph, but he couldn’t win this fight.He didn’t feel the need to waste his energy on useless talk.
Harry raised his shield covering from his chin to his nose.He lifted his axe to his waist with a firm grip, feeling the notches in the wood from the handle.
They began circling each other at a steady pace, carefully placing their feet as the deck planks maneuvered around their weight.The thumping returned as the participants from both ships slammed their weapons onto their shields.This time, the banging sounded louder to Harry than it had before.They continued moving in circles, Harry suddenly losing more of his balance.Joseph started closing the distance between them, and Harry witnessed the height of his opponent grow and his shadow widen.Harry lowered his shield and loosened the grip on his axe at the sheer magnitude of what he was up against.Everything slowed down, the movement of the flapping of the raised sail, the rocking of the ship, the sound of the waves and thumping, the hastened dash of Joseph’s sword about to strike Harry.The few extra seconds gave Harry enough time to react.Instead of using his shield to block the blow, he flung his body away from Joseph, landing onto the deck with his shoulder.The fall was excruciating. Harry cried in pain, worried that he may have broken his humerus.Joseph groaned as he pulled his sword from the deck plank, and it splintered off in all directions.Harry began to pull himself up laboriously as the man stomped his feet, marching towards him.
“Get over here, you slimy scoundrel!”
Harry jumped to his feet, blocking the following strike with his shield.The sword guided his shield to the deck as it scraped against the wood, yanking Harry with it.He fell again, slamming his back against the starboard side of the ship as his neck swung backwards at the top of the gunwale.Harry became disoriented as he saw two men spread their feet and walk towards him.Joseph created a stabbing motion directly at Harry’s chest.Harry pulled his shield in front of him as the sword attached itself and poked through inches away from puncture.Joseph guided the sword to the opposite side of Harry and flung it in the other direction, making the shield fly like a frisbee.Harry was left vulnerable with nothing but a small axe to protect him.
Joseph began to laugh hysterically as he turned his back on Harry.“Is this the best your group has to offer?Is there any other one of you mongrels who will stand up for this boy?Or will you watch me slaughter him, knowing he sacrificed himself so all of you can live another day?”
Harry knew help wasn’t coming.A recurring word stuck in his mind that Joseph had said.He precepted a man who had never ceased to haunt his dreams when he was awake.The sleek black hair, the meticulously inspected mustache, and the stubble on his cheeks.Those eyebrows that always droop towards the nose.That mighty hand that gripped Harry’s shirt.The stench of ethanol seeps into the air.
You will always be a boy, Harry.
Harry tightened his hold around the axe, lifting himself with his other hand.He felt a scourge of venom coursing through his veins, reaching from his feet to his head.His mind became strangely focused as the man from his mind cage enveloped him, someone to fear, not by others, but by the one who encompassed his spirit.
Joseph peered over his shoulder.“Well, well.You still have some fight left, boy?”
Before he could turn his hulking body around, Harry raced forward and sliced Joseph’s calf as the meat parted ways for the iron.Joseph let out a ginormous scream, or more like a groan.Harry then spun around and hopped onto Joseph’s back.He couldn’t pierce through the chainmail around his neck.Harry tried yanking the helmet off, but it was impossible with both hands being busy.Grabbing the axe with both hands, he began to strangle Joseph.Luckily for Harry, Joseph wasn’t very flexible.Joseph tried to catch Harry, but he couldn’t quite reach him.Harry became exhilarated with a smile as Joseph started to seize his movements.Then a sudden rage of energy elevated from Joseph as he let out a roar and jumped into the air, slamming Harry on the deck.Harry had never felt such pressure, noticing his eyeballs seeping from their sockets.
Droplets of water began to pour from the sky, then streaks of curved light crackled.Joseph rose, admiring Harry with bent eyebrows and showing his teeth.Raising his sword, he struck down right as a significant force pushed him aside.Harry lifted his head to try to make out the figures.It was another participant, someone he had brief interactions with before.He couldn’t remember his name.The participant lifted himself and swung his foot with a mighty blow.Joseph’s head landed swiftly in the opposite direction as he remained still.
For a while, there was a silence other than rain slapping itself against the deck.Someone on the other ship broke that silence.
“He broke the Holmgang!”
Then a surge of roars rattled the air.The sea rose as the other ship as the participants began to jump down.The participants on Harry’s side quickly marched to meet their attackers.The man who saved Harry ran around everyone to reach him.He pulled Harry up and caught him from falling.
“Thank you…”Harry began to speak, but the man cut him off.
“Don’t talk now.Follow my lead.We are getting out of here.”
Both groups of participants battled relentlessly. Their shields slammed into each other as they reached above their heads to try to puncture.
Harry and the man climbed on top of the railing and hopped over to the enemy’s ship.
“Help me take down the sail!”The man yelled.
They both grabbed ropes, tying the sail, and began to unfold it. The halyard slipped down as the rope loosened.
A roar manifested from somewhere on the ship. They both glanced frantically, but it was too late. The captain of the enemy’s boat jumped onto the man helping Harry and pushed him to the ground. Using his fists, the captain strikes down on the man, simultaneously trying to yank off the chainmail around his head.
Harry hesitated but knew he had to act. He made a roar of his own, charging at them as the captain made what seemed to have been slurs in his unknown language.
Harry tackled the captain to the ground, knocking his head on the deck. Harry raised his axe in the air and sliced down on the captain’s neck. He sat on top of the captain, panting, not believing that he had killed someone. His hand released from the axe handle, leaving it gorged in the captain.
The man appeared next to Harry. “Get up! Are you alright? Come on, we got the sail down!”
They both rushed to the steering wheel as the man gripped it and pulled, the veins in his arms expanding. The ship slid against the hull of the other vessel, scraping and creating an eerie crackling sound.
The enemy participants noticed their ship was leaving and called out to each other. However, they were trapped and couldn’t simply turn around, leaving their backs exposed.
The wind from the storm carried the ship away from the land they hailed from and hopefully to somewhere where they could find help. They both gazed into the sunlight far in the distance, piercing through thick clouds and lightning. A faint sliver of hope surged in them.
