Cautiously, Blader stepped out of the tunnel onto a black stone floor, the stones irregularly cut and pieced together. In between the cracks in the stones were white human bones. At the other end of the chamber was a black skeleton throne, but unlike in Blader's dream, the throne was empty.

Blader moved forward, sword at the ready, slowly walking towards the center of the chamber. So this is Helheim.

"Blader Thrym." The deep voice snaked around the chamber, echoing off the walls. He pivoted, searching for the voice's origin but unable to spot anyone. To all appearances, he was alone in Helheim, but he sensed that wasn't the truth.

The smell of death and decay was the strongest it had been and Blader wrinkled his nose. It was cold, like the way Principal Sigrif's office had always been. Blader almost wished he had his jacket, but he had a feeling this wasn't the kind of cold that could be chased away with an extra layer.

"Blader Thrym."

This time, the voice had an origin point and Blader turned to see a shadow shifting into the form of a man. Dressed in thick tunics with a sword and shield in his hand, he sneered at Blader, his eyes malicious.

"Blader Thrym." The second voice came from behind him, identical to the first, and he partially turned to see another figure, with the same exact appearance to the first, step out of the shadows across from the first man.

His name continued to echo around the chamber as four more shadows formed into men, all identical, all with the same voice, all armed the same way. Rekkr, Blader thought. They had to be. There was no other explanation.

Six against one. If this was a fight, which Blader highly suspected, the odds were not in his favor.

"What do you want with me?" Blader asked. "And how do I save Skalfi?"

"Blader Thrym." The voice was the deep one from before, the one he kept hearing. Blader turned his head, looking at the throne just as the man appeared upon it.

Dark hair with bits of grey in it, hardened brown eyes, and tough skin with wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, the older man stared hostilely down at Blader. There was something oddly familiar about him, something he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was almost like he had met this man before, outside of the Reenactment. He narrowed his eyes, trying to pin down where he'd seen him before.

The man laughed dryly. "Don't recognize your own driver, do you, Thrym?"

Driver.

This man was the Transriot driver on Blader and Loqé's trip to the Bifrost. The one who had told Blader about Dyr Gunar's death, who had been resentful of the gods and who had spoken about chaos.

This was the man who was behind all this?

"Don't act so surprised, Thrym," the driver admonished. "Driving Transriots are a great way to get around Midgard, especially if you like transporting questionable items. Besides, who takes a second look at a Transriot driver? Just because we spend our days ferrying others around doesn't mean we don't spend our nights dabbling in other...professions." He gave a malicious grin. "Like blood magic."

Transriot drivers had various weapons with which to defend themselves and their passengers....National travel isn't too popular and is mostly used by Valkyries, einherjar, and those few professionals whose jobs required travel....

And then there was him knowing how my grandfather died when no one else seems to know....

Wolfsted's voice came to mind, speaking about the rune on his chest and blood magic. A path so old we know nothing of it....Ancient, arcane wisdom....

"What is the point to all this?" Blader asked. "Who are you and what do you want?"

The driver gave him a knowing smile. "Why should I tell you who I am? What I stand for is chaos; that is enough for you to know. And I told you what I want: a new world, cleansed of the gods who lead us always to war. I want a better world, for all of us. And chaos is the only one who's prepared to take me there." He patted the armrest of the chair. "Although Asgard's seers fought valiantly to keep the Reenactment from us, they failed. And now I have control. Perhaps I am only here through apparition but it is enough. I have complete control over your Reenactment and thereby, your lives."

"What about Skalfi?" Blader demanded.

"What about Skalfi Vekja?" the driver returned. "A girl angry about being mistreated, that's all. Really, another target would have done but my apprentice was convinced she would be the perfect one to use to manipulate you."

"What?" Blader asked, furrowing his brow. "What do you mean?"

"My apprentice," the driver repeated. "He knows how to manipulate you, always has, he says. You have a bit of a bond with young Vekja and he wished to exploit that. Although I told him any of your young recruit friends would have done, he insisted on it being Vekja. But it is of no manner. All she was needed for was to get you here to me, cornered and alone, and that was easier if you believed you could save her." He shrugged. "There's no stopping her death."

Blader felt anger surging through his veins, his fingers tightening around his sword hilt. All he wanted to do was kill this driver, kill him once and for all. But he had a feeling it wouldn't be that simple. Nothing ever was.

His apprentice knows how to manipulate me? Who is his apprentice? How do I know him?

"He knew you would come," the driver continued. "He always knew you would come. He predicted it. It was inevitable."

I hate that word!

"And now," the driver continued. "Your blood will provide the strength we need to finish off this year's einherjar recruits."

My blood?

Blader sensed he was about to be thrown into a fight with the six rekkr and thought desperately. To try and stall the driver, he blurted, "Why me? Why not someone else? Why does it have to be me?"

The driver was silent for a moment before he answered. "Because you are honorable, Blader Thrym. Honorable blood makes for a powerful sacrifice. And also, my apprentice wanted it to be you. He thought it would make for a nice reminder."

Blader felt the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. He was starting to get a bad feeling concerning this apprentice and how he knew him. The image of Wolfsted's rune, cut into his flesh and sealed with blood, ran through his mind.

Blood magic. Scars. Manipulation.

Could it be...?

"Go," the driver said to the rekkr, snapping his fingers. "Bring him to me dead."

The six rekkr immediately jumped into action, four of them stepping forward and swinging their swords up as the other two, on opposite sides of Blader, charged him. Blader waited until the last second before dropping into a crouch and letting them collide overhead, sweeping his sword out into one of the rekkr's legs and sending him toppling backwards before springing to his feet and taking on the second attacker.

Blader was glad of the decision to leave his shield on his back, for it allowed him to use his sword to greater effect. Driving the second rekkr back before the others could attack him, he drew Skalfi's dagger from his belt and drove it into the rekkr's neck as he used his shield to deflect Blader's sword. As soon as the blade pierced his neck, the rekkr stopped moving and began to shudder, his body flickering and fading as the rune making him up became visible.

Without waiting a moment, Blader charged a third rekkr, trying to get the drop on him before the other three standing ones attacked him. The dagger back on his belt, he slammed the sword into the rekkr's blade with all of his might, forcing him to stagger backwards. As the rekkr lost his balance Blader leapt forward, launching out with an overhead blow that split the rekkr's head.

Blader hadn't even landed before he felt the blade pierce his right leg, slashing his calf muscle. With a hiss between gritted teeth he landed on his good leg, floundered and almost fell, and ducked his head, receiving a second blow on his shield that sent him reeling forward. Biting back a curse, he turned to the best of his ability, keeping as much weight as possible off his injured leg, and struck out with his sword, sending the rekkr jumping backward to avoid his blade.

Taking deep breaths, Blader eyed the three remaining rekkr, then inwardly groaned when he saw the rekkr whose legs he had swiped begin to move. Quickly, he assessed his situation. Three uninjured rekkr against one injured recruit, the fourth rekkr wounded and on the ground. He tried to put weight on his leg but winced as soon as he tried. The sword cut had done too much damage. It was not advisable.

The floor shook beneath his feet and Blader staggered. He lost his balance and his good knee hit the stone, jarring the bone. Balancing on his knee and fist, Blader gripped his sword tightly and glanced up, brow furrowed.

The chamber was still shaking and the rekkr were standing with legs splayed apart, trying to keep their balance. The driver was gripping the armrests of the throne tightly as small stones loosened and fell from the ceiling by the walls of the chamber, littering the black stone floor with dust and pebbles.

What's happening?

The shaking continued, shifting some of the stones in the floor and spewing the bones from the cracks. Blader glanced around, trying to figure out what was going on, and then felt a jolt of realization as he remembered something.

If the driver is the source of the Reenactment hijackers, and Ragnarok is the end of the Reenactment, the seers must be trying to regain control of this, to save us.

Perhaps that is why Helheim is beginning to fall apart.

"What are you waiting for?" the driver demanded of his rekkr. "Get Thrym!"

All three of the rekkr charged towards Blader, the fourth, injured one attempting to climb to his feet. Blader, still on one knee, knew this was the end. With his leg injured the way it was, it would be extremely difficult to fight three healthy rekkr off.

Well, then, let's die right.

The rekkr coming on the right received a blow to the legs as Blader shoved back, knocking him off balance, and the recruit twisted, straightening out his injured leg to the best of his ability to kick the rekkr charging from the front over. But the last rekkr had already set in motion his downward cut and Blader spun to face him just as the sword found its mark.

Burning pain exploded as Blader felt the blade cut through his shoulder, piercing through the flesh and bursting out through his back. Blader heard himself gasp in pain, his eyes widening, as the sword fell out of his hand and clattered on the stone.

This is it. This is it. I'm gone.

"You're a good soldier, Thrym," the driver commended, a grim smile on his face. "It's almost too bad you'll never make it into the ranks of the einherjar, for you fight just like your grandfather. But like him, you will be killed by chaos."

Blader glowered up at him as the driver continued. "You know how I know about Aetlun Thrym's death? I used to be an ally of Dyr Gunar, young Thrym. He came to me after the Battle of Sigra, panting and gripping his sword still slick with the blood of the general. He was exhilarated. Perhaps Gunar was loki crazy, but he served a purpose." He nodded to the last rekkr standing as he withdrew his sword from Blader's shoulder, smiling wickedly at the wounded recruit. "Finish him off."

Yells from the tunnel made the rekkr pause and look up and Blader managed to glance over his shoulder in time to see Wolfsted and Sodull burst out of the passageway with their swords and shields ready. Wolfsted was snarling, a wolfish howl tearing from his throat, and Sodull was giving his own version of a battle cry.

Blader had never been so happy to see his friends in his entire life. Wolfsted plowed into the rekkr about to kill Blader, thrusting his sword into the rekkr's chest and knocking him away with his shield. Sodull dealt a killing blow to one of the other rekkr and Blader felt new hope blossoming in his chest, despite his wound, despite the trembling throughout the chamber and the stones cracking on the walls.

The driver rose from his throne, his eyes wide in anger. "You were ordered to stay behind," he snapped.

"Well, I was thinking," Wolfsted said with a tilt of his head. "If I'm going to die, I'd rather die charging the avalanche than running away from it like a frightened hare."

"What he said, except without all the strange expressions," Sodull said with a deadly look in his eye. "We're einherjar, and einherjar watch each other's backs to the end."

Then Sodull and Wolfsted moved forward, each springing toward the last two rekkr. Blader drew Skalfi's dagger from his belt with his good hand and somehow managed to shove himself to his feet. Dragging his leg behind him, he made for the throne, where the driver was still standing, rage flashing across his face. He did not remove his hands from the throne armrests and Blader realized something.

His apparition is attached to the throne.

The room continued to shake as Sodull and Wolfsted turned away from their last victims and stared menacingly at the driver. The driver began to speak quickly and fiercely, uttering the words that called forth more rekkr, identical to the last.

"We've got them," Wolfsted said simply, and he and Sodull turned again, striking out at the new rekkr as Blader continued on his path for the driver. He met his enemy's eyes, tightening his grip around the dagger.

"You are supposed to die!" the driver hissed, the chamber tilting under Blader's feet. He leaned to the opposite side, somehow managing to maintain his balance as he determinedly limped forward.

I have to end this I have to end this I have to end this I have to end this....

Sodull and Wolfsted were keeping the rekkr away from Blader and the driver was unable to flee, his apparition attached to the throne. Bringing his dagger up, he kept his eyes on the driver as he covered the last several feet.

The blade soared forward and cut through the driver's apparition, tearing it apart and ripping the driver from the throne. A roar of anger followed the motion and then the Transriot driver was gone, the throne empty once more.

Blader staggered back as Wolfsted killed the last rekkr. Sodull grabbed Blader's good arm urgently after sheathing his sword, tugging on it and gesturing upward with his shield arm. "We need to leave now! This place is about to cave in!"

Stumbling toward the exit, Blader had no idea how he kept on his feet but somehow he did. Perhaps it was Sodull, his hard grip hurrying him along. Perhaps it was Wolfsted behind him, yelling for them to run. Perhaps it was simply the adrenaline surging through his veins, or the sound of rocks crashing down behind them, Helheim collapsing either from the effects of Ragnarok or the seers fighting to regain control of the trials. Whichever reason it was, Blader, Sodull, and Wolfsted raced into the passage and began to ascend, climbing back towards the feeble light shining down.

For to stop was to die.

/**/

Lots of action and villain reveal! What did you think? Of the battle, the enemy reveal (did anyone guess it was the Transriot driver?), and of Sodull and Wolfsted's entrance? Any guesses as to the apprentice's identity?

Thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed! Please vote and comment, let me know what you think!

Skylar Wittenborn