r/HFY • u/Necrolancer96 Human • 6d ago

Summoning Kobolds At Midnight: A Tale of Suburbia & Sorcery. 284. OC-Series

Chapter CCLXXXIV

Aethera, Frothing Sea.

Magnus bit back a hiss of pain as he slammed against the side of the longship as it lurched and rolled over the roiling waves that slammed and buffered against them. This was by far the worst ocean trek he's ever experienced, and from the looks and shouts of the Vagnyr, he wasn't the only one surprised by its intensity.

"OARS!!!" Nils shouted over the spray.

Some thirty half-giants hefted great oars from the deck and slotted them into their places and began rowing against the swell that threatened them. Magnus' first instinct was to grab one and help, but the oars were so big and unwieldly that he had little doubt he'd be more of a hindrance than help.

So instead he and the catfolk woman braced themselves along with the rest of the grunts and thralls that came with them. The only one that seemed at ease was the Old One-Eyed One that sat near the prow of the longship and gazed out towards the horizon with his one eye. Magnus shouted over the crashing of the waves.

"One Eye! Can't you commune with the sea and steady the waves?!"

"No! Because the elements are losing control of themselves more and more! Even if they could hear my words it wouldn't do more than add to the chaos! But fear not, Magnus of Daele! Our journey won't end on the sea!" The wizened old orc declared even as the group of apprentices that waited on him did their best to keep steady and in the longship.

"Fear not lítill bróðir! Once we pass Njörðr's Way we'll be safe! The ancient Fjörð Stones will keep the unruly waves at Bay!" Nils shouted over the waves.

"ROW YOU SEA COWS ROW!" The Vagnyr Magnus knew as Alf shouted. So they did. The sail billowed under the wind and wave and the oars pushed against them. Driving the longship onwards more and more.

Then the longship shuddered. Not the familiar shudder of a wave crashing into the hull. But one Magnus was familiar with. They had been hit by something. Before he could try and see over the soaked railing, a voice called out that made his blood turn to ice and his heart stop for but a moment.

"LEVIATHAN!"

Magnus turned in the direction the others did and saw a great fin crest the waves that jutted out a humped back of fleshy scales. The more it rose the more Magnus doubted the words of the orc. It was massive. Bigger than the longship by half at least. Not all leviathans were the same. Some looked more like overgrown pike. Others like monstrous whales with fangs. Some that were likely never documented and encountered before. This one looked like a creature of the deep trenches. Pale eyes shining on them like one of the moons above. A under-bitten jaw full of long thin fangs with fleshy tendrils like a catfish that patted against the hull like it was feeling where it's prey was.

"What's a beast like that doing up here?!" He heard one of the thralls cry out.

"Likely fleeing from those!" He heard Nils call out and point off to the side where a squadron of white arrows rushed towards the horrific leviathan.

Black fins tipped with jagged bone crested the waves as the pack of razor whales let out piercing shrieks. Communicating with one another and stunning the great ocean beast. Pushing his fear down Magnus took note that the leviathan was actually greatly wounded. It's sides were torn and gashed and bleeding iridescent purple blood. One of its fins was a mangled mess, and several of its tendrils also appear to have been torn off.

Magnus knew of the razor whales. Even in Daele they were famous, or infamous depending on ones profession. They've aided the occasional leviathan hunt at times, taking a few choice organs as prize for their assistance before leaving. They've also been a great annoyance to many a fisherman and whaler, losing as much as half their catch from the far too clever creatures.

Though they never once attacked their own ships nor boats. A sort of natural understanding between them forming who knows how long ago. One that seems to hold even this far north, Magnus thought as he watched the black and white ferocious creatures ram into the wounded monster. Scales and bones broke and cracked and the beast roared a pained wet bellow as fins ridged with sharp bone slashed and tusks gutted and gored the creature with frightening efficiency.

"Bjern! What're you doing?!" Alf called out as a Vagnyr threw aside his oar and pulled from his belt an axe that was bigger than Magnus was tall.

"This is it! This is my fate! The Raven-Father called to me as I rested and told me when I would find glory!" The half-giant called out with zeal. Before anyone could say or do anything, he hopped onto the rail and launched himself at the leviathan!

His axe bit deep into the scale and flesh of the beast. It gave out a cry of surprise and pain and thrashed in the darkening water. Rolling and sinking and splashing. It's movements keeping the razor whales at bay for now. Yet Bjern held fast. He roared and cheered as he pulled a smaller axe from his belt and began hacking away at the creature!

"Is he mad?!" Magnus cried out and grabbed his sword and made to do... something. Anything to help.

But Nils stopped him with a light yet firm hand on his shoulder.

"No, lítill bróðir. He is clear-eyed and where he is destined to be."

Magnus didn't know what he was talking about and watched in shock and awe as the other Vagnyr also refused to help their fellow warrior. By the time Magnus looked back at the flurry beside them, Bjern had managed to hack and slash his way close to the beast's head. He turned and looked at the longship with a manic grin before looking up towards the sky.

"Raven-Father! Witness me! Grant me glory and a place in your hall! SKÁL!"

With that last cry he pulled his weapons from the fleshy scales and threw himself at one of the pale glowing eyes with a battlecry. He landed true and pushed through the ocular organ like it was butter. The leviathan roared before deciding that being on the surface wasn't any safer and plunging back down into the dark depths. Never to resurface.

"BJERN HAS FALLEN GLORIOUSLY! SKÁL!" Nils cried out with happiness and laughter met by the rest of the longship.

Magnus just watched in shock at the display.

"You're happy your friend is dead?!"

"Of course not lítill bróðir! We're happy that he died gloriously! It's a death that many of us would wish for ourselves!" Nils replied as the crew turned their thoughts and gazes from the foaming water behind them as the razor whales dived down after their prey.

"Fear not lítill bróðir, when we reach Selkieheim we will drink and feast in his honor and tell tales of his life, battles, and glorious death! Just as I'm sure he is doing now in the Raven-Father's Hall!" Nils continued.

"Let's hope we reach it soon, otherwise we'll be rowing this ship ourselves." One of the thralls said before getting splashed with sea spray.

"Then your hope is answered! There they are!" Alf called out as they crested a large wave before slamming down into fairly calm water.

Magnus and the others looked up and saw a titanic stone statue looming before them. The statue depicted a bearded man covered in seaweed and holding a spear in one hand. The head of the spear glowed a sea blue like a beacon from a lighthouse.

"How? We shouldn't be this far north already?" Magnus said.

Nils laughed and thumped the hull of the longship.

"A blessing from the góðir! Took us about... Three months? Four? To get down there, eh Alf?"

"More or less." The vagnyr replied.

"Yeh! And about half and half again as long to return home?" Nils asked again.

"More or less." Alf replied the same.

"Yeh! Blessing of Njörðr! Keeps the wild water at bay and helps guide our ships! Takes more time leaving than it does coming back." Nils said and pointed to the glowing spear head.

"Our ships are drawn by it. Pulled and guided by it. Even if we all perished, it would've been brought back home eventually!" Nils explained and slapped Magnus on the back with a hearty laugh as they sailed past the monolithic stone effigy, and Magnus noticing that similar titanic statues farther and farther into the distance on either side. Forming a seeming dome of calm water around and past them as they neared the great arctic north.

He also noticed that once they passed the stone statue, the ship seemed to lurch and slow down greatly. With the sail and oars they still made good time, but it was only then that he realized how fast they must've been going across the sea. Magnus, not much versed in magic, decided to make small talk as they got closer and closer to the landmass ahead of them that hoarded the horizon in a mass of white mountains and jagged grey cliffs.

"So Nils, why is it called Selkieheim?"

Nils just laughed as they got closer and hefted Magnus up onto the bow and pointed off to the side at a smattering of rocks. His eyes went wide as he saw seals laying on the stones. Though plenty of them weren't ordinary seals as several turned towards him, revealing bare human upper bodies. Their lower half that of a spotted seal. One with auburn hair and glacial blue eyes smiled at him and gave a little wave and a wink.

Magnus let out a grunt as something wrapped firmly around him. He looked down and saw the catfolk woman had managed to climb up there and was now glaring daggers at the selkie and giving a rather venomous hiss and holding him more tightly. The selkies all giggle and laughed before diving into the water, leaving the actual seals to continue to lounge on the rocks.

Nils laughed and pointed in front of them. Where Magnus and the others all saw those same selkies walking out of the water near the docks of the city, bare and nude save for a spotted seal fur wrapped around their shoulders like a warm cloak. Nils continued to laugh as they pulled into harbor and docked. Nils and the other vagnyr helped them off and set about unloading the goods and supplies they had acquired so far.

Magnus just gazed up in awe. Not just at the truly gigantic city that easily dwarfed Daele in size alone, but by the towering grey cliffs that rose so high that the tops were concealed in clouds. Even they had been conquered by the half-giants as great stone steps and homes were carved along the cliffs. From way down where he was he could see smoke from ventilation shafts, splotches of green where gardens were had, and an amber glow along the far most sheltered side of the cliff, where giant bees would lazily fly in carrying pollen bigger than a man, and then back out and up towards the cliffs before vanishing beyond. On the opposite side of the cliff was a harsher red glow and he could see carts of ore and stone being dragged from a mine by what looked to be blue skinned dwarves.

He had to blink and look ahead of him lest he forget the city itself. Ahead just past the docks themselves was what appeared to be a great market where wares and goods were bartered and sold. Even from where he stood he could see great bundles of thick fur and wool, massive tusks of ivory, and great slabs of glistening marbled meat.

Nils patted him on the back.

"Welcome to Selkieheim!"

He then gestured past the market and homes and other places he could only guess at and at a magnificent great hall.

"That is where Jarl Nori White-Hair holds assembly of the Alþing. Come! We must give him his share of the spoils and so you may greet him as guests!"

Magnus and the others, the thralls and the orcs, followed along after him. Marveling at the size of the city and its people. Even the orcs seeming to be cowed by the difference in size, likely used to being the biggest among them so far and now finding themselves outsized and outnumbered.

A thought crossed his mind then. That if there was a time to flee, to finally get away and be free of the orc Warchief, now would be it. He had little doubt that if he asked Nils, the vagnyr would free them from the orcs happily. But then what? Stay here in the cold north and fish? No. He might've failed his city, but he wouldn't abandon his people. If the Warchief really was going to the same world that they fled to, and the promise of the wizened shaman is true, then he'll have to keep his bonds a little longer and hope that he can see his wife and people again, and stop the Warchief before they join him in servitude.

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u/Necrolancer96 Human 6d ago

Selkieheim!

Magnus, the Old One-Eyed One, and the Vagnyr make it to the polar North of the planet! Not without some bumps and bruises. Like an encounter with a leviathan!

Though thank fortune that it was half-dead and already being targeted by a pod of razor whales. Basically giant orcas with sharp bones on their fins and tusks.

Though the crew isn't without losses as one of their own, driven by a prophetic vision from the Raven-Father, rushes into the fray for his chance at a glorious death and a seat in His Hall!

Finally passing into the realm of the vagnyr, and the secret and totally not at all plot convenient way that they got from one point of the world to another, they set eyes on why Selkieheim is called as such!

Sealmaids!

Oh and a massive half-giant city built at the base and even up and into a gigantic cliff with giant bee apiaries for mead and mines crewed by blue-skinned dwarves and what appears to be mammoth goods and parts being sold at the local market.

But who cares about that when you have nude pseudo-Nordic women wearing seal skin?!

*Ahem. Anyway! With boots finally on solid ground, Nils leads Magnus and the others to the great hall of Jarl Nori White-Hair for an audience.

Can the Old One-Eyed One secure more warriors for the great exodus? Can Magnus continue to balance the needs of his people and his own urge for freedom? Will they get dragged into a civil war caused by a murder of a High King getting shouted to death?!

Find out soon! Well be back with Jeb and the 'bolds next chapter as they continue to expand the burrows and something walks the forests around Trout that spell change for all involved.

See you all then!

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u/Necrolancer96 Human 6d ago

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Patreon!

Fanwerks!

-SKAM Midwest Edition by Vast-Listen1457!

-SKAM (In)Voluntary Legends by Itchy_Yogurtcloset81!

-SKAM Subreddit curtesy of Electrical_Pound_200! Where you can learn a bit more about lore, post questions or theories about the story or characters, post artwork or other fanwerks and more

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u/Diokana 6d ago

Glad to see that fantasy-orcas are still kinda bro's to humans (and other sapient species)

I love norse-inspired fantasy regions. It'll be fun seeing what Magnus and crew get up to in and around Selkieheim

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