The Great Escape

Freydis prays to a portrait of her family, tears falling but her hands remain together as she finishes her prayer.

The portrait hangs in Freydis’s bedroom, her most precious procession one that she cannot take with her. She burns it into memory however, a source of motivation she will need for the journey ahead.

“Everyone, I will find a way to protect our people, I promise.”

Eiric arrives soon after Freydis is done praying.

“Are you ready?” Eiric asked.

Freydis picks up her travel bag. “You’re sweating already, never snuck away from home before?”

Eiric adjust his own travel bag. Alvis and Runa gave him some special items for the trip, though they advised he use them all should he need to during their attempt to escape.

“I have, many times with Sigrun. But never with the princess of a kingdom.”

“It will be a fun adventure at least. I will be in your care from here on.”

“And where exactly are you going?” Ingrid rests on Freydis’s bed, smirking at them both as their breathing hastens from her appearance, “Eiric, why are you here? Why do you have that bag? Why are you betraying our trust?”

Ingrid grabs Eiric by the neck, squeezing with glee as Eiric struggles to rip her hands away.

“Ingrid stop!” Freydis said.

“Princess, I’m protecting you from a criminal.” Ingrid moves closer to Eiric and whispers, “I’ve been paid well for this, do you think you can beat their offer?”

“Ingrid!”

“Don’t use your magic, Freydis. Not that it would be much at night, but it’s still unstable. The boy has used his time, unfortunately, now I must act as a responsible captain.”

Eiric digs through a side pocket of his bag, pulling out a scroll that unleashes a blinding light. Ingrid tosses Eiric aside and covers her eyes.

“What do we do? Ingrid is strong.” Freydis said.

Another item from his bag, a light double edged sword meant to be easy to hold during a light step. The less weight Eiric holds the faster he can move, it also makes it easier for him to keep grasp of the weapon as he has yet to master the difficult magic.

“Wait here.”

Eiric rushes forward, Ingrid smiling as she whispers a summoning spell. Light surrounds her head and arms, armor of a Valkyrie forming as Eiric’s sword is brought down on her head. His attack is stopped by the armor on Ingrid’s arms, runes etched into the armor glowing before Ingrid counterattacks,

“Not bad, but this won’t kill you.” Ingrid’s arm gauntlets absorb shocks. Releasing the stored energy, her punch blasts Eiric for the wall opposite of Ingrid before she catches him and slams him into the ground, “Good boy, struggle some more.”

Eiric swings his blade, Ingrid dodging without issue thanks to her helmet runes that give her foresight at the cost of great mana. She believes the battle will be over quick and doesn’t manage it however.

Eiric returns to his feet, the impact from Ingrid’s punch making his bones ache.

“Make you’re next swing one of unrestrained strength, that way I can kill you in an instant. My gift of mercy to you.”

“Heh.”

Ingrid jumps backwards. She has seen it many times before, the chaotic magic that surrounds a blessed human as they turn. A spike of magic and strength that has killed many of her closest friends and allies.

“Freydis! Run!” Ingrid blocks Eiric’s next slash, aiming to release the absorbed impact to shatter his legs but her punch is diverted by his sword and into the ground. The ground crumbles, Ingrid looking for Freydis but unable to move as Eiric wraps an arm around her body.

“Tveir flash.”

A flash of light much stronger than that from the scroll blinds a defenseless Ingrid. When her sight returns, Eiric and Freydis have disappeared.

“I messed up.”

Eiric and Freydis land in the secret tunnels of the castle, Eiric flailing on the ground as he holds his head.

“Are you ok?” Freydis helps him to his feet.

“I’m sorry. I had to use my blessing, I tried to keep control as best I could.”

“You did well. I was impressed, but Ingrid is our strongest close quarter fighter, even your mother Astrid acknowledges her strength.”

“I see. Do you know your way out of here?”

“I do not. But we should move, Ingrid will follow us soon.”

“You’re right.” Eiric grabs Freydis’s hand and pulls her forward.

“I’m sorry, Eiric, you’re in great danger because of me. Runa and Alvis can’t help even if they wish to.”

“It’s fine, we must take the risk to chase our dreams after all.”

“You’re right, I’ll make sure to reward you handsomely once all is done.”

“How unfortunate.” Eiric is knocked into the stone wall by a swing from Tyran, “It seems this boy has managed to brainwash you, princess Freydis.”

“Tyran! Please, I must leave to find a cure!”

“There is no cure! The only answer is to kill or subjugate the blessed. But, for him, only my axe is the answer.”

Eiric lands on his feet, his magic once again becoming eerie and forcing Tyran to summon his axe.

“Losing control at last, I will make sure you harm no one.”

Eiric steps forward. The tunnels of the castle have small openings that give limited vision of the surrounding area, where they stand now is still high above the level of the city itself.

“Eiric! Stand down, he will kill you.”

“Stay there, Freydis.” Eiric draws his sword, “I can control it. I can’t be scared. To chase my dreams, I need it.”

Images swirl in Eiric’s mind once more. Many of a similar ordeal of which he stands in now, unmistakable though he struggles to digest much of the information coming to him.

Eiric attacks Tyran, parried back into the wall with another strike meant to kill coming his way.

Just as he saw, Eiric dodges and grabs Freydis using light step. Tyran’s strike blasts a hole in the wall, a giant bird circling just outside as Eiric jumps out with Freydis in his arms.

Freydis wraps her arms around Eiric, terrified by the sudden leap but unwilling to hinder his effort.

They soar, Eiric holding onto the giant bird’s legs as it flies away from the castle.

“That was amazing! Eiric, you did it!”

The giant bird drops the two off west of the castle, deep in a forest where Runa sits in a tree.

“Well done.” Runa said.

Eiric kneels, his head in great pain but his sanity intact. “Thank you. I thought I was going to die for a moment.”

“Tyran would have killed you; Ingrid can be surprisingly kind. Go, I’ll keep my lovely pet in the area to distract Tyran and the others.”

“Thank you Runa! We’ll return with great news!” Freydis said.

“Be safe, princess.”

After the two leave, Ingrid steps out of the shadows of the tree behind Runa. “Mmm, to have Runa in debt to me, how wonderful.”

“What do you want?”

“Information. How do you use blessed weapons so well?”

Runa sighs. “What are you willing to sacrifice to use those cursed weapons?”

“Sacrifice? Just what have you given up?”

“My dream. I always wanted to be a mother. You must give more as you use them, I advise you never do.”

“And there are other repercussions?”

“Many, some that I may not be aware of. Ingrid, stay away from those things. I only do so because I must.”

“Very well.”