Things happened fast.

  Alec hadn't even realized Erik had moved.

  Erik lunged.

  Svein bolted forward.

  Sword met axe, and the air imploded.

  The pressure nearly crushed Alec.

  Erik got pushed back a couple of steps. But he went back to the assault without missing a beat

  Steel met steel.

  Lightning ran wild from the shock, it burst from the collision, forking outward like a shattered crown.

  Arcs speared into the ground around them.

  If Ulf had not been there to push Alec away, he would have died.

  “Move. Now.”

  She said before drawing her bow.

  Alec's body moved on his own, he ran.

  Trying to find a place where he could actually understand what was happening and how to act.

  Erik and Svein looked equal.

  Erik's axe violently split the air aiming for his neck.

  But Svein blocked in extremis with his own axe.

  He kicked Erik in the stomach, but the boy barely moved.

  Svein tried to follow up, but Erik pushed his arm as he tried to swing before landing a violent overhand.

  Alec swore he felt the air vibrate as it landed.

  Svein stumbled backward holding his jaw.

  The lightning rings surrounding his arms disappeared.

  Yet the air got heavier.

  He made a long jump back.

  He didn't look back at Erik, he stared at the ground as he assumed position.

  With a thunderous crack, lightning surrounded both of his axes. More controlled than before, more dense.

  "I misjudged you, boy,” he said, a wide smile spreading across his face.

  "Let's see how you handle that." He lunged forward at Erik.

  He was faster, Alec could barely see him move.

  But before he reached Erik, arrows rained from the sky, right in front of him.

  Stopping Svein mid-stride

  "I'm not fighting alone."

  Erik lunged forward, Svein steadied himself for the shock.

  But Erik stopped halfway, instead arrows sliced the sky from behind him straight to Svein.

  He dodged the first wave with a roll.

  He sliced the second wave out of the air.

  But Erik had followed his movements.

  He aimed his sword for his neck, but the demigod blocked.

  Erik went for a flurry, but Svein was faster.

  The demigod took control of the exchange and forced Erik to step back.

  Erik leapt back.

  Svein tried to follow, but a volley of arrows forced him to break off.

  He laughed, audibly. As if he was having fun.

  "I can play that game too."

  Lightning flared along his axes as he carved a cross through the air.

  Rows of lightning crosses tore toward the trees where the arrows were coming from.

  If he couldn’t get Ulf clear position, he was going to destroy her hiding places.

  Trunks exploded.

  Erik threw his axe at Svein's head, forcing him to dodge and stopping his attacks.

  With his remaining sword, Erik went for the assault.

  With the burning trunks and the falling trees, Alec couldn't see Magnus anywhere, nor ingrid.

  Erik and Svein went at it again.

  Svein took the speed advantage, slashing his axes in the air with fury.

  But everytime, Erik dodged by an inch.

  He then kicked Svein's knee as he tried again.

  Stopping him straight.

  Then he headbutted him.

  Svein stumbled back.

  He tried to regain composure, but Erik headbutted him again.

  The air cracked with a loud thud.

  Svein struggled not to fall to his knees, holding his bloody nose.

  "How?" He looked at the blood in disbelief.

  Ulf descended from a tree branches, right in front of Svein.

  Even he couldn't react that fast.

  She swept his legs, before full on striking him in the face with her bow.

  It broke on impact.

  "Rubbish," she cursed as she threw it on the ground.

  "With all the noise he made, i almost believed he would be stronger." Erik said as he picked back up his axe.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  Svein rolled backward before standing up. His already leaking nose had been broken by Ulf strike.

  "How is that possible," he mouthed to himself.

  The sky slowly got darker, and the pressure in the air violently increased.

  Thunder cracked overhead.

  And as Ulf look, Svein took some distance again.

  "Oh," Erik laughed. "Is the mighty demigod running away?"

  Svein spat blood at the snow.

  "My brothers are coming, you will regret this." He screamed

  "Ohh we're counting on it," Ulf answered. "You don't know how much I prayed to slaughter Thor's family."

  It was true. The reason they had went into this forest was because of Ulf's plan.

  Alec had tought that Svein would have been the end of them.

  But they were actually dominating.

  If Ulf had a plan that meant they could win.

  That meant they would live to see tomorrow.

  Svein grabbed a handful of snow and wiped it across his face.

  He tried to regain position, but a throwing knives ended it's course in his shoulder.

  "Just stay down," Ulf said as she crouched.

  She traced her fingers in the snow where Svein had bled.

  Before tracing something of her forearm

  From where Alec was he couldn't tell what it was, but it looked like she had made a rune.

  "Filthy witch, don't you dare." Svein screamed at her.

  She reached her hand out before closing them.

  Thunder cracked overhead.

  Chains of lightning emerged from the ground binding Svein in the ground.

  He tried to muscle his way out of it but nothing.

  "That's new." Erik said

  "The son of Thor's binded by the blood of Thor," She smiled. "And with how concentrated his blood is, this isn't even half of what i can do."

  Alec was grateful he had found those two lunatics.

  It felt like with them he would have been able to face everything.

  Thunder cracked overhead.

  Alec felt it before he could fully explain it.

  A shift in the air as something sliced it with great speed.

  No thunder.

  No noises.

  Wind picked up in a second.

  The smell of incoming rain flooded the area.

  Burning trees extinguished as the snow flew in the air.

  As if a shockwave hit the battlefield

  Alec blinked.

  Svein wasn't bound anymore, the lightning chains around him as dissolve.

  But the red head girl that had her hand rested on his shoulders was the real issue.

  She was tall. As tall as Ulf, her long red hair was windswept over her back. Her armor was light, a shield rested on her back and lightning crackled on her spear.

  The smell of rain clung to her like a coat.

  Alec could smell the storm stirring inside of her.

  "She was part of your plan?" Erik asked Ulf.

  "Yes," she dragged it. "Just a inch faster than i expected."

  Her eyes studied Ulf.

  "Giant's magic?" She had a heavy northen accent. "Nice edge." She nodded.

  Ulf nodded back.

  "It's impure magic Gunhild," Svein protested.

  "You sent people on their back to tire them out, i think y'all matched fairly." Her words cut

  Svein tried to protest, but he couldn't find the strength.

  Her eyes swept the battlefield. Before stopping at Alec.

  Statics ran over his back.

  She tilted her head before humming.

  Erik pointed his axe at her throat.

  She didn’t move.

  Her eyes slid to him.

  "Put it down, drengr." The air tightened as she spoke. "You could hurt yourself with that."

  She pointed the tips of her spear at Alec.

  Ulf mimicked a bow with her hands.

  "You've hurt my brother. It is only fair that I hurt the stormborn." Gunhild said without looking at her.

  "Let me see you try." She answered.

  She slammed the tip of her spear and the sky roared.

  Alec blinked and she was right in his face.

  "Move!" Ulf screamed.

  Thank to the gods, Alec didn't see the move, but he could feel her.

  He fell to his knee in shock, dodging the estoc meant to his throat.

  She hummed again.

  He tried his hardest to get back up vefore she truck again.

  And started running.

  The direction didn't matter, he just knew that this was his only option here.

  Yet he didn't make four steps before, she swept him off the ground.

  His world went upside-down.

  Gunhild had to slice a couple of Ulf's arrows, then dodged back to evade Erik's assault.

  If they weren’t there, he would have died.

  She raised her shield, blocking Erik's swords strikes before pushing him back with wild swings of her spear.

  He leapt back and she assumed position.

  "She's quick," Erik cursed. "What's your plan."

  "I can't use it yet," Ulf said as she got to his level. "If i did now, we still would have two more to fight, we need more time."

  Svein lighting crosses sliced the air forcing the duo to dodge their separate ways.

  As Ulf got to her feet, she ended inches away from Gunhild spear.

  She dodge the estoc, tried to create a magic arrows but Gunhild wasn't giving her the time with her swings.

  She needed a weapon, a physical one.

  Alec took a deep breath.

  "Ulf!" He screamed.

  She leapt back putting some distance between them before turning to him.

  Alec threw his sword in the air.

  Ulf caught it. She twisted in a swift motion before nodding at him.

  Gunhild rushed her.

  Ulf parried the first strike, dodge the second and riposted with a slash of her own.

  A precise strike, that was read too quickly.

  Gunhild jumped backward to dodge.

  "You're quick," Ulf admitted. "But your bother hit harder."

  "I don't need to hit hard,"Gunhild assumed position. "One hit is all i need."

  "Maybe, but you're fighting me not the air head."

  Gunhild threw her spear at Ulf's head, it sliced the air in a second but the girl dodge.

  Alec blinked again, and Gunhild had now retrieved her spear and was standing behind Ulf.

  She tried to sweep her, but Ulf stepped on the spear locking it in the ground.

  "I wonder how long you can keep going, missing like that." Ulf smiled.

  Ulf struck, Gunhild raised her shield in-extremis.

  With her spear locked, she was stucked under Ulf's assault.

  Gunhild kissed her teeth.

  She raised her shield wildly, forcing the girl to step back, before throwing snow at her face with a kick.

  Ulf covered her face, that reminded Alec of something.

  Gunhild kicked Ulf in the face.

  The girl stumbled back but didn't not lose awareness, as she parried the incoming spear's strike.

  Another one of Svein's crosses sliced the air between the girls.

  Alec tried to turn to see how Erik was holding again the demigod,

  Only to see Svein getting pushed kicked so hard, he went flying between the two girl before crashing into a nearby tree.

  "Let me join on the fun would you." Erik said as he reached Ulf's side.

  Ulf wiped the blood leaking out of her nose.

  Svein tried to get back up, but his legs gave up under him.

  Gunhild kissed her teeth.

  "Useless one," She screamed at him.

  "He's strong," Svein answered. "When the others come..."

  "Shut up." She interrupted. " just do something right for once."

  Svein lowered his head, pressure raised a notch. As if the forest was holding his breath for what came next.

  Gunhild raised her spear to the sky.

  Svein raised his hand, as he shot a lightning arc in the sky.

  It took a couple of seconds, where Erik and Ulf could have moved.

  But Alec was sure that they were as curious as him.

  She took a deep breath, made visible by the cold air.

  Lightning splitted the sky, landing on her spear in a shockwave.

  Lightning's arc crackled over her and her shield.

  Maybe letting her prepare had been a mistake.

  She knocked on her shield with the lightning imbued spear before assuming positon.

  "We had fun. Doesn’t your friend feel excluded?" She asked.

  "Don't worry about him." Erik knocked his sword and axe together before assuming position.

  Yeah, Alec was good where he was.

  "I won't."She smiled.

  Alec hadn't felt her. No pressure, no smell.

  When he realized, another girl stood right behind him.

  She looked exactly like gunhild, but her hair were braided

  The girl from the tree earlier.

  "Hilda, just kill the kid."

  Words Alec never wished he had never heard

  He tried to move, but she caught his arm.

  He tried to punch her but she grabbed the other arm.

  "Alec!" Erik screamed.

  He rushed by Gunhild got in his way in an instinct, lightning now following her steps.

  Ulf tried another angle.

  But Gunhild's spear spinned widly stopping them from pushing forward.

  She turned to Erik, worry clear on her face.

  "Do something, we'll deal with the consequences." Erik said.

  She leapt back and rested her hand on the snow.

  She whispered into the snow.

  Gunhild aimed her spear, she lunged but clashed midway with Erik.

  Steel met steel and lighting.

  Alec struggled in vain. Hilda was strong.

  Should he try to headbutt her like Erik would have.

  "Don't." Her words slashed his intent.

  "You haven't killed me yet."

  "I have not, and i don't plan on it."

  "What?" Alec asked.

  "Our fath..." she stopped. "Thor is a monster, look at my siblings he did more damage than you can imagine."

  "So you will not kill me?"

  "I'm not your friend tide turner, but standing up to my father was brave. Just for that suicidal act, you get a pass for me drengr." She smiled.

  A mix of warmth and sadism.

  Thor's children were not unified. He had imagined four forces of the natures coming from him.

  But they were not all the same.

  "Don't get it wrong. I'm not your friend, i won't stop the other from hurting you. I just won't." She said.

  "Then let me go."

  "Be grateful i'm touching you."

  She turned to Erik.

  Still holding his own against Gunhild.

  He was trying his hardest to keep her away from Ulf.

  Some of her strikes were barely dodged, leaving cuts on his body, but he didn't slow down.

  "Your friends are impressive," Hilda confessed. "I never thought they would get this far but Edmund is coming. And at two against three, it's only a matter of time."

  "Ulf has a plan." Alec said.

  She raised an eyebrow. "Maybe."

  "Maybe you can win today, maybe you can win tomorrow. Maybe you will keep on winning for months. Thor is a resentful god, this won't end it's only the beginning."

  The weight of her word landed on Alec's heart.

  Ulf had said the same thing to him.

  "So what should i do?"

  Her face illuminated.

  "Show that you're a hero, prove that the rune on your arm is not decoration."

  The rune pulsated.

  "Fight, with everything you have and even if you lose, make the next warrior hesitate. Show the world that messing with you has a cost that they cannot afford."

  Gunhild punched Erik in the face with her shield.

  He stumbled back but maintain composure.

  "You're strong, you should train with me." She said.

  "I don't flirt with the enemy." He said as he charged back.

  Svein finally found the strenght to get back up.

  "Why haven't you killed him yet?" He screamed at Hilda.

  "Shut up weakling." She screamed back.

  "Hilda i swear..."

  "What will you do?" Her voice cut sharp.

  Alec swore that he saw lightning arcs crackling from her eyes.

  Svein stopped in his track.

  "That's Hyrdyr's cousin. He's basically family." She added.

  Hydyr? That name rang a bell

  "You know the boy?" Svein asked.

  "Of course i do."

  Another realisation hit Alec.

  This wasn't a family, they were branches of the same storm.

  Svein might aswell been thunder. overwhelming but somehow predictable once you understood.

  The type of fighter who ends conflicts early rather than prolonging them.

  Gunhild moved like lightning. Fast, precise, aggresive

  Snow started to elevate from the ground.

  A high pitched sound took over the forest.

  Hilda moved like wind. Fast, undetectable, but she wasn't commited to a cause.

  Then Edmund would have been the rain that followed the storm.

  Aspect of a storm that happened to have personalities.

  Natural disasters with opinions.

  Where was Magnus fitting in all of that.

  The ground begun to shake.

  The winds picked up.

  Thunders roared overhead.

  Gunhild leapt back, Erik did too.

  "What did the witch do?" She asked "this shouldn't be possible."

  "Not witch, giant."Erik corrected.

  "Quick giant magic lesson, the base of their powers is influence over their environnement."

  The ground begun to shake violently.

  It felt like the world was getting remodeled under their feets.

  From where he was, Alec could see Ulf's nose bleeding.

  "And this is why even insane people wouldn't want to fight those two," Hilda said.

  "What kind of threat are you vanirspawn?"

  Pressure increase drastically.

  Fire died out.

  Alec could feel the weight of her spell.

  As if she had ordered something at the forest and it was trying it hardest not to bend.

  In vain.

  Winds picked up.

  As if a storm had appeared in the middle of nowhere before englobing them.