Bloodlines of the Ancient Pantheons

"Vegard! Let me in! I want to know more about this axe and I need your help!" he cried as if the blacksmith could hear him from behind the stone wall.

He placed the blade of the double-headed axe on the door, at the runes, but nothing happened.

"Damn..." whispered, lowering his head down, sad.

"We're going to be able to open it, Captain. We're too close to our goal to give up" Reidar said, touching Dag's shoulder to encourage him.

"Step aside" replied he, who tied the large axe behind his back again.

Reidar backtracked and Karl did the same, without saying a word.

Dag pulled Magni's hammer.

"Master, help me. I'm sure the blacksmith knows more about my powers, and I... I need to know" Dag said, looking at the hammer, turning to the spirit of his late Master.

He raised his head upwards and clasped the weapon tightly in his right hand, trying to condense the dark fluid again.

Although he had used a large amount of his power shortly before, within seconds other black liquid began to flow on his arms, this time confluencing towards the head of the hammer.

He also raised the weapon towards the vault of the cave, following it with his eyes: the head of the hammer emitted blue lightning bolts, which turned purple as soon as the liquid reached it.

When the weapon was sufficiently loaded, Dag looked at the door.

His right eye had turned soft purple and his face was inexpressive.

Karl and Reidar moved further away, moving behind their captain.

Dag carried the hammer down, grabbing the handle with both hands, also surrounded by the dark fluid.

"Let me in!" he yelled, as if he was sending the last warning to Vegard.

After a few seconds, no one answered and he ran to the door, leaving a trail of dark lightning behind, which burned the rock under his feet.

"Aaaaagh!" yelled Dag, as he charged an Overpowered Strike against the door.

The hammer struck exactly the midpoint of the large stone slab, in the center of the rune circle, and the door shattered, emitting a shock wave so powerful to unbalance Karl, which was grabbed by Reidar before he could fall off the precipice.

The two warriors fell to the ground due to the earthquake caused by the blast.

The cloud of dense dust lasted a few minutes before they could distinguish the shape of Dag popping up in the mist.

He was standing, looking up at the wall in front of him: the door had been completely destroyed and he had managed to break through the rock, creating an entrance.

"*cough*cough*… Captain! Wait, we're coming!" shouted Reidar toward Dag, grabbing Karl by the jacket and helping him get up from the ground.

Dag walked forward, toward the entrance, with the hammer continuing to emit bright bolts, reflecting in the dusty air, which looked like a cloud during a storm.

Reidar and Karl approached Dag, continuing to cough.

He walked impassively, entering the blacksmith's hideout.

Once past the wall, the fog abated and the three adventurers were able to see what was in front of them again.

They found themselves in a second cave, smaller than the first: on the walls, there were tools of all kinds, all useful for iron processing.

A large anvil stood in the middle of the room, with a blacksmith's hammer resting on the ground, next to it.

"We've arrived... I think this is the place... but where is Vegard?" said Karl, looking around.

There was no trace of the old blacksmith in that room.

Dag put the hammer in place, which stopped emitting sparks.

To the left of the cave, there was a small semi-open wooden door.

"That door leads to the real furnace. It will lead us underground for several kilometers, according to my mother's story" Dag said, grabbing a torch that was leaning near the wall.

"So? Are you going down there without Vegard's permission?" asked Karl again, fearing the worst.

"Yes. You still have time to retire. I must go on" Dag continued, lighting the torch, rubbing the metal stick on the pyrite fragment, which he always carried with him.

"Make your way, Captain" Reidar said, ready to follow Dag.

Karl snorted and then joined his comrades, for fear of being left alone in that place.

All three of them opened the wooden door and began to descend a staircase, as Dag predicted.

They walked for about an hour in total silence, careful to hear every slight sound coming from the end of the stairs.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction? I don't feel anything coming from the other side" Karl asked, bored.

"That's because we're not even halfway up the stairs. Be patient, brother. If the legend is as real as I think it is, it will be an experience you will never forget in your life" Said Dag, with the torch pointed forward, to see every single step, avoiding tripping.

The three friends continued to chat, fantasizing about Vegard's appearance and what kinds of weapons they would find in the lava pool room, deceiving time.

After hours of descending the stairs, one step after another, Karl said: "guys... I can't stand it anymore... how much far are we? Aren't you exhausted? And then... there's an asphyxiating heat in here!"

As he spoke panting, he placed his hand on one of the stone walls of the tunnel, removing it soon after.

"Ouch! What the fuck?! This wall is as hot as an oven!" he exclaimed, bringing his hand to his mouth, trying to relieve the burning with saliva.

"The heat is really intense... look at the torch. It is much brighter than before, the fire burns strongly! That means we're almost there" Dag said, beginning to see a faint orange glow that dimly illuminated the walls.

"It's true! I see something too! There's a light, we're almost there!" added Reidar, trying to widen the neck of his jacket because of the heat.