One month later.
In the same clearing Haldryn and Skurge faced each other again. Haldryn's expression was calm; Skurge looked slightly nervous.
Skurge roared and charged.
Haldryn did not move until the last instant. He shifted sideways, letting the punch sail past, and casually kicked the back of Skurge's left knee.
Skurge's leg buckled and he dropped to one knee.
He tried to twist free, but Haldryn was already faster—pinning the lower leg with one foot and locking Skurge's left arm across his body so the larger youth could not leverage his strength.
Skurge struggled hard. His raw power still far exceeded Haldryn's; for a moment it seemed he might simply throw him off. The awkward position, however, made every movement costly. Within moments he was breathing heavily.
"Enough, enough," Skurge said, surrendering.
Haldryn released him and quietly let out a breath of his own. If Skurge had kept fighting, he would not have held the lock much longer.
In the past month he had largely mastered the novice level of the Paladin Combat Arts, yet the gap in physical power had not closed. If anything it had widened. Skurge was packing on muscle and bulk even faster than Haldryn was growing.
Fortunately Skurge lacked true fighting will. A short struggle was usually enough to make him quit.
He stood and brushed himself off. "You're getting stronger every day. Planning to join the army and become a warrior?"
"I've thought about it," Haldryn said.
Skurge blinked. "Why?"
"The loot."
Skurge laughed. "You're serious?"
"Completely."
It was the truth. Asgard was no crime-ridden city where a wandering hero could make a living righting wrongs. The people were fierce, but the streets were orderly; even finding a common thief was rare. The most practical way to feed the Tome was still to spend gold. And the fastest way for an Asgardian to acquire large amounts of gold was to fight on the battlefield and claim the spoils.
"You're already stronger than me," Skurge said, "but your build…" He did not finish the sentence. The meaning was clear.
"I can go as a field medic," Haldryn replied. "Don't forget—I'm still an apothecary."
Skurge was quiet for a moment. "Now you're making me want to enlist too. Randolph and the others killed a frost-pole beast in Jotunheim last season. I heard the teeth alone sold for a fortune… If you really go as a medic, I'll go as a warrior. When are you planning to join?"
"Not yet," Haldryn said. At the very least he wanted Verigan's Fist finished first. Field medics were not issued weapons.
They talked a while longer. Then Skurge said, "Come on. There's someone I want you to meet."
"Who?"
"A girl in Landveti Town. She's a year younger than you, but from what I've seen her skill is about the same as yours. If you're willing, you two could spar." He offered no further explanation and simply waved for Haldryn to follow.
After a brief hesitation Haldryn went with him.
Landveti was the largest town in Asgard, mainly because its territory included the Landveti Forest, home of Vidar, the forest god.
Before long they reached the town's landmark—the Brave Hunter Tavern.
"Fresh mutton!" A broad-shouldered young man with a sword at his hip appeared at the door, two dead goats draped over his shoulders. The people nearby cheered.
"Tjalfe, still no four-horned goat?" someone called.
Tjalfe said nothing. A server paid him in gold; he left the goats and walked away with the coins.
The tavern was large and crowded both inside and out. In a quieter corner a small group of young faces had gathered. Skurge led Haldryn over and spoke to a dark-skinned girl among them.
"Valkyrie, this is the Haldryn I told you about—the one who beat me in a month."
Valkyrie.
The name gave Haldryn a mild jolt of recognition.
"Hello, Valkyrie."
"Hello." She returned the greeting, then looked at Skurge. "You want me to fight him?"
"Haha, yes. I want to see which of you is weaker so I have a short-term goal."
"Short-term goal?" A blond youth—clearly the oldest of the group, perhaps in his thirties—grinned. "You talk big, Skurge."
Skurge pointed at him. "I've decided to learn real combat skills. Just wait, Bart."
He turned back to Haldryn. "Well? Want to spar with Valkyrie?"
"I'll pass," Haldryn said with a smile.
Fighting a girl brought no glory even if he won. And given who she would one day become, he was far from certain he could win. Losing would be worse.
They exchanged names and talked for a while. Eventually Haldryn took his leave and returned home.
There he picked up the wooden-hafted copper hammer from Hadiye's Forge, settled his breathing, and opened the Tome once more.
Large Candle Gag had proven tougher than expected. Multiple attempts had already consumed every Holy Strike fragment he possessed, and the kobold still lived. He had been tempted more than once to use the Divine Shield fragment, but the cost in the Trial Space was real. Wasting an irreplaceable invulnerability charge on a virtual kobold was simply not worth it.
So he had trained harder. Today he would challenge Large Candle Gag again—without using any spell fragments. Accumulating a full hundred of each and learning the complete abilities remained the wiser path.
The world shifted. Hammer in hand, Tome at his side, Haldryn stood once more in the mine.
"I'm taking your candle!" he shouted, and charged down the tunnel in a tight S-pattern.
^^^
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