Eternal_Winter
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Chapter 37: A new dawn approaches
🕑 Added 2025-05-02 13:40:47 +0000 UTC- you better believe me Ethan, the next time you pull something like that I’m gonna bite you enough to make even my venom work on you. You promised no more near death experiences for my sake, but especially for yours! Even when you die by my hand I will just ask your benevolent patron to revive you…so that I can kill you again! Do you even know how worried I was about you?! You wi-
Ethan stopped listening a while ago to Nora’s threats, it was quite amusing how she switched from caring to murderous in mere seconds, for hours he was in the hands of the healers and another few hours he spent unconscious only to wake up to a very angry snake demanding he wake up this second so she could yell at him for another two hours.
Ethan was glad they only talked telepathically, otherwise it would be very embarrassing, especially for him, getting yelled at by a snake for being an idiot wasn't the best look for a leader after all.
After he woke up Kra’kulgar informed him about the situation. First that he wasn’t dead and everything was healed the only thing he needed was some time to rest. The healers did complain about his ice which was not easily melted. While they wanted to use fire magic to melt it he was glad they decided to go for light magic instead. Very concentrated light magic, but they healed the burns at the same time, so he was told.
Secondly the Brammgestir agreed to meet up because, quote, they didn’t want to end up as a pile of frozen death tumors.
That made even him shudder because his mind was not his own during most of that fight, while in the beginning the frost stilled his thoughts and gave him clarity. He had become more and more accustomed to it, but with it suddenly gone, his fear and worries resurfaced. In the end that gave him the ability to survive but the realization that those moments of clarity could disappear filled him with dread.
While he wanted to rest he knew there was no time. The Brammgestir waited for him and the necromancer would keep moving no matter how Ethan felt. With some help from the general he managed to look somewhat presentable, he was especially thankful for the self repair enchantment on his robes. Clutching his staff he stepped out of the small tent the healers had set up so they could work in peace.
The moment he stepped outside, Nora wrapped around his staff this time around, while he cursed the tutorial in silence. He really hated the whole non-combat, just talking stuff. He was almost the definition of an introvert back in his old life and now he had to command soldiers. Even now he didn’t understand how he could cope with this amount of social interaction but he just blamed the system again. It was becoming a comfortable scapegoat for Ethan in the last week.
Standing in two neat rows forming a corridor were his soldiers, waiting at the end he saw the Brammgestir delegation with one of the more…educated ones at the front.
Ethan walked towards them, his staff digging into the sand with each step he took. When he stood in front of the delegation he waited for the soldiers to disperse, only the general was staying at his side.
“I defeated your champion and survived the encounter. So I hope we can now begin our little meeting, right?” The bull-man nodded and straightened his back. “Good, now what is your name and are you speaking for this delegation or for your people?”
The Brammgestir lowered his massive fist onto his chest in some kind of salute and snorted. “I’m Torin, son of Tauros.” How original, Ethan thought. “I speak for my people, great mage, you earned your right as a leader not only in the eyes of the Crocodiarii but also in ours so let us hear what offer you bring to us after countless years of war.”
A piece of ice broke from Ethan’s cheek as he used his aura for a moment, he wanted to go back killing fire giants right this second. He knew it was time to use all his might as dungeons and dragons player to roleplay like the system wanted him to do.
“I’m pleased Torin, son of Tauros, that you see me as a leader, I hope we can come to an agreement with each other. A great evil is gathering in this land, a necromancer of unknown power that is amassing an army of the undead. We fought their hordes on the way here and my scouts saw their growing horde march over the red sand. But not only that, they command grand magic that makes them vanish in mere seconds.
Our dead, but also yours, are wandering once again through the lands of the living, and that is why I am here to propose an alliance of our races to defeat this vile enemy. With the order of the Crocodiarii and the fierceness of the Brammgestir we might have a chance to reclaim the lost lands and even find peace among ourselves.”
He looked straight into Torin’s eyes and held his breath, hoping he would answer in a somewhat positive way. The Brammgestir nodded and said.
“What you say is true great mage, we also encounter the undead in our lands, troops of our own warriors killing their own kin. We defeated them easily but while they lost our ways of combat they gained resilience and didn’t die easily, taking us by surprise and killing some of our best troops, even one of our bullhorn sentinels.”
Kra’kulgar and even most of the Brammgestir looked shocked at this news, the bullhorn sentinels were some of the strongest fighters in their entire race.
“I accept your proposal, while I know most of my people won’t agree. I know it’s the best chance for survival and I’m confident Jarl Thoran, with whose authority I was endowed, will see it our way.”
Ethan stepped forward and they shook hands. While he hoped for this outcome it was…so easy…again. He just accepted it and smiled, nodding to his new ally before turning to the general. “Make the troops ready and prepare scouts, we need to gather every soldier possible and guide them to the Brammgestir. Make sure they don’t arrive all at once, otherwise they might think we invade them. Understood?”
The general nodded and left to carry out his orders. Ethan turned back to Torin. “I hope you’re right and your Jarl agrees, do tell Torin how important was Brakan to your people?” He raised an eyebrow, curious about his answer.
Torin hesitated but under Ethan’s cold gaze he decided to answer the question. “He was the heir to the throne, not by blood but by rite of combat. So that would make you the new heir if we follow the laws of my people. But you didn’t fight for the right to becoming the new Jarl. So I’m not sure...”
Of course he was the fucking heir, Ethan was wondering if everybody had such a shitty tutorial or if he was just unlucky but when he saw the general approach he decided to just roll with it, he couldn’t change it anyway. “Alright Torin, we won’t talk about this again, okay? Coordinate with Kra’kulgar about the route to your people. I need to rest.”
With those words he casually walked away and approached the behemoth lizard that was waiting at the front of the formation. He gently rubbed its big scaly nose before climbing up to the saddle, he sat down on some big backpacks filled with water skins and groaned.
Nora I just wanna go home, all this talking and diplomacy stuff is draining me more than combat ever could. I just hope the necromancer, who is James for sure, puts up a fight that I can enjoy. He grabbed one of the water skins, made from shed behemoth lizard skin; they were very durable. He gulped down some water to get rid of his dry throat, before he looked up into the clear sky.
Nora wrapped around his arm and a triangular shaped head appeared in his view. It’s better that you spend your time talking than dying all the time. Try to enjoy it a bit. I'm sure there is enough fighting in the near future and who knows what we find in the fourth circle, there could be anything happening there. Maybe more of those beaver zombies you liked so much. Could also be filled with fire giants or some other stupid enemy that tries to take you away from me.
Guilt spread from his heart at her words, he knew he was a bad companion especially since he never asked Nora if he should fight, only talking to her for boring decisions. Something he should change.
I try to be better now, but I’m sure nothing bad will happen on our way to the Brammgestir, especially with so many soldiers.
