All eyes turned to Steffen, and he blushed from the attention, looking down.
“You are a true soldier,” Kendrick said to him, placing a grateful hand on his shoulder. “Our family owes you a great debt.”
Gwendolyn faced him.
“I owe you my life, once again,” she said. “And this time, my baby’s life, too. You are more than a servant. From this day forward, you are a knight.”
Steffen flushed in shock.
“Kneel,” she said.
He did so, and she took Kendrick’s sword and touched the tip to each of his shoulders.
“And rise, Sir Steffen,” she said.
Steffen rose slowly, as the men all around him let out an approving cheer, each rushing forward to clap him on the back. The world felt like it was spinning around him; he had never anticipated anything like this in his lifetime.
The storm picked up, and Steffen joined the others as they all, including Gwendolyn, went below deck, and as he went, he took one long last look out to the raging oceans, and wondered what other dangers this trek would have in store for them.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Thor lay in the mud on his back, looking up at Andronicus, who raised a battle-ax high with both hands and prepared to split him in two.
Thor sensed his father’s hatred for him, his rage, felt that he was about to be destroyed—and worst of all, he knew this was all his own creation. He knew that everything he saw before him was but a reflection of his own consciousness, and yet he could not turn it off. He would die here, in this place, and all because of his own subconscious, his own worst fears.
Thor closed his eyes and forced himself to summon his inner power. He summoned all of his training sessions with Argon, heard Argon’s words ringing through his ears.
You’re stronger than any evil in the universe. You and the universe are not separate. Do not resist the energy around you. And most of all, do not resist yourself.
So many times Thor had heard Argon’s words, had tried to contemplate their meaning, had trained and tried to put them into action. Sometimes he had been successful, and other times not. Thor had never gained perfect mastery over his powers, over the universe. As he focused, went into his deepest depths, Thor realized that there was always something inside him holding him back; he had never fully embraced his powers. He had never truly embraced who he was. Always, he’d seen his powers as separate from himself. Now, for the first time, he realized that he and his powers were one. They were tied to the very fabric of his being.
Thor felt a surge of strength as he realized that he was proud to embrace his powers, proud of who he was.
Thor opened his eyes to see the ax coming down for him—but this time, it was different. This time, he saw it all in slow motion; this time he was a part of it, not separate from it. And as it came down, Thor suddenly felt complete control of his mind. He rolled out of the way, and at the same time, he turned the mud beside him into water; Andronicus’s ax came plunging down, just missing him, instead disappearing into a puddle of water.
Andronicus stumbled forward as the ax plunged in, and he fell face first into the mud.
Thor rolled to his feet on the muddy landscape, and his intuition took over. Instead of searching for a weapon, instead of combing the landscape, Thor felt that he could change the landscape to suit him. He could control it.
Thor turned and his eyes locked on the Destiny Sword, still embedded in the mud. As Andronicus regained his feet, Thor walked casually over to the sword, gently laid both hands on the hilt, and closed his eyes. He felt the power of it throbbing, coursing through his veins.
I shall wield this sword. I shall wield it because I and the sword are not separate. I and the sword are one.
Thor, eyes closed, heard the distinct sound of metal, felt the vibration in his hand, and he looked up to see himself holding the blade high overhead, sparkling above him. His old friend was back in his hand.
Andronicus charged and swung with his ax, and Thorgrin calmly stepped forward and slashed, cutting Andronicus’s ax in half by the staff. The ax head detached and went flying into the mud, as Andronicus swung harmlessly with the other half of it.
Andronicus stumbled past Thor, then regained his balance and turned and faced him. This time, Andronicus faced Thor with dread, fear in his eyes, as he looked at Thor wielding the Destiny Sword. Thor felt more powerful than he’d ever had. He felt he finally had complete control over his surroundings.
“You are my father,” Thor said. “But that does not mean that I am your son. We choose our fathers. We have the power to choose. And I do not choose you.”
Thor charged and let out a great battle cry as he brought his Destiny Sword down for Andronicus, determined to wipe him out once and for all. Andronicus raised his shaft in defense, and Thor sliced it in half, the blade continuing down and slicing Andronicus’s chest, drawing blood.
Andronicus cried out in pain from the wound and stumbled, landing on his back.
As Andronicus lay there, bleeding, Thor stood over him, wielding the sword. Andronicus looked up at him as Thor raised the sword to finish him off.
Suddenly, though, the view before Thor changed, and for the first time, Thor felt uncertain. Andronicus changed before Thor’s eyes. He began to shrink, and his grotesque body and face changed to one that was very human.
By the time the transformation was finished, Andronicus was a regular man, a proud and noble warrior, wearing the royal uniform and crest of the MacGils. The elder brother of King MacGil. He resembled King MacGil, and he looked uncannily like Thor.
Andronicus raised a hand to Thorgrin.
“Here I am,” he said. “You are seeing me. I am the man that was once your father, before I changed. I am the man who your mother met and fell in love with. It is I, your original father. Save me, Thorgrin. Save me for all time.”
Thor hesitated. He felt something was wrong, and yet he could not let his father just lay there, wounded. So Thor reached down, grasped his hand, and pulled him to his feet.
As he did, his father grasped his arm so hard it hurt, and he would not let go. Thor tried to free himself, but he could not. Andronicus smiled, raised a dagger hidden in his belt, and stabbed Thor in the chest.
Thor gasped as the blade pierced him, feeling pain beyond what he had ever felt. He had been tricked, and he realized that he was dying.
As Thor felt his world ebbing away, light-headed, weak, he forced himself to focus. He knew that he could stop this. He knew he had the power to transcend the physical plane, to find another way. This land was forcing him to become greater than himself, to use powers he never had before.