Prologue - Volume V

Prologue

As I am sitting here in the sun drenched room of my tower to continue telling and recording my story; something I was asked to do by my best friends, my mind wanders back to the very beginning. It had all started right here on this cold and beautiful world called Nilfeheim. Back then I was Eric Olafson ,born a simple Neo Viking without any ideas what my future would hold.

Now as I look over the sparkling crests of foaming waves, churned by steady winds blowing over the Northern Sea during this beautiful clear Shortsummer day, I can almost hear my father’s voice, his heavy footsteps coming up the spiral stair case leading up to my room. I could remember the fear, expecting another trashing with his steel cable whip. Whenever I looked back to the beginning, I also remembered the night when he killed my mother. These ghosts of the past no longer affected me the same way as they did back then, father had died 255 years ago and I had seen things and witnessed events much scarier than him or anything on Nilfeheim for that matter. And in essence I had become the scariest thing of all creation. Now my human essence is fading fast and even the horrible memory of seeing my mother die did not feel as intense as it once did. I no longer hated my father I was able to make my peace with him as he was dying and I hoped he would find a place among the fallen warriors in Valhalla and drink mead and celebrate with the Aseir. The Burg had changed, not much by even human standards, but it was not the same place I had left so long ago when I boarded a Space bus to make my way to Arsenal II and to the Union Fleet academy. Elena my sister had not only been the first female Clan Chief in Nilfeheim history, she had remodeled and improved the burg during her time. Gone were the gray Duro-crete and rough rock walls. The burg was now clad in white stone and had nice dark roofs. It looked actually quite impressive and regal now. Elena had made the Olafson Clan the richest and most prominent Clan and she had been deeply respected by her still all male peer. All Clan chiefs of Nilfeheim had gathered at her funeral and even the Circle of Elders paid her highest respects by giving her a full warrior’s funeral. The day I too would leave this world for the last time was not far away, but before I shed my last shreds of humanity and embrace what I truly am, will complete my story as I had promised. I stopped my own train of thoughts and corrected myself. No, I would not completley shed all that connects me to this plane of existence. Friendship and love were human treasures I would take along.

Sometimes you will notice I am telling this story out of the perspective of someone else, these Interludes I find are necessary to give you, the reader a more complete picture of the events that occured back then.

So if you like, follow me again as I tell you about the next part of my journey and the events that followed after I apparently died during the final Challenge to win the Reagan trophy.

The Dark One (Formerly known as Eric Olafson, Admiral Ret. USotG Navy) March, 12th 5379