Eric Olafson, Midshipman 60

Part 60: ERIC AND DIGNITARIES

Riding the Ammutherathi through the air made me feel, certain that I had ridden something big before, maybe in a dream. There was nothing to ride on Nilfeheim except Fangsnappers.

While I was standing in the stirrups I received instructions through an ear peace. Where to go and what to do.

The beast was at least thirty meters long and had two enormous set of leathery wings underneath tough looking skin were rock hard muscles worked these huge wings in a fantastic display of raw natural power and grace.

When she told me first what they wanted me to do I silently declared them crazy, especially after Elfi said that the beast was a little cranky from the long voyage in a cargo hold of a Saran ship and the subsequent security scans by Pluribus police.

The beast’s head resembled according to Elfi that of a crocodile and it was this feature that made the Saran believe it was related to the crocodile headed god. A demon like entity that ate those who failed the test of the balance. Elfi tried to explain to me as much as possible.

What a crazy way to travel through the air, even though the princess told me that her people had done that long before their industrial revolution.

Right at the first time as I approached the monster it snapped its massive jaws at me and then hissed, telling me how unhappy it was. I wasn’t much happier about this either and almost pulled the sword, not that I would had much of a chance against that thing.

The handler of the beast was a woman, wild looking, wearing tight leathers apparently made of the hide of one of these monsters.

She was Saran, but belonged to an independent mountain tribe, rejecting modern technology.

At first she was, much to Elfi’s silent amusement quite hostile to me and did not like the idea of a stranger riding her over-sized pet.

Elfi’s Dynasty so I had learned, came from that mountain tribe. The wild tribes woman kept mocking, then the beast snapped his jaws at me again, and close enough to smell its hot breath. I was ready to take a flier and leave this fools job to someone else.

Just then the beast roared high pitched shrill and coarse at me, someow able to jank loose of the restraining straps.

Out of an impulse I roared and screamed back as loud as I could at the beast, drawing the sword and stepping forward instead of evading and slapped the flat side of the blade across its snout. The mountain tribe woman yelled something and I was not proud of my response to the mountain woman in my anger pointing the sword at her and giving her a verbal description what I would do next if she so much as tried to insult me again.

The huge Saran monster lowered his head and wings and the mountain woman told me quite civil and quietly how to use the reins and how to steer the beast without any further insults. The Ammutherathi reacted to slightest pulls of the reins. All this went through my head again as we approached the Crystal Palace. Elfi sat in a basket thing strapped to the beasts back and behind a wind shield.

I began to like the ride, the wind tugged at my cape and I wondered if real warriors flying those beasts in the days of old would have worn stupid capes. I imagined how it would have been when the Saran tribes fought wars sitting on huge birds and these Ammutherathi. I wondered how someone would get the idea to ride something like that in the first place, it was as if a Neo Viking decided to ride a Rock shark or even a Tyranno Fin. I grinned at my own fantasies.

The ride was over faster than I liked and we landed. Elfi got out first and I waited till she had been announced and followed her, taking her outstretched hand and then I saw McElligott with Captain Harris on one of the tables and on another was Admiral Stahl and he was sitting right next to Exa and there was Egill, Elena and Sif. I didn’t know the others. There also were two Narth and while they looked alike I instantly knew who it was that stood there. MNy throat tightened with raw emotions and I thought as loud as I could. “Narth is that you?”

His soundless voice filled my mind like the sweetest music. “Yes Eric, it is I and I do rejoice to see you!”

The Queen arrived behind us sitting on her throne in the outstretched hands of what Elfi said was one of last real RAMA bots, modified thousands of years ago by the legendary Dr. Isah for the Saran queen herself. It was still used. I had no information what a Rama Bot was, but it was huge and looked more alive than a machine.

But I did not care much, about anything else. I felt whole again, as Narth instantly answered my unspoken questions with his encyclopedic knowledge as he had done so many times before.”It is one of the most powerful weapon systems ever created, my dearest friend. The last RAMA bots created by ISAH were considered Tech Level nine, in a time when Earth was Tech four. Much of it is forgotten.”

With a slight sense of regret did I watch the Sarans take the Ammutherathi to a waiting cargo flier, but not before I petted the long frightening snout of the beast. It was clear I would not leave the place the same way I came.

The queen was guided to a large table and we were following her. There was a very large Klack, a man I recognized as the Pan Saran Emperor from pictures and two Archas.

Elfi’s mother whispered to us. “It is okay for both of you to join your friends for a few moments if you want.”

One of the Archas waved and scurried fast towards us, why I recognized Krabbel right away, before I even saw his version of formal dress, I could not say.

Someone screamed in panic as the Spider wrapped his legs around the princess.

Black dressed women of the Shadow Guard had suddenly appeared, deactivating their camo-fields.

To my surprise two of the Banner carrying Klack guards near their queen collapsed and the other two lowered their spears, neither Elfi nor Krabbel had noticed.

I heard her say.” Krabbel you made it! Just don’t call me Elfi, I am sort of incognito here.”

I put my hand on the hilt of my sword and said to one of the Shadow women raising her arm.” Try to use that glove against my friends and I cut it off!”

The black dressed woman seemed to glare at me defiantly but as she met my gaze she swallowed whatever she wanted to say and changed her stance.

I guess I managed to express my resolve adequate.

Now Elfi noticed and added. “This is Krabbel a dear friend of mine. Whoever harms so much as a hair on his body will face death after days of torture. I say this once, the words are death, stand down!”

Krabbel was clearly confused. “I am sorry if I caused trouble or a breach of protocol. I...”

Elfi wrapped her arms around Krabbel and said. “You did nothing wrong. You are my friend and nothing else matters.”

While Elfi and Krabbel talked I noticed the onlookers and bystanders seemed embarrassed by their reaction all went back to whatever they had done before. Seth’s Shadow Guard disappeared, but the woman I had threatened said.” You could not stop me, man.”

Elfi smiled cold at her. “All Seth’s guard could not stand against any of my friends.The Queen has chosen Eric as my protector, test my will and I let him show to you why. No begone!”

I shrugged and I made it to the table. Egill got up from his seat to give me a long strange stare and then introduced me. “This is Eric Olafson, something like a grandson of mine.”

I saluted the Admiral and gave everyone else a military style acknowledgement and nod. Exa literally flew from her chair and wrapped her arms around my neck. She had grown considerably.”Eric!”

Elena was right behind her, and did the same. Exa’s eyes no longer had that sorrowful, tortured look I remembered she had when I first met her and for all the bad things I did and was not proud off, having sent her to Nilfeheim was one of my best decisions I ever made.

“Eric, everything is amazing here. We have seen the parade and Papa Hogun is here and Aunt Freydis and little Eric Narth Olafson is here too! He is already 3 weeks old and we flew in a big...”

Elena curbed her with a laugh. “Exa, I think you need to give him a chance to say hello too!”

“Oh right!”

I hugged both of them as well, but before I could get into a little conversation, everyone on the able rose to their feet and bowed as Elfi followed by Krabbel came over. I already hated the stiff formalities as the introduction game started again. I learned that the one of the men at the table was Rex Schwartz.

Sif was there too but she had not joined the others to greet me and only gave me a cold stare. I guessed she decided that she hated me after all. I had hoped our last mutual adventure had changed things for the better. Seeing her, I remembered Astrid and as I did I had the feeling she too recalled those events as well.

Meeting and seeing my friends and family was great, but the greatest surprise was Narth. There were two of them and except for small differences on their shrouds they looked exactly alike, yet I knew who one of them was. He got up and I looked at his glowing eyes and I grabbed his underarm and he did mine. “It pleases me far beyond any logical reason to see you, Eric.”

“I missed you too Narth.”

The other Narth also got up and said. “All that is Narth rejoices to physically behold the sharer of the Huhgavh and now partake in the pure and deep affection you share.”

Part 61 »