230 CCXXX. The Dark Mage

"If you don't let my teammates get away from here, I won't answer any of your questions, old man" he said, begrudgingly looking at the man.

"Take them away? Sure! Hahaha! Just say so!" he replied, screaming.

He waved his wooden bracket in the direction of Karl and Reidar, whose feet suddenly came off the ground and began to levitate a few inches above it.

"What?! What's going on?!"

"Put us down!"

They screamed at him, scared to death by the powers of that dark mage.

"Hahahaha!" he laughed again, who with another movement of the rod, threw them towards Gridd, making them flying into the air.

All three of Dag's companions fell to the ground after the impact, in disbelief at what had just happened.

"I've never seen anything like it! That man threw you meters away without even touching you! Ouch!" said Gridd, rising sore from the ground after moving Karl's shield, which had ended up on her legs.

Karl got up and began to walk back towards him, when Reidar stopped him, looking at Dag: "I think something terrible is going to happen here, that's why the Captain wants us to get away".

"What? Of course something terrible is going to happen! Dag will die! Look at how many men there are! He can't do it alone, he needs our help! I have to go, I can't abandon him and my sister like that, there must be a way!" continued Karl, trying to move Reidar's arm, which remained firmly resting on his chest.

"It wouldn't do any good, Karl. We'd end up dying too... Dag warned us, told us he wanted to come here alone. He must have something in mind, he doesn't seem to have a scared expression... we stay on the sidelines, and at the right time, we will help him" Gridd replied, grabbing her partner's shoulder to prevent him from walking on.

"Think of Freydis, Dag! Think about everything you've done to see her again! You can't die like this! I trust you, Dag!" yelled Karl again, as the magician moved the stick back towards them, producing a shock wave that knocked them violently to the ground, causing them slight damage.

Dag's eyes remained on the man in front of him, and his expression seemed impassive.

The hands were ready to grab the axe and the hammer, which quivered with the urge to unleash all their power.

"We disciples of Heimdallr see everything, boy. I saw your arrival on Vaeren Island, the cruelty with which you killed five of my guards... I saw everything and I thought I'd give you a present. I will free you from the pain that your soul is impregnated with! Today I, Sondre, will acquire your powers by offering you as a sacrifice to the great lords of frost and eternal night, the Frostsinners!" the old man shouted, unveiling his plan, as the warriors around him cheered him on, oblivious to the heresy their leader wanted to accomplish.

"Tell me where she is... where is Freydis?!" screamed Dag mightily at him, his eyes injected with blood, trying to hold back his anger so he could unleash it at the right time.

"Grr... I'm getting sick of you, kid, I told I'll ask the questions here!" growled Sondre, pointing the ram-shaped wooden head of the stick at him and channeling a purple sphere, which after a few seconds emitted a magical ray in that direction.

Dag stood still until a few moments before he was hit and then deftly dodged the blow, turning on himself and quickly pulling the hammer out of his belt, throwing it at his enemy.

Seeing Magni's hammer coming towards him, Sondre interrupted the magic attack and raised his other hand, blocking the advance of the weapon in mid-air, which bounced over a kind of invisible barrier, falling to the ground.

"He stopped his hammer! No one had ever done it before! Who the fuck is this man...?" whispered Karl to his companions, who, like him, had been blown away, frightened by the incredible magical powers of the enemy Master.

"Eheheh... my boy... this time Magni's powers will not be able to save you. It's not going to happen again, as when you fought against King Hjalmar… my level is much higher!" continued Sondre, spreading his arms and flying the hammer at great speed towards Dag, trying to hit him with his own weapon, to give everyone a demonstration of his telekinetic powers.

Dag dodged the hammer, which continued its advance behind him.

Then he turned his right arm and opened the palm of his hand towards it: a bundle of dark liquid splattered away from his arm, reaching within moments the handle of the weapon, which soon returned to the hands of his owner, with the usual elastic effect.

"Hahahaha! That's what I was talking about! Excellent! Your powers will be mine!" the enemy yelled again, raising an arm.

After that gesture, all the archers on the roofs loaded the burning arrows on their bows.

Before Sondre gave the order to fire, Dag stepped toward him, slowly: "Let's do this way... I'll give you three more chances to tell me where my woman is. You have about 30 seconds".

"What? What are you babbling?! You're not in a position to give orders! Don't you realize you're going to die, insolent kid? Hahahah!"

"Where is... Freydis?" exclaimed Dag, as his purple eye began to glow abnormally.

The enemy immediately lowered his arm, giving the order to the archers, who fired the previously loaded arrows: a shower of fiery arrows lit up the gloomy sky, heading toward Dag as if they were a single body, resealing a flock of birds during the migration.

"Dag! Get out of there!"

"What are you doing, brother..."

His companions, now out of reach of the arrows, looked at the scene helplessly, without finding a way to intervene.

As the arrows fell fast towards him, leaving red trails in the sky, Gridd knelt with tears in her eyes.