Xain let Bow lead him inside, not resisting as he sat him in a chair, covered him in a blanket, and put a full mug of beer in his hand. His mind was spinning, trying and failing to comprehend where exactly his day had taken such a turn.
Their cabin, built by Bow years before Xain came into his life, was two stories with the kitchen, living room, and small study on the first floor. The second floor, which was connected by a small staircase just to the right of their front door, had one bedroom for Xain, one for Bow, a bathroom, and a room Bow had converted into a place Fen could sleep. Though the latter remained untouched, as Xain was pretty sure there had not been a single time the wolf had not slept with him, taking up over half the bed as he slowly spread out through the night.
The living room’s wooden floor was covered in a large ornate rug, which Xain couldn't begin to guess the origin of, and contained two chairs opposite one another with a fireplace between them, and a couch on the far wall.
The kitchen had a small table, just big enough for Bow and Xain to sit comfortably at, along with a wooden stove and large basin sink that sat below a large window that looked out at the surrounding forest.
Xain knew in the capital their home would be considered something of an artifact, boasting none of the technology they were so proud of, but he couldn't imagine a better place for him and Fen to grow up.
Ugh. How does the wolf always know?
Fen had been right. He would have to tell him that later. Xain didn't know if all wolves were as smug as he was, but over the years Fen had perfected his ‘I told you so’ smirk to an eerie degree.
“Drink up.” Bow said, taking a seat in the chair across from him, the fireplace between them roaring back to life with a flick of Bow's hand.
Since when could he do that? He has made me make the fire for 10 fucking years.
Xain was slowly getting an idea of what was going on. It wasn't rare for those on Yid to have powers like Bow was displaying now, but his dad had never shown any hint of them himself. He had always assumed Bow was one of the rune holders whose array never grew to more than a few, forever marking him at the rank of Sapling.
Such a thing was not uncommon. Most of those who lived out here, so far away from the capital, were the same. Sure there were some Ash’s, who held eight or nine runes in their array’s, but they were the exception.
There had been an Ash rank 13 once who visited the town, but it was such an event that no one talked about anything else for over a year.
He knew within the capital where the 10 houses of the Realms were located, Saplings only made up about 30% of the population, with most of them reaching a various Ash rank. Then of course there were the Elder’s, but there were only a few thousand of those in all the 10 Realms.
Ancient. They had called him Ancient. No…
He glanced quickly up at Bow, like now that he knew to look for it, he could suddenly see some trait that would mark him as one of the most powerful runic users in the 10 realms. But Bow looked the same. His long red brown hair was pulled back in a braid, and a large unkept beard that ran with more red than brown hid most of his face as his deep brown eyes focused on Xain with a familiar worry.
Aside from his bulky frame, standing at around 6’ and a good 250 lbs of mostly muscle, there was nothing about the man that would indicate he held a near legendary array.
Ancients were so rare they were basically myths. It was said, aside from Yid who had three, each House only had one runic holder whose array had reached such a level. But their identities were kept secret from all except those who held the highest positions in each House. There was a rumor one was spotted a little over a hundred years ago, but not even the gossips in town put much weight in that.
“Xain,” Bow said, bringing his attention back to the moment.
“Oh” Xain said, looking at the forgotten mug in his hand, and quickly bringing it to his lips.
After a few gulps, the ale working to calm his nerves, he set it down and turned back to Bow.
“You have questions,” Bow said, meeting his eyes for only a moment before turning away.
That was one way to put it.
“Wait” Xain burst out, latching onto what Bow had said just before bringing him in.
“Did you say they were the Norns? The actual fucking Norns?”
The Norns were known across the realms, their intervention considered as natural a phenomenon as the wind. They were beings so powerful even the primal gods feared their direct attention. They were as old as Yggdrasil herself, born when the World Tree first sprouted from the Void. But no one had seen them since the time of Odin.
The only evidence they still actually existed was once each season when a handful of runic users would be visited by a raven who bore their sigil, signifying they had been chosen to leave Yid, and venture into the 9 Realms alongside those sent by the 10 Houses.
It was thought to be an honor, allowing the rune holder the opportunity to traverse the Tree, acquiring runes and growing their array, but Xain had always thought it sounded more like a curse.
He liked his life. It was quiet, sure. But during the two years it took for him to fully manifest, in his brief moments of lucidity, he had wanted little else. Bow had never told him exactly what went wrong with his transition, but the process which was supposed to last no more than six months, had been absolute torture.
From the moment he finally woke up, Xain had held no interest in anything but enjoying his days hunting with Fen, or helping Bow with mundane tasks around their home.
“They weren't supposed to come yet,” Bow said, as if this should be explanation enough.
“You… You know them? They know you?”
“It’s a long story,” Bow said, still not meeting his eyes.
“Bow, what in the name of the Tree is going on? Who are you?”
Instead of answering, Bow stood, glancing between Xain and Fen who was laying at his feet, looking as if he was contemplating a question which had only bad answers, before nodding once and setting his jaw.
“Not here. Follow me. Can you stand?” Bow asked, reaching his hand out.
Xain was too confused to do anything but accept his hand and be pulled to his feet.
“Where are we going?” Xain asked, as Bow led him out the door, Fen following directly behind.
“You’ll see,” Bow said, scanning the trees around their cabin.
“Stay close” he said.
Xain was about to reply, but cut off as Bow moved his hand and carved a rune into the air before him. Xain recognized it as Raido, the rune of travel, and one of the three runes held within Yid’s realm.
It was also, as all of Yid’s were, one of the three banned runes, whose power had been deemed too strong for use in any array.
As if today couldn't get any stranger.
The rune flickered for a moment, a dark black tear in the world, then began to expand until it finally dissipated leaving a large arch in its place.
“Come on,” Bow said, not giving Xain a chase to protest before pulling him though, calling to Fen over his shoulder, “you too.”
The moment Xain stepped over the threshold, his whole body became weightless, his senses muted to the point that if it had not been for Bow’s grip, he was sure he would have floated away into the endless nothing that surrounded them. Right when he thought they were truly lost though, Xain felt the crunching of snow under his feet, quickly followed by a blast of wind so strong it nearly swept him off his feet, and a new world came into view.
They had been transported to the top of a mountain, surrounded by a sea of snow capped peaks in every direction. He knew nothing like this existed on Yid, meaning Bow had somehow taken them outside their own realm!
The panic rising in Xain was only quelled at Fen’s touch as the wolf shoved his head into his hand, before moving alongside him so Xain could use the wolf as support. He had been so lost in surprise, only then did Xain feel the utter and absolute cold, the wind like razors across his skin.
As if Bow had read his mind, another dark wave of power rolled off the man, quickly spreading out and enveloping them in a dome of hazy dark energy. The temperature instantly changed, and Bow looked around inspecting his work, nodding as he turned to Xain.
“We don't have long, so let's make this quick. First, you cannot repeat anything we discuss here. This Realm Bud is protected, but out there the Houses have eyes and ears everywhere. Say one wrong word, and you will have all of them hunting you down before you can make a move.”
“Second, there is only so much I can say. Yes, the Norns were there. They have selected you for the voyage. You are to walk the Path of Discovery. Next week, you will join the others on the ship destined for the Nine Realms. There is nothing about it I can do. Not directly at least.”
“Third, your life is going to get very difficult from here on out. I tried, best I could, to keep you safe. To keep you hidden. Maybe, I don't know. Maybe I did it too well. I wanted to tell you, but I had to wait. With their arrival though, the promise is fulfilled. Or close enough.”
“It wasn't luck that let me find you. It was them. They told me where you would be. It was my task to make sure you were able to fully form, and to protect you until the time came for you to venture out.”
“I told you your rune was Uruz. I lied. The rune you hold is Dagaz. The rune of change. The rune of ending, of beginning. Of life and death. No one has held the rune since the last Ragnarok over 600 years ago. But there has been no record of one with Dagaz as their base rune since Odin nearly destroyed the tree.”
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“It was thought only a Hyperion could use Dagaz in such a way, but only Odin and Loki were crazy enough to try. It… it ended badly.”
So they are real?
Xain knew the stories of Odin and Loki, the last two Hyperions to walk the tree, two of the only known holders of all 24 runes, but he had never thought they were truly real. Evidence that the primal gods did once exist was scattered throughout the branches, Loki’s daughter was proof of that.
But they existed so long ago, the stories had become far more myth than historical accounts. Xain had just assumed their status of holding complete arrays was part of that.
To hold all 24 runes was to directly wield the power of the World Tree. If one could achieve such a feat, there would be no limit to their strength. They would have access to every possible permutation of the arrays, and no longer be bound to a core rune.
Before Xain could think on this more though, he was pulled back as Bow continued.
“The history, the story of Odin and Loki you know, it's all a lie. They were not enemies. They were partners. It was only after they were betrayed, and Odin entered his era of insanity that they clashed.”
“But Odin had seen this possibility, and together he and Loki put measures in place to hide their plans from the other gods. They created a Realm Bud, much like this one, filling it with their knowledge and ambitions, before concealing it within the branches of the World Tree.”
“The Norns believe it is your fate to find this realm. To discover the secret which was lost so long ago. And to… finish what they started.“
Xain had barely been able to keep up with the onslaught of words. Bow was speaking so fast, it was like a torrent of water rushing out, threatening to drown them both. But when he said the last, a flicker of recognition came, not from his mind, but from the rune in the center of his back.
Had he not just gone through something similar, albeit magnitudes stronger, he would not have been able to recognize the feeling. This was different though. Before it was as if his back was alight, trying to consume him. Now, the sensation was almost… wanting. Like it had been waiting for this, to hear this story.
…
Bow saw the change on Xain’s face and stopped, caught between wanting to move closer, and throwing himself off the cliff. He had held back so much, looking at the boy, his boy, every day and knowing it would come to an end.
For over 1,500 years he had walked the Realms, searching for the exact place his son was supposedly born to find. He had lived through three Ragnarok’s, and became one of the most powerful people in the Tree. But now, for all his strength, he could do nothing.
That isn't true. Not entirely at least. You know those who will aid him. And he is strong. Stronger than he knows. Than I know.
Bow had nearly convinced himself this day would never come. The last 12 years had been the best of his life. It was supposed to be the price for the Norns' aid, but the moment he had laid eyes on Xain, something had changed. For two years, he helped bring the boy into the world. He spent countless sleepless nights listening to the boy scream, the pain of life, and the power bound to him nearly consuming him.
When he finally awoke, Bow had never been so relieved. He had used his power to change the rune, hiding its true form in a ritual the Norns had left with him. It was the first of many impossible things that would happen over the next 10 years, things he played off as normal while his heart dropped with each reminder of what life his son was to lead.
They had promised him 15 years. 15 years to prepare him for the journey. For what he must do. And he did. Under the guise of normal schooling Bow had imparted all the knowledge pertaining to runes he could. But it was too short. He was supposed to have more time.
When Xain’s eyes cleared, his face no longer slack, Bow sighed in both relief and resignation.
They had a week. It was too short. But it was all they had.
…
“Xain,” Bow said, drawing his attention back. He felt like he had just woken up from a dream, but had no memory of it.
“Your rune,” he continued, “It's… waking up. We must leave this realm soon. But before we do, I need you to hear me. The Norns do not decide your fate. Nothing is destined. I will do what I can to aid you. But this journey is yours. However, before you can make any choice, you need to grow. Right now, you hold a single rune. Its power is great, but without the others, you will be vulnerable.”
“There are many who covet the rune you hold and will not hesitate to take its power from you. No House, no Realm, is safe. You cannot take root. You must walk the Path of Discovery, and only through this will you be able to grow your array.”
“You must not be caught, and stick to the hidden paths which connect the Realms. They hold their own danger, but will allow you to progress unseen. Fen will help you find them. But know, you will not be the only ones who seek the shelter they provide. There are many who do not wish to draw the attention of 10 Houses, and seek to shield themselves from the Valkyries' sight.”
“There is little I can do to aid you directly until you reach the canopy, but I am not without allies. Go to Niflheim first, and seek out Nidhogg. She will provide you shelter for a time. From there, let the runes be your guide.”
“Trust in yourself, Xain. You will uncover many secrets on your journey, but I believe with time you will come to understand the truth. I hope… I hope when we meet again, you will be able to forgive me.”
Forgive him? Forgive him for what? And did he really tell me to find Nidhogg?
No, that didn't matter right now. He trusted Bow. Whatever he did, whatever he was hiding, it could wait. If everything Bow had said was true, it meant he was about to be thrown head first into something so far beyond his comprehension, trying to grasp it all right now would drown him.
One step at a time.
Xain pushed everything else from his mind, and focused on the problem right before him. He had been chosen for the Path. Nothing could change that. If one was selected by the Norns, no one could deny the summons.
“So,” Xain started, his expression resolving into determination, “we have a week. If my rune is not Uruz, how am I supposed to pass the check?”
He knew every rune was recorded by Yid. Any time one added to their array, it had to be recorded by the realm during the final stage of the process in a step known as the Blaze. It was the last of four steps one had to progress through before the rune would fully become part of them, and allow the user full access to its power.
It was the only stage in which the user could alter the arrangement of their array, shifting the order of the other runes to create the desired effect.
Bow had explained the process, and Xain had supplemented the knowledge with his own research, but everything he knew about it told him that it was impossible to progress through the Blaze without the aid of either Yid or one of the other Nine Houses.
For those who walked the Path of Discovery, Yid was the only option he knew of, as they were responsible for all the runic users who had not taken root with one of the outer Realms. Every time one moved from one Realm to another, their array was checked against Yid’s records, verifying it had not been altered without their knowledge.
There was an additional verification for those moving between tiers of the Tree, ensuring the users array was of the appropriate length. One could enter the Realms of the Root, which included Muspellsheim, Nifelheim, and Jotun, with only a single rune. But to progress to the Realms of the Understory, it required an array of at least seven runes.
The Understory held the Realms of Svartalfheim, Alfheim, and Midgard.
Similarly, to reach the Canopy, and enter the Realms of Hel, Vanaheim, and Asgard, one must have an array of at least 14 runes.
The only way for a runic user to bypass this restriction was to take root with a Realm, meaning they signed a contract to become a member of the associated house.
If what Bow said was true, and there were paths outside of this process, it meant once he was in the Nine Realms there was a chance he could bypass the checks. But it didn't solve the problem of the initial check to board the ship which would ferry him from Yid.
“Ah,” Bow said, a smile creeping onto his face.
…
Bow had been terrified of how Xain would react, but once again his son was able to surprise him. He could see that even if Xain didn't believe everything, he clearly understood his immediate situation.
I couldn't ask for more than that.
He would have time to uncover the rest. To make his choices. But for now, pragmatism won out.
Bow knew that his son had always shrunk at the idea he would be chosen to walk the Realms. While they were technically part of the house of Yid, it was only in the most broad terms. Anyone who lived on Yid, and was not contracted to one of the other 9 Houses was by default part of the 10th House, but of the 10 million or so citizens it had, Bow and Xain fell into the group of about 2 million who played no active part in the House itself.
They never would have chosen him to go out and build his array in service to the Realm. To them, he barely even existed. He was a name on a ledger. His identity as a Husk had been hidden with the aid of the Norns, who had forged a full citizenship years before Bow was tasked with his care.
It said that he was the son of Bow, his mother was deceased but had been from the general area where they lived now, and was born with a single Uruz rune.
Uruz, while powerful, had limited potential as it was known to be difficult both to master, and to add on to. It meant that even if they had taken an interest, it would have been passing at best.
Like Bow’s own identity, it was of course all a lie. If they had any idea of who resided a few hundred miles from the capital, every House would have descended on them in force, likely triggering a war on Yid.
Yid would have won, as even if the other Houses had all banded together, they would only just equal the number of runic users Yid has, but it would be devastating. Especially if the House Elders were brought in.
He didn't fear any of the House Ancients would get involved in such a conflict, as he knew all of them personally, and no matter what allegiance they were supposed to have, none would dare risk engaging one another outside of Ragnarok.
Besides, like Bow, except for two of the 12, they wanted little more than to be left alone, their titles as Ancient to any specific House more ceremony than anything else. As for the other Ancients, Bow was only sure that one still remained, and she would rather let the Tree burn before being in the same Realm as him.
The real danger though would have been if Yid decided to use its artifact, referred to as Odin's Eye by the few who were aware of its existence. It had taken Bow 1,300 years to free himself of its threat, but if it became aware of Xain's rune, there would have been nothing even he could do.
It was only because of the Norns' intervention that Xain was saved from its gaze, but it was that same intervention that was taking his son from him now. Still, despite Xain’s hope he would never be chosen for the Path, he had always known it was a possibility.
While the runic users who were chosen to ‘seed’ the Nine Realms each season mainly consisted of those chosen from the 10 Houses, the group always consisted of a few who received the Norns summons.
When one was chosen, either by House, or by the Norns to venture into the 9 Realms, they were given a choice. Take root within one of the Realms by contracting with a specific House, or walk the Path of Discovery.
The former was by far the more common choice, as it would secure their place on one of the Realms, providing them with aid as they grew their array, and a position within the House when it was completed.
Walking the Path was a lonely and dangerous endeavor. While it gave the runic user the freedom to grow their array in whatever manner they chose, they would do so alone, relying on Yid only when it came time for the Blaze. But it also came with unique opportunities.
So long as one walked the Path, they were beholden to no one. They could move freely through the Realms, restricted only by the length of their array, and their goals remained their own. Often they would pursue a better contract once their array had reached a certain length and eventually take root with one of the 10 Houses, but not always.
The Heimdall Company employed the largest number of free agents in all the Realms to fill a variety of positions, such as making them captains of their ships or adding their talents to one of the numerous mercenary companies under their banner, but they were not alone in this.
But for any of this to be possible, the runic user had to survive the slew of dangers that came with such freedom. Runic dissonance, being hunted by other runic users, and the various runic beasts were just a few of the trials those who walked the Path would face.
For Xain though, who could only choose the Path, the trials would be even greater. To keep his rune hidden, he would have to forgo even the minimal amount of aid provided to those who chose to walk the Path, as the greatest danger he faced was being identified as the holder of Dagaz.
One step at a time.
Bow was glad to see his son was clearly able to understand the first hurdle he would face, but at least in this, he could protect Xain one last time.
“Well, that actually won't be a problem.” Bow said, his smile growing a little wider.
