Olaf’s Dream

The young lady was on her way home when suddenly the sidewalk collapsed and she fell into a hole.

When she awakens she sees nothing but grass for miles. She decided to start walking not knowing where she was going.

Eventually she found this village. She made her way and noticed that the people were not wearing clothed in a manner like her, "I must have entered a medieval fair," she concluded.

Many took notice of her and gave her weird and astonishing looks.

She found my tavern and ordered a sandwich. She looked around for something called a phone but none of us knew what she was talking about. A male human asked if she was mage but she answered no.

"Here's your food," I said.

"Ah thanks I'm starving."

We observed her eating politely. "Well at least she has that going for her," my employee Milly says to me.

"I wonder if her clothing is from the Eastern Continent," I say.

Once she's done eating, I hand her the bill and she hands the money which was green paper and had strange people on it, humans though.

"What sort of currency is that?"

"It's plain old American money," she answers.

"What's American?"

"Oh, oh right I forgot we're in Medieval Europe. America is part of a continent that has yet to be discovered."

"Europe? What is Europe?"

"You know Europe! And I'm assuming we're in England, Camelot. But I don't recall Camelot having elves or dwarves.

"Um no this is Chia Village and this is our currency." I reach into my pocket and pull out some bronze, silver and gold coins.

"Well um, you see I don't have any of that."

"Well unless kin comes to give you money you will not leave here until you've paid off your debt."

She was stiffed in place. "Um if you could just lend me a phone."

"We already told you we don't know what this phone thing you speak of. Is it a magical device?"

"Oh to you yes but to me its modern convenience."

"So money or work?"

"Um I guess work. You guys are really doing a great job with the acting."

I gave her a perplexing look.

"Do you by chance have a map of the fair. Oh I mean Chia Town?"

Milly handed me a map and I presented it to her.

"Um this isn't a map of the fair, unless it's bigger than I expected."

"You're here, and this map is of the entire Western Continent."

"This doesn't look like Europe or America."

"We know not this Europe or America you speak of."

"Oh come on now, even if you are medieval you aren't isolated, there were those before you that traveled into Asia and Africa."

"What are these places you speak of, wench?"

"Ok this joke has gone far enough."

"I really haven't the faintest idea of what babbling about, wench."

She rolls her eyes. "There are seven continents."

"Are ye mad wench? There's only four continents, the west which we live in, east, north and south."

"Fine you're really taking your roll seriously. Anyways I guess given the present time you believe there's only four continents, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania."

"Um those aren't the names of our continents, they're just West, East, North and South."

"Sigh fine I'll play along."

"Good because jesting mad will not keep you from paying off your debt."

"Fine show me to the kitchen, boss man."

"This way. By the way, what is your name? You have one right, wench?"

"It's Felicia."

And so the strange wench went about working. During her time here she kept asking for this strange thing called phone. But none knew what she was on about. After a week had passed it finally sank into her head that this was no act, this was life, our life.

She explained to me that her world was called Earth.

The wench was nice but timid, I pondered keeping her around since she paid off her debt but then the brigands attacked and that was the last I saw her. Figured she would be dead or worst but then she comes back as the Dark Lady.

****

"And just how long are you going to keep telling that worthless story, uncle?" Olaf demands.

"As long as those wish to hear it," Ragnar answers.

"It will do you no good, there are those who wish you'd slay her before she became the Dark Lady."

"Shedding of innocence blood is not something I'd ever do, did you not hear the story?"

"Of course I heard it many times from you!"

"Well clearly you didn't harken to it's lesson."

Olaf rolls his eyes, "Clearly it did nothing to aid us!"

"Clearly it did, by showing Felicia kindness she did not besiege us or any of the dwarven relms."

Olaf rolls his eyes again. "Clearly the only reason we're still alive is that we surrendered after the SOTL wedding massacre. How many of our people were slain, huh? And you sit here praising her!"

"Peace you two," Milly says "The Dark Lady is gone now, be happy."

"That doesn't change anything, Milly!" Olaf exits the table, takes his wine and leaves.

"Wait Olaf, wait!"

"Let him be Milly."

****

Olaf drains the entire the bottle and accidentally throws it into a window. "Oh bother!" He tries to run but was completely drunk and is arrested for disorderly conduct.

The next day he's released but not before paying the fine. "Now get out you disgrace!"

"Oh I'm a disgrace, what does that make you, coward!" he thought.

He wonders around Dwarfheim full of indignantion. He like everyone had looked in the sky and saw the Elf Elena fight the Dark Lady and she wasn't alone, there were other elves, men, even an orc but one from the SOTL was missing from the fight and that was a dwarf, where were the dwarves in this fight?! None had appeared and what was worse is that the magical weapons the other elves and men were using came from Mount Dwarfense, birthplace of the dwarves. He heard that a party was supposed to go there and reclaim their home but instead they backed out. Instead of dwarves setting foot in their ancient homeland it was elves, men and a vile orc!

He suddenly notices a large gathering of dwarves. "What's going on?"

There standing at a podium was a dwarf cladded in armor. "Fellow dwarves, as you all know the Dark Lady is no more but her forces still remain, a large bulk of them are at Elftoria, King Gai and Queen Shantora of the Elves plan to retake her homeland, the three dwarf kings have agreed to lend her aid, if any of you wish for blood the time is now! Join up and fight!"

Olaf smiles, this was it, the moment he'd been waiting for. He enters the line and signs his name.

"Report tomorrow to the garrison!"

That night he informs his uncle and friend Milly.

"How could you do this?" Milly exclaims.

"Well I figure why waste time here when I could be out there making a name for myself."

"This isn't a game it's war! Ragnar say something!"

"What can I say it's his decision even if it is stupid!"

"Oh fighting to protect is stupid?!"

"Olaf, they're not attacking us. It's better to live and let live."

"Well I cannot agree with that, I will go! No more sitting by. I'll show everyone the strength of the dwarves! Farewell, the next time we meet I'll be bigger than Elena!"

"Olaf wait!"

"Milly let him be."

"But...."

"He'll find out on his own."

****

Dingin

King Gai and Queen Shantora were in a war counsel.

"I'm afraid with the damage done to Hyperia, I can only muster up a force of 1,000."

Queen Shantora sighs sadly.

"Have hope, the majority of Majin Hai are dead, they have no mages and their venom no longer works. With our combined might we will overcome them."

"Well said," King Gai nods.

"But we need to know who commands the Majin Hai now," Queen Shantora says.

"We will find out soon enough," King Maximus answers.

****

A month worth of training had passed and the combined dwarf army of the three dwarf kingdoms led by King Channis of Dwarfheim enters the SOTL camp ten miles from Elftoria.

Olaf smiles as he pitches his tent. He made it and now was going to make a name for himself.

He was making his way to the main banquet hall when he's bumped into several times by men.

"Out of the way dwarf!" One barks.

He notices a white flag with a scarlet eagle on it and then one of the knights having with two wings on the right and left side of the helmet notices him. "Well, well, eager are we for food, too bad you didn't show that ferocity when it came to fighting the Dark Lady."

"I wasn't of age yet."

"They were boys laying down their lives so I don't want your excuses, dwarf!"

"Why don't you take off that helmet and face me like a man!"

The knight takes off the helmet revealing long red hair, red lipstick and brown eyes.

"A woman?!"

"Yes how about I face you like a woman!"

He instantly reconsidered especially with the other knights watching. "And who are you?"

"I'm Countess Rachel Von Lu, second in command of the A Company of the Kingdom of Lakskolen."

The other knights begin making way as another knight passes forward and he had golden wings on both sides of the helmet which he removes revealing blond hair. "I'm Sir Hamilton, the Commander of this company! What business do you have with us, dwarf? Speak quickly!"

"I'm just passing through that's it."

"Well it's back the way you came, in case you haven't noticed we're marching tomorrow."

"I'll be right there beside you."

The knights laugh.

"Aye beside us eating," one of the knights mocks.

"In case you didn't notice I wield a great axe!"

"Yes I see it makes a nice tombstone. What is your name?" Sir Hamilton asks.

"Olaf, remember it!"

"Oh yes I shall, better than writing anonymous on the tombstone."

Olaf was beyond angry. How dare they mock him! He would show them! He walks away.

"I'll pick some nice flowers," Countess Rachel mocks.

****

Olaf enters the main banquet hall but is turned away due to his low rank, only officers and those of renowned could enter.

He finds a line where soldiers were waiting to be served. "I will gain renown!" He thought. He sits down with his fellow dwarves who were full of good cheer.

"So how long do you anticipate we linger here?" A young dwarf named Sheena asks.

"I say two weeks," another dwarf named Zee answers.

"You lads are simple minded, we're not liberating just one city but the entire country," the dwarf sergeant Tugbar explains.

"What can we expect in numbers of the enemy?" Sheena asks.

"I say a few hundred at least." Zee answers.

"They're all over the place, so a few thousand," Sergeant Tugbar explains.

"Hopefully the soldiers elsewhere can prevent them from joining with remaining forces here."

"Why? I say let them all come, that way I can slaughter all of them!" Olaf huffs.

"Don't be overzealous, young one, that will get you killed," Tugbar says sterny.

"If I get killed I'm going to go out fighting and have the biggest kill count. Since they don't have mages I hope for a champion or a dragon or some other monstrous mount."

The other three dwarves shook their heads.

"If I die I will be remembered!" He thought. He rushes to finish his food.

"Slow down, savor each bite for it could be your last!" Zee exclaims.

"Can't I can still get some training in."

"You should get some rest, we're going to need it for tomorrow," Tugbar says sternly.

"I don't think I'll get any sleep with them around," Sheena says and shifts her eyes to the Turned Majin Hai.

"Can we really trust them?" Zee whispers.

"It's because of their civil war we're close to victory, remember they were regular folk at one time," Tugbar answers.

"They're all SOTL and some are mages and thanks to the red armor they wear we can differentiate them from the Originals who wear silver armor," another dwarf sergeant explains.

"Well as long as they don't come near me everything will be fine," Sheena says.

Zee nods in agreement. "And as long as I have my lucky golden pendant everything will be fine."

"As long as they save the silver ones for me everything will be fine," Olaf says and leaves.

****

Olaf spins the rest of the evening swinging his great axe and throwing his hatchets against the logs and hay dummies. He wipes the sweat off his brow while panting. "I will gain renown!"

As he makes his way to his tent he bumps into Countess Rachel. "Oh it's you," she says annoyed.

"Yeah it's me!"

"The one who dies or the one who runs?"

"I won't run."

"Well dies then."

"What if I don't do both?"

"The battle of Chang Dri tells a different story!"

"I have no idea of what you speak of."

"Of course you don't, like you dwarves would record shame. When Sir Gruthan your dwarf champion was felled that day the rest of your kind fled leaving us to face the Majin Hai by ourselves, we paid dearly for that all thanks to you dwarves."

"Well I'm my apologies but that has nothing to do with me! I'm my own dwarf. I won't run or die! I'll become a dwarf of renown!"

Countess Rachel laughs. "I needed a laugh. Tell you what, since you want to prove me wrong how about a wager?"

"Speak."

"If you manage to save my life I'll give you my ass."

"What?"

"Yes in fact let's sweeten it, I'll give you my mouth and ass as long as the invasion goes on."

Olaf ponders this.

"Are you frighten?"

"Certainly not. What about your cunt?"

"My cunt belongs to my future husband."

"Fair enough, I'll take you up on that wager."

"I'll start picking flowers." She walks away.

Olaf shakes his head. "Nice ass but full of sass."

****

The first wave moves out. The dwarf brigade split into battions. The first battalion was approaching the city of Dyol. It was quiet and then a horn blows.

Arrows begin raining down on the dwarf battalion but they put up their heavy shields. The Majin Hai charge. The dwarves fires their arrows which take out many Majin Hai. Many dwarves break and attack.

Olaf throws his hatchet into one and then charges at them. He slashes two of them in one swing.

"I got two of them," Sheena exclaims happily.

"I have seven," Zee chuckles.

"The day is far from over!"

"We've reached the city! A dwarf commander announces.

"Advance!" Sergeant Tugbar barks after killing a Majin Hai.

An arrow hits Olaf's helmet and bounces off so he throws another hatchet in response which knocks the Majin Hai off the roof of a building.

Zee fells another with an arrow of his own.

Sheena fells another with sword.

After two hours of fighting the Majin Hai retreat.

****

Fort Felicia

"Sir, the enemy is advancing," a Majin Hai captain reports.

"Send out the new units. What about the envoy I sent to the SOTD?"

"Nothing Minister?"

"That's Dark Lord."

"Yes sir I mean my Dark Lord."

****

Dyol

It was dawn, the first dwarf battalion was in the middle of eating breakfast and defense preparations.

"So how many today?" Zee asks.

"I think at least 100, better than 59," Sheena answers.

"I was only one point off," Zee pouts.

"Hehe."

"Well as long as I have my lucky golden pendant I'll be the winner."

"Those Originals are no challenge at all, I need a real opponent, a real challenge!" Olaf complains.

"You should be thankful," Sergeant Tugbar says sharply.

The war horn suddenly blows.

"Archers to the rooftops!"

"There are two horses pulling carts, and three Majin Hai per cart, hundreds of them!" The watcher dwarf reports.

"Horses pulling carts?" Sergeant questions.

"I've heard rumors about such tech but they're called chariots! One controls the reins and the other two do the attacking!" Sheena explains.

"The wheels are fitted with spikes!" The watcher says.

"Open fire!" The dwarf commander barks.

The dwarfs fire their arrows but the majority of them missed their marks.

"They're faster than they look," Zee observes and fires another arrow.

As the chariots get closer the Majin Hai fire their own arrows and some were fire arrows.

"We have to take out those chariots!" The dwarf commander says. "Phalanx, testudo formation!"

Three groups went out.

"Archers, once they target the phalanx, fire!" Sergeant Tugbar orders.

The fire arrows and the throws of sprears of fire hit the testudo formation but they were ineffective. A few of them tried to brace their wheel spikes against the shields but spikes were broken off and the spears thrust forward which took down several chariots.

"We're pushing them back!" Zee says happily and kisses his lucky golden pendant and the other dwarves start cheering.

One chariot charges but instead of shooting arrows or throwing spears they toss bombs and a second later boom. Many dwarves were killed and the first dwarven phalanx group falls apart and many start to retreat.

The other chariots did the same thing against the other phalanxs and they fall apart. Many dwarves flee while others made their stand but were no match for the chariots.

Hundreds of Majin Hai suddenly spring up and charge. Many of the chariots get close to the city and fire their fire arrows. Some toss bombs.

Majin Hai Gliders appear and many dwarven archers fire at them but the gliders were too high in the sky. The gliders begin dropping bombs.

"Close the gates, hurry!" The dwarf commander barks.

"Second and third squad, get ready!" Sergeant Tugbar barks. His eyes meet with Olaf and narrowes them. "Is this the real challenge you wanted!" Boom!!

Sheena races to him. "Oh he's dead, Sergeant Tugbar is dead!"

There was another explosion. "The main gate is down!" The dwarf commander shouts.

The Majin Hai begin pouring in. The dwarves kill many but there were too many.

"Retreat! Retreat!" The dwarf commander shouts.

Sheena kills two more Majin Hai and spots a third with a jar and torch. Olaf immediately spots the danger. "Sheena no!" He fumbles for his hatchet but doesn't have it. Sheena goes for the kill but as she got in striking range the Majin splashes her with the substance from the jar. "Oil?" Was her last thought as the Majin Hai throws the torch. Olaf could only watch in horror as his friend was burned alive.

The Majin Hai unsheaths his sword to kill Olaf who was frozen in place but an arrow pierces his eye and goes down. "Come on Olaf, move your feet we got to flee!" Zee screams.

"But Sheena!"

"It's too late! Run!"

He finds his hatchets and as he looks back he could see dozens of Majin Hai, some carrying jars and others bottles but all had torches.

****

The dwarves were in complete disarray, the Majin Hai were pursuing them for miles either on foot, chariots or gliders which drop bombs or rain down arrows.

As Olaf continues running he trips over a loose root and falls off a cliff into a revine.

Once he surfaces Majin Hai shoot at him so he dives deep and swims away. He eventually makes it to the other side.

He was tired and battered but alive. He waits a bit before emerging on the road. He knew to follow the river, he had to get to base camp or least where friendly forces were.

He checks his pockets and discovers that his food was either soggy or had floated away. At least he had water and as long as he followed the river he wouldn't run out.

It was one hour after midday when Olaf decides to rest and slack his thirst. He suddenly hears the scream of a woman. He runs towards the screaming and as he gets closer he sees six Majin Hai, one of them was sitting on a stone while two stood beside him cheering two Majin Hai holding down a woman while another one attempts to rip her clothes off.

Olaf sneaks up on them and throws his hatchet at the one trying to rip the clothes off.

The three Majin Hai turn away from the woman only to be felled by the great axe. The last two take a fighting stance but are felled by the woman who grabs her sword off the ground.

The two meet face to face an immediately recognized each other. "You again." They both say simultaneously.

"I asume you're alone?" Countess Rachel asks.

"Yeah," Olaf answers grimly. He tells her everything. "So where's your company?"