Stranger in Ambrosia

[Odin]

The dirt road sprayed dirt as Sleipnir came charging through the portal. With a yank on the reins, Odin brought his mount to a rearing halt. The horse hopped once on its hind legs before falling back to all fours. This new realm was very different than the Nexus he just arrived from. The shining sun offered a warmth that the cold white lights had not. Overhead a hawk lazily drifted on updrafts while smaller birds sang their love songs in the trees. Squirrels and mice rustled the undergrowth, as a doe grazed on a bush nearby. To the south a dirt road formed. Having no other leads, Odin nudged his mount along the path.
 
Reminds me of Midgard in spring, thought the old god as Sleipnir clomped along. Their route was marked by the impressions of horse hooves and wagon wheels warn smooth by the shuffle of feet. Occasionally they came across stranger prints and markings, the like that Odin had never seen before. In the interest of time, he refrained from investigating them. 
 
Ten minutes into his ride, he finally encountered someone along the road. A woman sat astride a cream colored horse pulling a heavy-laden, two-wheeled wagon. Odin waved to the traveler and brought Sleipnir to a halt. The woman road up next to Odin, nodded, and asked, “What can I do for ya?”
 
Odin noticed the woman spoke with slow, cautious words. With a smile, Odin explained, “I am new to The Tangled Green. Can you tell me where this road leads?”
 
The woman eyed Odin, trying to decide something before finally answering. “You are headed towards Ambrosia. The only slice of civilization this ‘verse has to offer, as far as I’m concerned. It’s about a ten-minute ride from here. I assume you already know you came from the direction of the Nexus gate.”
 
Odin tipped his hat to the woman and thanked her before continuing down the road. She watched the old traveler as something cooed in the back of her cart. The man gave no indication that he had heard or suspected anything, so she continued on her way to Coruscant.
 
Ambrosia stripped Odin of the sense of familiarity he had felt along the path. On the outskirts of town each ranch and farm was stranger than the next. As he rode past a field of cabbages, he heard a baby crying. Gazing out into the plants, he saw that one of them was opening to reveal a baby inside. A worker bent over and tenderly lifted it up. A second worker gently swaddled it in blue cloth before slowly placing it in a basket full of other babies. A pasture to his left held what appeared to be giant baby chickens. To make matters worse, it appeared that tiny, white bears were riding and training them.
 
As Odin crested a hill, the whole town was suddenly on display. The majority of it was made of log cabins and other wooden structures. Although the design was different than the cities he was used to, there was nothing alien to them. Scattered throughout, however, were many stranger buildings. Some were made of all metal while others seemed to have just grown into living homes. One appeared to be a giant glass bowl filled with water. Sunken inside was a small, sandstone castle, seaweed growing around it like trees. The largest building, by far, was a pink palace surrounded by thick vegetation.
 
Taking a deep breath, Odin continued to ride forward. He had a lot to learn about his new world, and it seemed that it was going to be a fascinating journey.

[Odin]

The air was thick with a bouquet of spices and meats from the countless street vendors that lined the main thoroughfare through Ambrosia. The growls and squawks of exotic animals mixed with strange accents as the citizens and visitors squabbled over wares. One stall was run by two strange men. The first had a bushy, grey tail, and the second had antlers like a moose. They seemed to be in an arguement with a tall, thin woman and a short, fat man over the fair price of sunglasses with fake beards attached.
 
After travelling a half hour into the city Odin finally heard a sound he was more familiar with: thick glass thumping on wood. Turning to his right he saw a faded, wooden sign that spelled out Ottering Hole in blue letters. With a shrug he rode up to the nearest hitching post, dismounted, and secured Sleipnir. He pulled open the heavy, wooden door to the windowless building and stepped inside. The room was much darker than the street, and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. When they did, he was quite honestly shocked.
 
An artificial river lazily flowed clockwise around the room. Approximately 4 feet wide, it was filled with all manner of water loving creatures. A bridge at Odin’s feet lead to the middle part of the room, which was a more traditional bar floor. It was covered in shipping crates, the small ones serving as chairs and the larger ones as tables. The bar was sunken down into the floor and U-shaped, one side serving the river patrons and the other side serving the center of the room. Working behind the counter was a 6-foot tall otter.
 
Odin paused for a second before continuing over the bridge into the room. Slowly, he approached the bar and waited for the otter’s attention.
 
“C’mon old man. I ain’t got all day,” barked the bartender as he stepped toward Odin.
 
“Ale?” asked the old man, unsure of what was available.
 
“Yeah, Yeah,” replied the otter as he grabbed a half-clean glass from the bar top and filled it from a tap under the bar. “Narwhale. 1 Omni-pence,” he continued flatly. Odin reached into a pouch before summoning the smallest piece of Omnilium he could. When he placed it on the bar, the bartender scooped it up in his paw before quickly moving on to the next customer.
 
Sipping the brackish swill, Odin glanced around the room looking for someone he could pump for information. He made note of a few possibilities before his gaze found the perfect mark. 5 empty mugs decorated his table, and he was finishing another. The man’s boots were thick with mud, and his skin pockmarked with scars. He carried a sword, a machete, and a bow. They had all seen better days, but the damage seemed cosmetic.
 
Odin dropped another Omni-pence on the bar, and when he got his second drink, he took it over to the man and set it in front of him. The man’s head wobbled as he turned toward Odin, but his gaze was steady, focused. He studied Odin for a few seconds before turning to the drink and taking a long drag.
 
“Let me guess. You lost your grandson in the Haunted Forest and want me to go look for him,” slurred the ranger.
 
“Even easier. I just need directions,” smiled the old man.
 
The ranger looked over Odin again, more slowly. “If it ain’t to the Nexus gate or somewhere here in town, you are gonna need more than just directions. Leave the adventuring to the kids. Shit, I’m thinking about retiring myself,” rebuffed the man.

“I assure you, I am not as feeble as you think I am. But I do not expect you to take my word. Let me prove it,” offered Odin, grinning. Turning to where the lazy river was the nearest to them, he continued, “I bet you I can stay under water for any length of time.”
 
The man narrowed his eyes and looked Odin over. He could see no gills but specified anyways, “Without breathing water? I’ll get one of the fish to verify for me.”
 
“No water breathing required,” agreed Odin, eyes twinkling.
 
“Alright, you do this old man, and I will take you wherever you are going myself,” confirmed the ranger.
 
“Deal,” exclaimed Odin as he stood and untied his cloak. Placing the cloak neatly on his chair, Odin picked up one of the empty mugs from the table and approached the water. With a flourish, he filled the glass and held it over his head. Continuing to hold the glass in place, he returned to his seat and sat down.
 
For a few seconds, the ranger squinted at him in confusion. Then his eyes widened, and he let out a chortle that quickly turned into a full belly laugh. “Alright, you dumb old bastard. Meet me out front of here in the morning,” he wheezed as you wiped tears from the corners of his eyes.

[Jack Darby]

Slam. Bam. Wham. The mosquitos of this place were becoming more annoying than the Clone Troopers even if said bugs could not penetrate his armor.   Concentrating for about three minutes Warren had managed to summon his sword. The Gate hadn’t landed him where he had hoped but in the middle of a jungle. Slicing and slashing his way through the vines and weeds Warren made his way into an area where he saw a city and a sign calling the City “Ambrosia”  which would be a good place for him to call home.  Still he had a lot of work and actually he would prefer to dwell in his own fortress when he actually could afford one.   Entering a Tavern as he could use a beer after the incredibly tedious and long journey he’d been on Warren happened upon the same one that Odin was in presently.    Once he had arrived at the Tavern Warren entered the place and looked around… hearing the part about an individual not being as feeble as he seemed.  And then he witnessed the bet and had to admit that the guy was very intelligent.   Approaching the individual with a smile Warren stated to him.     "So you like myself must be new to this place. Omni brought you too,  huh? I do have a recommendation for you and that is that you avoid the world of Coruscant. Oh wait. Where are my manners? My name is Warren Zimmer.  Though in this armor you can call me Wild Card I suppose.  So,  what's your name?"   As Warren asked this he'd hold out his hand towards Odin to shake it. 

[Odin]

Odin listened to the thump of heavy metal boots on the bar’s wooden floor. Turning, he saw a man in some kind of black and silver suit. The man approached him directly and started rambling on. What really struck him was that the man seemed to know he was new to the Omniverse and a prime.

“Hello Stranger. Care to join us? The drink isn’t good, but it’s cheap,” he smiled at Wild Card.

“Hear! Hear!” cheered a few of the patrons around them at Odin’s statement about the ale.

“In any event, you can call me Wednesday. Now I must ask you a question because it will drive me crazy if I don’t. How can you tell that I am new here and a prime? To be honest, I was hoping to hide that information,” explained Odin.

Finally catching up, the ranger decided to pipe in, “Wait… You’re a prime? You should have just told me that in the first place.” Then after taking another long swig, he added, “It will cost you double, however. I know primes always have plenty of Omnilium lying around.”

[Jack Darby]

"As to how I could tell you were a Prime..."  Warren looked over at Wednesday as he called himself. "From the way you carry yourself, you're likely concealing some power... as am I.  But personally I want my power to grow and expand.  The way I am right now is pathetic to say the least. And no, I'd better not drink. For I've got a long road ahead of me. I must find somewhere in this world that is abandoned and can be turned into a place for me to call home so that I have somewhere to sleep. Preferably it would be devoid of any Imperial Presence. So by any chance do you know of any locations within this world that I could turn for lack of a better term into a 'Fort Zimmer'? "  As Warren asked this question he considered the options he had on this world which were much better than the ones he had on Coruscant.  After all this world had a shortage of any goody two shoes overly moral clones wanting to make him do menial labor and humiliate him.  "I happen to need individuals who are willing to be soldiers. You see I happen to have a difference of opinion with whoever commands the Storm Troopers on Coruscant. I believe they should be promptly and swiftly all executed. This opinion was formed when they destroyed something I was building. In any case Wednesday,  you have anywhere you could call home around here? If so,  mind if I spent a couple of days there before I begin looking for somewhere to call my own?" 

[Odin]

"Interesting," Odin frowned at being told it was obvious. Apparently there was much he had to learn about this realm. "I don't know much about this realm, but our friend here might have some ideas for where you could set up a fort," he explained, nodding to the ranger.

As they turned their attention to the swaying ranger, they saw he was eyeing something. When they followed his gaze, however, it just seemed to be the coat rack. Then suddenly, he leaned too far to one side. With a start, he caught himself, barely preventing a tumble to the ground. "Do you think she's eyeing me?" he slurred, nodding at the coat rack.

"Yes," replied Odin with no hint of humor, "You might want to talk to her sooner rather than later. She is wearing a number of coats, so I must assume she is leaving soon."

"Well, if you will excuse me," mumbled the ranger, bracing himself to stand. Then he ungracefully fell forward, his head and torso landing heavily on the table and sending the empty mugs crashing to the floor. Before they could check to see if he was ok, he started snoring peacefully.

"Hmm, I guess I will just have to hope he will be ready to go in the morning," Odin shrugged. Then turning back to Warren he continued, "I do not have a home here, as  I have arrived very recently. I plan to visit a tree called Yggdrasil, as there was a tree with the same name in my old world. I am hoping it my help me answer some questions. You are welcome to travel with us deeper into the Tangled Green, but I can not promise that you will  find what you are looking for. My hope is that we will be able to leave in the morning. Unfortunately, given our friend's state, I can't even be sure that he will remember me. Can I suggest that we meet here for breakfast? Maybe I can get some food in him and get him ready to go before noon."

[Jack Darby]

Their guide was drunk quite thoroughly.  It was a good thing that Warren had resolved in his heart that he wasn't going to touch or even ingest any of the alcohol of this world for any reason whatsoever.  For one thing,  Warren didn't want to wake up and realize that during a drunken stupor he had done something stupid like make babies with someone.  His resolve on the matter was that he was keeping himself from any further humiliation. The embarrassment and torture he had suffered at the hands of the Clone Troopers on Coruscant had been bad enough.  There would be nothing else even remotely similar that he would experience on this world if he had any say in the matter personally.   "Alright.  Meeting here for breakfast works I suppose. Do you know of any abandoned fortresses near this tree that one could claim for their own? If so I might soon find a place to actually call my own with some renovation efforts.  I'll still need to earn more of this 'Omnilium' in order to make the place I want to call home.  A lot of it will be needed if I am to regain my true potential on this world.  So Wednesday,  may I recommend that you avoid Coruscant like the plague until you are powerful enough to destroy buildings in a single blow?"   This was asked by Warren,  because he didn't want his new friend getting hurt.  As it was the clone troopers were little better than morons and thus going around them was inadvisable.

[Odin]

"To be honest, I know nothing about the tree or surrounding area," explained Odin, "Our friend here may be able to offer some advice in the morning, however. As far as this Coruscant place goes, I promise to be careful." Odin was hoping to force the ranger into an early start, so he figured he was better off finding a room sooner rather than later. "If you don't mind, I think I will call it a night." Then he stood and bowed to his new friend.

After haggling with the barkeep for a couple of minutes, Odin managed to secure one of the few dry rooms the place rented out. It was a small room, about 10x10. The bed was just a hay stuffed mattress and a woolen blanket. Still, it provided shelter and privacy in a strange, new world. Odin dropped the illusion that provided his disguise and sighed heavily, his muscles relaxing. He was glad all his powers had not abandoned him but was frustrated at his weakness. The fact that sustaining a simple illusion for a few hours could be this exhausting was troubling. 

Dropping down on the lumpy mattress with an umpf, Odin cracked his knuckles. There were still some things he wanted to get done. Over the next hour, he summoned a number of objects to make his trip easier: a pack, some rope, a little jerky, a hatchet, a bedroll. They were things that he could have easily summoned when he needed them, but he wanted the chance to practice while alone. They would also make his disguise as a non-prime better, even if his two traveling companions knew better.

The following morning Odin woke with the sun, as he always had. Standing, he stretched his old bones. Then he gathered his nearly summoned supplies before applying the illusion that was his disguise. Once again the old man, he exited his room and made his way down the stairs to the main bar. His ranger friend was where he had left him, and a number of other patrons were sleeping around the room as well. A different otter was attending the bar this morning. It had brown fur tinged with gray and walked with a slight limp.

"Morning. Would you do for some breakfast?" it asked.

"Aye," nodded Odin. "Make it two though. I have a friend I need to awaken," he explained as he sat down at the table with his sleeping friend.

[Jack Darby]

The next morning as Warren had slept rather soundly,  even if he had woken up four times that night and practiced summoning,  Warren was in the place where they were going to eat before Odin was.  During the night Warren had attempted and FAILED to summon a working NFL-R and promptly cursed Omni multiple times each time his attempt to summon the device had failed.  Without it,  there would be no removing his suit and changing it into something more comfortable.  But yet he could adapt,  as for now he didn't really need to change his looks all that much. The real reason he wanted power that could enable him to change his outfit was that Warren was tired of looking like he did now.  Chances are there would soon be a wanted poster of him on Coruscant and that was a bit of chaos Warren did not need.   Chaos was one thing,  but Warren was anything but STUPID and would not risk his life on a pointless endeavor.  Hell the only reason he was helping Odin was that he could use another ally like himself.  The Empire enforced order and oppressed it's people,   Warren could tell that much.  As he consumed the breakfast,   Warren would concentrate.  What he needed was a way to fight at a distance because he lacked the power to do so.   Groaning at his own stupidity,   Warren internally berated himself.  It had been the move of a FOOL to go up against the Empire.   As weak as he was,  Warren stood no chance.


The Guardians of his world would likely lose if they encountered the Empire or the power possessed by it.  This issue was one that he’d need to address.  As the Quarterback of Chaos he could not allow his former team to be imperiled. After all he had fought alongside the Guardians against Sudden Death. Still it had been only a temporary thing and he had betrayed them in the end.   Of course the Guardians had done something far worse than betray him.  They’d stolen the birthright that was supposed to be his,  the power of the Core from him.   Now that he was here in the Omniverse perhaps he could one day gain that power for himself.  But if he even tried,  Warren knew he was likely to encounter heavy resistance from any heroic individuals.  Even an attempt to regain his powers would have to wait right now.   Examining Odin as he munched on his breakfast of biscuits,  gravy and hashbrowns that he’d made out of some spare Omnilium,   Warren decided on something.  The individual could prove useful and would make a good ally. While both of them may be primes,  Warren saw no reason he couldn’t manipulate the individual into doing SOME of his work for him. After all evil schemes were part of his territory as the Quarterback of Chaos.

The Guardians of his world were formidable opponents,   Warren had seen and known about such first hand. Ishmael or “Ish” was the first of the Guardians. A skilled fighter,  Ish had often led the Guardians and battled against Sudden Death on his own before he even had a Team of Guardians to back him up.  It seemed Ish was the first of the Guardians to be able to overcome brainwashing from Sudden Death after the individual had put an Anticorian Cuff onto him in order to control him.  Ish was not a good candidate to eventually bring to this world… not that Warren could mind you.  It was just a thought of his because he needed minions.  Minions after all could prove themselves useful in ways that his own talents failed him.   

Groaning  Warren considered how best to handle the matter at hand.What he needed was someone who could hold their own in a fight but who he had been able to control with little effort in the past. This masked out Tua,  Troy,  Ash,  and Marty. Only one Guardian remained who could feasibly serve Warren’s evil schemes but manipulating him was going to take a GREAT deal of effort on Warren’s part.  Sighing,  Warren brought his mind off of the unpleasant subject of hench-people and turned his attention back to the here and now… back to the new ‘friend’ he was trying to cultivate… back to Odin. 

"So Odin... when shall we make haste for this tree of yours?" 

[Odin]

The bartender waddled over and dropped two plates full of greasy breakfast food down on the table with a clang. “Pay before you leave,” he grumbled to Odin as he left. Before taking any food from his own, Odin slid the second plate right in front of the ranger’s nose.
 
“As soon as we get this guy on his feet, I hope,” he explained as he dug into his own food. The bar was mostly quiet. The only conscious patrons were themselves. The bartender mostly cleaned up from the night before, and on occasion, someone would wake up and stagger out. A couple of times the ranger would start to sniff the food or crack open an eye before returning to his senseless state. After nearly a half hour, the man finally started to sit up. He blinked wearily at his two companions before digging into the now cold food before him.
 
When the ranger was finished, he leaned back in his chair, looked each of them in the eye, and asked, “Do I know you?”
 
With a sigh, Odin gave a short accounting of the night before. The man introduced himself as Gad, and they agreed on a price for the trip.
 
“Now I must warn you. These elves, they don’t always take kindly to strangers. I’ll get you to within a few hours hike of the tree but no closer. I’m one of those strangers they don’t get along with. They patrol the area around the tree, and you can’t miss it, so I assume that won’t be a problem.” He wasn’t really asking.
 
“Very well, Gad. You have a deal. I think Warren here has some questions for you, and then how soon can you be ready to go?” asked Odin.
 
“Give me half an hour to clear the system out, and I’m all yours,” he replied vulgarly. “Now, what was it that you needed to know?” he asked turning to Warren.

[Jack Darby]

"Are there any abandoned Castles,  Mansions or similar places that would be suitable for someone to live in within a good hour's distance or so of the Tree.  If there are,  what animals should I expect around the area? And what form of transport would you recommend as the best for us to use as rides so we can progress quickly to our destination. Sure it may be two hours,  but perhaps we can go in style as it were..."   As Warren questioned the individual his mind drifted back to his world.  The Guardians had ALMOST beaten him in the end,  but he had gotten away.  It was only due to a dirty battle maneuver that he had pulled...sabotaging their powers that he had been able to get away from them.   

"So you say the Elves around the tree are hostile? No problem. I SHOULD be able to hold my own if it comes down to that. If not,  I can always resort to the plan of blast the crap out of them or slice them to ribbons. Slice them to ribbons would probably work best given that my blasters are presently not operational... something I plan on resolving at my earliest possible opportunity.   As I told you yesterday Odin the chances of going to Coruscant are slim unless you have an army backing you up or have a lot of combat powers.  Given I've only recently gotten my hands on a sword I have no intention of going back there until my self-exile from that world is complete.  Until I've learned to use Omnilium to restore the powers I once held I'm not even considering returning to that blasted world." 

Warren sighed as he looked over at Odin. Absentmindedly he materialized a beverage of sports drink and downed it's contents. They were going for a hike and no small one probably. Being energized was for the best.

[Odin]

“There are ruins of castles, manors, and other things all over the Tangled Green. You could probably find something that close to the elves, but if you do, you will have to have some kind of relations with them.  A little further out, and you could avoid them. No matter what you find though, it will probably be infested by wild goblins. The greenskins overrun anything not controlled by more civilized folks,” explained Gad. “As far as mounts go, I prefer to go on foot. The forests are easy enough to ride through but the jungles and swamps are another story,” he said with a shrug. Then he pushed his chair back with a squeak and stood. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for our trip,” he announced before exiting through the front door.
 
After the ranger was gone, Odin turned to Warren, his eyes narrowed. “As far as fighting with the elves, I hope we can avoid it. I doubt they will be granting me access to Yggdrasil after killing some of them. So if you plan on causing trouble, we are going to have a problem. Understand?” warned Odin. “I have some things to do before we leave. I’ll meet you outside,” he declared as he stood and marched toward the bar.
 
After settling his tab with the bartender, Odin retrieved the rest of his things from his room and went out front where Sleipnir, his horse, was still waiting. Odin found a place nearby he could get some hay and grains. Sleipnir was apparently more than ready for breakfast because he gobbled it down. “Sorry old boy. I forgot that you probably need to eat in this world,” he apologized. Then Odin strapped his pack to Sleipnir and waited for his companions.

[Jack Darby]

Warren nodded when Odin said that if he planned to cause trouble there would be trouble between them. It was something he had to be honest, completely expected from the individual.  So there were ruins of various places that could be claimed as potential bases by Warren and fixed up so he could have somewhere to sleep in somewhat security.  After all he was right now homeless and had nowhere to call his own.   Chaos was his calling card but for now he could act restrained because to do otherwise was to invite trouble.  Sighing,   Warren nodded at Odin before heading outside as well because he was almost ready.  Travel on foot? Alright.  But when they found one of the places that was abandoned and he had the power to expel every last Goblin from it Warren was claiming himself a home that he could use.   Of course this would likely be far in the future,  but still.   "It seems I will need a quite considerable amount of power within my own corner if I am to survive.  I will have to expel the Goblins from one of the ruins and rebuild it to fit my tastes.  Hopefully that will not cause you any trouble."    As Warren said this he concentrated and channeled the power he possessed,  summoning his weapon of choice to his hand to make sure he could still summon it.  After all it would hardly do to be defenseless.


Groaning Warren remembered when he’d been forced to ally with the Guardians because of Sudden Death. The alien menace had been dealt with by Marty,  the Guardian who had the intangibility super power.  It was times like these that Warren wished he possessed all the capabilities of the Guardians.  Eventually he could,  if he were to get his hands on enough Omnilium he could have all the powers that his opponents possessed and then some at his disposal.  R.Z.  was likely disappointed because of the betrayal Warren had done but he didn’t care.  Building the robot Drop Kick had been a betrayal his dad had done. The cosmic scales of Karma were now even as far as it depended upon Warren anyway.  His dad on the other hand had a lot to make up for,  and so an idea began to don on Warren. Why should he settle for just one place to call his home,  when there were multiple verses out there.  Should he be able to,   Warren would be able to build a base in each one if his power level was actually sufficient.  Of course this meant he’d need a lot of personalized and intense training but he was willing to do that.   His skill levels needed enhancement anyway and so perhaps he could use the Goblins or Greenskins as little more than actual training dummies for himself in order to improve his skills later.  Undoing the summon of the blade he carried,  Warren sighed.  There was a lot of work he had to do before he could be actually ready.


"So shall we begin this journey?" 

[Odin]

Odin sat astride Sleipnir, who clomped along beside their two companions. The night’s chill was still in the air, but the sun was climbing higher, warming their skin. The dirt road was mostly deserted. The few exceptions were hardy types: hunters, trappers, military scouts. The forest quickly grew thicker and darker in this direction. Slowly the canopy darkened their path until it seemed like twilight.

They heard the rain crackling the leaves at the tops of the trees before they felt anything. The tinkling grew to a pattering, and finally they felt a few drops falling on their heads. Sadly, it didn’t stop there. The skies continued to darken until noon looked like midnight. The skies opened and the heavy rains beat their way through the canopy until it was providing no cover for the travelers.
 
“Should we find someplace to wait this out?” yelled Odin over the crack of thunder.
 
“No point,” replied Gad. “These rains can go on for days. They are notoriously hard to predict. The real bad news is that it is going to make our tracks even easier to follow. Be on the lookout for trouble.”

---

Rolf sniffed the tracks. Two humans and a horse. The tracks were even easier to follow than their scents, but the rain made it had to smell if there was a human riding the horse. There most likely was. It was always better to be prepared. Rolf barked out his orders and the pack moved out.
 
An hour later and Ziff reported back. They had found the travelers and had them surrounded. They were keeping their distance until Rolf gave the order. Rolf gave one bark and Ziff took off to report the news.
 

---

A howl ripped through the air from the south of the travelers and was echoed back from the east and the west. “Crap. Dire Wolves,” muttered Gad. “They are trying to herd us north into the swamps where they can split us up. Quickly follow me.” Gad let them to a nearby cave. It was shallow, only going about 10 feet back, but still able to protect them on three sides. “We’ll make our stand here.”
 
Odin slid off Sleipnir and sent him to the back of the cave. There was a time when the horse could have easily fought beside him or flown off, but those times were no more. Using the short calm before the wolves arrived, Odin transformed into his true self. While he was still advanced in age, his back was straight, and he held himself with the posture of a warrior. His walking stick also retuned to its true form, Gungnir. Now ready to fight, Odin peered into the storm-created night. Slowly, the darkness revealed multiple hulking forms; Each as tall as a horse and bearing fangs as long as daggers. The dire wolves cautiously approached their prey.

[Jack Darby]

As the howl was heard by Warren he tensed up and went into his combat stance.  There was no fucking way he was going to lose to wolves of all creatures.   As Warren listened mostly to the words of Gad,   Warren tensed up.  The sword that he had made appeared in his hands. This sword was the Chaotic Energy Katana that he had made. While it may be a mimicry of a Lightsaber it was certainly useful for him.  It had taken him about 3 minutes to summon the sword to him.   Once the sword had been created Warren immediately slashed at one of the wolves. "I’ve fought monsters and even someone wielding the power to destroy a planet.  I will NOT lose to you." With that he’d commence a series of slashes at the wolves in order to make them pay for annoying him.  

They were disturbing his attempts to locate somewhere that he could call a base of operations and THAT really soured his mood.   As he was the Quarterback of Chaos Warren would need to handle the situation himself.   "Chaos will consume you,  and banish you from life!"  As he said that Warren began a series of attacks with his Chaotic Energy Katana in order to make his opponents which in this case were the wolves suffer because they'd did more than simply bother him. They'd annoyed him.   Now because they had done so they would suffer because they had become as annoying as the Clone Troopers. 
'

[Odin]

Over a dozen of the alpha predators materialized out of the darkness. The first two began pacing back and forth about 10 yards from the cave’s mouth. Snarling and growling, they watched as the humans nervously fidgeted.
 
Odin dug a small hole with the butt of his spear. Beside him, Warren activated his sword, which hummed as it filled with plasma. A few steps behind them, the ranger aimed an arrow at the creatures. Suddenly, Gad fired and chaos ensued. The two pacing creatures tried to dive out of the way, but the arrow caught one in the hind leg. At the same time, two wolves jumped over their packmates and tried to land directly on Odin and Warren.
 
Odin braced his spear in the hole he dug, pointed the blade at the wolf diving for him, and ducked. The creature's weight drove the spear through his chest and out its back. It was dead before its jaws even reached Odin. Next to him Warren rolled forward under his foe and stuck his sword straight up in the air. The plasma hissed as it burned through the creature’s stomach. The animal’s momentum carried it forward; the sword carving the monster's backside in half. 

As the Wolf Odin had skewered fell over, he tried to pull his spear from its ribcage. Seeing the opportunity, one of the dire wolves charged him. Odin put his foot on the dead wolf’s chest and yanked at his weapon, but it was going to be too late. Odin looked into the beast’s slavering jaw and wondered if he was fated to die by wolf yet again. Suddenly, an arrow slammed into the creature’s head. It deflected off the wolf’s thick skull but was enough to turn the monsters head to the side. Instead of death, Odin felt a furry neck slam into him as the two of them went crashing to the back of the cave.
 
Outside, two wolves charged Warren. Reaching down, he grabbed a gooey handful of mud and threw it like a football at the wolf on his left. The makeshift projectile splattered, covering its eyes. As it shook its head trying to regain its sight, Warren charged at the wolf on his right. The creature jumped to the side as Warren struck. The glass and plasma blade caught nothing but fur, filling his nose with smell of burnt hair. The two passed each other, and when Warren turned back around, he saw that the wolf he had blinded was now charging him again. Luckily, Gad released an arrow, and it caught the wolf in the throat. It tried to stop its charge, but the mud was to slick. It slid to stop at Warren’s feet, just in time for him to bring his weapon down. The smell of burnt hair was replaced with that of cooking steak.
 
In the back of the cave, the dire wolf ended up on top of Odin. Odin quickly got his hands around the creature’s neck, but it was too thick to choke. The wolf strained to bring its dripping jaws down to Odin’s face, and inch by inch, it got closer. Odin’s spear was within reach, but if he released the creature with even one hand, it would all be over. Then suddenly, he felt the creature's weight fly of off him and heard it slam into the cave wall. Looking up, he saw Sleipnir dropping back down from a kick. “I never should have underestimated you my old friend,” Odin growled as grabbed his spear and rolled to his feet. The wolf was still dazed from the impact, and Odin easily dispatched it with a strike to the heart.
 
Dropping his bow, Gad pulled out his hatchet and sword. “Quickly!” he yelled to Warren as he threw the hatchet at the wolf closest to the cave entrance. The wolf dodged, but the weapon managed to serve its purpose. Warren dashed for the cave entrance while the wolf was distracted. The next closest one tried to cut him off, but Gad stepped out of the cave with his sword held high. The creature, unwilling to expose its flank to Gad in order to attack Warren, backed off, and Warren made it back to the safety of the cave.
 
Just as Gad was about to back up into the cave, he felt something heavy land on his back. He fell forward, mud filling his mouth and nose, as jagged teeth pierced his shoulder. Odin was still coming up from the back of the cave, and Warren was just turning back around from running back in. They both moved to attack the wolf from behind, but it jumped off Gad and fled to the safety of its pack. At the same time, three more wolves moved toward them. One grabbed Gad’s hand to drag him away, while the other two moved closer to Odin and Warren to provide cover.

[Jack Darby]

As the creatures… the wolves continued their massive assault Warren wished he was more powerful. If he had been stronger as a ‘Prime’ this situation could have been prevented. But he was not strong enough to do much damage to the wolves. When another one of them came after Gad and him had dispatched some of them and the other individual Wednesday had as well Warren was justifiably more than a little… miffed at the situation.  Beneath his helmet his face turned into a scowl because now all presence of happiness and joy within him had completely faded. A bitter feeling like that of a volcano about to erupt charged within his body.  To make a long story short each and every last one of the wolves nearby was in danger now because Warren was certainly not content… more like he was pissed. Of course the wolves hadn’t done anything to make his mood any better in the slightest. As the creatures… the wolves continued their massive assault Warren wished he was more powerful. If he had been stronger as a ‘Prime’ this situation could have been prevented. But he was not strong enough to do much damage to the wolves. 

When another one of them came after Gad and him had dispatched some of them and the other individual Wednesday had as well Warren was justifiably more than a little… miffed at the situation.  Beneath his helmet his face turned into a scowl because now all presence of happiness and joy within him had completely faded. A bitter feeling like that of a volcano about to erupt charged within his body.  To make a long story short each and every last one of the wolves nearby was in danger now because Warren was certainly not content… more like he was pissed. Of course the wolves hadn’t done anything to make his mood any better in the slightest. 

When one of the wolves attacked Gad and tore into his shoulder Warren helped to chase it away,  but three more showed up. One had grabbed Gad by the hand and two more had shown up to provide backup to the creatures.  This did not make Warren happy at all. His weakness now was inexcusable because it put the lives of others in danger. Sure he was a villain but he had uses for Gad.  And he’d be boiled in oil before he allowed any creature to interrupt his plans. The Clone Troopers had been bad enough but he was not going to have his plans foiled by WOLVES. Not today. Not Tomorrow. Not Ever.  If one could read Warren’s mind they could see that he had completely lost his temper. With a menacing growl coming out of his mouth Warren attacked the wolf that was attempting to carry off Gad.   "Wednesday,  kill the other two." 

[Odin]

Warren charged the middle wolf and lunged at him with his plasma sword. The wolf released Gad and jumped back. The two wolves that had been flanking them moved in, knowing that Warren would have to leave his back open to one of them. Luckily, Odin made it first. The two warriors went back to back, Odin facing the left wolf and Warren the right. They managed to stop them from dragging Gad away, but the wolves took the opportunity to surround them. Slowly, they circled the three men as Gad shakily got to his feet. His left hand was crushed and useless. He managed to wield a sword in his right, but the damaged shoulder severely limited his capabilities. Two more wolves moved to the mouth of the cave, snapping at the horse trapped inside.

Glancing about, Odin saw that besides the three circling them and the two harassing Sleipnir in the cave, the rest seemed to be injured and watching from a distance. If they could hold out a little longer, the pack would probably retreat instead of risking greater injury. Using what little magic he still had in this world, Odin started chanting. For the first few seconds, the wolves were unsure what he was doing. But when they saw his concentration was elsewhere, they attacked. Odin had just finished the spell when one of the wolves leapt at him. He managed to get his spear up just in time to prevent having his throat ripped out. As he stumbled backwards, Warren and Gad roared in renewed vigor. The aches and pains left their bodies, and they wanted blood.
 
Gad charged the closest wolf, his shoulder no longer preventing him from raising his blade high. They wolf was startled by the man’s sudden recovery and tried to back away. The enraged Gad was too fast though and brought the blade down on the creature’s head. The wolf managed to avoid death, instead the tip of the sword hit its brow and carved a vicious wound down its eye. 
 
As Warren stepped toward his target, the wolf also charged him. His foe was inside his defenses too quickly to get a good hit with his sword, so instead he brought his knee up into the underside of the monster’s jaw. Its mouth snapped shut inches before smashing into Warrens stomach. As the two tumbled in the mud, Warren’s weapon flew free, deactivating as it hit the ground. The blood rage was too strong for Warren to care, however. He caught the creature’s snout in his hand and held it shut. As they rolled, he managed to wrap his legs around the wolf’s body. He squeezed the creature as hard as he could with a scissor and started to punch the monster in the face with his free hand.
 
Had the shaft of Odin’s spear been normal wood, it would have splintered under the force of the dire wolf’s bite. Luckily it was made from the wood of Yggdrasil itself, worked by dwarves, and marked with the power of the runes. No matter how many times the wolf tried to snap it in half, it would hold. Unfortunately, he was still pinned under the massive creature. Patience eventually won out, however. Gad’s screams of fury were headed his way. The ranger drove his sword through the monster’s flank, twisted, and ripped it free. Odin took the opportunity to kick the beast off of him. It landed heavily on the soggy earth, blood spurting from its side.
 
The commotion got the attention of the two wolves threatening Sleipnir. As they turned and looked at the battle, the horse charged right at one. Sleipnir’s powerful legs drove it right through the predator. The large hooves caught one of the canine’s legs against the ground and easily snapped it in half. The second wolf, turning back to its prey, went to jump on the horse’s back, but Odin threw his weapon just in time. The wolf changed directions mid-flight as the heavy weapon punched through the creature’s gut.
 
Suddenly, a howl cut through the air. The wolves’ ears perked up, and they turned their faces to the east. The retreat had been sounded. Slowly, they limped away. The less injured guarded the rear, growling and snapping at any that tried to press the advantage. The most injured just lied on the forest floor, accepting their fate.
 
Odin’s spell started to wear off and Gad collapsed at the sudden return of the pain. Odin quickly threw his arm around the man and helped him to the cave. “Get a fire started,” Odin ordered Warren as he started to summon some clean bandages.

[Jack Darby]

Injured from the fight,  Warren watched as the creatures retreated. Even a pack of wolves was something he couldn't defeat without help from others which made him less than pathetic... he was PITIFUL!  His power levels would need to increase far beyond what they currently were if he was going to simply have any hope of survival whatsoever in the Omniverse. To that end he supposed he could assume that he would have to learn how to use the blade he had with him properly. Going over to where it was,  Warren picked it up and desummoned it so that he didn't have to worry about losing the sword.  Later on he would see about seeking out someone who could mentor him in the arts of combat.  As the last bits of Odin's 'rage spell' wore off of Warren,  he remembered what had happened. The chant had caused a blistering fury to well up inside of Warren and erupt like a volcano. Such a power would be useful if he could perform it on himself at some point in the future.   No longer could he tolerate remotely the lack of strength he possessed. Things would need to change if he was going to have any chance of survival.    

"You know the chant you performed that provided us the win,  Wednesday? I need to learn how it works,  and learn how to use it on myself.  I will need every edge I can get to survive in the Omniverse.  And your ability is very powerful as I have witnessed first hand.  But there's more.  Somewhere on this world there will be some sort of abandoned castle or mansion. If we can clear it out of the Orc Population I can claim it.  It will give me a home at the very least."   

 As he thought about what he needed to do he realized something about what had happened. Like Sudden Death Wednesday had resorted to what amounted to brainwashing him. Sure it had only been a TEMPORARY issue,  but he had done it nonetheless.  When people messed with Warren’s head he usually hated them because he hated his brain being tampered with. However Wednesday had meant no harm and it had pulled their butts out of the fire literally. Given that he supposed he could perhaps tolerate what had happened,  for now anyway.  A technique like that was powerful and while he didn’t like resorting to such Warren knew that every advantage he could get would be one he would need.  For if he was to eventually become an enemy of the Empire he would need the power to back himself up in an actual fight.  Certainly he would require more than the sword that he carried. Techniques with the sword were definitely a must have,  and he’d need to restore some of the other functions of his NFL-R as well. Flying was one of the capabilities he planned to restore at the earliest possible opportunity.

"So Wednesday,   when we find such a place... an abandoned castle or something would you mind helping me seize it?" 

[Jack Darby]

When 'Wednesday' did not respond to him after about two hours,   Warren was bored.  Given that he was bored he decided on something. The individual could hold his own while Warren went to explore the world. After all there was more than one path to greatness out there. But the power Warren needed he doubted Wednesday would allow him to obtain. The power to reshape the cosmos was a very strong power after all.  Of course in order to obtain the power he would need to arrange an incident for Omni or murder the bum. But to do that he would have to operate on a whole different level than what he did presently.  In short he knew that he was too weak to do much of anything.  

As much of his power had been stripped from him upon his arrival here Warren knew that he must regain some of his old power.  Yet while he could travel with his new found friend,  the bitter truth was manifest to Warren.  Doing so would not help him grow in any meaningful fashion.  What he needed to do was force himself to evolve and push beyond the limits that had been imposed on him by this strange universe.  Wherever he was he knew that he would need a place to call home... somewhere that he could make his castle... no his Fortress.  His Fort Zimmer.  With that in mind he departed from the area because he knew that Wednesday didn't need his dead weight.  Right now he was injured and weak... both of which were UNFORGIVABLE in his books.  Noticing that Wednesday and his companion were asleep Warren used a bit of Omnilium to materialize a note saying he'd be leaving to seek out more power for himself so that next time they met he could be worthy of their friendship. 

Once the note had been made,   Warren silently made his exit from the place. For he had a lot he needed to do. There was a lot he had to learn and powers he needed to acquire in order to ensure his chances of survival. 

- Exit thread-