Raven and Rook found a common tempo in their attacks, as though the thousands of years since they had last stood side by side were a dream. Despite their newfound strength, ensorcelled by the Ice Henge’s awakening power, War stood twice as tall and each swing of his hammer shattered the steel like ice underfoot. Swaddled by the white howling snow, Raven and Rook had to beat their wings to stay above the maelstrom and used their beaks and talons to rake at the orc’s unarmoured torso.

“Betrayers!” He roared. The crude common tongue vibrated the air. “After all I have done!”

The hammer rose, held in two hands and meant for Leopold. As it fell, the animal’s eyes watched it, powerless to avoid it’s swing. The flat of the hammer’s head struck Raven square in the chest and the sound of giant ribs breaking and blood vessels bursting echoed out across the tundra. Winded by the ordeal, the Old God stumbled back, cawed, then disappeared into the snow. Rook seized the opportunity to even the playing field and leapt up onto War’s shoulder.

“These are our lands, War. You chose to fight and Berevar fell!”

Rook’s beak lunged and struck War’s temple. Again, and again, raining down like a hail of arrows. The fourth cracked the skull, but only served to enrage the god of war further. He flailed, and when Rook began to rock back and forth he grabbed her by the wing and tossed her aside.

“Death for a home is valiant!”

War raised his hammer and took a deep breath. He exhaled with the force of a hurricane and dropped the hammer’s shaft to the ground. A shockwave pierced through the storm and cast it out of the Ice Henge. Vespers of snow dust trailed through the air as the damage to the shrine of the Old God’s was revealed. The crater where Y’edda had fallen still smouldered and the two henges shattered by the conflict stood broken and dull. When War saw what had stirred him, he roared with such fury and zeal the ground beneath his feet cracked.

“Thousands of years of sleep have brought only ruin to my home.” Leopold’s voice carried over the tension, and he stood upright as himself, chest in agony, nostrils oozing blood and spear in hand. “I warned you all, but your ignorance led to our downfall.”

In the final days of the war with the Thayne Raven had appealed to the pantheon to change. To let the Thayne preach their ways in Berevar. He knew that although it would cost them, the Old Gods would live on in the hearts and minds of the people of Berevar. War, pig-headed and blinded by his power gave Leopold an ultimatum. Either fight with them, or be cast out from the Ice Henge forever.

“You are weak, Raven. You’d have us enthralled to usurpers!” War advanced, considering the man no threat to his life and lifted a foot. It lingered over the merchant, casting him in shadow as the Old God laughed wickedly. “Berevar has slept long enough.”

Leopold closed his eyes, facing death willingly for his passions as he had done centuries ago. One thought went through his mind as the moon disappeared behind War’s heel: Ruby. He would die a thousand times if each sacrifice meant she could live on, if she could continue to inspire and lead the downtrodden.