13.163° S, 72.545° W

“Yo getup, you ain’t even bleeding anymore!” A voice dragged Dalang out of unconsciousness.

“Chill, man! You are shaking my brains out!” Dalang yelled back.

“Nah, it’s not like you got much to lose in that thick skull of yours. Otherwise, that piece of stone should’ve taken your head clean off.” They have underestimated the damage slingshots can do.

“Speak for yourself, you half-wit! Now drag me back to cover!” Dalang’s face was covered in his own blood. “ Oh great, everything is sticky and messy…… Just like the rest of our squadmates. Poor bastards can’t be gods now.” He glimpsed the bodies around them and slightly lowered his head to pay respect.

“Yo, sheepherders and their damn slingshots are the biggest problems. Who would’ve imagined huh?” They hid behind a pile of debris in the ruins of a civilization lost in time.

“Yì, watch out!” Dalang raised his arm and blocked an arrow with his bamboo shield. “It sounds obvious, but they have the high ground, and we have been cut off from the rest of the force.”

“Thanks, brother.” The way Yì took an arrow out of his quiver, nocked and loosed it was as casual as talking. A distant scream followed. His aim was true, indeed.

“Yo, we can’t stay here for long. We either charge to the top of the hill and take their gate, or we retreat and go figure it out with the others. ”

“Yeah, you are damn right we are stuck. We only have one shield. My bad. We only had one shield.” The bamboo shield was nearly splatted in half and has been tossed aside. It became more of a burden than a defense to wield. “Where’s everyone else? They ran away already?”

“Uhhh… At this rate, they should be back in the camp by now,” Yì responded with a sigh. “It’s a rigged match, favoring the defender over the attackers.”

“Damn it! Have I been out for this long? What do you say, brother? Up or down? ” Dalang cracked his knuckles and waited for Yì’s answer.

“Let’s rush to the top and show them what we are made of!” Such passion came from such dire circumstances, Yì was meant to be a hero.

“Wrong answer.”Dalang slapped his hot-headed friend in the back. “We keep moving until we find solid covers. Remember those stone houses we saw earlier? We can hide our asses in there until nightfall. They ain’t gonna search for us in there. Trust me, that place was marked a non-combat zone by the rules. Besides, they still have a camp to protect. They are the defenders, all they have to do is stall, and when the sun rises again, they win by the rules.”

“Well, that’s why you are the smaller and weaker one. So much analyzing and talking in so little time. I trust you, lead the way.”

“Oh, Piss off! I'm about to punch ya face so hard that your ma won't be able to recognize you after all this. Nice shot by the way. I think you nailed the dude who was shooting at us. We are clear, let's go.”

“Last time I checked, more than half our team brought shields with them to the fight. Where on earth are they now? ”

“Pffff, a bunch of spineless and honorless weaklings.” He rolled his eyes with contempt.

“Can’t say it better brother... wait..is that?”

The sound of a volley of arrows approaching cut off their conversation.

“TO THE BARRICADES!” Dalang screamed and was sure he had never run, slid, or ducked that fast in his life.

Arrows rained down on their location. Nothing but only wooden barricades scattered across the terraces can provide them with some cover.

“You all right over there?” Dalang still took a couple of arrows to his arm, back, and legs. “Help me with the one on my back, brother, and let’s move out before the second wave of arrows hits us.”

“ Here we go. Hopefully, these aren’t coated with poison.” Dalang pulled the arrows that only managed to pierce Dalang’s skin and hand Yì the intact arrow to refill his quiver

“Yo Brother, what special blood in you hardens your skin like that?” Yì was surprised and relieved.

“Nah, I am just good at taking a beating. Also, toxin-proof. Let’s move from a barricade to another barricade. Go ahead; I will keep an eye out.”

“Yo, wait. You see that, Dalang? Is that a shield climbing stair?” A shiny figure appeared downhill and was quickly approaching.

“Finally, someone with spine and honor. Only one though.” Dalang sounded disappointed. “Well, at least those guys uphills know where to aim at. Hurry, we can meet the dude in the stone houses if he makes it. ”

Another volley of arrows, all aimed at the shield marching up the ancient stone stairs. Clanging noises worried Dalang and Yi, and they were praying that the shield would hold and protect its wielder.

Putting their backs against the cold granite walls of the ruin, the two of them started to check on their only reinforcement. That was a shield maiden from the north. A princess of a small kingdom of some sort.

“Dear Lady Nüwa, I am in love, Yì.” Dalang could not move his eyes away from her.

“Yeah, yeah, you say that every time. Quit acting like a creep.” Yì smiled with friendly contempt. He knew all too well of Dalang’s awkwardness around the ladies.

“Oh, shut up. You already got someone waiting for you at home, and can’t you be a little more supportive?”

“YO! We are here!” Yì screamed at her, then whispered to Dalang with a wink. “I gotcha, brother.”

That caught her attention as she adjusted her direction, jumped off the stairs onto the terrace, and moved towards them.

“Look at the tiara she bears on her helm. A princess, probably. Damn, she’s WAY outta your league, man. You’ll look like a troll standing next to her. ”

“Well, I heard demmies like me are more popular in their realms. ”

“No Shit, Dalang, their realms are always at war. There is always a need for an extra pair of hands, the mightier, the better.” Yì said. “ Well, here she comes. Smile-and-wave, brother, smile-and-wave.”

Arrows and heavy bolts were bouncing off her shield, and nothing went through that blessed chunk of metal of hers. She was born and bred as a warrior and gifted with immortality, and she fulfilled the perfect nordic image of ferocity and beauty. In Dalang’s mind, anyway.

“RETREAT TO THE CAMP! ”She yelled at them from ten paces away with a dull voice through her helm while taking out several small clay canisters and tossed them up the stairs and the terraces.

A white smoke screen was created to cover their retreat. Phosphorus’s unique and pungent smell quickly spread across the terraces, making Dalang covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

“Wow, poisonous, corrosive, and creates smoke. What a convenient tool.” His words were filled with genuine admiration by whoever made those canisters.

“Let’s move.”

The defenders uphill finally realized they had wasted enough arrows on those two and stopped firing. They had won the round.

Somewhere, the gods were spectating on this trial of theirs. Which of those lucky immortals would earn their godhood from this battle? Which of those immortals would be incapacitated and lose their gifts and privileges? Which god’s name would they mention in their battle cry?

The Oriental Tribunal was enlisting Marshals for their treasured fleets.

The Vanirs and Aesirs were looking for couriers that could survive all of their nine-realms.

The United Tribes of America were simply looking for rangers to patrol the forests and protect its tribes from Wendigos.

The Olympians were interested in hiring a hero to solve the mortal’s beast problems.

The Great Ennead by the Niles was looking for a capable adventurer to expedite the sandy Red Lands;

“Son of the draught goddess, the blood of my sworn enemy’s blood----I smell you----Haha----Come and let me test my might...” A voice pierced Dalang’s skull and sent chills down his spine through telepathy.

He stopped behind a boulder and stared back at the top of the hill, where he believed the voice came from. “Yo, Yì, someone just sent a telepathic message to me. The psionic power was so strong that my head was buzzing.”

“Whaaaat!? They have one of those mind-tappers?” Yì stopped, turned, and asked.

“I dunno. First time for me to meet one, too. The voice said that I am the blood of his enemy’s blood. This better had nothing to do with my ma.”

“Then challenge him and create a diversion or something. ”

“The voice called my mom a draught goddess. Only those who fought in the unification war call her that.”

“Well, I only know her as a cold, serious lady I don’t wanna mess with. Didn’t know she got sworn enemies that are still alive, though.”

“Yeah, right, imagine being her son.” Clearly, Dalang and his mom did not get along well.

Yì picked up a large buckler left by the attackers, jumped on it, and sat on it like a sled. “Maybe you can exploit his hatred?”

“My shield brother, you know me well, I see.”

“See----------ya.” Yì winked at Dalang and quickly slid downstairs. The trail was nothing but another playground for him; glory would be waiting for him with his dead-eye marksmanship.

“Wow, of course, he took the only buckler big enough to slide,” Dalang murmured. He started walking again and took out his waterskin.

“Looks like we are clear, Warrior.” The shieldmaiden caught up to him and removed her helm. Her fiery hair, her fair skin, her hazel iris, her perfectly placed freckles, and her raspy voice pounded young Dalang’s heart like a battle drum. He purposefully avoided making eye contact with her; there was a trail to pass after all.

Now he realized Yì’s intention. What a friend. Dalang adjusted his posture and cleared his throat, and handed her his waterskin.

“M..M’Lady, fancy some water?”

“Huh, a Lady? Are you insulting me? ” Changed her cheering tone; her words sounded vexed.

Dalang felt all his blood had rushed to his head and squeezed a word out of his grinning teeth. “So----rry.” Regret and remorse were written all over his face, and he should have known better not to call a Norse shieldmaiden lady.

“Haha, look at your face. Relax, I was joking. You oriental people are so tense. What am I going to do? Duel you? ” She looked at Dalang and smirked as she had won an ambush.

“Huh, you oriental people? Excuse me? My mom’s from the great Balkans.” They stared at each other and broke the awkward silence with laughs.

“Haha, you almost got me. Fast learner, huh.” She smiled and extended her forearm to shake his.

“Randgríðr. Randy for those who don’t speak our tongue”

“Dalang, appreciate the help.”

When they arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Yì was bragging about how he did not miss a single arrow and how he had severed an enemy ballista’s string with a perfect shot.

“How can you still joke around with those who abandoned us? Is that how you honor our fallen squadmates, huh?” Dalang hit Yì in the back with disappointment and anger. “Go get some rest; I gotta yell at some fools to feel better.”

Dalang took a deep breath and roared at the camp. “And to all of y’all losers! Was it that hard to keep up, huh? We were only steps away from ramming their gates. Shame on all of you. When my squad was pinned and left behind, Randi was the only aid honorable enough to come back for us. And her squad was in charge of defending the camp.”

“It is easier said than done, demi-god! Not everyone has an indestructible body like you.” Someone in the crowd shouted back. “Yeah, unlike you, one lucky shot, and we are done and out!”

Enraged, Dalang ripped off his hide chest piece and took off his shirt. His body was full of fresh scars and was coated in a layer of coagulated blood.

“Who was that!? Stand out and let me see how many arrows you took for your squadmates!! How much did you bleed for the cause!? Huh?”

No one said another word. Dalang did not trade his squad’s lives for his survival. There was supposed to be a final charge at the gates, facilitated by all thirteen squads. Yì and Dalang’s squad followed through with the plan and kept charging while the rest two squads retreated.

“This is enough. Dalang, we still need to be a united army.” Randgríðr patted him on the shoulder. “Go and rest, I’ll gather all the other squad leaders to have a meeting by nightfall, and I will handle it from here.”

Needless to say, a valkyrie candidate’s words would weigh more than an angry oriental demi-god under such circumstances.

After cleaning himself up, Dalang met Yì on his way back to their tent.

“I always wonder if there is a screw loose in your head, Yì. You are a capable fighter, but those warriors out there aren’t your friends; they are your competitors,” Dalang patted Yì on the shoulder and said.

“Those weaklings that put you to the squad leader role are all gone, and you have no one to suck you up? ” With no expression at all, Dalang delivered some heavy words. “We are indeed capable. Those fools that got offed? Those were never ‘mates’ to me.”

“You’ve changed Dalang. And those changes happened right beneath my eyes.”

“We have just eliminated a hundred something competitors for this trial, brother. They just happened to be put under your command. That is why I insist on holding the frontline rather than retreating, as you have suggested. I just didn’t realize the other squads were worse than ours and fled.”

“Wait, what?” Yì frowned with anger and confusion. “Since when are you calculating a piece of work like that? The gods are watching this trial, remember? And you think losing battles like that help?”

“I have always been like this. You know that.” Dalang raised his voice with impatience. “This is a trail—a lot like a war. We don’t care about casualties, just victory. You are always so kind and easygoing, and those two qualities don’t belong here. Or anywhere beyond this point.”

Yì stood there, like a student being scolded by his teacher.

“Keep on living like that. One day a devastating betrayal would forever taint you. I don’t want that to happen, brother. You know I mean you well; we are still bound by our childhood oaths to look out and be there for each other.” Dalang extended his arm for a fist bump.

“You are damn right about that,” Yì responded as a gust of wind was created by the two immortal’s fists colliding. “Now, we go fight for the greater glory of the gods.”

“Pfff, seriously? You believe in that crap?” Dalang smiled to cover the numbness in his fist.

There would be glory ahead indeed.