caracco

And here we have another, unwanted but unfortunately needed info dump

May 3, 2009

As I end my breakfast I start reflecting on the fact that a famous billionaire, owner of an important multinational industry, was kidnapped by a notorious group of terrorists, and I never heard the names of any of them.

Fucking parallel universes, who knows what has changed in this world where gods walk among mortals?

Remembering Lucifer's letter and flyer I decide my plan for the day, from searching the basement for the gifted armor to reading the books in the study, leaving the option of trying to use my so-called powers as the last thing to do, if there's time, maybe...

As I descend the spiraling staircase I start observing the gym like structure searching for anything that could pass as an armor, and find nothing.
Searching around for something that could contain an armor I turn every cabinet and closet over, finding only gym clothes and towels.

It took me a bit of moving everything around to see a different panel in the wall, sliding it open I am finally able to find something, even if it wasn't exactly what could be defined as an armor.

A mannequin bust with a golden torc around its neck.

I am sure this jewel is something Lucifer left for me, seeing several arrows pointing at it painted on the mannequin, with a shamelessness that I could expect only from a certain Devil.

Accepting that this is what he said will be an armor I put it on, and as I do it starts liquefying covering me in brown and golden metal. 
As the armor takes shape, it solidifies in a light armor form and I sense a connection forming with it, knowledge pouring into my mind, information about its use, materials, and enchantments answer questions I never had with replies I can't completely understand.

After several seconds I am finally able to sort the information in my mind, realizing how the adamantine armor enchantments could passively protect me from damage and magic or actively cloud my presence from others.

With a single thought, I return it to its torc form, understanding why Lucifer gifted me with this useful tool.

Deciding to keep following Lucifer's instructions I leave the basement and move to the study where I find a huge pile of books, marked by the devil in a clear order, or at least as clearly ordered as something marked by that devil can be.

Someone more normal will have simply numbered them, but NO, let's mark them with the level you needed to understand them using terms like 'complete idiot', 'really stupid', 'mildly competent', 'uneducated' and 'silly'.

From what should I start now?

--------- 4 hours later ----------

During WW2, the US created the first superhuman and used him to fight Nazis, creating the so-called S.H.I.E.L.D, and during a mission, he died falling in the arctic sea. No other superhuman has been found later, or at least no one has been confirmed...

So superheroes are a thing here...

--------- 12 hours later ----------

There are aliens called Asgardian, that are similar to the gods of Norse mythology, that fought the ice giants from Jotunheim on earth to protect the Nine Realms, and this is why they were worshiped by the people of Northern Europe in the middle ages.

Aliens... Nine realms... Norse gods... Cool...

Maybe they could teach me something about godhood?

--------- 18 hours later ---------

There are users of the mystic arts, aka sorcerers, studying in this place, Kamar-Taj, headed by this so-called Ancient one, with the duty to protect the world from supernatural threats.

So magic is totally real, and somewhere in the Himalayas, there is a Hogwarts like school for sorcerers...

Should I go there and learn a couple of tricks?

Noticing how much time has passed since I started reading, I decided that I should limit the time I spend adsorbing what I would have called fantasy literature a couple of days ago.

At this rhythm, it will take me weeks to read them all...

Realizing this, and dreading several weeks of uninterrupted reading, I start considering the use of my Hunter's powers, something Lucifer told me to do when I'll need the advice to the previous members of the Wild Hunt.

After a bit of thinking, I decided to give it a try, and so I started meditating, trying to focus on my soul, searching for the source of my powers.

Several minutes later I find two different sources of power in my soul, emanating two different kinds of energies, one primal and rough, and the other chaotic and ethereal.

As I am trying to use the power of the Wild Hunt, I start focusing on the last one, and slowly, as time passes I am able to resonate with it.

When I'm finally able to reach the needed level of focus I lose myself in the feeling of power, slowly sinking into my soul, where I find myself in a ghostly form, in front of an empty throne, in the middle of a ruined hall.

Unconsciously I take my place on the throne, and as I do a wave of energy surges out of myself, expanding through the room, restoring it to its original normal form, and flying out of the broken doors.

Seconds later several ghosts start appearing, rushing as dehydrated men will when they are in front of an oasis, all bending the knee when they reach the throne.

When the last one bows before me I count nineteen of them, men and women, and as they slowly rise, one of them approaches me.

"Your majesty, we are honored to be called to this hall again, after so long, we are prepared to serve and ride with you to the world outside to maintain our duty once again..." She starts speaking when I stop her.

"What is this place? Who are you?" I ask, a bit confused by all that happened, already imagining her answer.

"We are in the lands of the Wild Hunt, where the souls marked by its magic wait for their summoning, I am Viviane, and I have been a lady of this court for a long time my king, one on the last hunters remaining on these halls," she explains to me, confused and annoyed by my ignorance.

"So you are the hunters that followed my predecessor? And what do you mean by the remaining ones?" I ask, trying to fill the holes in my knowledge.

"Exactly, and we are the last ones, as all the unwilling ones have paid for their crimes, and many volunteers decided to re-enter the great circle of death and rebirth, as they doubted the king's return; unlike us, we always believed in the rising of a new king" she speaks with great pride, her beliefs now proved right.

"What do you mean with unwilling ones? And crimes? What is the duty of the Hunt?" I keep searching for the answers that Lucifer didn't provide me.

"The Hunt duty is to keep the balance of the universe, ensuring its continuous existence, while maintaining the core values of the Hunt. We were summoned to punish the oathbreakers, to watch over deals as beacons of truth, always neutral. The unwilling ones are people that have broken oaths, or that protected the ones who did, forced to join for a period to compensate for their crimes. On the other side, the willing ones are people that chosen to devote themself to our mission." She finally provides me new pieces of information, explaining our duty.

"And how should I do that?" I ask, bewildered by the duty of moving through the world to enforce laws that I don't fully understand.

"With steel and magic, obviously," she curtly answers,

"But I don't know how to fight, or how to use magic," I point out, knowing my complete inadequacy in the fighting field.

"That's easy, we will teach you how to use weapons and magic until you will be able to guide us in battle as your predecessor did," she says, before adding "I'll teach you all I know about magic, and Scáthach will teach you the art of the spear."

"The spear?" I ask dumbfounded, 

"Yes, Gáe Bulg is the weapon of this court's king, it's a masterful creation, made from the bone of a great monster, inlaid with star-metal, and covered with powerful enchantments, worthy of a true king." She proclaims, indifferent to my dull reaction.

"Are you ready for your first lesson?" I can see a flash of sadism in her eyes when she asks this dreadful question, and so before I can even find an excuse the training began.