Chapter 8.2:

  I eventually found Bjorn, Mark, Rolo, Hugo, and Jonas sitting at a table nursing their mead. They were a bit more subdued than normal, and when I stumbled up with my swelling eye and faint limp from a fight that I should have taken far more damage in, they all shot to their feet and looked over at me, worried. Bjorn pulled me down next to him, and Mark handed me a horn, which I downed with a grimace. It was nothing compared to the wine I had just had a little while ago, but it did help take some of the sting off.

  "Damn, man, what the fuck happened to you?" Jonas said.

  "Got in a little scuffle with someone I beat in the challenge." I made up a version of the story close to the truth.

  Bjorn looked at me oddly. "I can't believe you got in a fight without me! Leaving me out of the fun. Tell me you at least won."

  "Uh, we talked a little bit in the challenge, and I thought he was open to talking more. Apparently, he was more interested in looking good in front of his friends." I said, twisting the story for all I was worth. It was close enough to the truth, but I don't think any of these people served Loki. "Yeah. Turns out, without a blade, he was more than able to kick my shit in."

  Hugo poured me a beer and passed a mug over.

  "Oh, about that!" I said, changing topics as if I just remembered to say something. "I have a little bit of information for you. Tomorrow, the weapons are changing."

  Everyone leaned in closer. Hanging on my every word.

  "I knew it," Bjorn said. "Two swords, isn't it?"

  I shook my head. "No. Apparently, I was wrong about that. It's going to be halberds."

  Jonas pumped his fist. "Fuck, yeah!"

  I looked at him, surprised. He returned my look with a face-splitting grin. "What? I used a halberd my entire life. I'm pretty damn good with them. I think there's a decent chance I'll be able to get out of the Lesser Hall with this."

  "Well, I've never picked one up," I said, dejected. Hugo nodded as if he was agreeing with me. Mark and Rolo both shrugged, and Bjorn lifted one massive shoulder as if, of course, he knew how to use one. Still, he was grimacing.

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  "I was really hoping we could get more sword work. I'm getting pretty close to E proficiency and with a little more time, I think I could get out as well."

  I shot him a look. "But I thought you love it here. Why the rush to get out?"

  Bjorn gave me a smile. "I do. But I'm always looking for the next challenge. Besides, you can always have better mead."

  I nodded thoughtfully. I supposed even people like him who just fit in here, where this would be their idea of paradise, could always ask for something better. Humans were greedy by nature. I just hoped that I could get away with a little bit less fighting further on. I really didn't like dying every night, and after I talked to Loki, I couldn't believe how boring this was. How was I okay with this for six months? Was it just survival kicking in, or was it some sort of something else going on making me blind?

  Jonas, though, didn't seem able to read the mood. "No worries, man, I can teach you all how to use a halberd. It's really simple, too. It's the best weapon. You got the range of a spear but the power of an ax. If you know how to use it properly, you can even fight in close quarters, using it like a quarterstaff."

  Suddenly curious, I asked a question that had been bugging me. "How long have you been here?"

  He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I haven't really kept count, but they've never used a halberd before. When they had the spears a couple of cycles back, I got pretty close. Got to that final twelfth challenger several times. With the halberd, I'm in it for sure."

  How did someone not keep count of their time here? Another oddity to consider. Setting it aside, I reached over and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm happy for you, man. I really am."

  He must have read the tension in my face because he sobered up a little bit. "Don't worry, Miles. We'll get you through. Just a little bit of practice with it, and I'm sure you won't end up in the snow for the first day."

  I smiled grimly, not wanting to be reminded that it was a real possibility. If I lost the first or second fights, I could be way worse off now and then. I also wouldn't have access to the training I needed to get better. Even one day of learning the basics of a halberd could make a difference. Hopefully, we could get me through with just that.

  Bjorn nodded along. "You too, Hugo. Don't worry. You pick things up fast."

  Hugo grunted. Mark and Rolo didn't seem to mind. Both of them were relatively confident with almost any weapon. Still, they eventually said that they were along my lines, as they had never used a halberd. Modern men just didn't have a need for them.

  We drank and ate as Jonas went over all the points of a halberd, literally and figuratively. He actually smashed one of the benches on the ground and hefted a loose plank to go through the forms with us. I did my best to pay attention as Jonas knew what he was doing even with a thick slab of lumber, and I hoped to absorb everything that I could from him. It was the best chance I had at staying warm.