Chapter 4: The Thunder Hammer
The clearing was completely silent, broken only by the sound of Bjorn's hammer striking the ground. His imposing figure dominated the scene, casting a shadow that seemed to stretch across the entire forest.
Bjorn stood nearly two and a half meters tall, his muscular body chiseled like a statue carved from stone. His plate armor gleamed with a metallic shine, adorned with rune engravings that glowed faintly with an electric blue light. He wore a bear pelt cape over his shoulders, a reminder of his life as a warrior before being chosen by Thor. In his right hand, he held a massive hammer decorated with the same rune symbols, from which small sparks of electricity crackled in the air.
His intense ice-blue eyes looked at Alex with a mix of interest and disdain.
"I hope you're ready, kid. I don't usually hold back in these trials," Bjorn said with a grin, his voice rumbling like thunder in the sky.
Alex felt his heart pounding. Compared to Bjorn, he seemed like a mere insect facing a storm.
"Are you sure this isn't a joke?" he muttered.
"It's not," Quetzalcoatl interrupted with a serious tone.
"He won't give you a chance to back down. You must face him or fall here."
Bjorn raised his hammer with ease, as if it weighed nothing.
"First lesson: brute strength isn't everything... but sometimes it's enough."
With a single swing, Bjorn struck the ground with his hammer. The impact created a shockwave of electricity and wind that knocked down trees around them. Alex barely managed to leap to the side, but the explosion still caught him, slamming him against a nearby trunk.
"Argh!" Alex hit the ground, his body aching.
"Already tired? I've barely started," Bjorn said, advancing toward him.
Every movement Bjorn made was precise and devastating. His attacks were not only incredibly powerful but also released electric surges that filled the air with the sharp scent of ozone. With each strike, Bjorn's hammer created craters in the ground, and the uncontrolled bursts of energy lit the clearing like lightning in a raging storm.
Alex tried using the wind to dodge, sending gusts to propel himself to the sides. He managed to avoid a few strikes, but the constant pressure left him with little room to react.
"Focus!" shouted Quetzalcoatl.
"The wind isn't just for running — use it to attack!"
Alex gritted his teeth, extending his hands. A blast of wind shot toward Bjorn, but he barely flinched.
"Is that all?" Bjorn raised his hammer, absorbing the gust in a swirl of electricity.
"You'll have to do better than that, kid."
Alex panted, struggling to come up with a plan. With every passing second, Bjorn seemed to grow stronger, as if the battle itself was fueling him.
"His movements are slow but devastating," Quetzalcoatl advised.
"You need to take advantage of his size. Use your speed and the wind to destabilize him."
Alex closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the feeling of the wind around him. When he opened them, his symbol glowed brighter.
"Alright... let's try this."
Bjorn charged at Alex with a downward strike, his hammer gleaming like lightning. Alex dodged to the side, creating a whirlwind that coiled around Bjorn's legs. For a moment, the giant staggered, losing his balance.
"Now!" Quetzalcoatl shouted.
Alex gathered all the wind he could into a single point and released it toward Bjorn. The force was enough to push him back, drawing a frustrated growl from the warrior.
"That was better," Bjorn admitted, brushing the dust off his armor.
"But you're still weak."
This time, Bjorn raised his hammer to the sky, and a bolt of lightning struck him directly, imbuing him with an electric aura. With a roar, he hurled the hammer at Alex.
The hammer shot through the air like a missile, crackling with lightning. Alex barely dodged it in time, but the energy released on impact blasted him off his feet. When he hit the ground, he was covered in dirt and bleeding from several cuts.
Bjorn extended his hand, and the hammer returned to him as if pulled by a magnet.
"You're tougher than I expected. That's good."
Alex struggled to his feet, trembling. His legs shook, but something inside him refused to let him give up.
"If you think I'm going down that easily... you're wrong."
With one final effort, Alex summoned all the wind around him, forming a current that swirled around him like a whirlwind. The air spun so fiercely that leaves and branches began to fly, creating a natural barrier.
Bjorn raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"So, you've still got something left to show."
The wind surrounding Alex intensified, forming a translucent serpent that seemed to coil around him.
"Let's see if you can handle this."
Bjorn grinned, lifting his hammer once more.
"That's what I wanted to see."
Both charged at each other, the clash of their powers lighting up the forest with an intensity that could have been seen for miles.
End of Chapter 4