It was a misty day in Stockholm.  You could barely see five feet in front of you.  The sea could be smelled from miles away.  But that doesn't stop anyone from working.  The harbor was bustling with dockhands loading and unloading cargo.  Merchants shouted, trying to sell their wares to the sailors docked here.  Ships from across Scandinavia and even the far off Iroquois Confederacy did business here.  A steam ship from Britannia had arrived carrying a cargo of textiles.
“Skjor!"  Called Eric the dock master.  “Find the Varg and start unloading the ship.”
“Yes, uncle."  Skjor replied.  He wasn’t really his uncle, but Eric had been close to Skjor’s father when they were in the army.  Skjor had a slender build for most Norsemen, but he was very muscular from all the lifting he did in his job.  He had long black hair and emerald eyes. 
Skjor went up the loading bridge into the steam ship.  He went down to the cargo hold and met Varg already carrying a box up.  Varg was bigger than Skjor by an inch or two, and was more muscular.
“Varg, we need to carry everything they've got out of here."  Skjor said to Varg.
“What do you think I’m doing?"  he said in his Latin accent.  Varg’s name isn’t Varg, it’s just what all Norsemen call Romans.  Varg means wolf in Norse, which is like calling a Roman a rat.  But Varg didn’t care what people call him, and Eric didn’t care what his real name is.
“Bring the first box then come help me lift the heavier stuff."  Skjor tells Varg.
“Ja, ja."  He replied, and continued on his way.
Skjor enters into the cargo hold and sees rows of boxes making aisles across the lower deck.  The room would be pitch black if it wasn’t for the port holes on the sides of the ship lighting up the room.  The walls of the ship were a dark green, the floor a granite color.  Skjor took a moment to rest.  He leaned back on the walls of the ship and closed his eyes. 
A thump came from one of the ends of the ship.  Skjor opened his eyes and carefully walked toward the noise.  He turned the corner and saw a rat scurry away.
“$$%@ rats,"  He said as he turned around and saw a man in a top hat covering his face with his hands.  The man wore a black suit and white gloves.  Skjor looked at him hesitantly, not sure what to say. 
Then the man opened his hands and said “Peek-a-boo."  The man then laughed, making Skjor uneasy.  “Well you're no fun.  I’ll just make this quick.  My names Reshellion and bingo-bango your special now."  Reshellion waved his hand and a darkness encompassed Skjor's hand.  When the shadow faded, a symbol was left on his hand.  It was a circle with what looked like four compass needles making a star with a small dot in the center.
“What did you…"  Skjor began to say but Reshellion had disappeared.  Skjor looked around him, but there was nothing but boxes and rats in the cargo hold.  “Get out here you-"  But as Skjor began to yell the symbol began to glow an ominous dark color.  In front of Skjor a dark circle of black mist the size of a doorway appeared from nowhere.  Skjor jumped back in shock landing a few feet away from the mist.  Skjor began to approach the mist and a chill went through his body.
Then a little creature jumped through the mist and landed on Skjor’s face.  Skjor was knocked back and wrestled with the little pygmy grabbing his head.
“I did it! I’m first! I’m never first at anything."  Said the little thing in a rustic high pitch voice. 
“Get off my head!"  Yelled Skjor.
“Oh I’m sorry master.  I don’t get to celebrate my accomplishments.  The other Imps get to throw huge parties but I-.”
“Get off now!”
“Sorry!"  The Imp squeaked as he jumped off his head.  The Imp was the size of a large alley cat.  He had grey leathery skin, a skinny body, orange eyes that seemed to be burning and two small horns in his head.
“Who… what the @$&# are you?"  Skjor asked angrily
“Well, aren't you rude.  I came all this way-"  Skjor slammed his fist against a box.  “The names Pipyap.  I’m your Imp."  Pip said hastily.
“My what?”
“I am a demon loyal to you and only you.  You really should know this…"  Pip jumped on Skjor’s head again and pushed him into the shadow of the cargo.
“Not aga-”
“Shhh."  Pip told him.
From the mist came a new creature.  A crimson devil-looking creature came from the mist.  It was the size of an average man but shortened by a hunch in his back.  His skin was smooth and he had a grin that said he owned what he saw.
“I was right! This is our way out."  The devil said in a crackling voice “Lord Sklirós Shall be pleased.”
“Indeed I am, Gree."  Came a cold voice from the portal.  A tall man walked out of the mist.  He had grey skin and a bald head.  His claws so sharp that they cut the air.  His eyes were pure white, but you could tell he could see.
"  My lord, I hope you see the value of my discovery.  Such a path as this can bring down the-”
“Enough of your self-gratification.  This portal is not permanent.  It will disappear shortly.”
“Then we should plunder what we-"  Gree began to say.
“However this proves that He is not watching us.”
“But that would mean…”
”Hey Skjor, who you-"  Varg started to say as he walked towards the noise.  Suddenly, with the flick of Sklirós’s wrist, Varg's head was rolling on the floor of the ship.  Skjor could do nothing but stay where he was.  He was in front of everyone, yet no one seemed to see him in the shadow of the crates.  Pipyap was still on his head.
“It has been too long since warm blood ran on my skin..."  Sklirós said.  “I could've done better.”
“My lord, someone else is here."  Gree warned.  ”We should retreat fo-”
Suddenly a bright ball of light appeared blinding the demons and Skjor.  Someone grabbed Skjor’s hand and pulled him away from the demons.  They ran to the top of the deck of the ship.  Skjor let go of the stranger's hand and grabbed a railing.  When, finally, he got his bearings, he looked up and was a blond girl in a Celtic school girl's garb holding a white rapier looking agitated at him.
“Come on."  she said in a Gaelic accent.  “We don’t have time to breathe.”
Just then a fire exploded out from the doorway to the cargo hold.  The girl pushed Skjor over the ship and into the water.  Skjor felt a spasm of pain as he hit the water from his side, but he was used to the pain and recovered quickly.  As he saw the girl under the water not moving he shot towards her grabbed her with one arm and swam towards the port.
When they got to the port most of the people on the docks had ran to safety.  But a single pale hand with a white glove reached out to help them up.  When they got onto land, Skjor laid the girl out on her back.
“She needs mouth to mouth."  Said the man who helped them.  Skjor turned his head to look at the man but he was gone. 
When she finally woke up Skjor had carried her to his house.  It was a simple hovel, a one room apartment with a hearth at one end, two beds on each side and a window.  She was laying on one of the beds while a middle aged woman slept on the other bed.  Skjor was leaning against the one door of the room switching between watching the door and them.
“Who are you?"  Asked Skjor.
“Aren’t you being a little rude to someone who saved your life?"  She replied.
“I saved yours, too." 
“Fair.  My name's Oriana.”
“Skjor.  What were those things?”
“I was hoping you’d know that.”
“What is this mark on my hand, and who was that guy who gave it to me?”
“Don’t know and no idea.  He gave me the same mark a week ago.  He also blew up my classroom… I’m sorry but who is that?"  Oriana said pointing at the woman sleeping.
“No one."  Skjor said defensively. 
“She looks a lot like you..."  She had a face similar to Skjor and the same black hair has him.  ”...is she your mother?”
“Yes…”
“You’re interrogating me in front of your mother.”
Skjor looked down at the floor, trying to hide his red face.  “She’s slept through louder.”
“I hate to interrupt this moment, but I really don’t care."  Said a voice from the window.  They turned their heads and saw Pipyap sitting on the window sill.  Oriana nearly jumped to action but fell back down from fatigue.  Skjor tried to grab the little bugger but Pipyap dove under him, saying “Whoa… Whoa… Whoa… This is the thanks I get for saving your life?”
“You jumped on my head!"  Skjor said.  “Twice!”
“Ok, the first time was on accident.  But the second time saved your life you nub."  Skjor grabbed for Pipyap’s neck and caught him.  “Hey this was not the thank-you neck rub I expected!”
“You’re going to answer a few questions.”
“Ok, ok, ok...  But not in front of blondy.”
“We’ll be right back.”
“No don’t tru-"  Oriana began to say but Skjor had already walked out of the room and slammed the door behind him. 
Skjor and Pipyap were in the hall of his apartment.  The floor was creaky and the wallpaper was peeling off.  Skjor put Pipyap against the wall and said “You have five seconds the explain everything.”
“Well that’s plenty of time to-”
“Three.”
“Like I said before, I am your minion.  You were chosen by the big man to be his vessel in the mortal world.”
“Continue.”
“I was the ‘lucky’ one to be chosen to be your helper In this world.”
“And the other world?”
“The other world is the realm of darkness.  Us Imps sided with the big guy during the schism.”
“Schism?”
“I don’t care much for politics.  Some demons were anger about something and rebelled against the big man.  The head imp stayed loyal, so the rest did, too.”
“So those ‘demons’ back there were evil?" 
“Yes.  Yes.  Yes.”
“And how, exactly, did you save me from them?”
“I pushed you into the shadows.  You can’t be seen in the shadows.  The big guy’s power grants you it.”
“Who is this 'big guy?'”
“The god of darkness.”
“Do you have his name?”
“I don’t care about politics.”
“Ugh."  Skjor was done dealing with the Imp and went back into his room to question Oriana more.  But when he walked back in he saw his mother had woken and was talking with Oriana.
“Oh, Skjor, you didn’t tell me you had such a pretty girlfriend."  Skjor’s mother Asta said.
“She’s-"  Skjor tried to say.
“And you brought her to your bed.  Very bold.”
“We just met.”
“Oh, now that's very bold.”
“But-”
“And is that a baby in your hand? Well, haven't you grown up.”
“Goo-goo Gaga."  Pipyap said.
“This isn’t- we never-"  Skjor stumbled.
“Oh, you adopted.  How sweet.”
Oriana had turned her head away, trying not to laugh.  When Skjor slammed the door Asta had woken and Oriana told her that Skjor had saved her from drowning and was letting her rest.  Which wasn't a lie.  But Asta thought it was the perfect time to play with her son.
“I give up."  Skjor said finally.
“Never give up on a such a good relationship, dear."  Asta said.  “I never would have married your father if I didn’t believe in that." 
The mention of Skjor's father brought a sadness to Skjor’s eyes.  But then Asta started coughing sporadically.  Skjor ran to the fire mantle and grabbed a bottle of poppy milk and gave some to his mother.  Asta went to sleep instantly.
"  So what exactly are you?"  Skjor asked Oriana.
“Not sure my guide isn’t very helpful.”
“Who’s-?”
There was a knock on the door.  Skjor looked through the peephole in his door when suddenly it rocketed forward and pinned Skjor on the floor.  Pipyap had evaded to the corner of the room.  The red demon Gree stood in the door frame.
“Have I got a deal for you.  I have death here for free."  Gree said
Oriana tried to stand up, but she was still recovering.  Asta was out cold from the poppy.  Pipyap, however, had a lot to say.
“OH.  You did not just say that."  Pip said.
“Say what?"  Gree replied.
“I did not just get manhandled by my boss to fight a skinny little pepper who says !@#^ like that.”
“Pepper?”
“Just attack him!"  Oriana yelled.
“Oh, what's he going to do to-"  Gree said just before he was engulfed by a column of fire that came from Pip.
Gree ran away with his skin aflame screaming.
“Get back here, chili powder."  Pip yelled and ran after him.
“Well, that was…something."  said an icy voice.  Sklirós walked in calmly, stepping on the door to make sure Skjor couldn’t move.  He lifted his hand and a grey mist wrapped around Oriana’s wrist and ankles.  “Oh… how lovely this is, two Champions stuck like this.  One light and one dark.”
“Three..."  said a tired voice.  An African man in a trench cloak came from behind Sklirós pointing a white sword at him.
“Ah, the Champion of Death.  You don’t look so good.”
“Single, where have you been?"  Oriana yelled.
“Ale…"  Single said.
“You were drinking!?”
Sklirós swung his arm around and caught Single off guard.  A second mist grabbed him.  Sklirós was about to finish him but turned toward Asta.
“Which would be better...  killing all of you and waiting for her to wake up and see your corpses..."  Sklirós said.
“What are you-"  Skjor said. 
“Or killing her now to watch you suffer now?”
“No, don’t-"  Oriana was crying as she tried to get free of the cuffs.
With a slit of Sklirós’s hand, Asta's throat was slit.  “And now to see your-"  The door had flown through the room and hit Sklirós through the wall.
   Skjor stood up, enveloped by a black mist.  Two glowing red eyes shone through.  Skjor jumped out the wall, following Sklirós.  Skjor landed on the sidewalk where Sklirós  stood dazed.  Two pure black axes appeared in Skjor hands as he lunged at Sklirós.  Sklirós did everything he could to block Skjor’s attacks but it wasn’t enough to stop the berserk Skjor.  Sklirós lunged away and said.  “So this is the power of a Champion.  I’m sorry to say I must retreat."  and in a flash he disappeared.
Oriana had escaped the bonds and began to limp down to help Skjor but he had already made it back up and returned to normal.  He walked in to see Single closing his mother's eyelids.