Space Wizards

9. Grav Hammer

Murphy followed Øregård out of the audience chamber and down a tunnel made of glass. Above her and all around her was blue water filled with plant life and an abundance of brightly colored squids. They swam in huge schools changing color as they moved from bright yellow to deep purple. At one point, they surrounded Øregård and changed to a green that matched his skin tone perfectly. 

"Rainbow squid. Food for Hvaal," said Øregård with a wave to scatter the swarm. 

"I've never seen anything like them. They're beautiful." 

The squid circled above Murphy, pulsed in hypnotic undulating patterns, wiggled their tentacles like a kaleidoscope, and raced off to a different part of the tank. 

They exited the water tunnel and entered a hallway with many closed iron doors that matched the steel floor of the transport. Øregård walked up to one and it opened fast and automatically up into the ceiling. Murphy eyed the door suspiciously and followed him inside with a quick jump over the threshold. 

The room was cluttered with boxes, weapons, clothing, and armor. It had an intense musky smell that implied the ogre spent a good deal of time there. Øregård went to an over stacked weapons wrack and started grabbing things and throwing what he seemed to regard as junk into the big nearby crates. 

"Do you have a weapon type you prefer to use? Sword? Axe? Blaster?"

He held up a bizarre hand weapon and pointed it at her looking down its long barrel. 

"I like bludgeoning tools. I see you have mostly bladed weapons," she said. 

Øregård looked at the two parts of her broken mace and tossed them into a box. He made a hmmm sound and continued to rummage. 

"My last weapon was a war hammer with a nine-pound silver block."

"Pound?" said Øregård. 

"A weight. It was a heavy block of precious metal. Very effective."

Øregård turned and looked at her with a grin and pulled a massive club from one of his weapon crates. It was as big as her and he smashed it onto the deck with such force Murphy felt the floor shake. He looked at it and looked at her.

"I'm not sure I'd be able to get my hands around such a weapon but I like its power," said Murphy. 

Øregård nodded his head up and down several times and raised a finger into the air before continuing to dig through his arsenal. He eventually found what he was looking for and held before her a platinum hammer made of two cubes connected by a rectangle and mounted on a metal shaft of the same material. The bottom of the rod was textured into a handle and a loop of metal below the grip counterbalanced the head. Øregård was able to hold it in one hand but the grip was clearly designed for two. 

"The Grav Hammer," said Øregård with toothy smile. 

He handed it to her. Murphy took it and held it before her with both hands. She looked down the perfect straightness of the handle and flipped the hammer's head around. It appeared to be cast as a unified solid piece. She moved her hand to the middle of the weapon and let it come to a balance on two fingers before twirling it around and around. She slid her grip down to the end and slipped her hand through the loop to spin it even faster around her wrist and forearm. 

"Yes," said Øregård, "you do have great skill. Try this..."

He picked up a huge iron crate full of weapons with a grunt, held it over his head, and chucked it at her. Murphy wound up the hammer and batted the box with it. She spun, swung, and when the hammer connected there was a pulse of invisible force that sent the box sailing across the room to smash into the ceiling before it come crashing down with a thunderous smack. 

Murphy held the hammer in awe. She pressed the weapon to her forehead and quietly recited a prayer of thanks to the god of war. 

"Tell me, what gives this weapon such power?"

"It's a gravity amplifier," said Øregård

"What is gravity?" asked Murphy.

Øregård narrowed his eyes at her.

"Gravity is the force of nature that draws all objects towards each other. It moves the planets around the sun and the stars around the galaxy. It holds you to a planet. The larger the object, the more the pull. For the hammer, the faster the swing, the more power behind the blow. You are fast. With this weapon, you could best me. If you practice."

"Gravity," repeated Murphy, "surely the work of the gods." 

Øregård picked up the massive club and led her out across the hall into an adjoining empty room. Murphy followed and stood face to face with the ogre of Gastraddar. 

"We shall test the resolve of your god of war. We shall train together. I will teach you and I hope to learn from you as well," said the green giant. 

"I will commit to your instructions. I am a fast learner," said Murphy with a bow. 

He raised his club and she twirled her new war hammer. 

"Begin!"