As the week progressed the clans and pantheons all started preparing in earnest. In the Asgardian clan things moved at an accelerated rate as everyone threw themselves into training and completing the selection for Bjorn's army.
During this time the clan got to witness Bjorn's prowess as a commander. To say the least he was on par with his father. The way he directed mock battles was in itself like watching and artist painting a beauty that had finesse but also a brutality that new no bounds.
Bjorn had taken his army and commanders with him out to sea after hearing that they would be having purely sea battles. He wanted everyone to be prepared and know what to expect. In addition to the normal galleys they would be using Bjorn had massive floating platforms built that they would bring to battle on top of.
Bjorn had another strategy that he had thought of but did not want to use it or let anyone know until they were in the games already. No, not until a worthy army was coming against them would he start putting that strategy into place.
See with Bjorn's power is at the level it is right now he can easily change entire environments with a wave of his hand. So Bjorn's next strategy involved something that no one would have thought of being a possibility. He would just freeze the entire area they are battling in and fight them as if they were on land.
Of course there were other plans to bring into play but they also relied heavily on his friends and wives working as commanders with a group of people that match their specialties. Take for example Baldir is trying to find the best engineers in the Asir army and using them to create new and powerful submarines that can take down the leviathans of the deep easily. As well as being able to completely catch the other armies off guard with surprise attacks from below.
Boros was looking for the most daring of the Asir to work as living boulders. Boros wanted to create a platoon of experts that could be thrown by him to take down enemies in the rear while he mows down the front lines keeping the armies attentions separated. Mostly the berserkers agreed to be a part of Boros's platoon knowing they would get to fight to their hearts content with this kind of arrangement.
Rufus was working with the elite knights of the hold. He was training them to be the second wave. He wanted them to accurately be able to recognize friend from foe no matter what. He also began training them in ways to protect their minds from illusions better. They had to be the walking fortresses they were meant to be. He honed their great sword skills as much as he could wanting them to be the blade that saved friends and eliminated foes with unwavering focus and precision.
Elraine and Katrina had taken it upon themselves to train an elite group of healers that could still fight while healing all comrades at the same time. They trained them hard in endurance and agility. The needed to be able to fight for long periods of time without getting injured themselves. They also trained them in intelligence to help assess injuries and helped them work on breaking through so the healers had more mana to continue healing as long as possible. Truly it is a hard undertaking but this was the plan between Ashlaine and them to help Bjorn come around to Katrina.
Ashlaine herself had started training the frontline soldiers. she alternated between spear users and dual blade wielders. She knew they would be fight on the water and started making sure to have them train how to fight onboard of a ship that is constantly moving beneath them. These men and women had to stay on their feet enduring the thrashing of the ship beneath them, as Ashlaine would agitated the sea beneath them with her power forcing the ships to and fro. She wanted them to be the best frontliners out there this time without exception they had to not just hold their own but force their enemies into submission.
When Bjorn wasn't with his friends and lovers helping them devise their strategies he was with the part of the army he was training personally. The defenders, the long range archers, and the Lightning Squad. The Lightning squad are a group of individuals that Bjorn hand picked out of the clan with the highest affinity towards the chaotic element. He was training them to be the quick response team. He taught them his flash step and lightning transformation to make them more fluid while flitting across the battle fields. The defenders were the Asir that were the most adept in the shield wall and on the ocean their job was to shield from magics and arrows cast and shot from afar. So they were given the knowledge Bjorn had on telekinesis so they could manipulate multiple shields per soldier. The long range archers learned Bjorn's own Farsight abilities and how to enchant their arrows to float around them to attack close range as well as far away.
All in all they had been very busy and in just a few days had been making extreme progress. They had a little more then 5 weeks left to prepare making Bjorn know his chances of victory are extremely high.
***
In a dark and dreary land loomed a city that seemed to be masked in a dark haze. Inside of the city was a massive castle that had a very gothic theme to it.
In the castle one could see a handsome man sitting on throne that seemed to be made of countless skulls. Currently he was listening to the report of one of his subordinates.
"The Draugr have been trying to rebel again lately. They say they have no business being in the necropolis and that they should be in the crypts of the Asir watching over the dead. The have even threatened to call upon the Goddess Hel to come and get them."
Tapping his finger on the armrest of his throne the man thought for a moment. Just as he was going to open his mouth to respond the door to the throne room was thrown open with a bang.
*BANG*
In stormed a beautiful young woman that was strikingly beautiful. She had fury evident on her face as she came in front of the man.
"Father, Sterling was just killed."
"I know. What is your point?"
"You know? That is all you have to say about it?"
The man shrugged his shoulders not to bothered by the thought of Sterling being dead.
"Why should I say anything else about it. I had already banished him for what he had done to his sister in law and we found plans that he was planning against you as well."
"Wait, what did you say he was planning against me as well?"
"Yupp, he was planning on kidnapping you your mother and your sister. He was planning on raping you all and then I am not sure but I do know that his other victims never ended up well."
"What the hell father? You are the great Dracula couldn't you have stopped him and I don't know changed his thoughts or something?"
"No he had snuck away to go north when I had found out about his plans. When he was their though it seems he went crazy and did somethings in the Asgardian Clan that earned him a death sentence from Bjorn Thorson himself."
"No way, Bjorn always protected Sterling in the past. He really must of messed up."
"From what I found out from Thor when I called him he did. Bjorn found out that Sterling was planning on raping his wives from Sterling's own mouth if you can believe that."
"Wow, that is ridiculous. Well then father what are you sending them as an apology and thank you for taking care of your mess?"
"Hmm, I am not sure why don't you figure something out and go deliver it yourself."
Opening her eyes wide with indignation she just nodded at her father, she turned and left knowing their was no arguing with her father when he made up his mind.
Watching his eldest daughter leave the throne room a small smile crept up on to Dracula's handsome face.
"Heh, my wonderful daughter I wonder if you will be able to resist that boy when you finally meet him again."
Turning to his subordinate he spoke again on the issue of the Draugr.
"I will call Thor in just a bit and make sure he knows that the Draugr will be returning to their lands. They were never apart of my kingdom they had only been here helping keep some other beings in check but with my recent enlightenment I don't need them here anymore."
"Yes master."