Bersarik

Biography

The Hunt

In the early days of Sanctuary, during the time of the Firstborn, Bersarik rode in the company of Corvik, Helgrotha, and Gratian. He was the strongest of the four. No animal could escape them, and the four were as close as blood-kin. While their prey met death, neither they nor any other nephalem had died in these early days.

One night, Bersarik had a dream, in which he made a spear from a cypress tree, and hurled it from the top of a tower in the golden city where he and his companions dwelt. The spear flew high and true, over the mountains and into the vast green steppes beyond. When Bersarik awakened, he dwelt on the dream's meaning, before going to speak for his companions, declaring that they would hunt aurochs beyond the mountains.

After three days of preparation, they left their home, and travelled into the lands of the north. Whilst in the mountains, they were attacked by flying creatures similar to Blood Hawks. The creatures were slain, and they continued their journey. Reaching the steppes, they tracked the aurochs' trail. Gratian once again expressed doubt, and doubt even touched Bersarik. Regardless, they tracked the herd for five days before coming across them. They planned to separate one from the herd.

The plan worked, initially, and they cornered their prey, but they were attacked by Ahduma, the aurochs' queen. She charged Grattian, who was too stunned to move. Bersarik threw his great axe at the oncoming beast, but it glanced off one of her horns. He then took up Helgrotha's spear from the ground, and as he hurled it, he remembered his dream. The spear struck Ahduma in what would have been a kill for a lesser being, but such was the thickness of her hide, it bounced off. Gratian was killed, and Ahduma fled with the aurochs they had tried to kill.

Bersarik and the others were shocked, for in these early days, death was an alien concept to the nephalem. After standing in silence, they realized that they were no different from the beasts that populated Sanctuary, that they too, could be slain. As the moon rose, Helgrotha declared that she would go to the place where death could not find her. She gave her friends a parting embrace, and departed into the darkness.

A short time later, Bersarik declared that he would hold their makers to account for making them mortal. Telling him that angels and demons were more powerful than Ahduma, Corvik took out her knives, and reached into Gratian with her fingers and blades. She searched for the secret place where he had carried his death with him, but could not find it. Defeated, she instead fashioned his splayed bones and cords into a sword, Bersarik watched as long as he could, until he could no longer endure it, thereafter watching only with his ears. When Corvik finished her work, she presented Bersarik the sword, which she named Severian. The blade frightened Bersarik more than Adhuma had, and it seemed to quiver in his hand. Nevertheless, he thanked her, and asked Corvik what she would do when they departed. She answered that "there are questions I would put to death. But first, I must find the camp of our hunter."

Bersarik didn't know what she meant by that, nor did he want to. Looking at Corvik, stained in Gratian's blood, Bersarik suspected that she had already traveled some distance down a very different road from he. Regardless, they bid their farewells.^[1]

To Meet One's Maker

Bersarik's journey took him over the steppes, and across many lands. Along the way, he spoke to Severian as if it were a companion at his side. He recounted his memories of Gratian, voice his sorrow at his friend's death, and hissed with rage and hatred over the matter. The sword reacted to his tears and words alike, tempering the bone-blade until it was stronger than iron. Eventually, he reached the Temple of the Firstborn, and Bersarik wavered in his resolve at the sight of it, for he had rested little on his journey. Nevertheless, determined to confront Inarius and Lilith, he headed for the first of its many gates, where he met Kalmor on the road, a fellow nephalem.

At first, Kalmor was friendly, but quickly sensed that something was amiss. Realizing that Bersarik intended violence against his makers, and refused to let him pass. The two came to blows, and as Bersarik's axe met Kalmor's sword, Kalmor pleaded with Bersarik to lay down his weapon. Bersarik refused, even though he knew Kalmor had the advantage, for while his journey had weakened him, while Kalmor was at full strength. For half a day, they battled, until Kalmor ripped the axe from Bersarik's hand. In desperation, Bersarik drew Severian, but it seemed to balk in his hand, as it had not been designed to fight nephalem. Kalmor then struck a blow with Bersarik's own axe, cleaving him from shoulder to breastbone, exposing his beating heart.

The wound shocked both warriors, as never before had one nephalem given injury to another. In his dying breaths, Bersarik told Kalmor not to be sorry. He had not heeded Gratian's warnings, and thus, in punishing him, Kalmor had given Gratian justice. He entrusted Severian to Kalmor, and took his last breath.^[1]

Legacy

Kalmor was shocked by what had happened, as Bersarik's death had demonstrated that the nephalem could, in fact, die. He lay Bersarik to rest in the ground, and put Bersarik's axe upon the cairn he erected for him. He kept Severian as Bersarik had asked, now able to understand why Bersarik had come to this place, and was able to understand some of his foe's anger. Ultimate, Bersarik's death would trigger Kalmor's assigned mission to slay Corvik and Helgrotha.

Helgrotha mourned Bersarik. Though she knew not of his death, she was aware of the effects Grattian's passing had on him. She named a bear after him; not to honor his namesake, but to mourn it.^[1]

References