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12

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One of Hans Christian Andersen's tales told of Holger Danske, who slumbered beneath a castle in Denmark, awaiting the time when his country was in peril; at which time he would awake and leap into her defence.

Mikkel Bramsen grew up with the story, among others, but when he was twenty-three years old he stumbled across the room where Holger Danske was supposed to have laid to rest.  He had been in the castle as part of a renovating team, Mikkel being a sculptor and restorer of old marble and granite works.  He felt the power of the room, while the other workers simply scoffed and moved to their work assignments.  Mikkel felt his way through the room, running his coarse hands over the uneven walls.

Outside the room, a passing ship sounded its horn three times in the tradition of the place.  The sound seemed to echo throughout the cellar and the light shifted somewhat.  Mikkel's hands passed over a ridge which pressed downward and released a secret compartment.  Inside the compartment was a suit of chain armour and a thick-bladed sword.  Mikkel's eyes widened with amazement, but he didn't touch the artefacts.  Instead, he called the museum which came to investigate.

When they arrived, the artefacts were gone.  Mikkel felt embarrassed and was further ridiculed by his team mates.  To make up for the embarrassment, Mikkel decided to work well into the night.  He lived alone anyway, and felt foolish for having believed he'd found Holger Danske's hidden armour.  At around midnight, another ship passed, and saluted the castle.  Mikkel looked back to the spot where the compartment had opened and was amazed when it did so again.

He hadn't been dreaming.

This time Mikkel did touch the sword.  He hefted its weight and weaved it through the air.  It seemed to hum in his hands.  His eyes turned to the armour and he slowly put it on, feeling equal parts excited and shamed.  These were artefacts, he thought.  When he was fully attired he moved through the castle, imagining what it would have been like to live in such times as Danske.

As he reached a window which overlooked the courtyard he noticed a woman screaming at the night.  Her black dress flickered in the night air and she seemed to be in agony.  Without waiting to take off his armour, Mikkel ran down to the courtyard and burst into the open air.

He was greeted by a demonic horde of shadows which seemed to be pulling themselves out of the woman: from her eyes, her ears, her mouth and her body.  Each one peeled itself away and flew into the sky.  Mikkel stood dumbstruck, and then the woman saw him and pointed her craggy fingers his way.  The shadows leapt from her body, and flew towards Mikkel.  He lifted the sword and its metal blade caught the moonlight.  The shadows congregated around him, one or two of them testing his reach every few seconds.  He was surrounded.

And then a ship passed and blew its horn three times, and in that moment Mikkel realised the tradition of Holger Danske.  When Denmark was in peril, someone would come across the artefacts.  He had done so himself, and the peril was obviously this woman and her shadow demons.  He swung the blade at the shadows, cutting through them as if they were made of liquid.  At each stroke, the demons seemed to melt away into nothingness.  Some of them fled, while others managed to scratch at his bare skin, but in the end Mikkel stood triumphant in the courtyard.

He looked to the woman, who seemed weak and close to death.  He contacted the hospital and the authorities arrived to tell him that the woman had escaped from a mental institution and that many other patients had done similar things in the past week.  Mikkel left his new name with the police and left.  Holger Danske had returned.

Ten years later, Holger Danske is one of Europe's most famous heroes.  He maintains his vigil in Denmark but does not believe that dangers to his home country are limited to its borders.  He has travelled throughout Europe in pursuit of evil, and has teamed up with a group of other independent heroes under the supervision of Armstrong and Steppenwolf.  This Brotherhood serves to support and protect the individual members, as well as providing Mikkel with people he can share his secret life with.

When he is not saving the world, Mikkel enjoys the solitude of his art studio where he experiments with clay and other materials as a sculptor.  He was married once, but the relationship couldn't endure the strain of his secret life: a life he failed to share with his wife.  He regrets his marriage and feels that his life was not supposed to include such luxuries.  He is determined to be the best defender of Denmark since the original Holger Danske, if such a man existed.

Holger Danske relies on the two artefacts found in Kronenburg castle.  The first is an ancient sword which has an enchantment placed upon it so it never loses its sheen and can even cut through the hardiest of defences.  The second is the armour of Kronenburg, which provides Mikkel with an almost impenetrable armour.  He has researched the armour and its material, but assumes it must be enchanted as well.

Holger Danske is an impressive figure in his ancient armour.  His reputation and appearance are enough to reassure the inhabitants of Denmark that their futures are safe.  He has brown hair of medium length although his head and face is usually covered with a helmet.  He has designer stubble and an eloquent voice which further enhances his reputation.  The armour itself is chain mail, covered by a blue tunic and orange vambraces.